What is the GEAK and do I need it?

The GEAK is the cantons' official building energy certificate: it grades the envelope and overall energy performance from A to G. The GEAK Plus additionally contains an advisory report with specific renovation options and costs. When buying an older house it is the best early warning system; in some cantons it is even mandatory at a change of ownership or a heating replacement.

What subsidies are there for renovations?

The Buildings Programme of the federal government and the cantons pays contributions towards insulating the roof, facade and basement ceiling and towards replacing fossil-fuel and electric heating with heat pumps, wood or district heating. Amounts and conditions vary by canton. Important: almost everywhere, the application must be submitted before construction starts.

Can I deduct the renovation from my taxes?

Yes. Energy-saving investments are deductible from taxable income like maintenance, and if they exceed your income, you may carry the remainder forward for up to two subsequent years. Spreading large renovations across two tax years, or phasing the work, saves extra.

Will the bank co-finance the renovation?

Often yes: value-adding and energy measures increase the lending value, and many banks top up the mortgage for them or offer discounted 'green' mortgages. The precondition remains that loan-to-value and affordability still hold after the increase. Raise it at the financing meeting, not only after the purchase.

Huusfink Guide2 September 2026

Energy renovation: GEAK, subsidies and taxes for older buildings

A house built before 1990 is almost always an energy project too. That is no reason to walk away, but it is a reason for a price reduction and a plan: what is due, what it costs and what the federal government, the canton and your taxes contribute.

Read the energy state before you bid

→Heating: type and age are the most important detail in the listing. Oil or gas older than 15 years means: budget for a replacement, usually towards a heat pump, at costs from around CHF 40'000.
→Windows: double glazing from before 2000 is okay, single glazing is a clear renovation signal.
→Roof and facade: uninsulated, they are the biggest energy losers and the biggest budget items, roof CHF 60'000 to 120'000, facade CHF 50'000 to 100'000.
→Ask for the GEAK: if there is none, request one or make the GEAK Plus a condition. Classes E to G mean: a renovation roadmap belongs in your purchase calculation.

What the federal government and the cantons pay

The Buildings Programme subsidises insulation and the replacement of fossil-fuel heating; on top come each canton's and municipality's own programmes, for example for solar installations or GEAK consultations. The contributions are substantial but tied to rules: application before construction starts, minimum insulation thicknesses, sometimes a GEAK as a precondition. Plan the subsidies as a bonus, not as the foundation of the financing; the rates change.

Taxes chip in

Energy measures enjoy a double tax privilege: they count as deductible maintenance even though they effectively upgrade the house, and whatever exceeds your income in the renovation year you may carry forward to the two following years. Combined with phasing across two tax years, that claws back five-figure amounts on large projects. How renovations interact with taxes in general is covered in the article Renovating after the purchase.

It belongs in the price negotiation too

A house with a 2005 oil heating and its original windows is not a bad house, but it is one that hasn't been paid for in full: the next owners take on a compulsory programme. Exactly that belongs in the price conversation, with numbers instead of gut feeling. A rough renovation estimate (GEAK Plus or quotes) turns “well, the house is a bit older” into an argument about specific francs, and your equity has to cover this pot alongside the purchase itself.

Frequently asked questions

The buying check reads year built, heating and renovation state from the listing and works out how much renovation pot your equity allows.

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