A bespoke Swiss franc mortgage enabled an international client to acquire a Swiss property and fund a major redevelopment project.

• Client: International high-net-worth client with USD income
• Challenge: Cross-border financing for acquisition and redevelopment
• Loan Amount: Mortgage funding 60% of property value and 70% of build costs

An international high-net-worth client approached us to arrange finance for the purchase of a residential property in Switzerland. The long-term plan was to acquire the property, demolish the existing structure, and build a new family residence.

The client wanted the borrowing structured in Swiss francs for two key reasons: lower borrowing costs and greater efficiency from a broader tax and wealth-planning perspective. Although income was earned in US dollars and assets were held internationally, Swiss franc borrowing was considered the most suitable structure for the asset and the long-term strategy.

This created a highly complex cross-border transaction.

The case involved international income, foreign currency borrowing, a Swiss property acquisition, and a demolition-and-rebuild strategy, all within one structure. Each element individually was manageable. Together, they significantly narrowed the lender pool.

Most lenders would struggle with the complexity, particularly where redevelopment risk formed part of the overall facility. The challenge was finding a lender comfortable assessing not just income, but the client’s full liquidity profile, asset base, and long-term repayment strategy.

We sourced a specialist lender able to take a broader view of the transaction. The facility was structured to provide funding for 60% of the property value and 70% of the redevelopment costs. The client contributed the remaining 40% of the purchase price and funded the first 30% of the construction costs before lender funds were drawn.

The mortgage was structured over an initial two-year term at approximately 1% above the Swiss reference rate. Once redevelopment is completed, the facility is expected to transition into long-term mortgage finance at approximately 60% loan-to-value.

This transaction highlights the value of specialist structuring in cross-border property finance. When multiple jurisdictions, currencies, and redevelopment plans intersect, conventional lending often becomes too restrictive. The right structure can create flexibility, efficiency, and long-term value.