immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Baugewerbe

  • Trust company expands offering with industry software for construction SMEs

    Trust company expands offering with industry software for construction SMEs

    Gewerbe-Treuhand AG, based in Lucerne, is expanding its range of industry software. According to a press release, the company is now offering AbaBau software from Abacus Business Solutions AG for SMEs in the ancillary construction industry.

    The company in Thalwil ZH is a subsidiary of Abacus Research AG. It develops this specialised software with an expert team of 80 employees.

    As an Abacus partner, Gewerbe-Treuhand not only organises the distribution of the construction software, but also supports the SMEs that use it with the practical and process-optimising introduction and implementation in practice.

    Companies using the software also have the option of calling in their fiduciary partner in the event of staff shortages or temporary substitutions for administrative tasks, according to the press release.

    Gewerbe-Treuhand is already a sales partner of Abacus Research AG in 2019. The new partnership with Abacus Business Solutions builds on this collaboration.

  • Construction activity remains stable

    Construction activity remains stable

    Construction activity realised a small year-on-year increase of 0.4 percent to CHF 4.7 billion in the first quarter of 2025, the Swiss Federation of Master Builders(SBV) reported in a press release. It estimates construction activity to be stable despite the international trade conflicts. For the year as a whole, the association expects construction activity to grow by 1.1 per cent year-on-year.

    The SBC experts observed different developments in the individual sectors of the construction industry in the quarter under review. Commercial construction, for example, was 7 per cent weaker than in the first quarter of 2024. By contrast, construction activity in public building construction increased by 23 per cent at the same time. In civil engineering, a decline in private construction activity was largely offset by growth of 2.8 per cent in the much stronger public civil engineering sector. The bottom line is that construction activity in civil engineering fell by around 2 per cent.

    In the press release, the SBC emphasises the “surprisingly” positive development in residential construction. At CHF 1.7 billion, turnover here was 2.4 per cent higher than in the same quarter of the previous year. The SBC experts consider the 11 per cent year-on-year growth in new orders observed at the same time to be “particularly pleasing”. They attribute this to the increased number of building applications in the previous year, which is now “gradually being reflected in the order books”.

  • Building between town and country

    Building between town and country

    While space is still available in the countryside and construction processes are often less complicated, the urban reality is characterised by density requirements, regulations and lengthy approval procedures. Communication channels are shorter in the countryside and processes are more direct. In cities, on the other hand, complex projects such as “The Circle” at Zurich Airport require sophisticated coordination and patience.

    Skills shortage knows no boundaries
    Whether rural or urban, the struggle for qualified apprentices is noticeable throughout Switzerland. It is worth noting that young people from rural regions are often more adept at manual labour. Not least because they come into contact with practical work at an early age. Nevertheless, recruitment remains a challenge, especially in urban areas where academic or commercial careers dominate.

    Regional roots as a success factor
    Whether traditional family businesses in Schwyz or locally anchored construction companies in Thurgau, the construction industry remains a strong pillar of the regional economy in both cantons. In the countryside in particular, master builders are not only economically active, but also socially active, as members of associations, presidents of event organisers and promoters of local life.

    Objections slow down progress everywhere
    Rural idyll does not protect against legal hurdles: Even outside the cities, construction projects are regularly delayed by objections. The call for a clearer, faster and legally secure procedure is growing louder. Long overdue from a practical point of view.

    Different starting points for the order situation
    While the canton of Schwyz is currently recording a solid order volume with growing construction activity and large projects, the situation in Thurgau is tense. Non-essential investments are being postponed there to save money, with a direct impact on local construction companies.

    Focus on sustainability and quality
    The requirements for new buildings are changing rapidly. Energy efficiency, sustainability and climate-friendly construction dominate project requirements. At the same time, time pressure on construction sites is increasing, while legal complexity is growing. The industry’s desire for more quality instead of price dumping and a return to long-term, sustainable values.

  • Raiffeisen analyses abolition of imputed rental value

    Raiffeisen analyses abolition of imputed rental value

    Raiffeisen has analysed the planned abolition of the taxation of imputed rental value for owner-occupied residential property. In the winter session in December, the Federal Parliament decided to change the system of home ownership taxation. Now the people have the final say at the ballot box, according to a press release from Switzerland’s second-largest banking group.

    If the proposal is accepted, homeowners would realise considerable tax savings in some cases, depending on the type of household, given the prevailing low interest rates. The housing cost advantage of home ownership over renting is growing steadily and could rise to up to 30 per cent over the course of the year.

