Aug 16, 2021 / LIFESTYLE

How to move to a ski resort with your family

One of the lasting effects of living through Covid-19 is that it’s led many people to re-evaluate their life. The role our home plays has grown in importance and the way people spend their time, at work or leisure has come under scrutiny.

This new perspective has thrown shade on the treadmill type life, where home is just somewhere to pass through. The appeal of a mountain home, with a smorgasbord of family activities on tap as well as clean air and a healthy lifestyle has become increasingly hard to resist. 

How to move to a ski resort with your family

Having said that, moving your whole family to a new home overseas isn’t without challenges. There’s a whole host of things to consider - education, friendships, family - alongside the usual relocation concerns. The complexity of meeting everyone’s needs shouldn’t be underestimated, but it shouldn’t put you off either. Here are our tips to get you on the path to realising your dream of mountain living. 

1 Explore the ski resort as a family 

Once you’ve got an idea of where you’d like to live, take some trips with your family. Ask your children how they’d feel about living in the town, take them to ordinary places like shops and parks and the library as well as diving into all the fun stuff the town has to offer. 

2 Listen to what your children have to say

Feeling heard is incredibly important - ask your children how they feel and listen to their answers. Try to ask open questions to understand where they’re coming from - asking something like “what do you like about this town?” will give you more clues as to how they feel than a yes/no question like “do you like this town?”

3 Education

This is likely to be the biggest deal maker or breaker - choosing the right school will impact both education and social life and it’s essential you make the best choice for your child. Many people find an international school to be a favourable option and the Good Schools Guide has some useful tips on how to choose one. If you think a local school may be a pathway to more successful integration, then it’s important to consider aspects like future qualifications and curriculum as well as the complexities of learning in another language.

4 Consider which neighbourhood you choose

This is especially pertinent in a ski resort. You need to be sure you are in a true working town, and in a neighbourhood that is lively all year round. Somewhere like Steamboat Springs, or Jackson Hole offer an eminently liveable lifestyle, that just happens to be close to some of the best skiing in the world. 

5 Make it easy to maintain family ties

Choose somewhere that makes it easy for family and friends to come to visit - think about things like flight costs and transfer times as well as choosing somewhere that is an appealing holiday destination all year round. Choosing somewhere like the area around Megeve means being within an hour of the airport, living somewhere with year round appeal - plus it just happens to be near an international school. 

Consider practicalities like healthcare, visas and residency regulations - the consulate of your chosen country is usually a good place to start. 

Family life with a mountain view - this house in Steamboat is in a great neighbourhood tooFamily life with a mountain view - this house in Steamboat, Colorado is in a great neighbourhood too

6 Get ahead with the language

Learn your new language as a family - this is going to be the single most important thing you can do to help you all settle in your new home. Check out alternative ways of learning, such as language apps, as well as traditional classes.

7 How do I find the best ski property for my family?

Once you’ve pinpointed the town and neighbourhood you want to live in, then hunting for your new home can begin in earnest. Choosing a ski property portal like SnowOnly means you can be sure you are seeing a broad spectrum of ski property, and saves endless trawling of agent’s websites.

You can set up property alerts, so you’re always aware of what’s on offer, and our buyers guides talk you through the practicalities of buying overseas. Once you’ve found a few likely properties, it’s time to organise a viewing trip, ideally with all the family, and get started on the practical steps to living the mountain dream.