Apartment types: an overview
First things first
What types of apartment are there?
In this article, we present Switzerland’s top 10 most sought-after apartment types:
Period apartment
New apartment
Loft
Maisonette
Penthouse
Terrace apartment
Garden apartment
Studio
Furnished apartment
Apartment within a house
Multi-occupancy house
Two-family house
Single-family house
Self-contained apartment
This useful information will help every apartment seeker find the perfect home with the right landlord for their needs. We hope you enjoy reading it and wish you every success with your search!
P.S.: If you’re looking for more information about flat shares, we have tips on how to find and/or arrange a flat share and what you need to be aware of here.
Period apartment
Often, one of the first questions you ask yourself when looking for an apartment is: period or brand-new apartment?
Opinions frequently differ when it comes to period apartments. Young people often regard period apartments as trendy and also appreciate their charm and character, while the mostly low rents also make them extremely attractive. However, some apartment seekers believe them to be a great deal of hassle, always resulting in costs that are higher than planned. Why is that? What actually is a period apartment?
Everyone seems to have an idea of what a period apartment is or what one roughly looks like, although there is no universal definition. Firstly, residential buildings constructed prior to the Second World War are classified as period properties. Secondly, a period property is defined as a building in the final phase of its useful life, which in this case is about 80-90 years. And finally, housing started to be built with concrete walls and ceilings, as well as composite and insulated windows, around 1950, which therefore determines the approximate end of the period property era.
Period apartments that have not (yet) been renovated have their pitfalls: creaky floors, thin walls, leaky windows and doors. You can imagine the rest. However, many people can live with these drawbacks, especially if the rent is correspondingly low. In addition, many period apartments have already been renovated or refurbished. To be sure of what to expect, you should ideally pay attention to two things when looking for an apartment: when it was built and whether it has been renovated or refurbished. If there is no mention of this, then ask the landlord about the year of construction.
New apartment
1950 is usually cited as the watershed between period and new properties. But who today would describe an apartment built in the 1970s or 80s as new? Which is why there is a widely accepted definition of new buildings within the construction industry, namely: they have recently been completed and are about to occupied for the first time. However, there is also agreement that apartments built in 2010, for example, can be referred to as new – in everyday language at least.
For example, in the past 25 years or so, i.e. since the end of the 1990s, open-plan living has become extremely popular. Open-plan designs have virtually become the norm and are now an established standard and symbol of modern construction. Many apartment seekers are specifically looking for this feature; they love the idea of open-plan living, which is spacious, bright and flexible. It almost always comprises a kitchen, dining and living room that merge together to create a large communal living area. In a new apartment, there are typically fewer interior walls and fewer individual, self-contained rooms. However, smaller, self-contained rooms are still preferred for use as offices and bedrooms.
Possible disadvantages of open kitchens, or so-called kitchen-diners, can be the visible disarray, a lack of privacy or cooking and food smells. In general, however, new apartments also have the following benefits: a delightful sense of space as they appear to be bigger than they actually are, more natural light as a result of more and larger windows and improved communal living thanks to fewer walls. Nowadays, new buildings also have excellent extractor systems in the kitchen, meaning that excessive food smells in the apartment are not really a problem.
Ultimately, personal requirements are the decisive factor. According to experts, new apartments with a typical open-plan design are ideal for smaller households that share similar daily routines. The bigger the family and the more diverse its needs and daily routines, the more useful a traditional floor plan is.
Take a look at our new apartments here.
Loft
Loft apartments, with their spacious industrial flair, are the most extreme form of open-plan design. A loft is an apartment with no interior walls and high ceilings, in which the entire living space usually extends over a large area. Often, there is a maximum of one additional room on a second floor. But what defines this industrial style?
From the 1940s, empty warehouses and factories in New York and London were converted into residential spaces with simple furnishings. These open-plan apartments with huge floor plans and high ceilings became an affordable way of living, especially for freelancers and artists, as they provided a combination of living and working space in one.
In Switzerland, former factories started to be converted into residential spaces in the 1990s and here too, loft apartments are now among the most desirable properties. But nowadays, lofts are no longer affordable, improvised apartments – on the contrary. Extensive renovations often turn them into expensive residential buildings. While loft apartments are still available in converted industrial buildings, new-builds are also now being designed based on this popular industrial format.
