“It went faster than we thought,” Rolf Klopfenstein (53) laughs about buying a home with his partner Brigitte Pfister (47).
The high school teacher and communications specialist lived in a rented flat in the city of Bern and wanted a second home in a quiet location outside the city. “It should be easily accessible by public transport, but in a rural location and give a bit of a vacation feel to recharge your batteries alongside everyday life,” says Klopfenstein.
One-handed home inspection
Ironically, while Brigitte Pfister was treating herself for a two-month vacation in India in spring 2018, her partner at Beatenberg BE discovered an interesting property for CHF440,000. Pfister encouraged him to look at the house from afar. “I was very impressed with the location and the wonderful view. But there were a few interested parties,” she says.
The two-apartment chalet was apt to be converted to suit the couple’s needs. The broker wanted to award the contract to the first person who notified him in writing that he was interested in the purchase. So it had to be fast. After a phone call with his partner, Klopfenstein agreed and transferred the CHF 10,000 down payment.
Shortly after, Pfister returned to Switzerland and was able to see the chalet for the first time. “I had a bittersweet feeling because I had already paid the deposit and I didn’t know if Brigitte would like it,” says Klopfenstein. He was relieved that his partner was also immediately excited about the wooden chalet above Lake Thun.
The original plan was canceled
He signed the bilateral purchasing contract in September 2018 and immediately started the conversion work. «Initially we wanted to build a detached house from two flats. But we quickly realized it was going to be huge for us,” says Pfister.
The couple created a three-bedroom apartment upstairs and a three-bedroom vacation rental downstairs. “It brings us something financially and we can share this wonderful place with other people,” says Klopfenstein.
living on the construction site
The couple completely rebuilt the old wooden chalet over a period of about four years. They moved in at the beginning of the renovation and lived first in the upper flat, then in the completely renovated lower flat.
Its interior has been carved and rebuilt with a new room layout. “Apart from the electricity and water connections, we did most of our spare time ourselves,” says Gymi teacher, who converted a house and her own mountain hut years ago and gained experience in the process.
Manual work and conversions are his hobby, he explains. However, a carpenter advised and supported him throughout the project, and at times instructed him to do the intricate woodwork himself, for example.
Everything is new in the house except the doors and kitchen. “We bought two second-hand kitchens in good condition for 7,000 francs from the internet, sanded them and renovated them with organic paint. This saved us a few costs,” says Klopfenstein.
Instead of underfloor heating, the recently renovated chalet has new wall heating and insulation with sheep’s wool. New oak parquet floors were installed in both apartments and all windows were renewed.
Freezing of construction due to asbestos in the home
“The transformation went smoothly,” says Klopfenstein. The man from Bern was not upset when various materials were removed and it turned out that there was asbestos in the house.
“This usually happens in older buildings like this and it wasn’t a big surprise,” he continues. Construction was halted for almost two weeks and pollutants experts were able to professionally dispose of asbestos in hermetically sealed areas.
Sustainability at home and in the garden
Gardening is Brigitte Pfister’s passion. She attended a course and created a new permaculture garden, she.
Sustainability is fundamentally important to the Bernese couple. “This is why we wanted to be as gentle with the old house as possible and reuse everything or abandon it if possible,” says the client. The facade therefore remained unchanged. In the next few weeks, the contractor just wants to renovate the roof and install a solar power system.
If you don’t include your own work, conversion costs amount to about 200,000 francs. The couple is more than satisfied with their transformation project.
The feedback from friends and holiday guests who have been able to rent the downstairs apartment since August 2022 is also positive. Rolf Klopfenstein is pleased: “We do not regret our purchase decision or the investment and effort involved in the transformation. The result could not have been better.”