Buying a home can seem like a more attractive financial option than renting, considering the equity that is built up over the years and that home prices continue to increase steadily. It is important, however, to take into account all of the financial costs of buying a home and what experts sometimes call “the two […]

If you forgot to shut a window when you left your house this morning, no worries, there’s an app for that. Home security is becoming increasingly advanced, and more Swiss households are buying in as crimes rates rise. Data from the Federal Office for Statistics shows that property theft rose approximately 11 percent from 2011 […]

GENEVA As Switzerland moves away from nuclear energy, experts are looking into ways to encourage people to switch to renewable energy sources for their homes, such as solar power. The clean energy source is more environmentally friendly than many others, they say, but this is not what led to a 33% increase in solar-panel sales […]

Whether renovating a house or putting finishing touches to those dirt-prone skirting boards, there are distinctive advantages to being cross-border savvy. Some items, such as paint and electric drills, can be purchased more cheaply in Switzerland, while timber is better picked up in France. As a rule, Swiss workmanship and material quality trump French, but […]

ZURICH Buying a house or a flat in Switzerland is a less attractive proposition now than it has been in the last 10 years. While property values have reached a high, according to the UBS Real Estate Focus Report 2014 earlier this week, there has been a decline in momentum, which could mean that residential […]

Switzerland’s geothermal power cure – energy provided from underground sources – is nothing new in Switzerland. “Taking a cure” at a Swiss mountain thermal spa is a tradition that has been enjoyed by Europe’s elite for centuries. Only since the beginning of this century, however, has geothermal power begun to be taken seriously as a […]

Continuing low interest rates for mortgages in Switzerland and rising demand for safe investments are encouraging Swiss and expats alike to step onto the housing ladder. Despite soaring real estate prices in areas like Lake Geneva and Zurich driven by population growth and accommodation shortages, the cost of owning your home has dropped overall compared […]