Property checklist for Switzerland: what to check about the location before you buy or rent

A viewing shows you the property on one afternoon. It does not show the winter sun, the night train, the first bus at 6 a.m. or the hazard zone on the slope above. This checklist takes you through the location in six areas: what you look up from home, what you check on site, and what you ask to have confirmed before you sign.

• 6Areasfrom sun to natural hazards
• 29Check pointswith reference values
• A4Printableor save as PDF

How to use this checklist

Every point is marked with the moment it fits best: “At home” for what you clarify beforehand with maps and data, “On site” for what only the viewing shows, and “Before you sign” for the questions and documents to request from the seller, the property manager or the municipality. The numbers in brackets, such as (1.4–1.6), point to the matching charts and maps in the suntag.ch report for your address. You can also check each point yourself with the official sources listed under every area.

General information only: not advice and no guarantee. Please read the note at the end of this page.

At home On site Before you sign

1. Sun and daylight

How much sun a home really gets depends on the mountains, hills and buildings on its horizon, and it changes with the season. The winter is usually a better test of a location than the summer.

• At home Look up the sun path for the address and note in which months and at which hours the surrounding terrain blocks the sun. (1.4–1.6)
• At home Check the winter sun: the European daylight standard EN 17037 recommends at least 1.5 hours of direct sun in the main living room on a day between 1 February and 21 March (3 hours represents a medium level and 4 hours a high level). (1.9–1.13)
• At home If the home is in a valley or on a north slope, compare December and January with June. December and January are often decisive for comfort, June is rarely the problem. (1.9–1.13)
• On site On site, see which rooms, which balcony and which garden would get sun in winter. Trees and neighbouring buildings are not in the terrain model, so judge them yourself.
• At home Considering solar panels? Roughly 1,000 to 1,500 kWh per m² and year are typical for a well-oriented Swiss roof. A vertical façade gets less in summer but relatively more in winter. (1.16–1.17)

Why it matters. Two homes at the same price can differ by an hour of daylight at each end of a winter day. Deep Alpine valleys such as Lauterbrunnen can lose the sun for long stretches, while south-facing slopes in Valais or Ticino often keep it.

Sources: bfe.admin.ch – solar energy, with maps of the solar potential of roofs and façades  ·  meteoschweiz.admin.ch – climate normals, sunshine and temperature  ·  map.geo.admin.ch – the map layers with legends

In the suntag.ch report: 1.1–1.19  → Check the data points for my address

2. Noise: road, rail, aircraft

Noise is hard to change after a purchase. A quiet Sunday viewing says nothing about Monday's rush hour or the night freight train.

• At home Check road and rail noise for day and night and compare the two maps. The night map often changes the picture, especially along railways where freight trains run. (2.1–2.4)
• At home Compare with the reference values for housing (Swiss noise ordinance, sensitivity level II): planning values of 55 dB(A) by day and 45 dB(A) at night, limit values of 60 and 50 dB(A) for road and rail, alarm values of 70 and 65 dB(A). The official assessment is made by the authorities for the building concerned. (2.1–2.4)
• At home Check both aircraft maps. The first covers eight civil aerodromes (Zürich, Geneva, Basel-Mulhouse, Bern-Belp, Lugano-Agno, St. Gallen-Altenrhein, Samedan, Saanen), the second about 30 smaller aerodromes. Helicopter sites and military airfields are not shown, so an empty map only means that none of the covered aerodromes reaches the address. (2.5–2.6)
• On site Listen at different times: morning rush hour, evening and, if possible, at night, with windows open and closed. Note which rooms face the road or the railway. For orientation: about 40 dB is a quiet bedroom, 60 dB a normal conversation, 70 dB a busy street; every 10 dB feels roughly twice as loud.
• Before you sign Ask what noise protection exists: type of windows and position of the bedrooms. The maps show the situation outdoors; the floor plan and the façade can improve it indoors. As rough guidance, the WHO recommends staying below about 53 dB (road) and 54 dB (rail) as a 24-hour average, and below 45 dB (road) and 44 dB (rail) at night; for aircraft 45 and 40 dB.

Why it matters. Night freight trains matter along the Gotthard axis, aircraft near Zürich-Kloten or Geneva, and main roads in much of the Mittelland.

