Buying new-build property in Geneva: advantages, developments, steps and costs
A new-build property in Geneva means a home never lived in, off-plan, under construction or completed, sold by a developer under free-market development or in a development zone. New-build property remains scarce: according to the Office cantonal de la statistique (OCSTAT), Informations statistiques no. 11, November 2025, 529 new apartments in condominium ownership (PPE) were sold in 2024, against 837 in 2023. Two price regimes coexist: free-market, or controlled by the State in a development zone.
This article covers the definition of new-build property, its advantages and limitations, where to find a development and the rules of the development zone. It details how the purchase unfolds, the costs, the warranties and the financing.
What is a new-build property in Geneva?
A new-build property in Geneva is a home never lived in, sold by a developer, in one of three states: off-plan, under construction or completed. The three states follow the progress of construction.
- Off-plan: the buyer commits on the basis of plans and a specification.
- Under construction: the shell and core progress, the finishes remain to be chosen.
- Completed: the home can be viewed before the deed.
The price of new-build property depends on the location of the land: free-market outside a development zone, controlled within a development zone (ZD). The latter is governed by the General Act on Development Zones (LGZD, rsGE L 1 35), which subjects prices to control by the State, exercised by the cantonal housing and land-use planning office (OCLPF).
Homes sold as ZD PPE remain a minority: according to OCSTAT, Informations statistiques no. 11, November 2025, of the 1 423 PPE apartments, new and existing, sold in 2024, 10 % were ZD PPE, the lowest share since 2006.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of new-build property in Geneva?
The advantages of new-build property in Geneva are, in a development zone, a controlled price a third lower than the free market, and everywhere, the absence of work; its disadvantages, the construction timeline and buying without a viewing. The table compares buying new-build property and buying an existing property on six criteria.
| Criterion | New-build property | Existing property |
|---|---|---|
| Median price per m² (OCSTAT, 2024 sales) | 7 041 francs in a development zone (ZD PPE); 10 284 francs outside a zone | 10 853 francs on the free market |
| Time to move-in | From registration with the land register if completed; 6 to 24 months of construction off-plan (Banque Migros) | From registration with the land register (CC 656) |
| Acquisition costs | Registration duty 3 % (LDE art. 33); VAT 8.1 % on the construction portion (off-plan) | Registration duty 3 %, no VAT |
| Work | None; defects to be reported after delivery | Renovations depending on the age of the building |
| Energy | High energy performance and solar power requirements (LEn art. 15 and 14A) | Depending on the year of construction |
| Customisation | Choice of finishes off-plan | None without work |
New-build property guarantees neither the absence of defects nor a firm move-in date: the buyer reports defects after delivery, and a delay penalty exists only if the contract provides for one (SIA 118, art. 98). The lower median price of new-build property outside a development zone is explained by its location, mainly in zone 5 (OCSTAT).
Where can you find new-build developments in Geneva?
New-build developments in Geneva can be found through six channels, from the official list of controlled-price developments published by the State to developers' listings. They cover both the controlled price and free-market development.
- Official State list: the OCLPF publishes on ge.ch the approved PPE developments in development zones, by year since 2015, updated as approvals are issued, with the number of homes for sale, the marketing agency and the sale plan. The page presents them as being "for purely informational and non-promotional purposes": some listed properties are already sold.
- Listing portals: ImmoScout24, Homegate and immobilier.ch bring together the units from new-build developments for sale.
- Developer and property management websites: each development publishes its plans, specification and construction schedule there.
- Major urban projects: the Nouveaux quartiers (new districts) section of ge.ch lists Praille Acacias Vernets (PAV), 12 000 homes planned, with the Étoile sector under construction; Les Cherpines (Plan-les-Ouates, Confignon), 3 700 homes, of which 1 000 are under construction at Rolliet, with first delivery announced for 2027; and Bernex Saint-Mathieu, 380 homes under construction.
- Official gazette (FAO): every building permit application is published there (LCI art. 3 para. 1), before the project is marketed.
- Estate agency: a broker can identify units under both regimes; in a development zone, marketing remains the developer's responsibility.
What conditions apply to a new-build home in a development zone?
The conditions that apply to a new-build home in a development zone number five, set by the General Act on Development Zones (LGZD), including ten years of price control.
These 5 conditions are as follows.
- Price control for 10 years from the average move-in date of the homes (LGZD art. 5 para. 3).
- Occupation by the owner, except for good cause approved by the department (divorce, death, professional transfer), since November 2016 (LGZD art. 5 para. 1 let. b).
- Resale capped at the maximum price set by the cantonal housing and land-use planning office (OCLPF): purchase price, notarial fees and value-adding works, indexed.
- Provisional sale agreement (APV) from the OCLPF before any promise or deed of sale.
- Administrative fine of up to 20 % of the building's cost price (LGZD art. 9).
