Selling property in Baden: low tax multiplier, close to Zurich

There is no official median price for Baden. The Canton of Aargau does not record sale prices by municipality, unlike the Canton of Zurich. Figures on property portals are model estimates, not official values, and they do not know your house.

A reliable value for your house in Baden therefore comes from three parts. First the land: location, size and what may be built on it. Second the building: year of construction, condition and renovations. Third, real sales of similar properties in the region. Even the permitted building density can differ from one plot to the next.

The rail link is part of the location. From 16 minutes to Zürich HB is an argument for buyers who work there. It cannot be turned into a price per square metre, though. What this means for you: ask for a valuation that separates land and building. How that works is shown on the page house valuation.

In Aargau, the holding period alone sets the rate of property gains tax. It starts at 40% in the first year of ownership. With each full year it falls by 2 points, after ten years by 1. From 25 full years, the lowest rate of 5% applies.

Baden's tax multiplier plays no part, and there is no municipal surcharge. The tax commission of the town of Baden assesses the tax, even if you live elsewhere. The revenue goes half to the canton and half to Baden.

What this means for you: one year can make a real difference. In the worked example below you sell in year 10 of ownership at 22%; a year later, 20% would apply. After more than 10 full years, at least 80% of the sale price also counts as acquisition cost for a house. In later years it is a little less. That applies if it exceeds your purchase price. The Aargau calculator checks your own dates.

Aargau has no classic property transfer tax. Instead, the canton levies a land register charge of 4 per mille of the purchase price, at least CHF 100. The revenue goes entirely to the canton; Baden receives none of it.

Buyer and seller decide in the contract who bears the charge. Towards the canton, both are jointly liable for the full amount, even if the contract splits the costs differently.

The contract is notarised by a notary in private practice. Notaries may notarise anywhere in the canton, so you choose freely, also outside Baden. The fee follows the cantonal scale of notarial fees and the contract value.

The sale is entered in the land register at the Baden land registry office, Bahnhofstrasse 40, 5400 Baden. It keeps the registers for the districts of Baden and Zurzach. What this means for you: settle who pays the charge before you sign, and ask for a fee quote.

On 1 June 2026, 81 dwellings stood empty in Baden, 0.62% of the stock. Across Aargau the figure was 1.05%. The count covers all empty dwellings, for rent and for sale.

So the figure does not say how many houses are for sale. It does show that less housing stands empty in Baden than in the cantonal average.

A value capture levy only affects you if your land is newly zoned for building. A rezoning out of a zone where building was prohibited is treated the same way. The Building Act then requires 20% of the increase in value; municipalities may go up to 30%. Whether Baden has set a higher rate, the town can tell you.

What this means for you: selling an existing house in the building zone usually triggers no value capture levy. More in the guide on the value capture levy.