Would love to hear from people - what do you like or hate about these two places?
We've lived near Baden and have considered living in Thalwil (we lived along that side of the lake).
Budget more for rent in Thalwil that's for sure. The rest depends on you and your situation. Without more info you won't get clear answers.
Dan
I live in Baden and love it. At the moment though,it is as if the whole town is a building site! Will be lovely when it's finished though .
Will your son still be going to school in Baden?
QUOTE(My husband will be working in Wallisellen and my son will be attending school in Baden...)QUOTE
Thalwil seems like a long way to go for him to get to school and back. Have you checked out the train situation? Will you be driving him to school?
I live in Baden too and I agree with Hannah'sauntie about the construction.. But it is a lovely town! I work here and I live 10 minutes from the office so that might be a reason why I love it here .
Baden has almost everything and it's very close to Zurich and the main cities. Right now the weather is quite good and everything looks prettier.. I must admit that during grey weather the town looked quite depressing.
This is certainly true if you are looking to rent a house or larger apartment.
For someone looking for a smaller apartment, this is not always the case.
There are apartments in central Baden which can be as expensive as in Thalwil.
Thalwil is lovely but definitely more expensive than Baden and depending on what you are looking for there aren't that many flats available. It has a good range of shops, lots of parks and good train connections into Zurich (as well as other areas).
If your son is going to school in Baden then that is quite a commute everyday and in heavy traffic so look carefully into this.
The old town in Baden is lovely, there is the river Limmat which is great to walk, cycle or jog along. There are some nice cafes, Mosers, Himmel, Frau Miese, amongst others. The shopping is good, Manor (which has a food department) Coop, Coop city, Migros. There always seems to be something going on, there are cinemas, parks, good bus services, only 15 minutes to Zurich by train, I could go on.
Just before more people tell you that Thalwil is more expensive - it happens to also offer a better income tax than Baden (a long story cut short: the income tax varies hugely from Kanton to another and village to village...).
So if I calculate it with 120.000 CHF annual family income do you already save over 3k in taxes... so if the flat is 250 CHF more a month does it not make a difference at all.
Definitely Baden. You can reach Zurich, Aarau, Basel more ease and fast, and the rents are lower.
Thalwil is a nice location on the lake, and very close to Zürich
In summer, Thalwil has three beach-places on the lake. A good rail-station and access to the highway.
Besides the fact that Thalwil is at the border of the lake of Zurich with views of the Alpes and Baden is "only" next to a river, Baden is a nice little town while Thalwil is more a Zurich suburb - albeit a beautiful one
If you both worked in Zurich I would simply say have a look at both and choose the apartment.
But as other have pointed out to commute to Baden from Thalwil is not a good idea. You will be stuck in traffic jam everyday if you drive and if you take the train the train journey alone will be 35 minutes. I am not sure how long your son commutes now (if he does at all) but it might be annoying will make it difficult to spend time with his friends. Therefore I would strongly advise you to look for an apartment in Baden or the surrounding villages.
Thanks!!
My son will be at school in Baden for 2 years - then Adliswil for 4. The school has a shuttle from Thalwil to Baden. My husband would got to Wallisellen. Both have advantages.
Just trying to get a big picture view or thoughts we haven't thought. We will look at both for sure.
Is your son going to ZIS? Thalwil may make more sense then as most upper school students live near and around Thalwil.
Personally Thalwil gets my vote. Not only the taxes are cheaper leaving you with more disposable income, it is more lively with lots of nice shops and restaurants, the lake and the transport links to Zurich are great. I live in Adliswil at present and it is very quick to get to Thalwil so it would also be good for the school.
I always advise my clients to look long term as moving within Switzerland is very expensive and a hassle. Few employers pay for a local move, though there are exceptional circumstances.
If you are only staying 2 years, and not longer, Baden would make sense for your son. Dads commute, and that is a tax deduction too!
But, as you indicate you are staying another 4 years, why consider living in Baden at all?
Is your son only going to ZIS Baden because there is no space in Zurich? Is it possible the space situation may change before the new school year starts?
For sure taxes would be lower in Thalwil but usually not by as much as comparis.ch and other sites say (in my experience). We moved from near Baden to Zurich city and our taxes changed by about 300 chf, for the entire year. We have 2 kids and one income (more than what you stated). I was expecting some huge increase from researching online. I've found that comparis.ch gives incredibly optimistic numbers for the tax difference from place to place.
Dan
I would say a commute by train from Thalwil to Baden would be perfectly fine. Thalwil has great connections to Zurich HB and Baden does as well.
Dan
Well, I made the opposite experience - we (double income, no kids) moved from Zurich city to Wollerau (SZ) and cut our tax easily 50%, which was more than comparis indicated at the time.
Well for sure, with a double income, no kids, and Wollerau is well known for being one of the lowest tax places in Switzerland. Not quite the same comparison as Thalwil and Baden.
Dan