Re: Maintaining small house & living in the lower mountains questions
 

Land is zoned for natural risk.

40 years ago in Verbier they decided to sell land for Chalets on the 'rouge' piste area to foreigners. It's an avalanche path & once every 5 years they get evacuated !

Re: Maintaining small house & living in the lower mountains questions
 

At the risk of looking very stupid, could you please explain why you do this. Thanks.

Re: Maintaining small house & living in the lower mountains questions
 

I had a dream, to find a home in the mountains.
https://www.englishforum.ch/picture....pictureid=3653


With a view to the Swiss Alps, above the winter fog.

https://www.englishforum.ch/picture....pictureid=7583


To be able to travel in winter when I will.
https://www.englishforum.ch/picture....pictureid=3642

Large towns with hospitals in the near. (16km)
The main roads are clear to drive most of the winter.

Where is my dream place? The Berner Jura since 25 years.

Re: Maintaining small house & living in the lower mountains questions
 

I can't speak for dragoneiric and maybe this is an outdated practice no longer required today but my grandpa told me that any rubber tyred vehicle, be it a bicycle or a wheelbarrow should, if it will not be used for say 6 months or more, not be stored on its wheels but some other way. Bicycles can be turned upside down or hung from hooks. Wheelbarrows can be stowed on end or sideways. With cars its not really a problem because you typically don't store a car that long without moving it. I guess the reason you do this is because air gradually leaks out of the tyre and this can lead to tyre damage, but this is just a guess. I have noticed in the automobile museum in Mulhouse many of the older cars are supported by rather inconspicuous metal supports which I guess take the weight off their wheels.

Re: Maintaining small house & living in the lower mountains questions
 

I can't speak for sgb but here's what I know.

Fuel contains water. At the pump the amount is usually negligible but it can increase over time. The most common reason for this is condensation (a significant problem on the waters), the bigger the difference between the day's high and low, and the higher the relative humidity during the cold hours, the more likely condensation is to occur.

When the water content is high enough and the temperatures low enough, the water contained will separate from the actual fuel and flow to the deepest point in the tank. There's reserve space at the tank bottom for this very reason, but the reserve capacity is finite and if there's enough of it (or the tank shaken hard enough, think of an enduro bike doing trails if you will) the condense water may flow out the ordinary outlet and stop the motor from working and/or cause corrosion inside.

The outlet is probably connected to the carburator or fuel pump by a hose. After emptying the tank the hose will usually be disconnected at the carburator end and bent in a manner that whatever flows out bypasses the motor block and drops directly to the floor. That's the reason for the cardboard, it keeps the fuel-y oily water from staining the floor.

Re: Maintaining small house & living in the lower mountains questions
 

I assume that whole house belongs to you? It must be more than CHF500,000, so outside my budget. Also too big for my needs.

I came across a nice small house for CHF200,000 and I fell in love with it but unfortuntely the whole area is kind of sitting duck for predicted future rock falls etc :msnsad: So it could end up being ok for next 40 years or it might not. Insurance is expensive there for obvious reasons.

Hopefully my dream can come true too within the next 5 years :D

Re: Maintaining small house & living in the lower mountains questions
 

In addition to insurance, another thing to research is whether or not a place that lies in a danger zone is mortgageable.

Found a pretty-darn-close-to-almost-more-or-less-acceptable holiday house in GR. (My new definition of dream house, given the absurdity of the Swiss market. :rolleyes: ) Given it's location, no bank would mortgage it. Sure, it could last another 100 years, doG willin' and the creek don't rise. (Literally.) But the new owner better be prepared to put down cold hard cash.

Just another data point to file away...

Re: Maintaining small house & living in the lower mountains questions
 

Another thing to think about:

Space needs have a way of increasing. And increasing, and increasing.

Unlike in all the other places I have lived and owned property, there isn't really the concept of 'starter home', where you buy small and move up several times as your income allows. People buy and then stay put, one factor in this is the tax penalty for selling within X years.

So... while you should never go over budget and leave yourself 'house poor', if possible, buy as much house as you think you will need in the next 10 years, rather than what you need now.

Just my 2P.

Re: Maintaining small house & living in the lower mountains questions
 

Good point but not valid in my case :) I don't have kids or anything that requires lot of space. 65 sq m is perfect living space for me and has been for last 30 years. As I get older, I do even more death cleaning so that I have less possessions.

Re: Maintaining small house & living in the lower mountains questions
 

I am currently on a crusade to sell possessions, especially those bought and rarely used. I look at it as more liberating and also helps me pay down debts and of course means when I find my man house/apartment/cave it can be much smaller.

The one thing I do look forward to gaining a lot more of when I hit retirement is time. Having the time to enjoy a good location, mountain walks, time to talk to strangers at a cafe, not to have to attend meetings, having time to cook with more passion. Time to read more books overlooking a great view, my kitty cats will be happy too :D

This thread is great though, so I am grateful as it now has a great checklist of what to lookout for and also sets expectations.

Re: Maintaining small house & living in the lower mountains questions
 

Ah, so you're really looking for what other people call a "holiday home"?

What's your budget then?

Re: Maintaining small house & living in the lower mountains questions
 

Holiday home means for holidays only in general? My plan is to get it within next 5 years (just when I hit early 50s). So regular holidays (every weekend) and then permanent retirement there.

Tik tok, time is running out and grim reaper awaits. I feel by the time you retire you have already wasted many good years of your life. I want to maximize enjoyment of life.

Regarding budget, Max 350,000 but would prefer in the 200-250,000 region. Flat is what I was intending to buy but small house is more appealing now.

Re: Maintaining small house & living in the lower mountains questions
 

Did I miss the bit about why you are thinking about Switzerland for your retirement plans? Seems like with your criteria, you can get a lot more for your money in other countries, friendlier neighbors and a lower cost of living as well.

Re: Maintaining small house & living in the lower mountains questions
 

Hi Patxi,
I love the mountains, hiking, running and just looking at them.

Plan-B is Portugal but I don't speak the language nor fan of beaches. Mountains speak to my soul.

Also Switzerland is a more stable country. If things go south, more social support from the government.

Re: Maintaining small house & living in the lower mountains questions
 

No, you can make it your primary residence.

In fact, due to the "Zweitwohnungsinitiative", the number/percentage of secondary homes a town can have is limited. AFAIK, they really like everybody who moves there 100% and actually lives there.

From a cursory look at comparis, I'd say that smaller houses which you can actually live-in without the house being a "project" for two years, start at about 400k.

e.g. this one

https://www.comparis.ch/immobilien/m.../show/22750307

On the market for eight months, so it's not exactly priced to sell I'd say ;-)

Re: Maintaining small house & living in the lower mountains questions
 

That house looks overpriced to me. Interior looks nice but too many houses near you. I have seen better for CHF250,000 with green space all around and much better views ;)

Edit- Ok it is the whole building so maybe not overpriced but location I don't like. The building looks solid though.


Edit-2
Lot cheaper-

https://en.comparis.ch/immobilien/ma.../show/23910302

Re: Maintaining small house & living in the lower mountains questions
 

Is there a reason, other than sunshine, that most of the villages and life are situated on the north side of the Vallais?
If there are less settlements on the south side, it's probably fo a good reason.

Re: Maintaining small house & living in the lower mountains questions
 

It might have something to do with those little hills on the south side of the Canton:confused:

Re: Maintaining small house & living in the lower mountains questions
 

Is Comparis rating in general reliable?

Re: Maintaining small house & living in the lower mountains questions
 

Priced to sell though with no parking but you can rent a place down the road - two minutes walk (half an hour in a blizzard when you've done your two weekly shop before you get snowed in!)