Tips for flat-hunting in Switzerland

Flat-hunting can be a real challenge – not to mention a major source of stress. With sky-high rents, fierce competition and fake property ads, looking for your dream flat can quickly turn into a nightmare. But fear not: we’ve put together an array of handy tips and tricks to help you in your quest. Use our advice to find your perfect apartment and make the flat-hunting process easier.

Work out the perfect location and what’s a fair rent

Before you head off on your search for your dream apartment, it’s worth starting by thinking about what you want – and need. Do you want to live in the bustling heart of a city or in a calm residential area? Do you need shops, public transport or schools nearby? Once you’ve found your dream location, it’s crucial that you check out what rents are like in the area. The best way to do this is to use various property portals to get as comprehensive an idea as possible. After all, there’s nothing more annoying than paying over the odds for your dream apartment at the end of the day.

Property portals are the key to your dream apartment

Using property portals can be a huge help when you’re flat-hunting. You can use the Engel & Völkers site or other popular Swiss search portals to discover an array of properties in just a few clicks. Most offer various filters so you can refine your search and save time: from the number of rooms to the price, from the location to parking, it’s easy to adjust all the parameters and make your search as efficient as possible. Plus, property portals also offer other handy features, such as the option to subscribe to a particular search. This will send you new properties on a regular basis so you’re guaranteed not to miss your dream home.

Watch out for fake property ads

Fake apartment ads pose an unpleasant challenge when flat-hunting. Counterfeit ads often look too good to be true – so take a cautious approach and check whether ads are real by using the following tips:

• Keep an eye out for spelling and grammar mistakes, blurry images and incomplete information. They could indicate that an ad is fake.
• Google the address. If the ad appears in multiple places online, it’s probably legitimate.
• Contact the landlord. People who’ve posted serious ads are generally happy to answer questions and provide additional information.
• Only use ads from trustworthy sources. If you’re searching on a large property website, it’s unlikely you’ll stumble across a fake ad.

Stand out from the crowd with your application letter

When you’ve found your dream flat, your application needs to set you apart from the competition. Great properties often attract a large number of potential tenants, so you need to make sure your application stands out. Add a personal letter and persuasive references from previous landlords. Once you’ve sent off your application, you should follow up with a friendly email to the landlord a few days later to enquire about the status of the application process: this shows you’re interested.

Engel & Völkers is your partner when you’re flat-hunting. We offer a large portfolio of properties to rent and to buy. Our experienced brokers would be happy to help you look for your dream apartment and help you find the best deal.