Buying Your First Apartment: The Complete 2026 Guide

Start with the total cost, not the asking price

The asking price is only part of what you pay. Purchase side costs in Germany add roughly 9 to 15 percent on top, depending on the federal state and whether an agent is involved.

Work out your monthly capacity first, then derive the maximum purchase price from it. Lenders typically expect the side costs plus a share of the price to be covered from equity.

• •Real estate transfer tax: 3.5–6.5 percent depending on the state
• •Notary and land register: around 1.5–2 percent
• •Agent commission: 0–3.57 percent, shared between the parties
• •Buffer for renovation, kitchen and moving costs

What to check at the viewing

Bring a checklist and take photos. Ask for documents you are entitled to see before signing anything — the floor plan, the energy performance certificate, the last three owners' meeting minutes and the reserve fund balance.

• •Energy performance certificate (mandatory in the listing under the GEG)
• •Owners' association minutes for pending refurbishments
• •Ground rent (Erbbaurecht) or usage restrictions in the land register
• •Mobile and internet reception in the actual rooms

Common mistakes

Most avoidable problems come from speed, not from price. A reservation fee is not a purchase, and a verbal agreement before the notary appointment is not binding for either side.

• •Signing a reservation agreement with a non-refundable fee
• •Underestimating the special levy for a planned facade refurbishment
• •Skipping a structural survey on buildings from before 1980

Practical next steps

Get a financing confirmation before you view, not after. Sellers reply faster to buyers who can show it, and it forces you to fix your own upper limit in writing.