Your own four walls: buying a property can be overwhelming, but careful planning and preparation will provide peace of mind and help you avoid a number of pitfalls. This is the biggest investment decision most of us will ever make, so diligence is the key.

Swiss News › Nbr. 2010, February 2010

Author: Donnellon, Brien

Position:: Money

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Your own four walls: buying a property can be overwhelming, but careful planning and preparation will provide peace of mind and help you avoid a number of pitfalls. This is the biggest investment decision most of us will ever make, so diligence is the key.

The first and most essential step is setting your budget! Overspending on your mortgage can be disastrous. It is your responsibility to know what you can pay and it is not unknown for lenders to approve higher loans than clients can comfortably afford to repay. In such cases, the homeowner will find themselves making significant sacrifices: No more eating out or holidays, no extra money--with the lion's share of income going on mortgage repayments, you become what is often known as "house poor".

Fortunately, most Swiss banks ha...

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