Buying a house is, for most people, the biggest decision of their lives, and it can hardly be undone. Those who proceed in a structured way avoid expensive surprises and can sign calmly at the notary appointment. This checklist guides you from the first search through financing, viewing and document review to the purchase contract, with the verifiable figures for Düsseldorf and North Rhine-Westphalia. It does not replace individual legal or tax advice, but it gives you a clear thread through the most important phases.
Budget and financing: do the honest math before you search
Before you open the first property listing, you should know what you can afford. First clarify your equity and your financial scope, because both determine which properties even come into question.
- Determine your equity: As a rule of thumb, you should cover the additional purchase costs and ideally part of the purchase price from your own funds. Banks rarely finance the full price plus additional costs.
- Budget for additional costs: Real-estate transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer), notary, land register and, where applicable, broker commission are added on top of the purchase price, in NRW together often around ten percent.
- Check the monthly burden: Instalment, running costs, maintenance and reserves should remain permanently affordable, even with rising interest rates after the fixed-rate period ends.
- Obtain a financing confirmation: A written commitment from your bank gives you certainty and strengthens your position towards the seller.
- Buffer for repairs: Especially with existing properties, you should set aside reserves for modernisation and unforeseen defects.
Calculate conservatively. A slightly lower budget that you can safely service is worth more than a dream house that overwhelms you financially.
Check location and surroundings: what cannot be changed later
You can renovate the condition of a house, but not the location. It is the most important value-preserving factor and decides your quality of everyday life.
- Infrastructure: Accessibility of shopping, doctors, schools, day-care centres and public transport.
- Connections: Routes to work, motorway access, train station and parking options.
- Noise and emissions: Main roads, railway lines, commercial activity or flight paths, best checked at different times of day.
- Neighbourhood and development: The state of upkeep of the surroundings, planned construction projects and the municipality's development plan (Bebauungsplan).
- Flood and contamination risks: Especially in NRW, it is worth looking at existing flood and risk maps.
Visit the area several times, including in the evening and at the weekend. This gives you a realistic picture of the living environment that a property listing cannot convey.
Property condition and building fabric: look closely at the expensive parts
The biggest cost risks lie in the building fabric. During the viewing, concentrate on the components whose renovation will later be the most expensive.
- Roof: Age of the covering, condition of the roof truss and insulation, traces of moisture or mould under the roof.
- Heating: Type, year of construction and maintenance condition of the system. An old heating system may need to be replaced in the medium term, which is a considerable cost factor.
- Moisture: Check the cellar, base and walls for damp spots, salt efflorescence, a musty smell and mould, a classic and expensive weak point.
- Electrics: Age of the wiring, fuse box, number of sockets. An outdated electrical installation is a safety and cost issue.
- Windows, façade and pipes: Tightness of the windows, cracks in the façade, condition of water and waste-water pipes.
With existing properties, it makes sense to bring an independent building surveyor (Bausachverständiger) to the viewing. Their fee is small compared to the defects they uncover in time.
Check the documents: what you must read before signing
A well-kept house can carry legal burdens that are not visible from the outside. Therefore, have all documents handed over to you and examine them carefully.
- Current land register extract (Grundbuchauszug): Section I names the owner, Section II burdens and restrictions such as rights of way, residence or usufruct, Section III the land charges such as mortgages and liens.
- Energy certificate (Energieausweis): Under the Building Energy Act (GEG) it must be presented to you at the latest during the viewing. Pay attention to whether it is a consumption-based or demand-based certificate and to the energy rating.
- Building encumbrances (Baulasten): In NRW, building encumbrances are not in the land register but in the register of building encumbrances (Baulastenverzeichnis) held by the building supervisory authority. A separate inspection is important because building encumbrances can restrict buildability and use.
- For condominiums (WEG): Declaration of division (Teilungserklärung) and community rules, the current amount of the housing fee and the budget plan, the most recent annual statements, the minutes of the owners' meetings over several years, as well as the amount and status of the maintenance reserve.
The minutes and the reserve reveal much about the condition of the community. Low reserves with pending renovations can point to future special levies.
Additional purchase costs in NRW: what is incurred on top of the purchase price
The purchase price is only part of the bill. You usually have to raise the additional costs from equity, so you should plan for them early.
- Real-estate transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer): In North Rhine-Westphalia it amounts to 6,5 percent of the purchase price. The assessment basis is the value of the consideration, as a rule the notarised purchase price (§ 9 GrEStG).
- Notary and land register: For the notarisation and the entries in the land register, together around 1,5 to 2 percent of the purchase price are incurred.
- Broker commission: If a broker is involved, the total commission in NRW is usually around 7,14 percent including value-added tax. Since 23 December 2020, for single-family houses and condominiums sold to consumers it is, as a rule, shared between buyer and seller (§§ 656c, 656d BGB), i.e. around 3,57 percent per side.
In total, you should roughly reckon with around ten percent of the purchase price for the additional purchase costs in NRW, depending on whether a broker is involved.
The viewing checklist: prepared for the appointment
A good viewing is more than a walk-through. Those who come prepared recognise defects and ask the right questions.
- Preparation: Request the property listing and energy certificate in advance, bring a list of questions, pack a flashlight and tape measure.
- Start outside: Look at the roof, façade, windows, cellar from outside, garden, access path and parking spaces.
- Inside systematically: Check every room for moisture, cracks, mould, floor coverings and windows, in the cellar and attic particularly closely.
- Check the technology: Test the heating, fuse box, sockets, water pressure and drains.
- Ask questions: about the year of construction, renovations carried out and pending, running costs and reasons for the sale.
- Document: Take photos, keep notes and ideally view the property a second time in daylight.
Do not let yourself be put under time pressure. A serious viewing may take time, and good questions are a sign of genuine interest, not mistrust.
Purchase contract, notary appointment and typical pitfalls
The purchase of a plot of land or a house mandatorily requires notarial certification (§ 311b BGB). The notary is obliged to remain neutral and represents no side, so does not replace your own legal review.
- Review the draft in good time: As a consumer, the draft contract should as a rule be available to you two weeks before the notary appointment (§ 17 para. 2a BeurkG). Use this time to read everything carefully.
- Compare the contents: Examine the purchase price, property description, handover date, payment terms and provisions on defects closely.
- Clarify questions: Raise ambiguities before the appointment, not only when they are read out at the notary's.
Pay particular attention to these red flags:
- Pressure for a quick conclusion or signature without sufficient time to review.
- Missing or incomplete documents, especially the land register extract, energy certificate or WEG minutes.
- Hidden burdens in Sections II and III of the land register or building encumbrances not inspected.
- A strikingly low price without an apparent reason, often an indication of hidden defects.
- Verbal assurances that are not in the contract, because only the notarised text applies.
If something does not seem coherent, it is better to postpone an appointment than to sign a contract you do not fully understand.
