Selling a property: which documents should you prepare?

Would you like to sell your property but are unsure how to put together your sale file? To help you see things more clearly, here is a non-exhaustive list of the documents required for the sale of a property in Geneva.

• Land Register extract (to be requested from the Office du Registre foncier): it lists all the rights in rem attached to any property in Switzerland.
• Deed of easement (to be requested from the Office du Registre foncier)
• Private-law agreements (documents containing the provisions in the sale contract relating to building rights, agreements made with neighbours, etc.)
• Cadastral plan and zoning plan (to be requested from the Land Register surveyor)
• Register of former land charges (to be requested from the canton)
• Plans of the property or building at a scale of 1:1000 (floor plans, cross-sections, elevations, etc.). If your property has been altered, the history of the works carried out must also be included.
• Municipal plan / location plan: these plans should show relevant information about the municipality, its infrastructure and the proximity of your property to schools, public transport, shops, etc.
• Building fire insurance policy (to be requested from the insurer)
• Safety certificate for the low-voltage electrical installation
• Building regulations and zoning plan (to be requested from the office des constructions)
• Rental value or tax value
• Financing details (mortgage and bank)
• Photos of the property: recent, good-quality photos that will attract potential buyers.
• Precise description of the building: type of property, architecture, year of construction, number of rooms, floors and parking spaces, floor areas, whether there is a terrace or garden, whether it is overlooked, fittings and their age where relevant, special features, type of heating, etc.
• Invoices for renovations / investments
• Valuation of the property

Here is also the list of documents required for the sale of a property under condominium ownership (propriété par étages, PPE) in Switzerland:

• Documents proving that you are the owner (the deed drawn up by the notary) and the plans and description of the building;
• Condominium regulations: the rules governing the operation and administration of the building;
• Minutes of the last meeting of co-owners;
• List and amount of service charges: these are the condominium charges, such as maintenance of common areas, lighting, snow clearance, etc.

Would you like support in putting together your sale file?