
Project development · Phase I / IV
Initiation
Phase I: Initiation – idea, capital, site
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What should be built?
The idea describes the use or the need. It looks very different depending on the client.
- Private clients
The idea is usually already set: your own house or condominium. We translate wishes and space needs into a clear brief.
- SMEs / entrepreneurs
It starts with the company’s need for space and volume for production, storage or offices. From this we derive the space programme and the requirements for the site.
- Institutional investors
What counts is a use the market demands and that fits the portfolio. With market and demand analyses we sharpen the idea for residential, commercial or logistics properties.
How will the project be financed?
Without secured funding every idea stays on paper. Which questions matter depends on the client.
- Private clients
Capital is arranged through own funds and a mortgage. An early cost estimate shows what is financially affordable.
- SMEs / entrepreneurs
The investment has to fit the business plan. We show investment costs early, so that the choice between building, buying or renting rests on facts.
- Institutional investors
Capital is often looking for a suitable idea and site. An initial synthetic investment approach compares investment costs with income and tests the return targets.
Where can the project be built?
The site determines what is possible: zoning, permitted density, access, location and demand.
- Private clients
The site is usually sought once idea and capital are clear. We check whether the plot suits your plans and what may be built on it.
- SMEs / entrepreneurs
Key factors are zoning compliance, good transport links, the availability of skilled staff and land reserves for future expansion. We clarify early on whether the planned business use can be permitted at the site.
- Institutional investors
Location and achievable rents decide the return. We check the plot’s potential and availability and clarify how it can be secured.
How we proceed:
- Analysis of market, location and demand.
- Definition of the project goal and an initial synthetic investment approach.
- Clarification of site acquisition.
Every real estate development starts with an idea (use) or a need (space/volume). Project initiation is about finding the right site and sufficient capital for it. These three factors – idea/need, site and capital – can influence one another: sometimes capital is looking for a suitable idea and site, sometimes there is already an idea and a site, but the capital is missing.
For private projects such as a family home, the process is usually clearer: the idea is fixed, the capital is arranged, and then a suitable site is found.
Is the project viable? Three points decide.
In the professional development of income properties, the idea is worked out in concrete terms as early as the initiation phase. Three points play the central role – only when all three add up is it worth moving on to planning.
- 1
Potential analysis
What can be built on the site? For residential buildings we synthetically determine the possible floor area and number of apartments; for commercial buildings, the possible types of use and the letting potential.
- 2
Investment cost and income calculation
Does the project pay off? An initial synthetic calculation compares the investment costs with the expected income (e.g. rental income). It shows whether the project makes economic sense and is feasible.
- 3
Securing the site
Is the site available? We check whether it is suitable for the planned project and can be secured. If not, it is not worth pursuing the project further.
With rental properties in particular, it can become clear as early as the initiation phase that a project is not viable – for instance if the required rents cannot be achieved at the location. In that case, developing condominium ownership, among other alternatives, can be considered.
The other phases

Planning
Based on the feasibility study, we develop a holistic architectural concept which, through specialist planning, is turned into a ready-to-build project including the building application.
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Construction
We deliver your project through professional construction management, flexibly choosing the right organisational model – from general planner to turnkey contractor.
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Marketing
We support private and institutional investors from positioning through to closing the sale, managing the entire marketing or transaction process.
Learn moreLet’s talk about your project.
Get in touch with Realest Architekten – we guide clients from the very first idea through to completion and see ourselves as a reliable partner on equal terms.
- Emaildaniel.schwarzentrub@realest-architekten.ch
- Phone+41 56 485 87 06
- OfficeWerkstrasse 7, 5608 Stetten AG
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