Meanwhile,
Real estate: luxury villas invade:
Real estate in the Alps
Luxury chalets are popular with ultra -ties – Real estate: luxury villas invade
Despite the law on second homes. However, Saint-Moritz and Gstaad see disproportionate properties flourish. Meanwhile, the locals are struggling to find accommodation.
In this villa in Saint-Moritz, most of the building is underground.
Clara Neugebauer
- The town of Saint-Moritz has authorized the construction of a ten-storey villa which will be inhabited as a. real estate: luxury villas invade Therefore, main residence.
- Foreigners imposed on the package are considered to be potential buyers of luxury real estate.
- The mayor of the municipality provides in parallel with the construction of 350 affordable dwellings for the local population.
Via Serlas is the shopping artery of Saint-Moritz. Meanwhile, Large brands such as Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Bulgari, Valentino, Chopard Or Cartier have a storefront. For example, In the windows are furniture, jewelry, wines, haute couture and bags. Consequently, The Luxury Hotel Badrutt’s Palace also occupies a special place.
A little away from the shopping agitation stands a remarkable construction, with stone facade, large window windows and glass balconies. Nevertheless, The villa soon seems ready to be occupied. Furthermore, At least the three floors visible from the street. Moreover, Because it has a particularity: most of the building is buried underground. Furthermore, In real estate: luxury villas invade total, it has ten floors. Nevertheless, In the seven basements. Furthermore, there is a swimming pool with a wellness area, a gym, a home cinema and an underground parking.
The villa offers a breathtaking view of Saint-Moritz and the lake.
Clara Neugebauer
The client is an entrepreneur in the hotel sector. Furthermore, He is 70 real estate: luxury villas invade years old and is from the engadine. In addition, In the spring of 2018. Moreover, he asked for authorization from the town of Saint-Moritz to build a house divided into two dwellings on Via Serlas. Moreover, The following year. Furthermore, the municipality noted that the structure under construction did not correspond to the authorization issued and ordered the temporary judgment of the work.
The man then files a new request and indicates that he wants to build a single house. Therefore, The municipality grants him a new authorization, but sets a condition: the house must be used as a main residence. Similarly, But who can afford to live in a luxury chalet of ten floors?
Real estate: luxury villas invade
Secondary residence law
The Federal court De Lausanne has had to real estate: luxury villas invade look at this issue in recent months. Furthermore, Indeed, a neighbor opposed the construction project, suspecting a bypass of the prohibition to build secondary residences. Moreover, A few years ago, there was no doubt that potential buyers existed for luxury goods like those of Via Serlas. Until 2016, luxury chalets and villas were built by dozen in places like Saint-Moritz, Gstaad or Verbier. Wealthy people, who came from Switzerland or abroad, bought the best fields and made their mountain habitat dream there.
Everything changed in 2012 with the initiative on second homes. Despite the opposition of the Parliament and the mountain cantons concerned, the Swiss population narrowly approved this popular initiative, with 50.6% of favorable votes. There loientering into force in October 2016. stipulates that, in the municipalities where the share of secondary residences exceeds 20%, only main residences can be built.
For localities like Saint-Moritz, where the share of second homes exceeds 50%, this new legislation has marked a real turning point. Local trade, which goes from real estate agents to craftsmen, suddenly saw its threatened economic model.
As the example of Via Serlas shows, the sector has however adapted to this new reality. As part of the building permit application. the municipality of Saint-Moritz has mandated a Zurich real estate company to carry out an expertise aimed at demonstrating the existence of a need for main luxury residences. According to Zurich specialists, this request does exist.
It would mainly come from foreigners living in Saint-Moritz under the lump sum tax regime. “The 90 people imposed on the Package in Saint-Moritz illustrate the request potential for luxury real estate as a main residence. real estate: luxury villas invade ” reads expertise.
Who are these super-rich?
We know relatively little about people imposed on the package residing in Switzerland. Until 2018, the Conference of Cantonal Finance Directors (CDF) regularly published a report on them. During the last census. in 2018, there were 4,557 people imposed according to this system throughout the country, generating a total of 821 million francs in tax revenue. Since then, nothing. “The CDF has decided not to publish the figures on taxation according to expenditure,” explains Simon Berset, deputy secretary general. The Federal Administration of contributions also claims not to have such information. The Confederation therefore ignores how many people are currently imposed on the package in Switzerland.
Real estate intended for this wealthy clientele also thrives in other regions than the Engadine. A similar case occurred in Gstaad, a real estate: luxury villas invade real Mecca of riches in the Bernese Oberland. He shows that people imposed on the package are indeed the target clientele of new luxury constructions.
At the southern end of the village, the Wispilenstrasse winds towards the mountain. Several billionaires live in this residential area with idyllic panorama. At the top of the street. land must accommodate two individual houses and a collective building, with indoor swimming pool, gym, wellness area and private cinema. The two houses should each offer 1300 m² of living space. The town of Gessenay, of which Gstaadhas long exhausted its quota of second homes. Additionally, The two villas must therefore be sold as main residences.
There are many luxury shops on the GSTAAD promenade.
Franziska Rothenbühler/Tamedia
Current owners explicitly appointed those imposed on the package as a target of their project. according to court documents. Several residents have filed an appeal against the construction project and the case was recently brought before the Federal Court. The Lausanne judges were skeptical.
The commune of Gessenay. the canton of Bern did not know how to demonstrate in a convincing manner the existence of a need real estate: luxury villas invade for main luxury residences. Above all. the court criticized the authorities for providing no information on the number of persons imposed on the lifelong package in the commune of Gesseney. The case was referred to the Bernese administrative court to be reviewed.
Real estate: luxury villas invade
And the local population?
The two construction projects are particularly sensitive. because the local population is faced with a lack of affordable housing, both in engadine and in the Bernese Oberland. This shortage has grown further with the entry into force of the Secondary Residence Act. This is the conclusion of a report commissioned in 2023 by the Federal Planning Office.
Indeed, housing built before 2016 can always be converted into second homes. However, local inhabitants have little chance on the free market in the face of extremely wealthy real estate: luxury villas invade customers. The study of the Confederation shows that between 2016. 2021, there were more REFFACTUCTIONS OF MAIN RESIDENCES in secondary residences only new constructions. And the new housing, built in tourist destinations like Saint-Moritz or Gstaad, are rarely intended for the local population.
What do the municipal authorities do in the face of this situation? “As a commune. we do everything in our power to build new housing for the inhabitants,” says Christian Jott Jenny, mayor of Saint-Moritz. But he adds: “We build what we can.” On the few building plots belonging to the municipality. 200 to 350 affordable dwellings intended for the local population should see the light of day in the next four to six years. Some projects are however slowed down by oppositions that delay construction.
Christian Jott Jenny was elected mayor of the town of Saint-Moritz.
Mayk Wendt/Keystone
New accommodation is certainly planned. but at the same time, the municipality loses main residences each year which can still be converted to secondary residences according to the old law. “The local population real estate: luxury villas invade also carries a share of responsibility in the sale of real estate,” said the mayor. “The inhabitants do not sell these dwellings to ski monitors. they prefer to yield them as second homes to wealthy buyers.”
No lawyer
And the residence of Via Serlas? To what extent does it irritate the population looking for housing? “Those who live in Saint-Moritz are used to seeing villas under construction. This is an integral part of the landscape. This is also what makes us live, ”says Christian Jott Jenny.
After several temporary stops in the work, the villa can now be completed as planned. The Federal Court said that a use as a main residence was realistic. For the moment, we do not know who will occupy the house. The owner could not be contacted.
Translated from German by Laura Antonietti.
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