Swiss Real estate
We have 100+ properties in Switzerland off- market by now.
In our list mainly properties from Zurich area like Kusnacht, and Geneve- Cologny. Mainly we have luxury, modern, hight tech villas in special tax areas with great lake views. We have also some plots of the land for building new villa.
We also have some properties in Lugano, Zug, St. Moritz and Davos. Those are mainly comercial properties (Hotels, office buildings, lands for development) and chalets.
If you want to buy a property in Switzerland, you should know such laws as Lex Koller and Lex Weber.
The Lex Koller law restricts the purchase of real estate by foreigners.
EU citizens who have a Swiss residence permit can freely buy real estate.
If you are not a citizen of the European Union, then you need to have a permanent residence permit in Switzerland type C.
Having a residence permit, you have the right to buy a house or apartment for the main place of residence. If you are making a purchase of real estate for a company where a majority stake is held by Swiss residents, and the share of foreigners does not exceed 30%.
If all these categories do not suit you, then you can buy commercial real estate without restrictions or resort accommodation for recreation, but if you get a quota - this is a special permission from the cantonal authorities.
If you are planning to buy a property in Switzerland, the first thing to understand is that the Confederation is not Russia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States, or any other country.
Remember: Switzerland is Switzerland! With its own rules, different from other countries!
"It's clear enough!» – You might have thought. However, unfortunately, many people who come to Switzerland continue to think by the standards of their countries and make decisions based on them. Experience inexorably points to the ineffectiveness of this approach. Switzerland has its own rules and traditions, and they are (significantly) different from what foreigners are used to.
In order to leave something for the Swiss themselves, back in 1983, the Federal law on the acquisition of real estate by foreigners (the famous "Lex Koller") came into force, which introduced significant restrictions on the purchase of real estate in Switzerland.
Therefore, the first and fundamental conclusion: forget how to evaluate Switzerland by the standards of Your country. This conclusion can significantly help You not only in searching for a real estate object, but also in literally everything that concerns life in the Confederation.
Why the selection of the mediator important?
Even if you have money to buy property in Switzerland yourself, it is extremely difficult for a foreigner who does not have a residence permit in the country. The obstacle is not only the language barrier and ignorance of the political and economic "cuisine" of the Confederation.
When it comes to residential real estate in Switzerland (house, Chalet, apartment), the Central problem for the transfer of ownership to a foreigner is the obligation to obtain permission from the authorities of the Canton in which the property is located.
Sometimes even a residence permit in Switzerland does not give the right to freely purchase housing (we will return to this point – see below). It is also almost impossible to get a complete picture of the property you are buying on your own.
Even before buying, you need to know a lot of facts:
- what property tax in Switzerland will you need to pay;
- how much do utilities cost;
- will it be possible to increase the area and height of the building;
- are any important legislative changes expected, etc.