Data protection and security are our top priority. That's why we leave nothing to chance. To ensure the protection of your personal data and secure data transmission, we work with the latest security technologies. Your data is stored in encrypted form in a computer centre that is certified with all current industry standards. Data is therefore only passed on to third parties if you request service offers via Houzy that require this. An example of this is when you actively contact one of our broker partners. You can find further information in our T&Cs under "Our privacy policy".

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Houzy is a young company and finances itself by brokering third-party services as well as through advertising partnerships with national and regional partners (however, you as a user always decide yourself when you want to share what and with whom and thus always retain data sovereignty). The use of our online Renovation Calculator and our platform is therefore permanently free of charge for you. If required, our experts will be happy to advise you personally in a second step. Suitable, regional craftsmen can also be contacted through us without obligation. If an order is placed, payment is handled directly with the craftsman.

Houzy is a young Swiss PropTech company with one goal: Making homeownership simple. The platform integrates user-friendly online tools such as the property valuation, the renovation calculator or the property gains tax calculator, which help to optimally manage private property and save effort and costs in the process. The scope of Houzy is constantly being expanded. You can find out more under About us.

Before buying an owner-occupied apartment, you should definitely take a look at the condominium regulations, because with the purchase you accept the regulations of this community. The resolutions and minutes of recent owners' meetings also provide important information about decisions, such as upcoming renovations. In addition, it should be clarified in advance what the status of the renewal fund is and the annual contributions of the condominium owners. Buying a condominium also means that you have to help finance all upcoming renovations. So if the roof is renovated a year after the purchase and there are no funds in the renovation fund, the new owner will be faced with major expenses. With the Houzy renovation and renewal fund calculator, such expenses and risks can be identified even before the purchase.

The ancillary costs of an owner-occupied flat consist of costs for the owner's own floor unit and those for the common components. For the owner's own flat, costs are incurred for repairs and maintenance work, such as painting work on the owner's own four walls. These are fully borne by the owner. The common parts of the building, such as the roof, heating, façade, load-bearing walls, pipes as well as the caretaker and administrative expenses are managed jointly by the condominium owners' association and the maintenance costs are borne jointly. The law provides that these ancillary costs are distributed in condominium ownership in proportion to the value quotas. However, the amount of the ancillary costs of a condominium depends on the condition and quality of the building and the flat and thus varies greatly. As a guideline, most experts recommend including an amount of 0.75 to 1 per cent of the purchase price. However, this estimate does not include major repairs and renovations. Homebuyers can use the Houzy contribution calculator to find out before they buy what additional costs they will incur in the form of renovations and contributions to the renovation fund.

In principle, there is no legal obligation for condominium owners to set up a renovation fund and thus no legally prescribed contribution amount. What is clear, however, is that if you want to prevent a reduction in the value of your condominium, you must keep your building in good condition and set aside reserves for renovation and maintenance work for your own flat and the common building. It is less clear how much should be paid into the fund. The guideline ranges from 0.3% to 1% of the purchase price. However, most experts agree on one point: many condominium associations pay far too little into the renewal fund. If the renewal fund is too low, it can quickly lead to financial bottlenecks and disputes in the condominium owners' association when a renovation project is necessary. Houzy therefore first analyses the renovation needs of the condominium's own and communal building components and calculates the renovation costs and timeframes using thousands of comparative data. Based on this differentiated cost estimate and additional information on the condominium unit, the required payments into the renovation fund can be calculated. The Houzy Contribution Calculator thus serves as an initial, data-based basis for discussion at the next owners' meeting.

A condominium owner does not have sole ownership of his or her apartment, but a co-ownership right to the entire property, which is reflected in the value quota. However, there is a special regulation for one's own flat, cellar or attic, the so-called special right, which grants a privileged position. Similar to sole ownership, the special right offers freedom of design for the rooms concerned; the flat may be used, developed, converted or rented out according to one's own sense. In order for the special right to apply, a room must be closed and accessible through its own entrance. The special right is intended to ensure that floor units can exist independently of each other. Garden and parking spaces are therefore not eligible for special rights from the outset. The exact demarcation of the parts in the special right can be found in the declaration of the condominium ownership, which is often found in the regulations of the condominium owners' association. The special right does not include common parts such as the ground of the property or the foundation, the roof or the façade.