“The dream of owning a home is still very popular among the Swiss population,” writes the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts(HSLU) in a press release. This is based on the latest edition of the Retail Banking Study, which is compiled annually by the Institute of Financial Services Zug(IFZ) at HSLU. According to the study, four out of ten people in Switzerland would like to buy a property.
The IFZ has identified two groups of people interested in property. In the first group, the majority are “dreamers” from the younger generations who are looking for their first home. They are primarily confronted with financial problems. In the second group, the majority are members of older generations who already own their own property. These “second-time buyers” have fewer financial problems than difficulties in finding a property that meets their current needs. Both groups rely primarily on personal recommendations and chance when searching for their own home.
The interest rate plays an important role for home seekers both when taking out a new mortgage and when extending an existing one. The willingness to change mortgage provider is particularly low in the case of an extension, with three out of ten property owners refusing to do so regardless of the difference in interest rates. “In many cases, the house bank still enjoys great loyalty, especially if a change is associated with additional hurdles,” explains Andreas Dietrich, head of the study, in the press release.
Leave a Reply