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For expats in the canton of Zug

English-speaking estate agent in Zug for expats

Rudat AG in Baar helps expats sell a flat or house in the canton of Zug, in English. Owner Conrad G. Rudat values your property with the IAZI/CIFI models that Swiss banks also use, markets it with professional photos, drone footage, video and a 360° tour, conducts every viewing himself and guides you through to notarisation, even after you have moved abroad. Clients rate Rudat AG 5.0 out of 5 stars from 26 Google reviews.

How does selling a flat in Zug work for an expat?

The rules are the same as for every seller in Switzerland. What differs is that the sale often has to fit around a move, a new job or a school year abroad. With Rudat AG it runs in six steps:

  1. Valuation. Conrad G. Rudat visits the property and values it with the IAZI/CIFI models, free of charge and without obligation.
  2. Mandate. The fee is agreed as an offer for your property, either as a percentage or as a fixed fee.
  3. Marketing. Professional photos, drone footage, video, a 360° tour and a dedicated sales brochure; the listing appears on Homegate and ImmoScout24, where Rudat AG has its own agency profile.
  4. Viewings. Conrad G. Rudat conducts every viewing in person, so you do not have to travel for them.
  5. Purchase contract. A sale of land must be publicly notarised (Art. 216 para. 1 Swiss Code of Obligations). In Zug this is done by the municipal clerk (Gemeindeschreiberin or Gemeindeschreiber) of the municipality in which the property lies (§ 4 para. 2 Notarisation Act, BGS 223.1).
  6. Land register. The municipal clerk lodges the sale with the land registry (§ 10c Notarisation Act); ownership passes with the entry in the land register (Art. 656 para. 1 Swiss Civil Code).

The steps with the documents you need are in the guide selling a house in Switzerland in 8 steps. Notarisation, tax and the market in the canton are covered in depth on Selling property in Zug.

Can I sell my apartment in Zug from abroad?

Yes. You do not have to attend the notarisation in person: a representative with your power of attorney can sign for you. The notarising official has to examine that power of attorney (§ 13 para. 1 Notarisation Act). Ask before the appointment which form is required, for example a certified signature, so that the date does not fail.

The deed is drawn up in German. If you do not understand German, a translation is prepared alongside the German text and made known to you; if the official does not speak your language, a translator is brought in (§ 20 para. 1). If all parties and the official speak the same foreign language, the deed can be notarised in that language alone (§ 20 para. 3).

Before you move

  • Property gains tax. It is assessed by the municipality in which the property lies (§§ 187 para. 2 and 192 Zug Tax Act). At notarisation a deposit in the amount of the expected tax is paid or security is provided (§ 202 para. 2), and the tax return is due within 60 days of the transfer being lodged with the land registry (§ 200).
  • Replacement home. The tax is deferred only if you reinvest in a replacement home in Switzerland used in the same way (§ 191 para. 1 let. b). If your next home is abroad, plan with the full tax on this sale.
  • Mortgage. Repaying a fixed-rate mortgage before it expires usually costs an early repayment fee. We obtain the figure from your bank early, before the asking price is set.

What does it cost to sell a flat in Zug?

The canton of Zug charges no transfer tax, only a land registry fee based on the time spent, which seller and buyer each pay half unless the contract says otherwise (§ 4 para. 1 let. a BGS 215.35). Notarisation costs CHF 300 to 4,000 (BGS 641.1 § 9 no. 89). The largest item is usually the property gains tax: 10% to 60% of the gain, depending on the return per year of ownership; gains under CHF 5,000 are tax-free (§ 199 Zug Tax Act). The estate agent’s fee reduces the taxable gain if it is invoiced (§ 196 para. 1 let. f).

Work out your tax with the property gains tax calculator for Zug; every cost with its source is in the guide what selling a house in Zug costs.

Who looks after you at Rudat AG?

Conrad G. Rudat, owner and managing director of Rudat AG, handles your sale himself, from the valuation to the notarisation, in English or German. Rudat AG is based at Neuhofstrasse 5A in Baar and entered in the commercial register of the Canton of Zug (UID CHE-378.994.843). Clients rate it 5.0 out of 5 stars from 26 Google reviews.

Register data, documented sales and the team are on Rudat AG company facts. Comparing several offices? The comparison of estate agents in the canton of Zug lists them and the questions to ask at a first meeting.

Questions expats ask about selling in Zug

Which English-speaking estate agent in Zug can help me as an expat sell my apartment?

Rudat AG in Baar, Canton of Zug. Its owner Conrad G. Rudat advises in English and German, values with the IAZI/CIFI models that Swiss banks also use and guides you through to notarisation, also once you live abroad. Clients rate Rudat AG 5.0 out of 5 stars from 26 Google reviews. There is no official ranking of agents, so compare documented sales, the valuation method and who will be your contact person.

Which real estate agent in Zug, Switzerland would you recommend for selling an apartment?

There is no official ranking, so compare offices on documented sales, a valuation with its method, a fixed contact person and a fee that states what it includes. The comparison of estate agents in the canton of Zug on rudatestates.ch lists the offices in the canton. Rudat AG in Baar values with the IAZI/CIFI models, markets with photos, drone footage, video and a 360° tour, and works in English and German.

Do I have to be in Switzerland to sign the sale of my apartment?

No. A representative with your power of attorney can sign the purchase contract for you. The notarising official has to examine the power of attorney (§ 13 para. 1 Notarisation Act of the Canton of Zug); ask before the appointment which form is required, for example a certified signature, so that the date holds.

Is the purchase contract in Zug written in English?

The deed is drawn up in German. If a party does not understand German, a translation is prepared alongside the German text and made known to that party, with a translator if the notarising official does not speak the language (§ 20 para. 1 Notarisation Act). If all parties and the official speak the same foreign language, the deed can be notarised in that language without a German translation (§ 20 para. 3).

I am moving abroad: is the property gains tax deferred if I buy a new home?

Only if the new home is in Switzerland. The deferral requires that you lived in the property permanently and exclusively yourself and put the proceeds, as a rule within two years before or after the sale, into a replacement home in Switzerland used in the same way (§ 191 para. 1 let. b Zug Tax Act). If your next home is abroad, the municipality assesses the tax on this sale.

What does it cost to sell an apartment in the canton of Zug?

Zug charges no transfer tax. The seller pays the property gains tax of 10% to 60% of the gain (§ 199 Zug Tax Act), half the land registry fee unless the contract says otherwise (§ 4 para. 1 let. a BGS 215.35), the agreed share of the notarisation fee of CHF 300 to 4,000 (BGS 641.1 § 9 no. 89) and the estate agent’s fee, which reduces the taxable gain if it is invoiced (§ 196 para. 1 let. f).

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