Covid restrictions raise prices of Swiss holiday homes
The price of holiday homes in the Swiss Alps increased last year as travel restrictions and work-from-home rules introduced to contain the Covid pandemic supported the upswing according to a survey by the UBS bank.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch and Keystone-SDA/ug
Português
pt
Restrições da Covid aumentam preços das casas de temporada
On average, the price of a holiday retreat rose 4% in 2020, the biggest annual rise since 2012, partly due to the limited supply of suitable homes.
“The holiday homes have made a real comeback,” said Claudio Saputelli of the bank’s Swiss&Global Real Estate unit at a news conference on Wednesday.
The gap between the higher-priced and less-expensive destinations is widening, according to the surveyExternal link.
The most expensive tourist destination in the Swiss Alps is St Moritz in the Engadine valley followed by Gstaad in the Bernese Oberland and Verbier in western Switzerland.
An upmarket chalet in St Moritz costs CHF17,000 ($18,287) per square metre, CHF16,500 in Gstaad and CHF14,600 in Verbier.
In comparison, the top resorts in other Alpine countries like Kitzbühel in Austria and Courchevel in the France cost about CHF13,500/m2 each.
The demand for a holiday home shows the changing preference of Swiss households, as more Swiss residents took stay-at-home vacations, the authors of the study say.
An increasing number of foreign buyers are also active as Swiss real estate is seen as a secure investment during times of economic uncertainty, according to experts.
More
More
How long does it take to buy a Swiss home?
This content was published on
We look at the state of the Swiss housing market, and key questions about renting and purchasing.
Swiss football boss wants crackdown on individual hooligans
This content was published on
The head of the Swiss Football League says he prefers a harsher approach to individual hooligans rather than collective punishment measures affecting all fans.
Amherd: Council of Europe is ‘as urgently needed as ever’
This content was published on
The Swiss government emphasised on Sunday the vital role of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, 75 years after it was founded.
Swiss minister: Italy will back Switzerland in EU talks
This content was published on
Bern can count on the backing of Italy as it re-enters talks with the European Union on future relations, Viola Amherd says.
Student protestors at University of Lausanne continue pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
Since Thursday, a hall on campus has been occupied by students calling for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions and a ceasefire in Gaza.
This content was published on
Swiss public broadcasters RTS and SRF are drastically reducing their communications via the social network X (formerly Twitter).
Israel: president of Swiss universities rejects academic boycott
This content was published on
Luciana Vaccaro, president of Swissuniversities, the umbrella group of Swiss universities, is not in favour of an academic boycott of Israeli universities.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss holiday homes becoming cheaper to buy
This content was published on
Prices have dipped anywhere from 3% to 9 % year-on-year in some of the best-known Swiss tourist destinations, such as St Moritz and Verbier. This contrasts drastically with steadily increasing housing costs in the French and Austrian Alps, UBS says. UBS blames the plunging Swiss holiday home market on the strong franc combined with a…
Swiss Alpine holiday home market fragments under pressure
This content was published on
Areas like St Moritz, Gstaad, Verbier, Zermatt and Davos saw price gains of as much as 10% last year. But the cost of apartments in less exclusive mountain resorts remained flat or even fell. The same trend could be seen between luxury and non-luxury segments; only properties attracting prices in excess of CHF8,500 ($8,400) per…
UBS lays out cities most at risk of overheated property markets
This content was published on
An index by Swiss bank UBS shows significant risks of real estate bubbles in booming cities such as Hong Kong, Munich and Toronto.
Swiss holiday property market shows signs of recovery
This content was published on
Prices for holiday homes in the Swiss Alps rose slightly in 2017, but are still failing to keep pace with the steadily increasing housing costs in the French and Austrian Alps, according to a UBS Alpine property survey.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.