Selling property in Emmen: a new quarter by the station

Anyone selling in Emmen will find no official price figure. The Canton of Lucerne keeps no median prices by municipality; the Canton of Zurich does. What portals quote for Emmen are asking prices, not prices paid.

What is on record is the stock: Emmen has 3,189 buildings with residential use in the Hochdorf constituency. 1,262 of them are single-family houses, or 39.6%. The cantonal figure is 45.3%. Emmen ranks 13 of 13 in the Hochdorf constituency. In total, Emmen has 15,698 dwellings. 49.5% were built before 1981, against 49.9% in the canton. 90.5 hectares of 701.6 hectares of building zone are undeveloped, or 12.9% (as of 2022). For the share of undeveloped zone, Emmen ranks 15 of 79 in the canton.

The price of your house in Emmen depends on location, plot and building, measured against similar sales. The free assessment gives you a written price range with its reasoning.

Emmen has one of the highest shares of oil and gas heating in the canton of Lucerne. At the same time, a markedly larger share of homes stands empty than the cantonal average.

Right by Emmenbrücke station, the Schützenmatt development plan covers about 17,900 square metres.¹¹ The reference project provides for almost 250 flats, roughly twice as many as the zoning rules in force until then allowed.¹¹ The local parliament adopted the plan at its second reading on 1 July 2025.¹² The cantonal government approved it on 21 January 2026.¹²

It builds on the urban development concept that the local parliament formally welcomed on 17 December 2019.¹¹ The concept sees Schützenmatt as a dense central location.¹¹ The municipality expects building permits from 2027 at the earliest.¹² For a house in Emmenbrücke, closeness to this future centre therefore matters.

In Emmen, 1,579 of 3,189 buildings with residential use date from before 1981. That is 49.5%. Among the 79 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 23, counting from the highest share. In the Hochdorf constituency: rank 1 of 13. Emmen therefore has about the same share as the canton at 49.9%. Compared with Emmen, the figure in Hochdorf is 43.8%.

In Emmen, oil or gas heats 1,705 buildings with residential use, 53.5%, against 39.7% in the canton. Among the 79 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 3, counting from the highest share. For many houses in Emmen, heating is therefore on the agenda.

Anyone selling in Emmen adds records of heating, roof and windows to the sale documents. From 1 January 2029, owners living in their home in Emmen lose the imputed rental value and the maintenance deduction.¹ The calculation before a renovation is in Renovate or sell.

Emmen has 32,777 residents. 6,006 of them, 18.3%, are 65 or older, against 19.4% in the canton. Among the 79 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 41, counting from the highest share. In the Hochdorf constituency: rank 8 of 13. Compared with Emmen, the figure in Hochdorf is 20.7%.

On 1 June 2026, 236 homes in Emmen were empty, 1.50% of the stock, against 0.70% in the canton. Among the 79 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 71, counting from the lowest vacancy. In Emmen, rented and owned homes are counted; the figure does not show how many houses are for sale.

The municipal tax rate of Emmen is 2.15 units. Among the 79 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 62, counting from the lowest tax rate. It applies to income and wealth; the municipality atlas compares all municipalities. By public transport, Zurich HB is 61 minutes away from the Emmenbrücke stop, with 1 change.

In Lucerne, property gains tax follows the income tax scale for single people, even for married couples. The law multiplies this by 4.2 units, the same everywhere. Under five years owned, the tax rises by up to 50 per cent. After more than nine years, it falls by up to 25 per cent.²

Sellers of an owner-occupied home may defer the tax. They must buy or build a new Swiss home within two years before or after the sale. A holiday or second home does not count. Only the part by which it costs more than their acquisition costs is deferred. Deferred does not mean waived. The deferred gain is taxed when the new home is sold.²

A property transfer tax of 1.5 per cent of the purchase price also applies. The buyer alone owes it.³

Only a Lucerne notary may certify the purchase contract. This can be a lawyer with an office in the canton, or a licensed municipal clerk.⁴