Attempted fraud on property portals has been on the rise recently. Scammers try to trap trusting house-hunters with appealing ads for dream homes. These tips will help stop criminals in their tracks. Jürg Zulliger Sounds like a dream home, doesn’t it? A tranquil location in the heart of Zurich’s Old Town. Close to the …
Heating accounts for around 70% of energy consumption in the home. But how should we go about heating our homes properly? What tips and tricks are there for reducing heating costs? What temperature does it need to be outside before we turn the heating on? As outside temperatures get chillier, we start needing to warm …
For many people, finding an affordable rental property in mostly expensive cities and urban areas is becoming increasingly difficult. As a result, there is greater focus on properties belonging to cooperatives and charitable foundations. In particularly expensive urban areas, these can often be 20–25% cheaper. In Switzerland, there is a total of around 185,000 properties …
Vaud and Geneva offer an outstanding quality of life that draws many Swiss people and expats to both cantons. Although the two major cities and cantonal capitals, Lausanne and Geneva, are remarkably lively and dynamic, other municipalities are just as appealing and offer stunning locations close to Lake Geneva. Here are a few with a …
White walls? Boring! Every home magazine claims that any self-respecting person should bring a bit of colour into their home. But before you pick up the paint brush, it’s worth clarifying a few things. Whether you are hiring a painter or doing it yourself, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. …
Tired of barking dogs, screaming children or loud parties going on until 4 am the next morning? When people in your building are really getting under your skin, it can be hard to know how to resolve the situation. We’re here to explain the legal situation and what works in practice. ‘Even the most pious …
Children have a completely different perspective of things – they are curious and like to explore. But there are more dangers lurking inside your home than you might actually be aware of. The point at which you need to childproof your home depends entirely on the age of your child. Newborn babies are totally dependent …
There are certainly obvious reasons why you might want to sublet individual rooms or even an entire apartment. This practice of ‘subletting’ is generally permitted. The boundary separating subletting from unauthorised commercial use of the rented home, however, has not been clearly defined. From a legal perspective, the matter remains controversial – as a recent …
One light on the ceiling simply isn’t enough anymore. Nowadays, if you want to create a flattering aesthetic for your home that’s easy on the eyes, you need a lighting concept. Here are all the dos and don’ts of lighting. It wasn’t so long ago that lighting didn’t involve any big decisions. A few candles, …
A few ‘soft’ factors have a huge impact on people’s living situations and quality of life, such as do the neighbours know each other? This year, the importance of community aid and voluntary work has drastically increased. When the coronavirus crisis erupted in March, thousands of people suddenly realised how much they value their neighbours. …
