Apartments for sale in Switzerland
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Buying an apartment in Switzerland almost always means buying into condominium ownership (Stockwerkeigentum, or PPE in French-speaking cantons). You get the exclusive right to your own unit and, with it, a share of everything else: the roof, the stairwell, the underground car park. The listings here run from flats in Zurich, Basel, Lausanne and Lucerne to smaller places in Schaffhausen and Sion, and for each of them the community's paperwork matters as much as the floor plan.
The value quota
Every unit has a value quota (Wertquote) entered in the land register, usually in thousandths. It sets your share of the common costs unless the rules say otherwise, and it carries weight in some votes at the owners' meeting. A large penthouse pays more than a ground-floor studio.
Read the rules and the minutes
The community's regulations (Reglement) set out what you may do: keep pets, rent the flat out, renovate, use a garden or terrace under an exclusive right of use. Ask for them before you buy, along with the minutes of the last few owners' meetings. That's where you'll read what the neighbours argue about and which renovation has been voted through but not yet paid for.
The renewal fund
Most communities pay into a renewal fund (Erneuerungsfonds) each year for the roof, lift, façade or heating. Ask how much is in it and what work is planned. If the fund is thin and the building is 30 years old, the bill arrives as a special levy, even if you only moved in last month.
Before you make an offer, collect:
- the land register extract with the value quota and any easements
- the regulations and house rules
- the minutes of recent owners' meetings
- the renewal fund balance and the managing agent's annual accounts
- the monthly service charge advance
Ask for documents or a viewing through the listing; imported listings link to the site they came from.