Do your property homework before heading for the slopes

Skiing as a pastime is now more accessible than ever but for those seeking a home in the Alps, particularly in Switzerland, the market is far from all-inclusive. Recent rules and regulations setting out who can buy what, and where, means it pays to do your research.

In the 12 years I’ve worked in Knight Frank’s international research team one of the biggest challenges has been keeping abreast of the new policies, taxes, and referenda that buffet the housing markets in the 55-plus countries that we monitor. Nowhere is this more challenging than in Switzerland. The Swiss, it would seem, love a referendum.

In 2012 Switzerland passed a new law – ‘Lex Weber’ – which imposed a 20 per cent cap on the number of second homes within any Swiss commune. This law (the finer detail of which has only recently been published) combined with Lex Koller, a law in force since 1983 which restricts non-resident buyers to certain ‘holiday zones’, means prospective buyers not only need detailed knowledge of the country and its zones but some expert guidance.