Mortgage in Graubünden: financing your property in Switzerland’s largest canton
- Graubünden, a trilingual canton with exceptional landscapes
- Graubünden real estate: a market to understand before buying
- Available solutions to finance your property in Graubünden
- Calculate the cost of your loan
- Essential precautions for buying in Graubünden
- Turn your property purchase project in Graubünden into reality
Are you planning to buy property in the canton of Graubünden? This leading Alpine canton, the largest in Switzerland, attracts a broad range of buyers — permanent residents, second-home buyers and investors. It is a complex market that requires serious preparation.
Graubünden, a trilingual canton with exceptional landscapes
The canton of Graubünden (Graubünden / Grigioni / Grischun) is the largest Swiss canton by surface area, with Alpine landscapes among the most spectacular in Europe. It has around 202’000 inhabitants and has the unique distinction of being officially trilingual.
Main towns and attractions:
- Chur, the cantonal capital and Switzerland’s oldest city, the canton’s administrative and commercial centre
- Davos, a world-renowned resort for the World Economic Forum (WEF), medicine and alpine skiing
- St. Moritz, an ultra-premium destination of international renown, emblematic of high-end winter tourism
- The Engadine valley, a stunning Alpine valley between high mountains and a unique architectural heritage
- Swiss National Park, the country’s only national park, in the Lower Engadine
- Arosa, Lenzerheide, Flims-Laax — major ski resorts with active real-estate markets
Graubünden is the only officially trilingual canton in Switzerland: German, Romansh (a national language and official cantonal language) and Italian are the three official languages. The dominant language varies from one valley to another.
Graubünden real estate: a market to understand before buying
The Graubünden real-estate market is particularly complex to navigate:
- Primary residences : the market for permanent residents (Chur, German-speaking valleys) shows prices between CHF 550’000.– and CHF 950’000.– depending on location
- High-end second homes : in St. Moritz or the Engadine, prices can exceed CHF 3’000’000.– for a high-end apartment
- Lex Weber : the federal law on second homes strictly limits the construction of second homes in municipalities where their share exceeds 20% — this applies to the vast majority of Graubünden resort locations. Buying an existing property as a second home remains possible under certain conditions
- Lex Koller : foreign nationals not domiciled in Switzerland must obtain authorisation to acquire certain properties — a point that must be checked with a specialist
- Prices in tourist resorts remain very high, but market liquidity there is still reasonable
Financing property in Graubünden: available solutions
The mortgage solutions available in the canton to finance, for example, a house or apartment in Davos or Arosa:
- Fixed-rate mortgage : recommended when amounts are high in order to secure long-term costs
- SARON mortgage : a variable rate indexed to the money market, to be considered cautiously given the sums involved in premium areas
- Combined mortgage : structured in two tranches to limit risk exposure
- Second-home mortgage : subject to specific conditions (Lex Weber rules, permitted use of the property). Restrictions may limit the possibility of renting out or altering the property
- Construction mortgage : for new-build projects in authorised zones, with funds released progressively
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Calculate the cost of your loan for a property in the canton of Graubünden
For a primary-residence apartment in Chur or in an accessible valley priced at CHF 700’000.–, you must have at least CHF 140’000.– in equity. For a property in a resort area (St. Moritz, Davos), adjust this calculation to substantially higher prices. The one-third-of-gross-income rule applies in all cases (see your budget for buying property in Graubünden).
Our mortgage calculator lets you simulate different scenarios depending on your target area and your down payment.
Essential precautions for a mortgage-backed purchase in Graubünden
This canton requires specific checks before any financing step:
- Check the Lex Weber status of the target municipality: a municipality with more than 20% second homes is subject to strict restrictions
- If you are not domiciled in Switzerland, seek legal advice on Lex Koller before making any offer
- Check the permitted use of the property (primary residence, second home, tourist rental)
- Compare Graubündner Kantonalbank (GKB), national banks and Alpine market specialists
- Work with an experienced mortgage broker in Alpine markets and complex transactions
Make your property purchase in Graubünden a reality
Graubünden real estate is a fascinating but demanding market. Whether it is a house in Chur, a chalet in Arosa or an apartment in St. Moritz, each acquisition requires careful prior analysis.
Submit your request online to be connected with experts in mortgage financing for Alpine property.
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Disclaimer: The information in this article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Lex Weber and Lex Koller are complex sets of rules — consult a specialised lawyer before purchasing property in this canton. No rate is guaranteed.