There are several reasons why lofts are so popular. Exposed brick walls and pipework contribute to their typical industrial design and create a chic, relaxed atmosphere. However, it is their large windows, high ceilings and lack of interior walls that are particularly appreciated; features that guarantee plenty of natural light and a great deal of scope for flexible room layouts.
More information about loft apartments and additional links to current loft listings are available here.
Maisonette
Let’s move on to another apartment type that is popular in Switzerland: the maisonette. The term is derived from the French word for a small house. In a maisonette, you can feel as if you’re in a house, while enjoying the benefits and conditions of a rented apartment. Since it feels like a house, it stands to reason that it’s a large apartment.
To be more precise, a maisonette has at least two storeys that can be located in both the lower or upper part of a building. In most cases, however, it encompasses the top floor and the one below. If the (usually smaller) living space on the upper floor is opened up, extending over the floor or area below so that it looks like an internal balcony, it’s also referred to as a gallery apartment.
An internal staircase is one of the most common features of a house. What’s special about the stairs in maisonettes, however, is that they can be free-standing between the floors in the apartment. This lends these apartments their typical maisonette flair, which is extremely elegant and attractive. However, such open stairs are not particularly safe for children, for example. Therefore, this type of apartment is generally recommended for people for whom a free-standing staircase is not a problem and who prefer an open-plan design concept.
In addition, because most maisonettes are two-storey, they are often called duplex apartments.
In this article, we’ve compiled additional useful facts and links to our maisonettes.
Penthouse
This type of property probably won’t be your first home if you’re a mere mortal like us. Even though it isn’t a small villa, we believe it’s the most luxurious type of apartment in Switzerland (or the world?). This section summarises what constitutes a penthouse apartment. More information and current Swiss penthouse listings are available in this article.
The term penthouse originally referred to a standalone apartment on the roof of a multi-storey building. Nowadays, a penthouse is an apartment on the top floor of a high-rise building, which often features particularly exclusive fixtures and fittings and is usually also surrounded by a spacious roof terrace or several large terraces with magnificent views. No two penthouses are the same. There are always differences in the design, some having an extremely open, others a more traditional floor plan with several self-contained rooms.
One benefit of living in a penthouse is definitely the natural light that floods the entire apartment all year round due to its top-floor location. During the warmer months, you can also enjoy the sun long into the evening. Another advantage that you’ll quickly notice if you treat yourself to such a dream apartment is the peace and quiet. Because there will no more annoying neighbours upstairs, stomping about or moving furniture around at 3 am. You won’t have to worry about the room temperature either – thanks to modern insulation techniques, the temperature is well-balanced in both summer and winter.
Terrace apartment
Let’s leave luxury behind, return to normality and a more realistic apartment: the terrace apartment.
But wait a minute – a terrace apartment can also mean luxury for many. This type of apartment is defined solely by the presence of a terrace, so there can be huge variations in terms of the room layout and number of rooms. In this respect, it can be said that every apartment is a terrace apartment, regardless of whether it’s a one-room, period or loft apartment.
When looking for an apartment, finding one with a terrace often makes your heart skip a beat. Your thoughts instantly turn to boisterous BBQs with friends or you imagine relaxing with a book and a glass of wine in your hand on a summer’s evening – and much more besides. The spacious outdoor area is directly accessible from the apartment, inviting you to relax and enjoy yourself, as well as to engage in leisure activities such as fitness and yoga. It’s considered to be a popular retreat in the fresh air and often has a wonderful view. Access to a terrace can definitely contribute to a better quality of life.
It’s also useful to understand the difference between a terrace and a balcony. A terrace is normally bigger than a balcony, but they can also be the same size. The main difference is that a balcony sits above ground level and protrudes from the structure of the building, while this is not necessarily the case with a terrace. In addition, terraces are open and usually located either on the ground or upper floor.
Follow this link to browse our listings for beautiful terrace apartments in Switzerland.
Garden apartment
Similar to a terrace apartment, one with a garden offers numerous benefits that will make life better and more comfortable. In this section, we tell you what these are and for whom this type of apartment is particularly suitable.
For many people, spending time in the fresh air means relaxation, nature and health – quality of life in its purest form. If you can do this sitting in your own garden, this creates an exclusive, protected space of privacy and tranquillity. So we highly recommend a garden apartment for everyone. There are always affordable ground-floor apartments with a garden available; so there’s no need to do without a garden just because you can’t afford a single-family house at the moment.