Sources: bafu.admin.ch – noise maps, limit values and how noise is measured  ·  bazl.admin.ch – the noise register of the civil aerodromes  ·  who.int – “Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region” (2018)

In the suntag.ch report: 2.1–2.6  → Check the data points for my address

3. Access: commute, mobile and fibre

How you get to work and how you get online shapes daily life. Neither usually comes up at a viewing.

• At home Check the travel time by car and by public transport to the six major centres (Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lugano, Zürich). The colour band at your point is for that place, not an average of the region. (3.1–3.2)
• At home Check the public transport quality class from A to D. A means very frequent service close by, D means basic service, for example a bus every hour. A stop alone says little; at class A or B, a car is often not needed for daily life. (3.3–3.4)
• On site Test the commute yourself at your usual hours (timetable on sbb.ch) and walk to the nearest stop.
• At home Check mobile: the maps show how many operators cover the point outdoors. Indoor reception is usually weaker, especially in older buildings and in mountain valleys. Test it during the viewing with your own phone. (3.5–3.6)
• Before you sign Ask about fibre at building level and look for “available”. Coaxial cable gives good speeds, but fibre (1 Gbit/s and more) is the long-term standard. Ask for confirmation of which connection is actually installed in the building. (3.7–3.8)

Why it matters. These details decide whether a home works for commuting, family life and working from home. A hamlet in a Graubünden side valley can be beautiful and still poorly connected, while a city district typically combines class A service with fibre.

Sources: are.admin.ch – how the public transport quality classes are defined  ·  bakom.admin.ch – coverage maps for mobile and broadband  ·  sbb.ch – timetables, to test the commute at your own hours

In the suntag.ch report: 3.1–3.8  → Check the data points for my address

4. Antennas, power lines and nuclear plants

Masts and lines are easy to overlook at a viewing. The maps show locations only, not field strength, and make no statement about health effects.

• At home Locate the nearest mobile mast, radio or TV transmitter and high-voltage line (above 36 kV). Note the distance and direction and whether you would face them from a bedroom or a terrace. Field strength falls quickly with distance, but height and direction matter. (4.1–4.3)
• On site Look around on site: masts, pylons and substations are easy to miss during a viewing.
• Before you sign If you are sensitive to electromagnetic fields (electrosmog), ask the environmental office of your canton for the site data sheet of nearby antennas (it gives the calculated field strength at neighbouring buildings), or have a measurement done. Swiss law sets installation limit values of 4 to 6 V/m for mobile base stations and 1 µT for high-voltage lines at places of sensitive use, such as homes and schools. They are well below the general limits and are checked when an installation is built or changed. (4.1–4.3)
• At home Check whether the address lies in a nuclear emergency planning zone. Zone 1 reaches roughly 3 to 5 km around a plant and zone 2 roughly 20 km; inside them the authorities plan protective measures. The zones show where emergency planning applies, not an assessment of risk. No colour on the map means the address is outside the zones shown. (4.4)
• At home Lines and substations show where the grid is concentrated and where new infrastructure is likely. Take that into account for the future of the surroundings. (4.3)

Why it matters. The Mittelland carries the main lines, and nuclear emergency zones apply around Gösgen, Beznau and Leibstadt, so addresses around Olten, Aarau or Baden may lie inside one. For exposure questions, ask the environmental office of your canton.

Sources: bafu.admin.ch – electrosmog, limit values and measurements  ·  bakom.admin.ch – the register of mobile antennas  ·  ensi.ch – nuclear safety and emergency planning zones

In the suntag.ch report: 4.1–4.4  → Check the data points for my address

5. Building zones and surroundings

Whether a view or a quiet street lasts depends in part on the zones around it. A field next to a residential zone can look very different in ten years.

• At home Find the building zone of your plot and of the neighbouring plots (residential, mixed, commercial, industrial, agricultural). The zones allow very different uses and noise levels; agricultural land is generally not buildable. (5.1)
• At home Look for open land inside a residential zone nearby. It can in principle be built on; the municipality decides whether and how. (5.1)
• Before you sign Ask the municipality for the zoning plan and the building and zoning regulations. The zone map does not show building heights or density; the municipality's regulations set them.
• At home Check the population density: the Swiss average is about 2 inhabitants per hectare (215 per km²). Suburban streets reach roughly 20 to 50, dense city quarters well over 100, and alpine hamlets stay below 5. Does that match what you expect? (5.2)

Why it matters. The zones indicate what the zoning rules allow in principle in the surroundings. Details such as height limits, and whether a project is actually approved, are decided by the municipality.

