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 […]