Renovating an apartment building. With a plan, not in a crisis.
More and more families inherit an apartment building that is getting on in years. We check its condition, show what will be due when and carry out the renovation in stages, even while the flats remain let.
- Condition assessment and renovation roadmap
- A basis for decisions for all heirs, also for the bank
- Planning, building permit, quotes and site management from one source
projects completed
Four ways forward with an apartment building
Which way is right depends on the condition of the building, the costs and the heirs' plans. Every way needs the same basis first: what is the building worth, and what needs doing?
The building is comprehensively renewed and stays in the family as an investment property.
Us: roadmap, planning, executionRenewal happens step by step, for example when tenants change. This spreads costs and effort.
Us: staging plan, execution per stageOne heir buys out the others. This needs a realistic view of the costs ahead.
Us: condition and cost estimateKnowing the condition helps you judge the price and negotiate with buyers on an equal footing.
Us: condition report with cost estimatewas inherited or given away in Switzerland in 2022.
Source: Swiss inheritance study 2023, ZKB (German)One basis for all heirs
Until the estate is divided, the heirs form a community of heirs and decide on the property together (Art. 602 Swiss Civil Code, German). That is easier with neutral facts rather than gut feeling. We provide an assessment with a cost estimate and options that everyone involved understands in the same way.
For legal and tax questions about dividing the estate, please contact a notary, lawyer or executor.
What is due and when?
Enter when the components were last renewed. The check shows a first order of priority based on typical lifespans.
Lifespans are guide values from the Swiss lifespan table, as listed by neho.ch (German). In each case, the actual condition is what counts.
Renovating with tenants in place
An apartment building can rarely be renovated empty. That is why we plan stages, dates and information so that everyday life carries on.
Renew kitchens, bathrooms and floors when tenants change, without emptying the whole building.
Risers and the bathrooms and kitchens stacked above each other are renewed together. This saves time and costs.
Renew façade, windows and roof with one scaffold, usually without tenants moving out.
For comprehensive overhauls, 50 to 70 per cent of the costs are generally deemed value-enhancing (Art. 14 VMWG, German).
Please clarify tenancy law questions such as rent increases with your property management or a tenancy law specialist. Subsidies for insulation and heating replacement: The Buildings Programme (German), conditions vary by canton, apply before work starts.
What we take on for your apartment building
From inheritance to a renewed building
First meeting
Ideally with all heirs together: goals, time frame and open questions.
You get: a clear approachCondition & roadmap
Site visit, assessment, options and cost estimate.
You get: a basis for decisionsPlanning & quotes
Plans, building permit if needed, comparable quotes from vetted tradespeople.
You get: a cost estimateExecution in stages
Construction management through to handover, with progress online in the renovation cockpit.
You get: a renewed buildingFlats in apartment buildings
A selection from over 500 projects.
Questions about apartment buildings
We have inherited an apartment building. How do we proceed?
The first step is an assessment: what condition are the heating, pipes, windows, roof and façade in, what will be due in the coming years and roughly what will it cost? With this information the heirs can decide whether to keep and renew the building, whether one of them takes it over or whether it is sold.
Do all heirs have to agree to a renovation?
Until the estate is divided, the heirs form a community of heirs and dispose of the estate jointly (Art. 602 Swiss Civil Code). Major decisions such as a renovation are therefore usually taken together. Please clarify legal questions with your notary, lawyer or executor.
Can an apartment building be renovated while tenants live there?
Yes, a lot of work can be done in stages while the building remains let, for example flat by flat when tenants change, or stack by stack for pipes, bathrooms and kitchens. Façade, windows and roof can usually be renewed without tenants having to move out. We plan the stages so that disruption is kept short.
Can the rent be increased after a renovation?
Value-enhancing investments and energy-efficiency improvements can justify a rent increase. For comprehensive overhauls, 50 to 70 per cent of the costs are generally deemed value-enhancing (Art. 14 VMWG). Pure maintenance does not justify an increase. The calculation in each individual case is a matter for your property management or a tenancy law specialist.
Which building components should be renewed first?
That depends on the condition and age of the components. It is often worth combining work: façade, windows and roof together need only one scaffold, and pipes, bathrooms and kitchens are best renewed together stack by stack. Our check shows a first order of priority.
Are there subsidies for renovating an apartment building?
Yes. The Buildings Programme of the federal government and the cantons supports insulation and the replacement of fossil-fuel heating, among other things. Conditions vary from canton to canton, and the application must be submitted before work starts.
What does it cost to renovate an apartment building?
Costs depend heavily on the condition, size and scope. You receive a reliable estimate, also for the bank and for discussion among the heirs, after a site visit.
Further reading on renovation (German)
Your apartment building, with a clear roadmap.
Tell us about the property. The first conversation is free and without obligation.
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