Sources: are.admin.ch – spatial planning and the harmonised building zones  ·  bfs.admin.ch – population statistics  ·  Your municipality – the building and zoning regulations and the zoning plan

In the suntag.ch report: 5.1–5.2  → Check the data points for my address

6. Natural hazards

Natural hazards are part of owning property in a mountainous country. The overview maps show where to ask questions; only the hazard maps of the municipality or canton say something at parcel level.

• At home Check the seismic zone: SIA 261 distinguishes zones from 1 up to 3b. The design ground acceleration rises from 0.6 m/s² in the lowest zone to 1.6 m/s² in zone 3b. The higher zones, mainly Valais and the Basel region, require stronger structural design. For older buildings, ask what is known about the design. (6.1)
• At home Check the radon potential. A reference level of 300 Bq/m³ applies to rooms where people stay regularly; if it is exceeded, the Radiation Protection Ordinance provides for remedial measures. The map shows only the geological potential; only a measurement in the building gives the real value. (6.2)
• Before you sign Ask whether a radon measurement exists for the building, or have one done.
• At home Check avalanche, rockfall and landslide on the overview maps. Also look at the slope above your point: from 30° (about 58 %) upwards, rockfall and shallow landslides can occur. (6.3–6.6)
• Before you sign Ask the municipality or canton for the parcel-level hazard map. It uses red (building ban), blue (building with conditions) and yellow (awareness) zones.

Why it matters. Valais and the Basel region are among the areas most exposed to earthquakes, the Jura, Ticino and Graubünden tend to show higher radon potential, and avalanche and rockfall matter across the Alps.

Sources: naturgefahren.ch – the national hazard portal  ·  slf.ch – avalanches and snow  ·  seismo.ethz.ch – the Swiss Seismological Service  ·  ch-radon.ch – radon, maps and measurement

In the suntag.ch report: 6.1–6.6  → Check the data points for my address

Documents and answers to ask for

• The zoning plan and the building and zoning regulations of the municipality (heights, density, planned changes nearby).
• The parcel-level hazard map from the municipality or canton (red, blue and yellow zones).
• The site data sheet for nearby mobile antennas, from the environmental office of the canton.
• A radon measurement for the building, if one exists; otherwise commission one.
• Information on noise protection: type of windows and whether the bedrooms are on the quiet side.
• The internet connection that actually exists (fibre or cable) and the provider.

Reference values at a glance

Direct winter sun in the main living room	at least 1.5 hours on a day between 1 February and 21 March (EN 17037; 3 hours medium, 4 hours high)
Noise, housing (sensitivity level II)	planning values 55 dB(A) by day and 45 at night; limit values 60 and 50 (road, rail); alarm values 70 and 65
Noise, WHO guidance	road below about 53 dB (24 hours) and 45 dB at night; rail 54 and 44 dB; aircraft 45 and 40 dB
Mobile base stations / high-voltage lines	installation limit values of 4 to 6 V/m and 1 µT respectively, at places of sensitive use
Radon in rooms where people stay	reference level 300 Bq/m³
Steep slopes	from 30° (about 58 %) upwards, rockfall and shallow landslides can occur
Nuclear emergency planning zones	zone 1 roughly 3 to 5 km, zone 2 roughly 20 km
Population density	Swiss average about 2 per hectare; suburban 20 to 50; dense city quarters over 100; alpine hamlets under 5

Provided for orientation only, based on the standards, ordinances and guidelines named; values and rules can change. Always check the current official text.

Note: General information based on data from third parties; not legal, building, health, tax or financial advice. No guarantee of accuracy, completeness, timeliness or suitability for a particular decision. This checklist is not a substitute for a viewing, or for an inspection or advice by a qualified professional. Reference values and figures are quoted for orientation from the standards, ordinances and guidelines named and may change; the current official text and the assessment of the competent authority prevail. Having ticked every point says nothing about the suitability of a property. Decisions are taken at your own responsibility. The Terms of Service of suntag.ch klg apply.