Switzerland offers a number of safe investment opportunities. Prices in the country are steadily growing for all types of real estate - both residential and commercial. Switzerland is not part of the European Union and has been less affected by the financial crisis that some EU countries are currently experiencing. The crisis has a negative impact on the real estate markets of these countries, and this situation forces Russian investors to pay special attention to the issue of reliability and safety of investments. For foreigners, the main difficulty remains the limited number of permits issued for the purchase of real estate. Overseas buyers wishing to purchase property in Switzerland must obtain permission from the federal authorities. The cantons annually issue only a limited number of quotas, but these are the measures that ensured stability in the country's housing market. These quotas are distributed within the cantons between communes (communities), depending on the needs of a particular commune. In some Swiss regions, quotas are insufficient and foreign buyers have to wait several years. But there are those where the number of quotas exceeds the number of requests. The Swiss property market for foreigners is limited to a few cantons. In cantons such as Ticino , Vaud , Valais, Graubnden, foreigners can buy real estate. And the Swiss cities of Zurich, Geneva, Lausanne are completely closed to foreign home buyers. Transport links Direct flights between Russia and Switzerland are carried out by two airlines - Aeroflot daily from Moscow Sheremetyevo airport, as well as Swiss Airlines from Moscow (Domodedovo) and St. Petersburg to Zurich and Geneva. The flight takes about three hours. In addition, you can fly from Russia to Switzerland by connecting flights through European cities. During the ski season, various airlines offer many charter flights from Russia to Basel, Sion. Thanks to good transport links and the small size of the country, getting to any region in Switzerland is easy.
Real estate market
The real estate market in Switzerland is characterized by stability and steady growth in prices. The demand here significantly exceeds the supply. During the crisis years, the Swiss housing market did not undergo any significant changes, only in 2009 the annual price growth slowed down. Strong demand for luxury properties in popular ski resorts, driven in part by limited supply, is driving up prices, which are currently holding high levels. The cost per square meter in Switzerland is currently on average 6000-7000 euros. Real estate here is growing in price slowly but steadily, and the annual rise in prices in the country is kept at the level of 6-7%. Some experts fear a bubble in the Swiss real estate market. 2003 to 2013 the cost of housing here has grown by about 30%. The risk of a bubble increased in the first quarter of 2013, when it saw the highest price increases in 20 years. According to recently released data, the UBS Bubble Index for the Swiss real estate market rose 0.03 points in the second quarter of 2013 and is now 1.2 points. According to the bank, an index of 2 points indicates a possible bubble. According to experts, despite the fact that the housing market is currently overheated, there is no danger of a bubble, since the rate of increase in this scale is very slow. In the crisis 80s, the picture on the country's housing market was completely different. The real estate price curve is currently at the top of a 15 year cycle. The Swiss authorities are trying to curb the rise in prices, so a number of restrictions on the purchase of housing have been introduced for foreigners. The real estate market in Switzerland in some resort regions froze. This is due to the adoption of Weber's law last year, according to which the construction of "second" houses and the sale of housing to foreigners in communes where the number of foreign owners exceeds 20% of the total Swiss population is limited. All licenses obtained for the construction of holiday properties after March 1, 2012 have been revoked. This immediately stopped the construction of real estate objects that were supposed to be sold to foreigners. Due to this law, the number of transactions decreased and there were few buyers. There will be no more new developments under construction as a second holiday home in Switzerland. This fact led to an increase in prices in the secondary housing market. According to experts' forecasts, the prices for the erected objects will only grow.
