Buying Swiss Property, How much can I afford

In Switzerland, it is usually necessary to place a deposit of 20% of the house purchase value, although in certain circumstances it is possible to bring a deposit of only 15%. In neighbouring France, by contrast, it is possible in certain circumstances to borrow up to 100% of a property’s value, although usually a 10% deposit will be required.

The amount you can borrow will depend largely on your income, and typically this will be calculated on the simple basis that one third of your total monthly income can be used to service the mortgage.

Income from rental can be taken into consideration, although this will normally be accepted at a maximum rate of 80 percent of the actual rental income received.

In both Switzerland and France there is a wide range of potential lenders available, offering different conditions and range of interest rates.

In addition, residents of Switzerland or neighbouring France can use their Swiss pension capital from their second or third pillar pension schemes as a form of deposit (by withdrawal or pledge), although there are restrictions on the subsequent sale of the property and tax implications with this approach which need to be carefully considered.

More about Swiss Property regulations
Thinking of buying in neighbouring France

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