Posted on 20 July 2021
It’s not hard to find reasons why you should buy a property in Switzerland. The original birthplace of skiing is eternally popular, stunningly scenic, and an incredibly stable place to invest.
From the world-famous peaks of the Matterhorn and the Eiger to the glitz and glamour of Switzerland’s high-end ski resorts, this is a superb place to own a ski property. The Swiss Alps are the classic ski destination, home of the sort of landscape to make the Sound of Music blush and a consistent favourite amongst the great and good.
So, why should you buy a property in Switzerland? Is now really the time?
When it comes to Swiss property, there’s never a wrong moment to invest. Switzerland is not viewed as the world’s most stable country without reason; buying there is a far safer bet than you might find elsewhere.
The Stable Swiss Property Market
You probably won’t be too surprised to hear that the Swiss property market is one of the most stable in Europe. While housing prices did take something of a hit in the financial crash, it was a relatively small dip compared to property markets elsewhere. The market began its recovery, with tourist areas seeing a flood of investors looking to put their money in a ski property that wouldn’t depreciate too much.
When it comes to reasons why you should buy a property in Switzerland, knowing the property market is stable is reassuring. You can rest safe in the knowledge that you’ll get your money back if and when you decide to sell. The Lex Weber and Lex Koller have slowed the speed of investment down somewhat, as you now need to navigate the restrictions on whether a property is available for purchase.
That hasn’t slowed the speed of investors too much though. Buying in Switzerland is still seen as the safest option for investing your money. That goes double when interest rates are as low as they are!
Swiss Skiing Still Comes Out on Top
Verbier and the Four Valleys, Zermatt, Swiss skiing is some of the best around, especially if you’re after long lunches up the mountain to break up your ski day. Swiss skiing is home to slopes of patrolled off-piste and a huge variety of terrain; perfect for everyone from your grandma to your ski instructor nephew.
Ski areas like the Four Valleys offer a similar amount of terrain to the Three Valleys in the French Alps but with steep slopes favoured by professional freeride skiers. The glacier at Crans-Montana offers snow-sure skiing in a resort that is perhaps better known for its’ summer season. Global freeride competitions tour through the country, and the British freestyle skiing competition is held at Flims/Laax each year.
If you’re after the traditional European ski experience, Switzerland was the first on the scene. Switzerland is the classic choice, with enough variety between resorts to suit almost anyone. If you’re wondering why you should buy a property in Switzerland, the winters are pretty great!
Dual Seasonality
French ski resorts are fantastic. Nobody would argue that point harder than me. When it comes to dual seasonality though, many of the high, snow-sure French resorts struggle to draw visitors during summers. Swiss resorts are generally older; many have grown out of old farming communities. They have a thriving and very traditional summer season that acts as a counterbalance to the winters.
Summers in the Swiss Alps are a far more peaceful proposal than winters. That said, with resorts like Crans-Montana holding international golf tournaments, it’s not too hard to find a little bit of life during the long summer months. Summer is as much of a reason why you should buy a property in Switzerland as winter.
Verbier is home to rallying, mountain biking, and road cycling races during the summer months. There are cattle drives through small towns as farmers take their herd out to graze on the high mountain pastures. People and animals alike wear the traditional Swiss Alpine dress at summer festivals. It’s the Alpine scene you picture when you think of summer in the mountains, and it’s hard to find an equivalent in the French Alps.
Swiss Property is Always In-Demand on the Rental Market
Do you want to spend a week or two in Verbier? You hop online and check out the rental market. Switzerland’s legendary stability has the handy side effect that it’s one of the most reliably popular holiday destinations. There might not be the same seasonal high as the Costa del Sol, but the Swiss Alps become the healthy choice in summers.
Rental during winter is consistent, with peak season prices rising to fairly incredible heights and bookings coming steadily through the rest of the season. Summers are always popular with the mountain yoga, fitness, and wellness types, who flood in to take beautiful pictures of scenery while doing headstands.
Some tourists, especially the adrenaline junkies, want to get out into the hills to hike, mountain bike or climb. Mountaineers view summer seasons as the perfect time to try making the three peaks challenge. If you’re looking to rent your property out while you’re not there, you’re in the ideal place for it!
The Brexit Shadow is a Little Shorter
Firstly, I will note that Brexit hasn’t had quite as severe an impact on the French Alpine property market as some feared before the referendum. That said, the addition of regulations restricting how much time you can spend in a country does limit your options somewhat. Switzerland, as an EEA country but not an EU member, isn’t quite as affected.
While the Lex Koller and Lex Weber are designed to restrict foreign purchase, buyers inside the EU had to go through almost the same stringent process as buyers outside the EU. Tourist areas inside Switzerland are subject to specific national, cantonal and communal restrictions; the process is essentially the same whether you’re buying from inside or outside the EU.
For British buyers, this means that buying in Switzerland is a safer bet than many other European countries with the shifting rules and regulations of Brexit. If you were wondering why you should buy a property in Switzerland, this is a good reason to look in that direction.
So, why should you buy a property in Switzerland? Whether you’re interested in buying in France or Switzerland, now is an excellent time! The French property market is thriving, both countries have low-interest rates, and Switzerland is as safe and stable a place to put your pounds as ever. Take a look at our selection of ski property for sale, and get in touch with our experts if you have any questions.