There are three kinds of apartment seekers for whom a garden apartment is worth considering. Namely, families with small children, pet-owners and pensioners. Having access to a garden is fantastic for children – they can let off steam while their parents can keep an eye on them from the apartment. Pets have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. Be it cats or guinea pigs, a garden represents around 100 times more quality of life for pets than it does for humans. Finally, a garden apartment on the ground floor that often has step-free access is also a wonderful way of living for pensioners, thanks to its accessibility.
Studio
What exactly is a studio apartment? And how does it differ from a one-bed apartment?
A studio is not just a creative workspace for film, photography or music. The term can also be used for a type of apartment. The following definition of a studio apartment will give you a better idea of how to furnish it and whether this apartment type is suitable for you.
A studio is a single room that also includes all the functions of the principal living areas, such as the bedroom, lounge, office and kitchen. A clever, simple layout allows a studio to be easily divided into all these living areas. The kitchen or kitchenette is installed directly in the room. Only the toilet and shower or bath are allocated a separate room. A studio has no hallway; the living area begins immediately behind the front door.
Studios – especially new-builds – are often fairly spacious. They are large rooms with plenty of windows, making them look bigger. A studio apartment can also be beautifully furnished. You can find plenty of impressive furnishing styles on the internet, but it’s best to choose a minimalist interior design. A lot can be done with very little money – after all, it’s just one room.
The first difference between a studio and a one-bed apartment is that the latter has a small, separate kitchen. Secondly, a one-bed apartment usually has a hallway or small entrance area, as in other larger apartments. If you're wondering which is cheaper, a one-bed or a studio apartment, it’s generally difficult to say, as the rent always depends on the size and location of the property. Compare our properties now using this link.
Furnished apartment
Of course, there’s also the option of renting a furnished apartment. Furnished apartments are available with a wide range of fixtures and fittings; in principle, every kind of rented apartment can be already furnished. A furnished apartment can therefore be both a maisonette and a studio – and there’s something for every budget.
Such furnished apartments are sometimes professionally managed. Usually, they tend to be rented for short periods, i.e. to tourists or business travellers, for whom a furnished apartment is a more affordable alternative to hotel accommodation. But not only holiday-makers and business people like to use furnished apartments for short-term stays; you can also opt for one as your permanent home.
Furnished apartments are typically situated in locations with excellent transport links, so they’re particularly common in cities. In Zurich city centre, for example, one in ten rented apartments are already furnished. Since the coronavirus pandemic, the demand for business and holiday apartments has also fallen. Which explains why an increasing number of apartments in the city of Zurich are being rented as furnished starter homes – i.e. for long-term occupancy: the proportion of furnished apartments that are registered as homes has increased from 38 to almost 50 percent.
If you’re interested in a furnished apartment, then take a look at our wide range of furnished properties here.
Apartment within a house
In this final section, we’d like to briefly discuss the various apartment types within houses: these include multi-occupancy, two-family and single-family houses, as well as so-called self-contained apartments.
A multi-occupancy house is a residential building that is designed for several families or tenants. It consists of at least three self-contained units, with the individual apartments usually spread over several floors. Of course, the term multi-occupancy house doesn’t mean that only families can live in such a building. Single or student apartments and flat shares are also often available in multi-occupancy houses. A multi-occupancy house can consist of rented and owner-occupied apartments, as well as commercial units. If it has more than ten apartments, it can be considered an apartment block. Good to know: in Switzerland, you can purchase co-ownership shares of a multi-occupancy house as members of a co-owners’ association.
If a building consists of two independent, structurally clearly separate residential units, this is called a two-family house. A special form of this is a single-family house with a self-contained apartment. Perhaps you’ve never heard of a self-contained apartment. It’s an additional apartment within a single-family house that is smaller than the main building and of secondary importance. A self-contained apartment usually has one or two reception rooms, a separate bathroom and a small kitchen. Nowadays, self-contained apartments often also have a separate entrance, making them more attractive to tenants.
The definition of a single-family house is easy: it’s a house that is built either as a detached house on a plot of land or as a semi-detached or terraced house, which accommodates a single family or contains a single residential unit. Single-family houses are usually owned by the user and occupant of the property; owners rarely rent a single-family house to other users.
We’ve provided additional useful information about multi-occupancy and single-family houses in the following articles:
Multi-occupancy house – definition and facts
Single-family house