Seven questions before the viewing
- Which floor, which façade? Sun and view change with the floor. The panoramic view in the report shows every floor, including those you cannot view right now.
- Does the winter sun reach the living room? On 21 December the sun is around 20 degrees high at midday. The house opposite decides whether it gets through. Hours of sunshine per day instead of “sunny south-facing location”.
- Does the balcony get evening sun? West and south-west yes; south-facing is often already in the shadow of its own building in summer. The sun path above the real horizon shows it for every date.
- How loud is the bedroom side at night? The federal noise maps for road and railway, day and night separately, with the limit value for the zone.
- Will the view remain? The building zone of the neighbouring plot. A meadow in a residential zone means: at some point there will be a house there.
- How do I get to work? Public transport quality class and nearest stop, distance to shops and school.
- What about the cellar and underground car park? Flood hazard map and surface runoff. With condominium ownership, a wet cellar affects the whole community of owners and the renovation costs.
Why five minutes are enough
For an address, SunPlot calculates the sun every 10 minutes throughout the year with the 3D model of Switzerland and overlays all official maps on the property. You enter the address, choose the floor and see: hours of sunshine, annual overview, cast shadows at any time of day, view, noise, zones, hazards, public transport. Anything left open you clarify at the viewing with targeted questions to the seller or the property management.
Also check with condominium ownership
- Regulations and minutes of the owners’ meeting, balance of the renovation fund.
- Upcoming renovations to the roof, façade, heating and lift.
- Rules of use for the balcony, seating area and parking spaces.
Short answers
What should I check about the location when buying a flat?
Floor and façade, winter sun, evening sun on the balcony, noise on the bedroom side at night, view and building zone opposite, public transport access as well as flooding and surface runoff for the cellar and underground car park. All from official data for every address in Switzerland.
Can I check the sun for a specific floor?
Yes. In the SunPlot report you choose the ground floor, an upper floor or the roof. Hours of sunshine, the annual chart and the view are calculated for that height.
Is a south-facing flat automatically sunny?
No. South is only the direction in which the sun could be. Whether it actually reaches the flat in winter depends on the house opposite, the slope and trees. A twelve-metre building casts a shadow of around 34 metres at midday in winter.