Selling property in Pfaffnau: figures and rules

There is no official price series for Pfaffnau. Unlike the Canton of Zurich, the Canton of Lucerne publishes no median prices by municipality. What portals quote for Pfaffnau are asking prices, not prices paid.

What is on record is the stock: Pfaffnau has 666 buildings with residential use in the Willisau constituency. 353 of them are single-family houses, or 53.0%. The cantonal figure is 45.3%. Pfaffnau ranks 4 of 21 in the Willisau constituency. In total, Pfaffnau has 1,397 dwellings. 50.6% were built before 1981, against 49.9% in the canton. 4.4 hectares of 93.1 hectares of building zone are undeveloped, or 4.8% (as of 2022). For the share of undeveloped zone, Pfaffnau ranks 61 of 79 in the canton.

What your house in Pfaffnau is worth follows from comparable sales, the plot and its condition. The free assessment provides a written range with its explanation.

In Pfaffnau, 337 of 666 buildings with residential use date from before 1981. That is 50.6%. Among the 79 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 18, counting from the highest share. In the Willisau constituency: rank 6 of 21. Pfaffnau therefore has a higher share than the canton at 49.9%. Compared with Pfaffnau, the figure in Willisau is 54.0%.

In Pfaffnau, oil or gas heats 214 buildings with residential use, 32.1%, against 39.7% in the canton. Among the 79 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 35, counting from the highest share. In Pfaffnau, a smaller share of houses uses oil or gas than in the canton.

For a sale in Pfaffnau, records of heating, roof and windows show what has been renewed; they belong in the sale documents. On 1 January 2029, the imputed rental value and maintenance deduction end in Pfaffnau, as everywhere, for owner-occupied homes.¹ Whether a renovation pays off first is explained in Renovate or sell.

Pfaffnau has 2,792 residents. 517 of them, 18.5%, are 65 or older, against 19.4% in the canton. Among the 79 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 36, counting from the highest share. In the Willisau constituency: rank 9 of 21. Compared with Pfaffnau, the figure in Willisau is 21.7%.

On 1 June 2026, 27 homes in Pfaffnau were empty, 1.93% of the stock, against 0.70% in the canton. Among the 79 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 75, counting from the lowest vacancy. For Pfaffnau, the figure counts all homes; it does not measure houses on the market.

The municipal tax rate of Pfaffnau is 2.3 units. Among the 79 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 72, counting from the lowest tax rate. How Pfaffnau compares for the same income and wealth is shown in the municipality atlas. By public transport, Zurich HB is 65 minutes away from the Pfaffnau, Post stop, with 2 changes.

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