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04/02/2021 | Sell my property

Real estate listings vocabulary

Real estate listings vocabulary

Some terms used in real estate listings in Switzerland may confuse some of you, especially those arriving from abroad. Whether you are a rental or purchase candidate, do you know what the half-room and living kitchen concepts correspond to? We’ve covered a few commonly used words and phrases that might confuse you.

– The half-room : it often comes up in real estate listings. Actually, in Switzerland, the minimum surface area for a room to be said to be « habitable » is 10 m² (however, there may be small differences depending on the canton). The half-room is therefore a space that is between 5 and 10 m². It is too small to be counted as living space but large enough to be rated as additional living space. This half-room can, for example, be a dining area in a kitchen, an entrance hall of more than 5 m², a mezzanine or any other additional space which cannot be counted as a room but which is important in terms of surface area to live.

– 3 rooms or 3.5 rooms : the kitchen and the bathroom are not counted as rooms, except in Geneva where it is customary to count the kitchen as a room. In Geneva, therefore, a 3-room apartment will have a bedroom, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. Outside Geneva, a 3-room apartment will have two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. A 3.5 room apartment, denoted as 3.5 rooms, will have the same things, plus an additional space which can be a large kitchen, a large hallway, an entrance, etc.

– The living kitchen : the term « living kitchen » may surprise applicants for housing. It is simply a large kitchen where you can have your meals. If in addition it is arranged, it means that the worktops, the storage units and the sink are matched. To put it in a nutshell, a modern and pleasant kitchen. When it is equipped all the appliances are present.

– The parking spot : you will probably have understood the term after a few seconds of thinking, but an accommodation which has a “parking spot” actually has an individual space, usually outside, to park your car. If it has a closed space like a garage, that’s a big plus and it will be mentioned in the listing.

– The attic or « galetas » (in French) : a “galetas” is an attic. In other words, a space under the roof where you can store things. Some units have a basement or cellar and an attic.

– The Community laundry room : also called laundry room is quite common in Switzerland. It is installed in the basement in almost all apartment buildings. The community laundry room is equipped with washing machines and dryers. It is shared by residents who take turns to do their laundry.

A few more words for fun

You may see the following words on real estate listings without exactly knowing what they are. So, know that a « balconnet » is a small balcony, a teeny tiny one ; that an « échappée » or “partial view” on the lake or the mountains means that from one of your windows you will be able to see a little bit of a lake or a mountain. A “breathtaking view” of the same landscape is wide and breathtaking, at least for the moment. You should also know that a « maison de maître » also called « gentilhommière » is a large old house in town or in the countryside, with large rooms which bear witness to the social status of its former, or current, owners ; that an « immeuble bourgeois » generally dates from the 19th century and has beautiful architecture and high ceilings, while a « residence de standing » is more recent and has high-end services. The « coup de coeur » or “crush” in English, can be that of the editor of the listing or the platform that hosts it, but can also mean that the property has qualities and will sell quickly. “Ideal 1st purchase » concerns housing at an affordable price but which may have some drawbacks ; the “maison de poupée” or “dollhouse” in English can be very pretty but also very small. As for the « price on request » and others like « contact us” or « refer to us » generally indicate very expensive luxurious properties, the price of which, for many reasons (discretion among others), shall not appear.

We hope that these few insights will help you better understand real estate listings for properties located in Switzerland, or even help you write your listing if you have a property for sale. If you still have any problems, Lookmove’s partner real estate agents will be happy to help you. These professionals who perfectly know their field will accompany you to find the property of your dreams or to sell your property calmly and efficiently.

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