What buying a home in Germany really costs: funding programmes, energy certificates, closing costs, renovation costs and the usual pitfalls at viewings and in financing. Every guide is free and readable without an account.
German KfW loans at a glance: KfW 124 (€100,000), KfW 300 for families (up to €270,000), KfW 308 Jung kauft Alt (up to €180,000 since 3 Aug 2026), KfW 261 repayment grants. English guide, updated 15 September 2026.
Reading time: 12 min · Updated: 2026-09-15
Up to 20 percent back from BAFA, Germany's federal office, for individual energy measures: insulation, windows, ventilation and heating optimisation.
Reading time: 10 min · Updated: 2026-09-15
The German Energieausweis for international buyers: types, classes A+ to H, and why the same class E can cost €2,760 or €9,180 a year.
Reading time: 15 min · Updated: 2026-07-28
Closing costs in Germany run from 5.5 to 8.5% of the price without an agent and up to 12% with one. Work out your total by federal state with the calculator.
Reading time: 13 min · Updated: 2026-07-12
Damp cellars, old windows, roof damage? This checklist helps you spot expensive defects before you sign.
Reading time: 11 min · Updated: 2026-07-12
How to buy a house in Germany as a foreigner: every step from offer to Grundbuch, closing costs of 5.5 to 12.1%, mortgages, KfW loans and the ten-year tax rule.
Reading time: 15 min · Updated: 2026-07-28
What does a new roof cost in Germany? Roofing costs from €14,000 for re-covering to €65,000 for a full refurbishment, with price tables and funding tips.
Reading time: 11 min · Updated: 2026-09-15
How to buy below market value legally: the renovation backlog worked through end to end, the Zwangsversteigerung with its 5/10 and 7/10 thresholds, listing age, bidding procedures, and what you must never do.
Reading time: 13 min · Updated: 2026-09-10
What a bathroom renovation really costs: concrete figures by size, standard and region.
Reading time: 9 min · Updated: 2026-07-12
Heat pump cost in an old building in Germany: €30,000-55,000 installed. KfW funding cuts your own share to €18,000-38,000. With tables by building condition.
Reading time: 11 min · Updated: 2026-09-15
How to read a German floor plan properly: every symbol explained, judging room sizes, avoiding the usual mistakes. With a checklist for viewings.
Reading time: 12 min · Updated: 2026-07-12
Property valuation in Germany: what an appraisal costs (€500 to €5,000), how accurate free online tools are (±10-20%) and when you need which.
Reading time: 13 min · Updated: 2026-07-12
Getting your mortgage right: comparing rates, choosing the repayment rate, securing special repayment rights. With a checklist and negotiation tips for the bank.
Reading time: 11 min · Updated: 2026-07-12
Energy renovation requirements in Germany: what GEG 2026 demands after a house purchase, what the 2026 reform scraps, and costs from €200 to €40,000 per measure.
Reading time: 13 min · Updated: 2026-09-15
The equity calculation for a German property purchase: the minimum, the recommendation, and strategies for building equity. With worked examples.
Reading time: 12 min · Updated: 2026-07-12
Property as an investment in 2026: rental yield and the Kaufpreisfaktor, degressive AfA and the Sonder-AfA under § 7b EStG, the rent cap and the modernisation levy, WEG risks and the ten-year rule.
Reading time: 16 min · Updated: 2026-09-15
Purchase prices, new-let rents, inflation and mortgage rates from 2015 to 2026 in one overview: the four market phases, houses versus flats, and the top 7 cities, with all sources.
Reading time: 9 min · Updated: 2026-07-12
ImmoMetrica, Levi and ImmoLens in an honest comparison: which tool type solves which problem, what the providers cost (as of July 2026), and what to check about data basis and cancellation terms.
Reading time: 9 min · Updated: 2026-07-24
Transfer tax 3.5%, land registry 1.1%, mortgage fee 1.2%, contract drafting and broker: what buying property in Austria really costs, with calculator.
Reading time: 9 min · Updated: 2026-08-01
Loans up to 100,000 € and grants up to 80,000 €: what Vienna, Salzburg, Tyrol and the other states subsidise, which income limits apply, and why buying existing homes usually misses out.
Reading time: 8 min · Updated: 2026-08-01
HWB instead of final energy demand, a new A-to-G scale since the 2025 OIB guideline and stricter listing duties since July 2026: what the Austrian energy certificate really says.
Reading time: 8 min · Updated: 2026-08-02
Transfer tax of 0 to 3.3% depending on the canton, 20% equity, affordability at a 5% imputed rate and the Lex Koller: how buying a home in Switzerland works differently, with a canton calculator.
Reading time: 10 min · Updated: 2026-08-02
The guides are written and reviewed by the ImmoLens editorial team. The information is for orientation and does not replace legal, tax or financial advice. Found a mistake? Write to us.