Selling property in Gams: figures and rules

Anyone selling in Gams will find no official price figure. The Canton of St. Gallen keeps no median prices by municipality; the Canton of Zurich does. Portal values for Gams rest on offers, not on completed sales.

What is on record is the stock: Gams has 1,092 buildings with residential use in the Werdenberg constituency. 750 of them are single-family houses, or 68.7%. The cantonal figure is 59.2%. Gams ranks 2 of 6 in the Werdenberg constituency. In total, Gams has 1,738 dwellings. 51.6% were built before 1981, against 58.9% in the canton. 8 hectares of 121.4 hectares of building zone are undeveloped, or 6.6% (as of 2022). For the share of undeveloped zone, Gams ranks 34 of 75 in the canton.

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

In Gams, 563 of 1,092 buildings with residential use date from before 1981. That is 51.6%. Among the 75 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 51, counting from the highest share. In the Werdenberg constituency: rank 6 of 6. Gams therefore has a lower share than the canton at 58.9%. Compared with Gams, the figure in Buchs (SG) is 63.5%.

In Gams, oil or gas heats 357 buildings with residential use, 32.7%, against 50.0% in the canton. Among the 75 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 63, counting from the highest share. In Gams, a smaller share of houses uses oil or gas than in the canton.

For a sale in Gams, 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 Gams, as everywhere, for owner-occupied homes.¹ Whether a renovation pays off first is explained in Renovate or sell.

Gams has 3,736 residents. 717 of them, 19.2%, are 65 or older, against 19.9% in the canton. Among the 75 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 41, counting from the highest share. In the Werdenberg constituency: rank 3 of 6. Compared with Gams, the figure in Buchs (SG) is 17.2%.

On 1 June 2026, 10 homes in Gams were empty, 0.58% of the stock, against 1.16% in the canton. Among the 75 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 24, counting from the lowest vacancy. The rate for Gams covers rented and owner-occupied homes, not the supply of houses.

The municipal tax rate of Gams is 115%. Among the 75 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 35, counting from the lowest tax rate. How Gams compares for the same income and wealth is shown in the municipality atlas. By public transport, Zurich HB is 92 minutes away from the Gams, Zentrum stop, with 2 changes.

The canton taxes the gain on sale, price minus costs, on a progressive scale.² After more than 15 years of ownership, the tax falls yearly, by up to 40.5% if you lived there 15 years or more.² This applies to the gain up to CHF 500,000; otherwise the cap is 20%.² Within 5 years, the tax rises.²

Selling a home you lived in permanently and exclusively can defer all or part of the tax.³ You buy a similarly used home in Switzerland from 1 year before to 3 years after the sale.⁴ Deferred does not mean waived.³

The buyer owes a 1% transfer tax (Handänderungssteuer) on the price.⁵ The seller is jointly liable; between parents and children, half the rate applies.⁵

The municipal land registry where the property lies notarises the sale contract.⁶ The registry fee is 0.2% up to CHF 2 million, 0.05% above.⁷ If the land registry also notarises the contract, the fee doubles.⁷