This diagram sets side by side the two regimes for new-build homes in Geneva, free-market development and development zone, on four criteria: price, occupation, resale and signing.
The 4-year taxation condition voted in 2024 is not in force: the constitutional chamber of the Court of Justice annulled it (ACST/16/2025, 24 March 2025). In exchange for these conditions, the State sets the price below that of the free market.
How does a new-build purchase in Geneva take place?
A new-build purchase in Geneva takes place in 7 steps, from identifying the development to the handover of the keys.
The 7 steps are as follows.
- Identify the development: specification, plans and, in a development zone, the State-approved sale plan, provided by the developer.
- Reserve the unit through a private agreement with the developer, without sale value (CO 216 para. 1).
- Obtain financing: written credit confirmation from the bank.
- Sign the promise of sale at the notary's office, in authenticated form (CO 216 para. 2), after the provisional sale agreement (APV) from the OCLPF in a development zone.
- Sign the deed of sale: the notary requests registration with the land register, which transfers ownership (CC 656); off-plan, the deed covers the share of the land and precedes the instalments of the construction contract.
- Pay the price: at the deed for a completed home, in instalments according to construction progress off-plan (CO 372 para. 2).
- Take delivery of the home and receive the keys, backed by a report of defects.
This timeline summarises the 7 steps of a new-build purchase in Geneva, from identifying the development to acceptance and the keys.
What costs are added to the price of a new-build home in Geneva?
The costs added to the price of a new-build home in Geneva are around 4 % of the price for a completed home, according to the Geneva Chamber of Notaries; off-plan, VAT on the construction and the 1 % duty on the construction contract are added on top.
These costs break down into 5 items.
- Registration duty at 3 % (LDE art. 33) on the total price of a completed home, on the land and the construction already carried out at the time of transfer for an off-plan purchase; construction contract at 1 % (LDE art. 83).
- Casatax: 20 924 francs deducted from the sale duty on a primary residence under 1 394 928 francs (RDE art. 1, from March 2026), never on the construction contract of an off-plan purchase (RDE art. 2).
- VAT at 8.1 % on the construction contract, with the land outside its scope (Administration fédérale des contributions).
- Notary and land register fees: sliding-scale fee, 4 per mille from 800 000 to 1 million francs (REmNot art. 10), land register 0.21 % (REmORFDIT art. 3).
- Costs specific to new-build: parking sold separately, utility connections, the PPE's renovation fund (CC 712m).
What warranties cover a new-build home after delivery?
The warranties that cover a new-build home after delivery are those of the contract: a construction contract for a home still to be built, a sales contract for a completed home.
Under a construction contract, defects must be reported within 60 days (CO 367 and 370, from 1 January 2026) and the resulting rights lapse after 5 years from acceptance (CO 371); the SIA 118 standard, if the contract refers to it, adds a 2-year warranty.
Under a sales contract, the buyer of a building less than 2 years old has the same 60-day period, a right to repair and 5 years from the transfer of ownership (CO 219a); the date of the acceptance report starts the 60 days running.
How do you finance a new-build home in Geneva?
A new-build home in Geneva is financed by a mortgage released at the deed if it is completed, or by a construction loan or a mortgage released in instalments if it is off-plan.
The construction loan is a current account debited as invoices come in; according to the BCGE, Construction loan page, interest is charged only on the amount drawn; the loan is consolidated into a mortgage on completion of the works.
According to the Swiss Bankers Association, Guidelines on minimum requirements for mortgage financing, December 2023, at least 10 % of the property's value must come from hard equity excluding second-pillar assets, out of the 20 % required by banking practice (the BCGE lends up to 80 % of this value). What remains to be examined is the choice between off-plan and completed, then the differences from buying an existing property.
Buying off-plan or a completed new-build home?
Buying off-plan or a completed new-build home comes down to three criteria: the time to move in, the choice of finishes and exposure to construction risk.
A completed home can be viewed before the deed and is occupied from registration with the land register; an off-plan home is occupied at the end of construction and is paid for in instalments. These staged payments punctuate an off-plan purchase all the way to the keys; in return, the buyer chooses their finishes, which are already fixed in a completed home. The completed home has absorbed construction delays and defects; the off-plan one exposes the buyer to them.
What differences are there between buying new-build property and buying an existing property in Geneva?
The differences between buying new-build property and buying an existing property in Geneva number three: the other party, the price and the warranties, on an identical notarial basis, taxation differing only off-plan. In both cases, the buyer signs a promise and then a notarial deed at the notary's office, becomes the owner through registration with the land register and pays the same registration duties.
This process holds for buying property that already exists. New-build property adds three differences on top: a developer as the seller, a fixed price off-plan (CO 373), or a price approved by the OCLPF in a development zone, and warranties on the work after delivery.
A new-build project in Geneva?
At Nessell, we support buyers in the search for their new-build development in Geneva, and in reading a controlled-price sale plan. Present your project to the agency and receive a selection of developments currently being marketed.