Selling property in Horw: low taxes, change by the station

Official statistics on prices paid are missing for Horw. The Canton of Lucerne does not collect them by municipality, unlike the Canton of Zurich. Portal values for Horw rest on offers, not on completed sales.

What is on record is the stock: Horw has 2,146 buildings with residential use in the Luzern-Land constituency. 1,018 of them are single-family houses, or 47.4%. The cantonal figure is 45.3%. Horw ranks 13 of 16 in the Luzern-Land constituency. In total, Horw has 8,061 dwellings. 56.1% were built before 1981, against 49.9% in the canton. 27.9 hectares of 330.8 hectares of building zone are undeveloped, or 8.4% (as of 2022). For the share of undeveloped zone, Horw ranks 35 of 79 in the canton.

For a single house in Horw, location, plot, age and condition count, measured against comparable sales. You receive a written price range with its reasoning in the free assessment.

Horw has one of the oldest building stocks in the canton of Lucerne, yet also one of its lowest tax rates. Right now, the area around the station is changing too.

The western part of the station centre zone runs from Ringstrasse to the Horw campus.¹¹ About half of the planned building volume there has already been built.¹¹ The area, once shaped by brickmaking, is to become an attractive residential district.¹¹ The local parliament unanimously noted the planning report on the change on 26 June 2025.¹¹ The public display followed from 1 to 30 June 2026.¹¹

In Kastanienbaum, housing, generous open spaces and a publicly accessible viewpoint are planned on the Chrischona site.¹² The plans were open for public comment from 11 May to 9 June 2026.¹² For a house in Horw, both areas are therefore worth watching.

In Horw, 1,204 of 2,146 buildings with residential use date from before 1981. That is 56.1%. Among the 79 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 9, counting from the highest share. In the Luzern-Land constituency: rank 2 of 16. Horw therefore has a higher share than the canton at 49.9%. Compared with Horw, the figure in Kriens is 55.3%.

In Horw, oil or gas heats 972 buildings with residential use, 45.3%, against 39.7% in the canton. Among the 79 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 8, counting from the highest share. For many houses in Horw, heating is therefore on the agenda.

Records of heating, roof and windows therefore belong in the sale documents for Horw. For owner-occupied homes in Horw, the imputed rental value and the maintenance deduction end on 1 January 2029.¹ Whether a renovation in Horw still pays off first is covered in Renovate or sell.

Horw has 15,939 residents. 3,428 of them, 21.5%, are 65 or older, against 19.4% in the canton. Among the 79 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 13, counting from the highest share. In the Luzern-Land constituency: rank 6 of 16. Compared with Horw, the figure in Kriens is 21.0%.

On 1 June 2026, 23 homes in Horw were empty, 0.29% of the stock, against 0.70% in the canton. Among the 79 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 29, counting from the lowest vacancy. The rate for Horw covers rented and owner-occupied homes, not the supply of houses.

The municipal tax rate of Horw is 1.4 units. Among the 79 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 5, counting from the lowest tax rate. It applies to income and wealth; the municipality atlas compares all municipalities. By public transport, Zurich HB is 58 minutes away from the Horw 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