Half-year review 2026: home ownership +4.7 % – a good time for a valuation?

The drivers behind the price rise

Three factors are pushing the market. First, the interest-rate environment: the Swiss National Bank has held its policy rate at 0 percent since June 2025 and confirmed this course on 18 June 2026. Financing thus remains historically cheap – SARON mortgages are available from around 0.75 percent, ten-year fixed-rate mortgages between roughly 1.5 and 2.0 percent. Second, scarce supply: construction continues to lag while the population grows; particularly in urban municipalities and their agglomerations – which include the Zug region and Central Switzerland – demand clearly exceeds supply. Third, the expectation of stable conditions: banks forecast a further price rise of around 3 percent for 2026 as a whole, with UBS projecting +3.5 percent for condominiums and +2.5 percent for single-family homes.

What the gain in value means for owners in concrete terms

A higher market value is more than a pleasing number. It affects your loan-to-value ratio: having your property revalued may improve the relationship between mortgage and market value – which can help in rate negotiations or when increasing the mortgage for renovations. It affects pension and estate planning: in inheritance divisions, gifts or transfers to descendants, a realistic, documented value is the basis for fair solutions. And it naturally affects any thoughts of selling: anyone planning to sell in the medium term anyway – because the house has become too big after the children moved out, say – sells from a position of strength in a seller’s market with high demand and low interest rates.

Why value now, of all times?

The summer months are traditionally a good time for taking stock: the first half-year delivers fresh market data, and anyone wanting to sell in the autumn – traditionally the most active marketing phase – lays the groundwork now. A professional valuation considers location, condition, standard of finish, plot and the prices actually achieved for comparable properties in the region – not just online estimates, which can easily be ten percent off. Then there are tax considerations: property gains tax, holding-period deductions and the right timing of a sale need to be reviewed at cantonal level before anything is signed.

And the buyer’s side? Opportunities despite high prices

For prospective buyers, the figures sound sobering – but capitulation would be the wrong conclusion. First, thanks to low mortgage rates, buying remains attractive compared with renting in many places, precisely because rents in the centres keep rising. Second, it pays to look beyond the hotspots: in well-connected second-tier municipalities, prices are more moderate while quality of life is barely lower. Third, the tax framework is in motion: with the abolition of the imputed rental value from 2029, the rules of the game for owners change fundamentally – anyone buying today should already align amortisation and renovation planning with the system change. A sound affordability calculation, realistically budgeted ancillary costs and a well-thought-out mortgage strategy remain the foundation of every good purchase decision.

What we offer you

Whether you are seriously considering a sale, renewing your mortgage, settling an inheritance or simply want to know where your property stands today: we value your property in line with the market, explain the result clearly and show you your options – from the optimal time to sell and the marketing strategy through to the tax consequences. As a real estate and fiduciary partner based in Holzhäusern, we know the Central Swiss market first-hand and will guide you through the entire sales process on request.