To buy a house in Germany, start with Engel Volkers and Immo Scout24. You can also look at Facebook groups or other social media. One well-known instance is Berlin WG Zimmer Wohnung Room Flat Apartment for Rent Sell Share Flats.
Steps to buy a house
You want to keep several things in mind when you buy housing in Germany. These steps are not in order.
Determine your budget
It’s essential to figure out how much you can afford to spend. Consider all the costs associated with buying a house, including taxes, fees, and renovations.
Your budget is the sum of the three following things.
The past savings you can gather from yourself or your family. This is the money you want to use for a deposit, or taxes, or the most essential renovations.
The monthly expenditure in rent or housing you have now. This is the money that you will go into the monthly repayment of your mortgage or funding.
The monthly future savings you predict you will have in the next several months. This is extra money you can count on your budget.
Find a property
To find a property in Germany, search online or contact a real estate agent. Once you find a property you like, schedule a viewing.
You may want to get financing first so you know how much money you will can spend.
Hire a notary
In Germany, you need a notary to handle the legal aspects of buying a property.
A notary will ensure that the contract is legally binding and register the change of ownership with the land registry office. You may also need a real estate lawyer to help you. That depends on the house you want to buy.
Pay a deposit
Sometimes the person you are selling the house may ask you for a deposit. That’s not a legal requirement, but it is frequent. You should use a legal intermediary, like a notary or a real estate broker, to manage your deposit. You can get back a part of your deposit if you are not buying the property anymore.
You can avoid all this by getting your financing first, so you can just make an offer.
Get financing
If you need money, first ask your family and friends. It is the cheapest money you can borrow, and you can give back interest money to your own community instead of a bank.
If you need financing to buy a house, you can apply for a mortgage from a bank. You maybe will need to go around several banks to find a mortgage that meets your needs.
You’ll need to provide documentation, such as proof of income, identification, and credit score.
You can look for government programs and incentives for homeowners. Do your own research, but also ask for counseling from your bank.
Make an offer and sign the contract
Once you have found the house and you are satisfied with the property’s condition, you can make an offer. Once you have achieved an agreement, you can sign the contract in the presence of a notary.
Pay and register your property
You need to pay for the house and the real estate taxes that come with the house. You also want to register your new property at the land registry.
In Germany, You can do all this with the help of your notary.
Find a property to buy in Germany
You can find properties in Germany on real estate websites or apps, in Germany.
Baidu, Google, Naver, Sogou, Yandex, or any other search engine can be a good start for a search for an apartment or a house for rent. This could be, for example, “House for sale in Berlin” or “House for sale in Munich.”
You can also ask around among family and friends. Maybe someone knows someone who’s looking for a buyer for their property.
You can look at house actions in an area that interests you.
Types of houses to buy
You can find the following type of houses in Germany
- A single-family house (Einfamilienhaus) is a standalone living unit.
- A semi-detached house (Zweifamilienhaus) or a duplex house (Doppelhaus) is a house where two separate living units share a wall.
- A row house (Reihenhaus) or a terraced house (Terrassenhaus) shares one or two walls with neighboring properties in a row of similar houses.
- An apartment is a living unit that is part of an apartment building (Mehrfamilienhaus).
- Stadtvilla is a house with a large garden.
- Bungalow is a single-story house with a low-pitched roof and open floor plan.
- Penthouse is a large apartment with a private terrace or balcony, typically on the top floor.
How much to buy a house in Germany
The average price per square meter for a house, or an apartment, in Germany is around 3,400 €, or euro, increasing to € 5,000 in Berlin and € 8,000 in Munich.
1000 Euro, or EUR, is about 1100 US dollars. That is about 91,000 Indian rupees or 7900 Chinese yuan.
To buy an apartment in the city center can cost around 3,800 euro.
To buy an apartment outside of the city center can cost around 3,000 euro.
In Berlin, buying an apartment in the city center can cost around 6,000 euro.
In Berlin, to buy an apartment outside of the city center can cost around 4,000 euro.
In Munich, to buy an apartment in the city center can cost around 9,000 euro.
In Munich, to buy an apartment outside of the city center can cost around 7,000 euro.
Are foreigners allowed to buy property in Germany?
Foreigners have no restrictions on purchasing real estate in Germany. Foreigners acquire properties in large German cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich.
Read more about
How to find an apartment in Germany
Real estate websites in Germany
Source: russianvagabond
The above cover image is somewhere in Munich, Germany. Photo by Kinga Cichewicz on Unsplash
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