Discover Charming Farmhouses: Embrace a Unique Lifestyle in a Beautiful Setting.
Many people dream of escaping their cramped city apartment and getting away from all the noise, dirt and traffic. By comparison, life in the countryside would seem a paradigm of peace and idyllic tranquillity. An old farmhouse can be emblematic of this dream of home ownership.
When dreaming of buying your own house in the countryside in a quiet location, you’re probably not envisaging a stylish new building or a modern architectural house, but rather an old idyllic farmhouse with a large plot of land and a garden, as well as plenty of charm and potential for realising your own ideas. As nice as the thought of owning a former farmhouse and remodelling it according to your wishes is, it is especially important to think things through when buying this type of property.
Checklist for your dream farmhouse
Before you start looking for a farmhouse, you should consider the following questions:
- What are you looking for in a farmhouse?
- What are the “must-haves” for your new home?
- Should it be a historic farmhouse (known as a “Resthof”) or an agricultural going concern that you plan to continue?
- Would you like to buy a house that you can renovate and modernise?
- How many bedrooms do you need?
- Do you need an extra room that you can use as an office?
- Do you need a barn next to the house as a hobby area, gym or party room?
- Would you like a separate apartment or additional rooms for guests or to rent out?
- How big should the plot be?
- In which canton should the property be located?
- How important is a good location to you?
Financing your farmhouse
If you are interested in buying a rural property, it is generally advisable to talk to the bank at an early stage. Especially if you are thinking of buying an older house or, in this case, a charming farmhouse, the additional costs for renovating and modernising individual rooms or the entire property can quickly exceed your budget. Indeed, it is essential to keep this in mind, no matter how tempting the advertised price for the number of rooms, living space and size of the garden may be for you and your family. On the subject of real estate financing, also read our article Dream house found: how can I finance it?.
Your search for a farmhouse
On real estate platforms such as newhome.ch, in addition to the usual filters – house or flat, number of rooms, living space and price – you can limit your search to the “farmhouse” property type, e.g. Buy a farmhouse in the canton of Zurich. The available housing stock for sale in Switzerland is limited, so it is a good idea to set up a property alert to ensure you are among the first to hear about the latest offers. Further information can be found in the articles in our category Tips on buying real estate, as well as our 5 practical tips for your property search and Checklist for your property search.
Potential stumbling blocks with your purchase
Once you’ve found a property worth considering, a viewing will probably give you the best feel for what it’s like to live in a house in the countryside. Take a close look at the property’s surroundings when you visit the site. How good are the connections to schools and leisure facilities, especially for families with children? Another important issue is the protection of historical monuments. If the house is a listed building, you will be unable to make any major structural changes. In general, it is always a good idea to arrange for a professional, such as an architect or structural surveyor, to accompany you during the second viewing. On the one hand, they can assess the condition of the house and the individual rooms. In addition, they can give you a rough estimate of the costs for any necessary renovations and desired alterations. After all, the purchase price plus these additional costs must be within your budget.
The potential of a farmhouse
Farmhouses are particularly versatile. For example, they can be converted into a single-family home or even an apartment building with individual flats that you can either use, sell or rent out. If the property for sale has a barn, you can convert this into additional living space or otherwise design it for your own purposes. However you wish to proceed, the decisive factor, once again, is always the cost of the renovations in the context of your maximum budget.
In a nutshell, from condominium apartments to detached houses, every type of home requires a different approach in terms of the purchase and subsequent home ownership. However, if you want to buy an intact farm or farmhouse in Switzerland, there is probably more for you to consider than with any other type of property.