Zurich first-time buyer: is CHF 18,480 enough cash after closing?

[otis.cove]

After allowing for the deposit and estimated closing costs, the new question is whether CHF 18,480 leaves enough breathing room. The property is a 4-bed Zurich townhouse priced around CHF 915,200, so furnishing every room early would compete directly with cash needed for moving or work found during the inspection.

How would you set priorities for that remainder? I am leaning toward reserving a fixed emergency amount first, funding only essential repairs and move-in needs, and postponing most furniture. The alternative is buying at a lower price so an ordinary first-year expense does not exhaust the available cash.

 

[otis.cove]

One clarification: the CHF 18,480 is not a decorating budget. It would also need to cover the period around the first mortgage payment, any insurance excess and costs I have underestimated. That overlap is what makes the figure feel tight, even if the inspection is broadly reassuring.

 

[talia.cole]

I’d split it conceptually rather than spend it proportionally: keep the emergency fund completely untouched, then set smaller limits for moving and urgent repairs. Furniture comes last and can be bought room by room. With four bedrooms, trying to furnish everything immediately could consume the buffer faster than a minor repair.

 

[friendly_cairn]

Is the townhouse part of a development with service charges or shared maintenance? If so, find out what becomes payable soon after completion and whether any larger work is already being discussed. I’d also ask the inspector to separate safety or water-related defects from cosmetic jobs. “Ordinary work” is too broad to budget sensibly.

 

[readsAndHorizon]

I’m slightly more cautious than ldiaz. Ring-fencing money helps, but CHF 18,480 is still one pool if several bills arrive together. Before deciding, price the move, confirm the first mortgage-payment timing, identify any service charges and obtain rough costs for inspection items. If the remaining genuinely untouchable emergency fund then feels thin, buying below CHF 915,200 is not overthinking it.