Looking for property - tips and tricks

Hello everyone,

We are looking for a plot of land. Currently, 10-15 plots are being prepared for sale in a village we would like to move to. I think one can apply for them in 6-12 months. However, we currently live 40 km away (Switzerland) and therefore the chances are very low. (Bodensee Region)

We are a young family with soon 2 children. To my knowledge, locals are naturally preferred. My wife grew up in the village and I a few kilometers away. Her family still lives there. Do you have any experiences and tips on how we might still get one of these plots?

Thanks for your tips!

Hello everyone,

We are looking for a plot of land. Currently, in a village we would like to move to, 10-15 plots are being prepared for sale. I think you can apply for them in 6-12 months. However, we currently live 40 km away (Switzerland) and therefore the chances are very low. (Lake Constance region)

We are a young family with soon 2 children. To my knowledge, locals are naturally preferred. My wife grew up in the village and I a few kilometers away. Her family still lives there. Do you have any experiences and tips on how we might still get one of these plots?

Thanks for your tips!

Hello. Have you ever talked to the municipality or the mayor?

Do your parents-in-law have good contacts in the village?

Make an appointment with the people in charge and introduce yourself very, very politely. Networking is, of course, the be-all and end-all. Don't your parents-in-law know someone who knows someone...?

Points were awarded in the application system of my municipality.
- Is the property being purchased alone or with a partner (married or not did not matter)
- Whether one grew up in the municipality.
- Membership in various clubs
- Do you have children?
- There were negative points if, for example, you already owned a property.
If you were born and raised there or nearby, that's a plus. I might also try to join one or another club and get that certified. Of course, you should actually be an active helping member.
Everything was very transparent with us. Having connections didn’t get you anywhere there either.

Her family still lives there.

How about registering your residence there? Then you would even be a true local.

I once chatted with a lady, but she wasn’t very forthcoming. So I didn’t want to bother her further. A phone call or a visit would definitely be a good idea!

I’ll also ask the grandparents; they are relatively well connected.

Unfortunately, changing registration isn’t that easy since we currently still live in [CH]. For example, I could register with a football club. But I’m not sure how credible that would be with a 45-minute travel distance.

Thanks already for the first tips. I’ll keep you updated.