Planning permission did not go according to plan
Category: Real Estate
Non-traditional house purchases
A suspensive sale is not uncommon, but nor is it the most straightforward. The family did find the one niece that the notaire couldn't. But, there was supposed to be a ninety day window in which the five nieces and nephews could contest the sale, but because math is hard, there was only a sixty… Continue reading Non-traditional house purchases
The bank
I was approved by the fellow on vacation, but it was a fairly tense few weeks waiting. I went in, signed some documents, and everything seemed to be going swimmingly. Then with less than two weeks to go, my banker sprung on me the cedule hypothecaire (which translates roughly to mortgage codicil). Real estate transactions… Continue reading The bank
Cautionary tales thus far
So far into my journey, there have been any number of moments that would have given a more critically oriented thinker pause. A more reflective person might have taken a beat and said, hmm, I need some help. Or maybe I need to stop this process. To avoid becoming your own cautionary tale, here are… Continue reading Cautionary tales thus far
The Notaire
I debated about whether I should write about the notaire or the architect first, but I'll go with the notaire as she was much more part of the process. First, how did I find the Notaire? I asked on a regional group on Facebook. This may not have been the best method in retrospect, but… Continue reading The Notaire
I was buying a house
I committed to purchasing the house at the end of June. I really wanted to be out of my apartment. I wanted to stop paying rent. I wanted a shorter commute. My life was going to change radically with this house! And I was excited! Buuut, the owner didn't want the sale to go through… Continue reading I was buying a house
A word about my house purchase process
I'll step out of the linear story for a moment to explain a little more about my own process of buying a house, which I believe is by no means typical. But here's hoping I'm only doing it once... I found the properties I wanted to look at by sifting through dozens of websites where… Continue reading A word about my house purchase process
How did I find this precise house?
I had been searching, combing through the various website for months. My budget was on the bottom end of the range, so I knew I would have to be patient. Buying off-plan didn't really enter onto my radar. New builds tend to have very small rooms. I currently live in a beautiful two bedroom, one… Continue reading How did I find this precise house?
Where did I look to find properties on the market?
House buying here does not work like house buying in the US. At least, not in my experience. Here's what happened. I had that great meeting with PostFinance. Buying a place to live would cut my living expenses if I found a place inexpensive enough that I could have an interest only mortgage. And cutting… Continue reading Where did I look to find properties on the market?
So how do the mortgages work?
Keep in mind, this is my understanding of it. Filtered through my non-fluent French. In most places: the US, the UK, Canada, France... your goal when you buy a house is to pay it off and own it. Switzerland is not like that. Because of its tax system. You can own your property completely here,… Continue reading So how do the mortgages work?
La Marmite de Chocolat 