Buying & financing
Equity, mortgages, tax and the steps involved in buying in Geneva and across the Lake Geneva region.
Understanding a home's floor areas: living area, weighted area, PPE and thousandths
Living area, weighted area, PPE thousandths: what each measurement really covers and how to read a listing without misjudging the actual size.
Financing a purchase after Basel III: what changes for equity and lending
Basel III strengthens banks' capital requirements and makes mortgage lending more demanding. What changes for your down payment and your buyer file.
Buying a home between 1 and 2.5 million in Geneva: the process step by step
The process of buying a home worth 1 to 2.5 million in Geneva, step by step, from budget and equity to handing over the keys.
Apartment or house in Geneva between 1 and 2.5 million: how to choose
In the 1 to 2.5 million range in Geneva, apartment or house? The method for deciding according to your lifestyle, upkeep and commuting.
Buying as a family in Geneva: balancing neighbourhood, schools and budget
How a family weighs neighbourhood, proximity to schools and budget in Geneva. A method for ranking your priorities and choosing with confidence.
Making an offer to buy in Geneva: the method, from offer to deed
How to put together an offer to buy in Geneva, negotiate it and see it through to the notarial deed. The method, step by step.
Ten pitfalls to avoid when buying your home in Geneva
Ancillary costs, PPE charges, notional rate, easements: the ten mistakes that cost Geneva buyers dearly, and how to spot them in time.
Buying off-market in Geneva: why and how to access confidential properties
Seeing properties before they go online, with less competition: here is why and how a buyer gains access to the off-market in Geneva.
Le Cercle: how our club of qualified buyers in Geneva works
Le Cercle brings together buyers with a clearly defined project who receive matching properties in Geneva first. Here is how to join and what it offers.
Off-market or public sale: what it changes for a buyer in Geneva
Off-market or property portals: how the buying experience in Geneva changes in terms of competition, information, pace and preparing your file.
Buying a prestige property in Geneva: the process and what sets it apart
Acquiring a high-end property in Geneva differs from an ordinary purchase: access to properties, discretion, due diligence and financing.
Easements and pre-emption rights: what a buyer should check in Geneva
Before making an offer in Geneva, two legal points deserve your attention: the easements recorded in the land registry and any pre-emption right.
Settling in Geneva at the top end of the market: housing, international schools, services
Settling an international clientele in Geneva at the top end of the market: prestige housing, international schools, concierge services and practical formalities.
The role of the notary in a property purchase in Geneva
In Geneva, the notary makes your purchase valid by executing it as an authentic deed. Their role, the stages of the sale and the costs, explained simply.
The promise of sale in Geneva: scope, commitment and steps towards the deed
In Geneva, the promise of sale binds seller and buyer before a notary. Scope, conditions precedent, deposits and timelines towards the final deed.
How long does a property purchase take in Geneva: from offer to keys
From the search to the handover of the keys, here are the main stages of a property purchase in Geneva and their indicative durations, explained file by file.
Viewing a property in Geneva: the checklist so you forget nothing
Structure, damp, heating, PPE charges, natural light and nuisances: the concrete points to check and the documents to request during a viewing.
Buying in Geneva on a euro income: what banks look at
Euro income and buying in Geneva: how Swiss banks assess a salary in a foreign currency and how it affects your borrowing capacity.