Swiss Village To Give $70,000 To Families Willing To Move In, And Here’s How Life Looks There
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Looking for a change of scenery? If a utopic, picturesque mountainside village in Switzerland sounds like your cup of tea, you’re in luck. The small village of Albinen, in the stunning Canton of Valais, is now offering families handsome sums of money to move to their remote community, and we just have one question – would you?
Albinen is a quiet, peaceful town with spectacular alpine views, but according to municipality president Beat Jost, families and young people are leaving in droves. The population has dwindled to a measly 240, and the village school has even closed, forcing the community’s 7 remaining children to commute to another nearby town. So, what’s a small village in a rich country to do in times like these? Pay off prospective new residents, of course!
The initiative is meant to attract families and people under age 45 who are seeking to buy or build a new home. Each adult will be offered a little over $25 thousand for their time, with each child being worth about $10 thousand. This means that a family of four could rake in more than $70 grand, provided their investment in a home totals at least $200k. If you’re like Feodor Vassilyev, the Russian peasant who sired 69 children with his first wife, you’d be in for over $700k. All those mangy kids of yours might finally prove to be a return on investment!
Scroll down to see the wondrous Albinen for yourself, and let us know if you’re booking plane tickets already in the comments.
This mountainside village in Switzerland is rolling out a bold new way to jump-start the local economy
Image credits: Gerhard Mathieu
The small community of Albinen is facing a population crisis, with only 240 people now inhabiting the area
Image credits: Gerhard Mathieu
Of those hundreds, only 7 children remain, and even the local school has been forced to close its doors
Image credits: Gerhard Mathieu
For families looking to buy or build a home in the village, a handsome offer will be made
Image credits: Gerhard Mathieu
Each adult will be payed just over $25k, while each of their children will receive about $10k, just for moving there
Image credits: Gerhard Mathieu
That’s a grand total of about $70k for a family of 4
Image credits: Gerhard Mathieu
If you’re like Mr. and Mrs. Vassilyev, the Russian peasants who sired 69 children, you’d be in for over $700k
Image credits: Gerhard Mathieu
That’s a relative bargain to live in the stunning Canton of Valais with million-dollar alpine views
Image credits: Gerhard Mathieu
Image credits: Gerhard Mathieu
Image credits: Gerhard Mathieu
Would you pack it all up and start a new life in Albinen?
Image credits: PETER P
Tell us below!
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Oh, well. Swiss person here. First of all, it's only CHF 25'000 for an adult. Second, You'll have to stay there for over 10 years while Albinen being Your main and only residence AND invest CHF 200'000 of Your own money (at minimum) for construction/renovation of a flat or a house. Otherwise You'll have to pay the money back. And last but not least - it's not even official yet, they're voting about it on November 30th. Chill out.
Downvoting myself to get your comment up. Good info.
Thanks for the deets. It's a gorgeous location, but I definitely need some time to put my financial affairs in order ;) Hopefully the offer still stands when I'm independently wealthy!
Thank You all.
hi, what was the voting result?
HAHAHA I just burned my passport. Thanks for the intel.
Still a good tactic, but I think they would make a casting or sometinging to filter out the candidates. There are a lot of criminals out there with lots of money, who would enjoy swiss residense. But the swiss people may get annoyed living next door to a russian or albanian ganster with hevily armed guards and noisy drunk parties each night.
Happens in certain places either way.
u really lightened us up, Switzerland looks like it has amazing places to live for sure but u knw the goverments they always gets more than they gave evantually so in that matter i can not say that i am surprised by your sayings:) anyway take care Swiss person:)
It's actually not the government, but the community of Albinen itself. Switzerland is a federal state, i.e. different - and very own - laws and rules in every village.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Thanx for info. I can guess it doesn't make sense specially these days when illegal immigrants from mid east & Africa storming Europe
How much for a 48 year old with 5 cats? How strong is wifi and does Amazon deliver? Call me Heidi! I'm in!!
Cats should count as children, because they are my babies!
ispeak thanks for the good laugh . I was about to write something similar. It cost me that much to buy my groceries for a week in Zuerich for a family of 3 adults when I visit my daughter who lives and works there and do her shopping !
Can you allow me please,im from Nigeria.my number is +2348064053707
Heidi: I'm 48 & single w/o any cats...call me? -Dr M (yes, I really am a doctor)
Excellent Dr M! You have skills! I don't, but maybe someone will teach me to make cheese.
