Selling property in Steinach: figures and rules

Anyone selling in Steinach will find no official price figure. The Canton of St. Gallen keeps no median prices by municipality; the Canton of Zurich does. Listing figures for Steinach show what is asked, not what was paid.

What is on record is the stock: Steinach has 685 buildings with residential use in the Rorschach constituency. 396 of them are single-family houses, or 57.8%. The cantonal figure is 59.2%. Steinach ranks 8 of 9 in the Rorschach constituency. In total, Steinach has 1,803 dwellings. 57.4% were built before 1981, against 58.9% in the canton. 7.2 hectares of 123.3 hectares of building zone are undeveloped, or 5.9% (as of 2022). For the share of undeveloped zone, Steinach ranks 45 of 75 in the canton.

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

In Steinach, 393 of 685 buildings with residential use date from before 1981. That is 57.4%. Among the 75 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 35, counting from the highest share. In the Rorschach constituency: rank 3 of 9. Steinach therefore has a lower share than the canton at 58.9%. Compared with Steinach, the figure in Rorschach is 83.7%.

In Steinach, oil or gas heats 336 buildings with residential use, 49.1%, against 50.0% in the canton. Among the 75 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 34, counting from the highest share. Oil and gas are less common in Steinach than the cantonal average.

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

Steinach has 3,579 residents. 783 of them, 21.9%, are 65 or older, against 19.9% in the canton. Among the 75 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 19, counting from the highest share. In the Rorschach constituency: rank 4 of 9. Compared with Steinach, the figure in Rorschach is 18.4%.

On 1 June 2026, 47 homes in Steinach were empty, 2.61% of the stock, against 1.16% in the canton. Among the 75 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 74, counting from the lowest vacancy. In Steinach, rented and owned homes are counted; the figure does not show how many houses are for sale.

The municipal tax rate of Steinach is 122%. Among the 75 municipalities in the canton, that is rank 56, counting from the lowest tax rate. It applies to income and wealth; the municipality atlas compares all municipalities. By public transport, Zurich HB is 85 minutes away from the Steinach stop, with 1 change.

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