Seller’sguide.

The first question is not “what price to list at?” but “what value is the market likely to recognise?” An overpriced valuation slows the sale and damages the property’s perception; an underpriced one deprives the owner of value they could have obtained.

A serious valuation takes into account location, surfaces (living, weighted, PPE or usable), condition, amenities, genuinely recorded comparables and the property’s potential. Price per square metre situates a market; it does not situate a property within that market.

Price per square metre is a market indicator, not an individual valuation. Two villas a few hundred metres apart can have substantially different values due to views, orientation, architectural quality or development potential.

The estimated value of the property is distinct from the asking price, which is also a commercial strategy. The objective is to create the best negotiation conditions without positioning the property at a level that would deter qualified buyers.

This is the most underestimated risk for sellers. On arrival on the market, a property benefits from a novelty period: active buyers discover it, brokers pass it on to their clients, alerts trigger. If the price seems too far from the market, this demand does not materialise.

The owner then lowers gradually, and a buyer who observes several successive reductions concludes that their negotiating position has strengthened. Setting the initial price is a strategic decision, not a starting point to be corrected later.

There is no single answer for everyone. The right time depends on the market and your personal situation — both, never one without the other.

• —Market side: competing supply in your segment, demand for this type of property, financing conditions and the rarity of your property.
• —Personal side: your timeline, your project after the sale, your mortgage situation and any tax consequences.

Not systematically. Some work considerably improves a property’s perception; other work will never be recovered in the price.

Presentation work (painting, minor repairs, lighting, garden maintenance, deep cleaning) almost always has an excellent cost-to-impact ratio. A targeted improvement on a particularly dated element can be justified. However, a full renovation at the high end is often less profitable than hoped: the buyer frequently prefers to create their own project rather than pay for a renovation done to the seller’s taste.

Gather plans, a land register extract, details of easements, renovation records and available energy documentation. For a condominium, also prepare the regulations, accounts, meeting minutes and information about the renovation fund.

The quality of the file speeds up the sale and reassures the buyer. Incomplete or contradictory information creates mistrust and can derail an advanced transaction.

There is no universally superior method. Off-market presents the property in a targeted way to a selection of buyers: confidentiality is a priority and the property targets a specific clientele. Its risk is an overly restricted diffusion that prevents competition among all potential buyers.

The open market offers wider exposure and can create competition between buyers. Its risk: a property advertised everywhere, with inconsistent information or multiple prices, loses its exclusive character. The right question is: what exposure will maximise the result while respecting my constraints?

Entrusting a property to several agencies gives the impression of increasing its visibility. This is not always the case: a poorly coordinated multi-agency listing produces several listings of the same property, different photographs, different descriptions, contradictory information — sometimes even different prices.

The mandate issue is not only legal or commercial: it concerns control of the property’s image on the market.

Receiving an offer is not securing a sale. You need to understand the planned financing, the availability of equity, any financing condition, the buyer’s timeline and whether they must first sell another property.

Qualification becomes decisive when several million francs are at stake: an offer that cannot be financed costs weeks of market time.

Price is not the only element to compare. One offer may be higher but laden with conditions; another slightly lower but much safer to execute. The balance is struck on four parameters: price, financing, conditions and timeline.

Review the agreed fees, property gains tax, mortgage repayment and any early termination charge. The amounts and allocation of costs depend on your sale. A calculation is indicative and should be confirmed before the sale.

In Geneva, the real estate capital gain may be subject to the tax on real estate profits and gains (IBGI). For an operation within private wealth, the gain is determined from the difference between the fiscally decisive purchase and sale values. The rate depends on the holding period.

The purchase value is the price at which you acquired the property, plus any value-enhancing work you carried out on it. The sale value is the price at which you sell your property, less any brokerage commission.

The holding period begins on the purchase date recorded in the land register if you bought the property, on the original possession date of the deceased if you received it by succession (after 1 January 2001), or on the original possession date of the donor if you received it by donation. It ends on the date of sale.

Value-enhancing work carried out on the property increases the fiscally decisive purchase value and therefore reduces the taxable gain. Maintenance work, whether or not deducted from the ordinary assessment, is not considered a capital improvement. Keep all invoices: without supporting documents, work cannot be recognised.

According to the rules published by the Geneva tax administration for private operations, the fiscally decisive sale value corresponds to the sale price less any brokerage commission. The commission therefore reduces the taxable gain, but also reduces the net proceeds: it is a trade-off to measure before negotiating.

The reinvestment mechanism may allow all or part of the taxation to be deferred when the conditions are met: principal residence, replacement property located in Switzerland, and a maximum period of five years to use the sale proceeds. It is a deferral of taxation, not an exemption.

Net proceeds is the only figure that truly matters. It is calculated from the sale price, less IBGI, brokerage commission, repayment of the outstanding mortgage, any early termination charge and sale costs. Knowing it before negotiating changes everything: you do not defend a price the same way when you know what remains.

A Geneva transaction involves a notary. They prepare and execute the deeds, coordinate the legal and financial aspects of their mission as well as the operations related to the land register, and intervene in the handling of funds according to the file.

The tax share does not return to your account on the day of the deed: it is consigned by the notary as a public officer, then subject to a taxation decision by assessment notice.

This is a question to examine before the sale, not during. Depending on the existing financing and your project, several situations arise, and early termination may have financial consequences depending on the contract concluded with the bank. Contact your institution early enough to know the outstanding amount, repayment conditions, consequences of an early exit and possibilities related to financing a next property.

A property sale requires an authenticated deed and registration in the land register to transfer ownership. The notary coordinates the agreed arrangements. Prepare keys, meter readings and the transfer of documents in accordance with the contract.