Where to buy
For foreigners in the French-speaking part, it is possible to buy real estate in the canton of Vaud in the region of the famous Swiss Riviera, as well as in the canton of Valais , where most of the famous luxury resorts are located, such as Crans-Montana, Verbier , Zermatt, Saas-Fee, Leukerbad, a large ski region Four Valleys, better known so far to Europeans. Shopping in the German parts of Switzerland is also possible, but limited to certain communes. For example, in the canton of Bern in the Bernese Oberland region, real estate prices are still low, with the exception of the Saanenland region with the main city of Gstaad, a ski resort for very wealthy buyers. The Swiss ski resorts of Zermatt, Verbier, Crans-Montana, Villars, St. Moritz, Davos, Gstaad, Leukerbad and Saas-Fee are highly popular among Russians. The resort of Nanda is also gaining popularity, which is combined with the Verbier ski area and is part of the Four Valleys ski area. The largest number of home purchase permits for foreign buyers are issued in the cantons of Valais, Ticino, Vaud, Graubnden and Bern. Foreign citizens can purchase real estate in the cantons of Friborg, Lucerne, St. Gallen, Neuchtel and some others. Lovers of skiing and winter recreation can recommend looking for real estate in the Valais, lovers of the Lake Geneva region should consider the canton of Vaud, located on the shores of the lake, Ticino and Graubnden, where the resort of St. Moritz is located. The cost of a chalet here is estimated at several million euros, and apartments cost from 500,000 to several million euros. The cost of objects largely depends on the area chosen. For example, in Bern, real estate can be bought for about 8000 euros per sq. m, and in the area of Lake Geneva the cost of housing starts from 10,000-25,000 euros per square meter. m. Experts of the local real estate market recommend not to be limited to popular ski resorts. New investment opportunities can also be found in international ski resorts that are just gaining momentum, for example, in the cantons of Uri (Andermatt and surroundings), in Bern (Interlaken region), etc. Investments in these areas can also be reliable, as real estate prices there will still grow. We would like to thank Irina Chernov Burger from RUS 2 SWISS Immobilien and Yulia Sharonova from Sharonoff for their help in preparing this article. HomesOverseas.ru
Real estate market
The real estate market in Switzerland is characterized by stability and steady growth in prices. The demand here significantly exceeds the supply. During the crisis years, the Swiss housing market did not undergo any significant changes, only in 2009 the annual price growth slowed down. Strong demand for luxury properties in popular ski resorts, driven in part by limited supply, is driving up prices, which are currently holding high levels. The cost per square meter in Switzerland is currently on average 6000-7000 euros. Real estate here is growing in price slowly but steadily, and the annual rise in prices in the country is kept at the level of 6-7%. Some experts fear a bubble in the Swiss real estate market. 2003 to 2013 the cost of housing here has grown by about 30%. The risk of a bubble increased in the first quarter of 2013, when it saw the highest price increases in 20 years. According to recently released data, the UBS Bubble Index for the Swiss real estate market rose 0.03 points in the second quarter of 2013 and is now 1.2 points. According to the bank, an index of 2 points indicates a possible bubble. According to experts, despite the fact that the housing market is currently overheated, there is no danger of a bubble, since the rate of increase in this scale is very slow. In the crisis 80s, the picture on the country's housing market was completely different. The real estate price curve is currently at the top of a 15 year cycle. The Swiss authorities are trying to curb the rise in prices, so a number of restrictions on the purchase of housing have been introduced for foreigners. The real estate market in Switzerland in some resort regions froze. This is due to the adoption of Weber's law last year, according to which the construction of "second" houses and the sale of housing to foreigners in communes where the number of foreign owners exceeds 20% of the total Swiss population is limited. All licenses obtained for the construction of holiday properties after March 1, 2012 have been revoked. This immediately stopped the construction of real estate objects that were supposed to be sold to foreigners. Due to this law, the number of transactions decreased and there were few buyers. There will be no more new developments under construction as a second holiday home in Switzerland. This fact led to an increase in prices in the secondary housing market. According to experts' forecasts, the prices for the erected objects will only grow.
Where to buy
For foreigners in the French-speaking part, it is possible to buy real estate in the canton of Vaud in the region of the famous Swiss Riviera, as well as in the canton of Valais , where most of the famous luxury resorts are located, such as Crans-Montana, Verbier , Zermatt, Saas-Fee, Leukerbad, a large ski region Four Valleys, better known so far to Europeans. Shopping in the German parts of Switzerland is also possible, but limited to certain communes. For example, in the canton of Bern in the Bernese Oberland region, real estate prices are still low, with the exception of the Saanenland region with the main city of Gstaad, a ski resort for very wealthy buyers. The Swiss ski resorts of Zermatt, Verbier, Crans-Montana, Villars, St. Moritz, Davos, Gstaad, Leukerbad and Saas-Fee are highly popular among Russians. The resort of Nanda is also gaining popularity, which is combined with the Verbier ski area and is part of the Four Valleys ski area. The largest number of home purchase permits for foreign buyers are issued in the cantons of Valais, Ticino, Vaud, Graubnden and Bern. Foreign citizens can purchase real estate in the cantons of Friborg, Lucerne, St. Gallen, Neuchtel and some others. Lovers of skiing and winter recreation can recommend looking for real estate in the Valais, lovers of the Lake Geneva region should consider the canton of Vaud, located on the shores of the lake, Ticino and Graubnden, where the resort of St. Moritz is located. The cost of a chalet here is estimated at several million euros, and apartments cost from 500,000 to several million euros. The cost of objects largely depends on the area chosen. For example, in Bern, real estate can be bought for about 8000 euros per sq. m, and in the area of Lake Geneva the cost of housing starts from 10,000-25,000 euros per square meter. m. Experts of the local real estate market recommend not to be limited to popular ski resorts. New investment opportunities can also be found in international ski resorts that are just gaining momentum, for example, in the cantons of Uri (Andermatt and surroundings), in Bern (Interlaken region), etc. Investments in these areas can also be reliable, as real estate prices there will still grow. We would like to thank Irina Chernov Burger from RUS 2 SWISS Immobilien and Yulia Sharonova from Sharonoff for their help in preparing this article. HomesOverseas.ru