    If the imputed rental value were to be abolished, home ownership would become noticeably more financially attractive overall in the current market environment and consequently also increase in value, according to Raiffeisen. However, homes in need of renovation are likely to lose value due to the elimination of deferred tax deductions as a result of the reform.

    “One of the potential losers of the reform is the construction industry. Although it is likely to benefit from many last-minute orders in the short term during the transitional phase until the reform comes into force, in the long term fewer funds will flow into the renovation of residential buildings due to the elimination of a large proportion of tax maintenance deductions,” Fredy Hasenmaile, Chief Economist at Raiffeisen Switzerland, is quoted as saying.

    If the prevailing interest rate environment remains unchanged, the tax authorities would also have to reckon with billions in lower revenues for years to come as a result of the reform.

  • Construction industry gets fewer orders

    Construction industry gets fewer orders

    Incoming orders in the construction industry were 8.1 percent lower in the first quarter of 2023 than in the same quarter of the previous year, the Swiss Association of Master Builders(SBA) informed in a statement. It assumes that this decline will have a negative impact on construction activity over the next one to two years. The SBC attributes the decline in new orders to higher interest rates and construction costs as well as a slowdown in economic growth.

    In residential construction, the SBC believes that lower construction activity could lead to a shift from a housing surplus to a housing shortage. As countermeasures, the association calls for “a bundle of practice-oriented measures”. Specifically, the communication mentions, among other things, curbing objections and shorter objection periods as well as reducing “overregulation” in structure plans and laws. Housing promotion should be based on market economy criteria and not on state intervention.

    In the short term, the SBC sees a positive outlook for the construction industry. Although turnover in the main construction sector in the first quarter was 150 million francs or 3.1 per cent lower than in the same quarter of the previous year, the SBC is forecasting a slight increase in turnover in the second quarter. For the second quarter, however, the construction index compiled by SBC in collaboration with Credit Suisse forecasts turnover growth of 1.1 percent.

    The shortage of skilled workers remains one of the biggest challenges facing the industry. At the Construction Industry Day on 30 June in Lugano, the SBC wants to show solutions here.

  • Empa is researching climate-friendly concrete

    Empa is researching climate-friendly concrete

    The Swiss National Science Foundation ( SNSF ) is funding a five-year project by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research ( Empa ) to research CO2 binding in cement. As part of the SNSF Advanced Grant, the scientists working with project manager Barbara Lothenbach will receive 2.2 million francs for their research project, according to a press release .

    The grant replaces funds from the European Research Council of the European Commission , to which Swiss researchers currently have no access.

    With the help of the funding, the Empa experts will carry out basic research in the field of CO2 binding in cement together with partners from the Finnish University of Oulu.

    The background to the project called Low Carbon Magnesium-Based Binders is that the cement industry releases large amounts of carbon dioxide. At the same time, concrete is considered a beacon of hope for binding CO2 and thus as a potential reducer of climate-damaging greenhouse gases if it is based on magnesium and not on lime as is usually the case.

    Starting in 2023, the researchers will find out how stable magnesium concrete is in the long term, how it can best be produced on construction sites and how temperature, pH value and other factors affect the molecular level.

  • Demand for larger apartments is driving the construction industry

    Demand for larger apartments is driving the construction industry

    The construction industry has proven to be crisis-resistant during the corona pandemic. According to a press release, the economic research and consulting institute BAK Economics expects building construction to grow by 0.4 percent this year. An increase of 0.6 percent is expected for 2022.

    The prospects for construction activity vary between residential construction, commercial construction and infrastructure construction. While residential construction is increasing, commercial and public construction projects are recording slight losses. The demand for larger apartments is growing due to increased home work. In addition, the energetic renovations and the expected turnaround in interest rates are driving growth.

    In contrast, the pandemic-induced decline in the number of public-sector construction projects is having an impact on infrastructure construction. The number of commercial construction projects is also falling, as many companies postpone or stop planned construction projects. Thanks to the current economic upturn, according to BAK Economics, an upturn in both areas can be expected in 2022.

    Positive results in building construction are expected for the years 2023 to 2027. In commercial and infrastructure construction, the medium-term order situation should remain constant.

    There are regional differences in overall construction activity: According to BAK Economics, the regions of Zurich / Aargau, the Lake Geneva region and central Switzerland have the best forecasts. The institute expects the Basel region to stagnate in the medium term.