Half of the single-family houses in Switzerland are more than 40 years old. Many of these houses need renovation. A partial conversion or a total renovation with energy-related measures can be expensive, depending on the requirements and building fabric. That's why more and more owners of houses from the 1950s to1980s in need of renovation are asking themselves what they should do with their residential property: Nothing, renovate or sell. New replacement construction has become established in Switzerland as an alternative to renovation or selling the house in recent years.
Do you own an older house and would like to know what renovation measures are in store for you? Analyse the need for renovation and estimate the renovation costs with our Renovation Calculator.
A replacement building is a new building that replaces an old building. For example, a modern apartment building with contemporary condominiums instead ofa single-family home with a large garden that needs renovation. New buildings of this kind are an issue especially in sought-after locations in the city or agglomeration because building land is scarce and thus expensive. Densification is a trend that is likely to intensify in the coming years because more and more people are looking for living space and without new replacement buildings, demand exceeds supply. Any single-family house that stands on a plot of 800 square meters or more and offers enough space for an apartment building with at least three flats is suitable for such projects.
The potential for new construction also depends on building regulations such as the use, building mass and floor area figures, boundary and building distances or length, height, and floor area restrictions. Such framework conditions under building law can cause a new construction project to fail even before the starting shot is fired. Our partner and new construction specialists “neubau.ch” know all the regulations and will guide you competently throughout the process.
With the revenue from the sale of the new building, you can buy a smaller, age-appropriate flat elsewhere or a flat with a right of priority in the new building you have built on your former property. Alternatively, you can participate in the new construction and share in the sale of the new residential units or earn regular monthly rental income, for every flat demolished 1.7 new flats built.
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The three most common reasons are divorce, inheritance, and ageing. Many old, not yet or only partially renovated houses belong to people over 60 years old, who sooner or later start thinking about their home ownership. For example, because they ...
At first glance, selling the house is the easiest and quickest solution. Property prices are still high despite increased mortgage interest rates and will only fall slightly, if at all, in the foreseeable future. But especially in the case of older properties that need extensive and energetic renovation, many buyers shy away from the high renovation costs. Anyone who wants to buy an older house pays the value as it is. But those who want to replace the house in need of renovation with a new building also price in the potential for new construction. It is especially true for real estate and project developers as well as specialized general and total construction contractors. Such companies are not infrequently willing to pay more for the property than buyers who want to renovate the house and live in it themselves.
With the revenue from the sale of the new building, you can buy a smaller, more fitting flat elsewhere or a flat with a right of priority in the new building you have built on your former property. Alternatively, you can participate in the new construction and share in the sale of the new residential units or earn regular monthly rental income.
Older homeowners specifically have an emotional relationship with their house and associate pleasant memories with their home as for example, they raised their children there. This often blurs their perception of reality: a comprehensive renovation with energy efficiency measures costs more than a new building. Especially if hidden defects are discovered during the renovation process. In addition, the energy efficiency of renovated houses is usually not as good as planned. And because of the statics of the house, the floor plan and room layout cannot be changed as desired.
In houses from the 1950s to 1980s with thin exterior walls, inefficient electric storage heaters and single-glazed window fronts, insulation alone does not help much. It gets expensive. Especially if the roof is a poor quality roof and has to be rebuilt.
In «Service Life: How Long do Components, Devices and Installations Last?» and «House Renovation: Costs for a Total Renovation in Switzerland» find out when the first major renovations are due or how much a total renovation could cost approximately.
Do you possess a single-family house that is too big for you? Is the garden too much work? Would you rather live in a smaller flat that is more suitable for you and travel more often in return? The demand for new replacements is higher than ever before. On a plot of at least 800 square metres, for example, there is room for an apartment building with three to four residential units. On larger plots, apartment buildings with up to eight or more residential units can be built.
The new-build specialists at neubau.ch know the market and provide you with comprehensive advice. They check the new-build potential of your property and recommend a selling price. If you agree with the price, neubau.ch prepares a new construction dossier with feasibility study and accompanies you through the entire process until the sale to a suitable development partner from the region. As a rule, you will receive the reservation agreement with reservation payment within three months of the conclusion of the contract. Then the date for the transfer of ownership can be arranged at the land registry.
When selling via neubau.ch, you as the seller do not pay any commission.