$70,000 in Switzerland will cover groceries for the first year.
Not even that :D
And would not make a dent in the $200,000 your are required to pay for your house there, per the article.
My guess is you'd probably have to commute to get weekly groceries as my guess is that the town would have limited selection at twice the rate as a bigger town. Imagine traveling to the bigger city on mountain roads during winter. No thanks.
That's one of the main problems. Roads themselves (= on a alpine terrain), and also the fact, that a lot of smaller communities in the mountainous cantons, like Valais, Graubünden or Berne, are not having winter service for the roads per se.
Эдгар Оганесян, у тебя есть лишние 200'000 франков? Почитай на мой самый верхний комментарий, на каких условиях эти деньги вообще дают + ещё и не дают, община только будет голосовать об этой инициативе 30. ноября.
Zdrastite kakne uznat eto sait ili kamu mne abrashatya spasibo
For the first 6 months (here we speak of families)
What are you talking about? That's a very good middle class yearly salary. Do you actually live hete? I do and we eat very balance meals with a good bottle of wine+ fruits or what ever for dessert. Usually some cheese with a very nice bread.
Oh, well. Swiss person here. First of all, it's only CHF 25'000 for an adult. Second, You'll have to stay there for over 10 years while Albinen being Your main and only residence AND invest CHF 200'000 of Your own money (at minimum) for construction/renovation of a flat or a house. Otherwise You'll have to pay the money back. And last but not least - it's not even official yet, they're voting about it on November 30th. Chill out.
Downvoting myself to get your comment up. Good info.
Thanks for the deets. It's a gorgeous location, but I definitely need some time to put my financial affairs in order ;) Hopefully the offer still stands when I'm independently wealthy!
Thank You all.
hi, what was the voting result?
HAHAHA I just burned my passport. Thanks for the intel.
Still a good tactic, but I think they would make a casting or sometinging to filter out the candidates. There are a lot of criminals out there with lots of money, who would enjoy swiss residense. But the swiss people may get annoyed living next door to a russian or albanian ganster with hevily armed guards and noisy drunk parties each night.
Happens in certain places either way.
u really lightened us up, Switzerland looks like it has amazing places to live for sure but u knw the goverments they always gets more than they gave evantually so in that matter i can not say that i am surprised by your sayings:) anyway take care Swiss person:)
It's actually not the government, but the community of Albinen itself. Switzerland is a federal state, i.e. different - and very own - laws and rules in every village.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Thanx for info. I can guess it doesn't make sense specially these days when illegal immigrants from mid east & Africa storming Europe
How much for a 48 year old with 5 cats? How strong is wifi and does Amazon deliver? Call me Heidi! I'm in!!
Cats should count as children, because they are my babies!
ispeak thanks for the good laugh . I was about to write something similar. It cost me that much to buy my groceries for a week in Zuerich for a family of 3 adults when I visit my daughter who lives and works there and do her shopping !
Can you allow me please,im from Nigeria.my number is +2348064053707
Heidi: I'm 48 & single w/o any cats...call me? -Dr M (yes, I really am a doctor)
Excellent Dr M! You have skills! I don't, but maybe someone will teach me to make cheese.
$70,000 in Switzerland will cover groceries for the first year.
Not even that :D
And would not make a dent in the $200,000 your are required to pay for your house there, per the article.
My guess is you'd probably have to commute to get weekly groceries as my guess is that the town would have limited selection at twice the rate as a bigger town. Imagine traveling to the bigger city on mountain roads during winter. No thanks.
That's one of the main problems. Roads themselves (= on a alpine terrain), and also the fact, that a lot of smaller communities in the mountainous cantons, like Valais, Graubünden or Berne, are not having winter service for the roads per se.
Эдгар Оганесян, у тебя есть лишние 200'000 франков? Почитай на мой самый верхний комментарий, на каких условиях эти деньги вообще дают + ещё и не дают, община только будет голосовать об этой инициативе 30. ноября.
Zdrastite kakne uznat eto sait ili kamu mne abrashatya spasibo
For the first 6 months (here we speak of families)
What are you talking about? That's a very good middle class yearly salary. Do you actually live hete? I do and we eat very balance meals with a good bottle of wine+ fruits or what ever for dessert. Usually some cheese with a very nice bread.