Chalets and holiday homes: sold discreetly, prepared carefully.
In the Saanenland, the Pays-d’Enhaut and the Vaud Alps, the price depends not only on location and views: the Second Homes Act and Lex Koller also decide who may buy. We clarify these questions before marketing begins.
From the Saanenland to the Vaud Alps.
Gstaad and the villages of the Saanenland are a world of their own: international, discreet and with prices among the highest in the Swiss Alps. Right next door lie the Pays-d’Enhaut and the Vaud Alps – each valley with its own character.
- SaanenlandGstaad, Saanen, Schönried, Saanenmöser, Lauenen, Gsteig
- Pays-d’EnhautRougemont, Château-d’Oex, Rossinière
- Vaud AlpsVillars-sur-Ollon, Gryon, Leysin, Les Diablerets
- SimmentalZweisimmen, Lenk, St. Stephan
- Fribourg Pre-AlpsCharmey, Moléson, Jaun, Schwarzsee
In the mountains, location and views are not everything.
Location, views, sunshine
A quiet hillside, a south-facing position, the view and the distance to the village and the lifts often matter more for a chalet than its living area.
Second-home status
May the property be used freely as a second home, or is it restricted to use as a primary residence? This defines the circle of possible buyers – and therefore the price.
Buyers from abroad
Anyone who counts as a person abroad needs a permit under Lex Koller to buy a holiday home. We check whether and how this is possible before marketing begins.
Fabric and finish
Craftsmanship, materials, energy and upkeep: with a chalet, a close look pays off – as does good documentation for buyers and banks.
What the Second Homes Act means for your sale.
In municipalities where more than 20% of homes are second homes, no new second homes may in principle be approved. This applies to the resorts in our area – from the Saanenland via the Pays-d’Enhaut to the Vaud Alps. New homes there are generally primary residences or managed tourist accommodation.
Homes that lawfully existed or had a legally binding permit on 11 March 2012 – so-called dwellings under the old law – may, on the other hand, be used freely as second homes, subject to cantonal or municipal restrictions. They could already be renovated, converted and rebuilt. Since 1 October 2024, the following also applies: even when a building is demolished and rebuilt, the main usable floor area within the building zone may grow by up to 30% of the area existing on 11 March 2012 without a use restriction; within that limit, additional homes and buildings are also allowed. Larger extensions require a use restriction as a primary residence or a tourist-managed home.
For your sale, this means that the status of every home belongs in the sales documents. We clarify it with the land registry, the municipality and the notary.
| Municipality | Canton | Second-home share |
|---|---|---|
| Saanen (Gstaad, Schönried, Saanenmöser) | BE | 51% |
| Lauenen | BE | 50% |
| Gsteig | BE | 40% |
| Lenk | BE | 65% |
| St. Stephan | BE | 47% |
| Zweisimmen | BE | 43% |
| Boltigen | BE | 34% |
| Rougemont | VD | 61% |
| Château-d’Oex | VD | 43% |
| Rossinière | VD | 27% |
| Gryon | VD | 69% |
| Ormont-Dessus (Les Diablerets) | VD | 68% |
| Ormont-Dessous | VD | 62% |
| Ollon (Villars) | VD | 52% |
| Leysin | VD | 47% |
| Jaun | FR | 36% |
| Val-de-Charmey (Charmey) | FR | 31% |
| Plaffeien (Schwarzsee) | FR | 21% |
Second-home share according to the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE), housing inventory 2026 (data as at 31 March 2026). A share above 20% means that new second homes are in principle no longer permitted. Gruyères is just below the threshold at 18%. Montreux, the lakeside municipalities of Cudrefin, Vully-les-Lacs, Chevroux, Faoug, Cheyres-Châbles, Delley-Portalban and Gletterens, as well as Corbeyrier, Crésuz, Châtel-sur-Montsalvens and Guggisberg, are also above 20%.
Who may buy a holiday home.
Swiss citizens, EU and EFTA nationals living in Switzerland and holders of a C settlement permit buy without a permit. Special rules apply to persons abroad.
- Persons abroad need a cantonal permit to buy a holiday home. It is only possible in places that the canton has designated as tourist resorts – including, for example, Saanen, Lauenen, Gsteig, Lenk, Château-d’Oex, Rougemont, Leysin, Gryon, Les Diablerets and Villars.
- Permits are subject to annual quotas: 140 in the canton of Bern, 175 in Vaud and 50 in Fribourg. If the seller originally bought the home with a permit, a resale to another person abroad does not count against the quota.
- As a rule, a maximum of 200 m² net living area and – outside condominium ownership – 1,000 m² of land are permitted; more if additional need is shown.
- One holiday home is allowed per family (a married couple or registered partners with their children under 18). Occasional letting is permitted, year-round letting is not.
- In April 2026, the Federal Council opened a consultation on a tightening: it proposes lower quotas, and every purchase of a holiday home by a person abroad would count against the quota – resales included. The revision is not yet in force; we are following it for you.
Clarify first, then sell.
This creates certainty for you and for buyers – and avoids surprises shortly before the deed is signed.
Start the valuationClarify
Land register, second-home status, municipal conditions and – where needed – the position under Lex Koller.
Value
Comparable values from the resort, condition and views: a price range with the reasoning behind it.
Choose the buyers
Switzerland and abroad, in German, French and English – discreetly via our buyer list or publicly.
Complete
Coordination with the notary and, where needed, the permit authority – through to the handover.
This is general information and does not replace legal advice. Sources: Federal Act on Second Homes (SHA, SR 702), version in force since 1 October 2024; Federal Office of Justice, questions and answers on the acquisition of real estate by persons abroad (formerly the information sheet, October 2026) and press release of 15 April 2026 on the consultation; Ordinance on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Persons Abroad (SR 211.412.411); ARE, housing inventory 2026. As at October 2026.
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