BUYING ISN'T FOR EXPATS
You don't need a Swiss passport or a C permit to buy. B permit holders can become homeowners here every week.
Switzerland
For English-speaking expats in Switzerland
You were told foreigners can't buy property in Switzerland. That's simply not true and you may be throwing up to CHF 2'000 a month away on rent.
English-speaking expat in Basel, Zurich, Geneva, Zug or Schwyz? Find out what you can really afford to buy – instead of burning up to CHF 2’000 a month on rent.
- We are former Swiss Bankers helping you with your mortgage
- See rent vs. mortgage for a real property in your area
- Use your Swiss pension (Pillar 2 / 3a) the right way
- Everything explained in English, in writing
- The HomeFit Check is your free affordability analysis in English.
BaselZurichGenevaZugSchwyz
≈ CHF 1’500possibly lost every month in rent
What our clients say about working with us
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This is you
Does this sound uncomfortably familiar?
You're highly competent at work — yet Swiss property somehow makes you feel like an outsider. These are the thoughts we hear again and again.
“We're paying CHF 3'000+ in rent every month and nothing is building up behind it.
“Everyone rents here. Buying is for the Swiss, isn't it?
“We went to the bank, they said no in 8 minutes — and I still don't understand why.
“They calculate with 5% instead of our actual rate and call it 'affordability'. What does that even mean?
“I have no idea whether my bonus or RSUs even count.
“My pension fund is just a big number on a statement — I don't know what it means for buying a home.
The problem isn't you. It's a system explained in a language you don't think in. The HomeFit Check is the first step to making that system understandable.
MINDSET
3 beliefs that keep you renting when you could already own
THE BANK'S 'NO' IS FINAL
One rejection reflects one bank's rules, not your real affordability. Lenders weigh your salary, bonus and equity very differently.
RENTING IS SAFER AND MORE FLEXIBLE
CHF 3,000+ a month builds someone else's equity. Even if you move on, a Swiss home can be rented out or resold.
These beliefs are common — and usually wrong. The HomeFit Check shows what's actually true for your situation, in about 3 minutes.
Start the HomeFit CheckWhat you actually want
What you really want is simple
Stop burning rent
No more CHF 3'000+ every month with nothing to show for it — money that builds something instead.
A real base for your family
A genuine home in Switzerland — even if you might move on one day.
Know your number
Exactly what you can afford in Basel, Zurich, Geneva, Zug or Schwyz — in francs, not guesswork.
Decide with confidence
Make one of your biggest financial decisions without feeling like a permanent guest.
Above all, you want to stop feeling stupid about money in a country where you're otherwise highly competent. That's exactly what the HomeFit Check is designed for.
How it really works
The Swiss rules are strict — but clear, once someone explains them
Affordability rules
- 20% equity, at least 10% from outside your Pillar 2.
- Lenders calculate with ~5% imputed interest and max. 33% of gross income.
Permits & Lex Koller
- B permits are often financeable for your own home.
- Non-EU/EFTA without a C permit can buy for personal use only.
Pension & taxes
- Pillar 2 / 3a: withdraw vs. pledge — different tax, different retirement impact.
- Eigenmietwert: why your own home is taxed as 'income'.
Your income
- How banks treat bonuses and RSUs — and how much actually counts.
- How non-CHF income is weighted in the calculation.
SIMPLE & FAST
How it works
Three short steps between your first question and a clear, honest answer about buying a home in Switzerland.
1
Step 1Start the free check
Click 'Start the free check' and answer a handful of short questions. It takes about 3 minutes — no documents, no obligation.
2
Step 2Get your result & book a slot
Based on your answers, we check whether buying a home in Switzerland is realistic for you right now. If it is, you can book a call straight away.
3
Step 310-minute phone call
We walk through your result together. Only if it's a genuine fit do we invite you to a free 60-minute strategy session.
Independent, not tied to a bank
Your bank gives you one answer. We show you the whole market.
Instead of one institution's opinion in German, you get the whole market working for you — in English. Most clients start with the HomeFit Check, then we compare lenders for them.
Start your free HomeFit CheckThe whole market
We collect offers from multiple banks, insurers and pension funds — not just one.
Real explanations
We explain why one lender says 'no' and another says 'yes' — in plain English.
One page, one language
All offers side by side on one page in English, so you compare like for like.
Transparent from the start
We tell you exactly how we are paid — before you even ask.
Tobias FringeliCo-founder · Former Swiss banker
Gazmend IsmailiCo-founder · Former Swiss banker
Headquartered in Basel · Working fully online across Switzerland
ABOUT US
Former Swiss bankers, now on your side
Independent mortgage consultants for English-speaking expats
We are Tobias Fringeli and Gazmend Ismaili, the founders of this company. Between us we spent more than ten years each working inside Swiss banks. We know exactly how banks think, how they read your file, and where the real decisions are made.
“We both worked more than 10 years for Swiss banks. We know exactly how banks think.
We specialise in English-speaking expats across Basel, Zurich, Geneva, Zug and Schwyz. Most of our clients could comfortably afford a home here — but no one ever explains the system to them in English. We know how it feels to be highly qualified in your own field, yet unable to read your own bank letter.
So we changed sides. As independent brokers we work only for you — never for a single bank. We compare banks, insurers and pension funds, explain the rules in clear English, and translate the Swiss system into confident decisions. A “no” from one bank is usually a formula, not a verdict about you. We created the HomeFit Check so English-speaking expats can see, on one page and in clear English, what Swiss banks really see.
What we do as independent brokers
- Work exclusively for you — not for one bank
- Compare multiple banks, insurers and pension funds
- Explain affordability, Pillar 2, Lex Koller and Eigenmietwert in clear English
- Work fully online via Zoom or Teams — no branch visits, no German jargon
- Structure the best possible mortgage for your life in Switzerland
Our headquarters · BaselONLINE · WHEREVER YOU ARE
Headquartered in Basel. No office visit needed.
Our headquarters are in Basel — but everything we do together happens online. No branch visits, no waiting rooms, no commute. We’re a modern advisory and we work the way you do: wherever you are, on your schedule.
Teams-Online-Meeting
We meet on the platform you already use, in English, at a time that suits you.
No waiting rooms
Schedule a call from your calendar. No trips to a branch, no commute, no delays.
Fully remote, fully Swiss
The full mortgage and purchase advisory: handled securely and professionally online.
Your next step
Stop guessing. Start making informed decisions.
You've spent years paying rent and feeling like a guest in your own finances.
One short affordability check won't change the world — but it will change how you see your options.
Whether you buy now, later or not at all, you deserve to know what's actually possible.