Buying a home
What buying really costs — transfer tax, mortgage and affordability, with real figures.
17 Jun 2026
Climate and sunshine hours: how the weather affects your home's liveability in Switzerland
Lugano has almost 600 more sunshine hours per year than Lucerne — a difference many people underestimate when searching for a home. MeteoSwiss data shows how much Swiss climate zones vary and what that means for heating costs, wellbeing and property values.
5 min read
17 Jun 2026
Fibre broadband in Switzerland: what internet coverage really means when renting or buying
Whether fibre, coax or old copper — the difference can determine whether your video call stays stable. BAKOM data shows ~85% of Swiss buildings have ≥1 Gbit/s access, but coverage varies significantly between municipalities.
5 min read
17 Jun 2026
Radon in Swiss homes: reference level, risk zones and what buyers must do
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in Switzerland after smoking. Around 8% of buildings exceed the reference level of 300 Bq/m³. What the gas is, where it is most common, and what to do before buying or renting.
8 min read
17 Jun 2026
Second homes and Lex Weber: what buyers in Swiss mountain regions need to know
Since 2016, new second homes may not be built in more than 340 Swiss municipalities. What the law allows, what it bans — and what buying an existing holiday flat means.
4 min read
17 Jun 2026
Zoning in Switzerland: what the zone means before you buy
Whether you can build on a plot depends entirely on its zone — and the differences are enormous. What the key zones mean, what to check before buying and why building land is so expensive.
5 min read
16 Jun 2026
Capital-gains tax on selling: why holding period decides almost everything
When you sell a property, the canton taxes the gain. The biggest lever is how long you held it: sell too soon and you pay up to 70% more; hold long and up to 70% less. With a curve and a calculator — using Bern as the example.
3 min read
16 Jun 2026
Notary and land-registry fees in Switzerland: how much, who pays and what many buyers miss
Notary fees and land-registry charges come on top of the purchase price and are frequently underestimated. Depending on the canton, they typically run to 0.3–1.5% of the price, excluding transfer tax. Who pays, how much, and what the mortgage deed adds on.
5 min read
16 Jun 2026
Affordability: how much home you can actually buy
Banks want two things: 20% equity and housing costs below a third of your income — calculated at a 5% rate, not today’s. What that means in francs, and how much you can afford — with a calculator.
4 min read
15 Jun 2026
Property transfer tax: what buying costs, canton by canton
Most cantons charge a transfer tax when you buy property — from 0% to 3.3% of the price. On a CHF 990,000 home that is up to CHF 32,000. Who pays what, where — with a calculator.
3 min read