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A difficult time began for Roland Zulauf (61) and his wife Gudrun (68) when the pandemic broke out in 2020. By then he had just retired and could no longer do his job as the owner of a small trailer company. Corona measures have made customer contact almost impossible.
“We were afraid at one point it would no longer work financially,” Zulauf tells Blick today. At that time, the couple lived in an apartment in Nurensdorf ZH. It’s not just the financing costs that caused the influx for Sweet Home. Overall, the cost of living in Switzerland as well as high health insurance premiums has been a concern.
Owning your own home becomes a burden
So the couple made a decision: “At that time we decided to sell our apartment in Switzerland and use it to finance a new start in Germany,” says Zulauf. The couple had acquired a 3000 square meter property in the Barnim district in Brandenburg D.
“The value of our property in Nurensdorf has almost doubled in the ten years we have owned it,” says Zulauf. With the proceeds from the sale, the couple was able to have a beautiful detached single-family home built on their property without having to take out a mortgage. Also, the elderly may lie on their sides a little.
Get out of expensive Switzerland
Immigration to Germany relieved the Zulauf couple of financial worries that had put a heavy burden on their life in Switzerland. The Swiss should not be alone with their stories. However, it is difficult to prove with figures that the Confederations are leaving their countries more and more for cost reasons. The reasons for migration are not officially recorded anywhere. However, it is obvious that especially the elderly and retirees are affected by inflation and increasing interest rates. After retirement, income often drops significantly.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, at the end of 2022, 98,100 Swiss were living in Germany. It is the country with the second largest Swiss population abroad. More Swiss live in France alone. Swiss overseas statistics published by the FSO also show that the number of Swiss immigrants has increased steadily in recent years. It was 1.5 percent more at the end of 2022 than at the end of 2021. However, these figures also include births and naturalizations. Dorothea Vollenweider
According to the Federal Statistical Office, at the end of 2022, 98,100 Swiss were living in Germany. It is the country with the second largest Swiss population abroad. More Swiss live in France alone. Swiss overseas statistics published by the FSO also show that the number of Swiss immigrants has increased steadily in recent years. It was 1.5 percent more at the end of 2022 than at the end of 2021. However, these figures also include births and naturalizations. Dorothea Vollenweider
Blick asked the Swiss Society abroad, the Swiss organization. The organization does not systematically record motives either. However, their spokesperson, Smilla Schär, says: “In our advisory work, we regularly receive inquiries from people who want to migrate for financial reasons or who have already migrated.” According to Schär, many of these questions come from retirees.
When money is no longer enough
“In the over-65 age group, financial reasons play an important role in the decision to immigrate,” says Schär. In recent years, this age group has grown more strongly in statistics than any other age group. “This suggests that financial motives play a role here,” says the expert.
Buying your own home is significantly cheaper in Germany than in Switzerland. “The financial advantages are clear,” says market researcher Stephan Kippes (60) from the German Real Estate Association IVD Süd. Roland Zulauf was able to have his house built for 200,000 francs almost three years ago. Meanwhile, prices rose. First of all, because the cost of building materials is significantly higher. However, property prices are still well below the Swiss price level.
Mortgage interest rates on the rise in Germany
Mortgage interest rates rose more in Germany last year than in Switzerland. It is between 3.5 and 4 percent. Therefore, for many Germans, owning a home is not very convenient. “In the current market environment, brokers in Germany sometimes struggle to find buyers,” says Kippes. “Swiss prospective buyers welcome there.”
“The property in Germany is still of interest to Swiss buyers,” says Thomas Frigo (51), Managing Partner of Engel & Völkers Wohnen Schweiz. He also points out that many Swiss spend their old age abroad. But it’s not just because of the high property prices in the country. “However, there are certainly Swiss people who can’t or don’t want to finance their own homes anymore,” says Frigo.
Rising mortgage interest rates are not a problem for Zulauf. He didn’t need a mortgage to build his own house in Germany. The caravan seller has now set up a new business in his new home. “We have never regretted the decision to migrate and we love living here,” says Zulauf. Why is she making her story public on Blick? Zulauf: “I want to talk about it because I’m sure many seniors in Switzerland have similar financial concerns.”
Source :Blick
I’m Tim David and I work as an author for 24 Instant News, covering the Market section. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, my mission is to provide accurate, timely and insightful news coverage that helps our readers stay informed about the latest trends in the market. My writing style is focused on making complex economic topics easy to understand for everyone.
