Moving to Switzerland, to buy or rent next home

S

SirMille

Guest
Hi guys,

My first post was about salary levels in Switzerland, but it was closed. Reason being the poor Title and being in the wrong forum.
No forum was suggested, so I'm changing my question and posting here.

What's the best thing to do in Switzerland, rent or buy.
Most pople rent, but the prices don't seem too bad. Worth a punt?

Thanks
 
Are you planning to live there long or short term? If you're looking for a short term investment, I personally wouldn't recommend Switzerland.

There has been only a small increase in property prices there in the last 20 years or so. That may change due to new laws which have been introduced to open up more areas to foreign buyers.

Most Swiss rent, I think it's somewhere around 80% and tenants are very well protected.
 
I agree with delgirl. Unless you plan for a long term investment, Switzerland doesn't appear to be that attractive.

However, with some local knowledge you could do quite well. Rental returns can be quite high for tourist rental properties with a lake view but you would need to research your market extensively and the best properties won't come up for sale very often!
 
The OP will also need to research things like Wealth/Personal Fortune Tax (Vermoegenssteur) which is levied in Switzerland on property owners, so that potentially lucrative holiday let may not be so lucrative once the taxes have been paid.

We have a house in Switzerland in a tourist area and have to pay tourism tax as well. It's not a huge amount, but it all adds up. The taxes also vary from Canton to Canton.

It's like any other location, including Ireland, you have to do loads of research before you think about investing.

Other than that, beautiful country, clean and organised, but I wouldn't want to live there again.
 
I prefer Ireland - people here are more relaxed. Even my other half, who is Swiss, wouldn't go back there to live.

There are so many rules and regulations, which while ensuring that the country runs like clockwork, can be a bit stiffling if you're not used to them. You can't even wash your car in your driveway unless you install a special drain!

We still have a holiday home there and enjoy going over for short periods, but are happy to come home to Ireland.
 
a special drain? wow! that is an eye-opener.

But not to worry, I haven't washed the car in six months

Keep the posts coming, the posts so far have been very informative
 
Also an extra rubbish bin. Having said that, everything goes like clockwerk!
 
Hi, buying a house in Switzerland as a good investment is only interesting if you consider a 10 years term. If you are working in Switzerland it can also be a good idea to buy in neighbouring France, depending on the location you work of course.

more about buying [broken link removed] you find on [broken link removed]

BR Floris
 
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