Your bank said Baugutachten. Your broker said Baugutachten. The Notariat will say Baugutachten. It is the Swiss word for an independent expert report on the condition of a building, and there is no reason it has to be written in a language you cannot read.
A Baugutachten is the written expert report produced after an independent survey of a building. It records the condition of the structure, roof, façade, damp, heating, electrics and windows, rates each finding and estimates what repairs will cost. In Switzerland it is what a bank, a Notariat or a seller will understand you to mean when you say you are having the property assessed.
Yes. ABC Experts inspects in Zürich and issues the Baugutachten in English, German, or both. The survey itself is identical; only the language of the report changes. The German-language sale documents, Protokolle and Reglement are read and summarised for you in English as part of the work.
In practice yes, and where an institution wants German we issue the report in German as well at no extra cost. Say which you need when you book. The report carries the DESAG certification number B/250907, which is verifiable publicly.
Alice Carpenter personally. She is DESAG-certified to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17024, holds an RICS-accredited BSc (Hons) in Building Surveying from London, and has been inspecting across the DACH region since 2015. She works for buyers and owners only, never for sellers or agents, and takes no commission on any sale.
A full Baugutachten starts at CHF 1'450. A shorter Red Flag Check, which answers whether there are deal-breakers without pricing every defect, starts at CHF 750. A document-only review is CHF 250. All prices are fixed and agreed before booking.
We reply within one working day with available dates. The inspection itself takes between two and four hours depending on the property. The written report follows within 24 hours, with photographs, traffic-light ratings and repair costs in Swiss francs.
Structure and foundations, roof and attic, damp and moisture measured with meters rather than estimated, electrical installation, plumbing, windows and doors, insulation and energy, cracks, heating and ventilation, floor area against SIA 416, façade and exterior, and mould and air quality. Plus a review of the Protokolle, Reglement, Erneuerungsfonds statement and GEAK.
Yes. They are the same work under three names: Baugutachten in German-speaking countries, building survey in Britain, home inspection in North America. Buyers often arrive using whichever term they grew up with.
That is usually its main commercial value. A report that puts a franc figure on a façade at the end of its life, a heating system due for replacement or an underfunded Erneuerungsfonds turns a vague worry into a documented number. Without figures it is one opinion against another.
Before the public deed at the Notariat. Swiss purchase contracts almost always exclude the seller's liability for defects, so once ownership transfers the condition of the building is yours. Tell us your offer deadline when you enquire and we will say honestly whether it can be met.
DESAG-certified to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17024. RICS-accredited BSc (Hons) Building Surveying, London. Inspecting for buyers across the DACH region since 2015, in Zürich and Berlin. Works for buyers and owners only, never for sellers, agents or contractors.
You get available dates and a fixed price within one working day. No obligation, no payment until the date is confirmed.