A property viewing (Hausbesichtigung) in Germany is not a casual walkthrough, it’s your best chance to spot problems that will cost you tens of thousands of euros after you’ve signed the notarised contract. German property sales are final. There is no cooling-off period once the Kaufvertrag is notarised. What you miss at the viewing, you own.
This guide covers everything you need to bring, check, and ask, whether you’re buying your first home or evaluating a rental investment.
What to bring to the viewing
Most buyers show up with nothing but their phone. That’s a mistake. Prepare a small kit:
- Camera, photograph everything, but always ask the owner or agent for permission first. In Germany, photographing someone else’s home without consent can create legal friction.
- Notepad and two pens, a pencil and a ballpoint. Pens run out, pencils break. You’ll forget details by the time you get home.
- Printed listing, bring the original Inserat so you can cross-check what was advertised against what you actually see.
- A prepared list of questions, write them down beforehand. In the moment, you’ll forget half of them.
- Measuring tape or folding rule (Zollstock), don’t trust the floor plan dimensions. Measure rooms yourself, especially if you’re planning a specific furniture layout or kitchen installation.
- Shoe covers (Schuhüberzieher), shows respect and avoids awkward moments at the door.
- Compass, check the orientation of the garden, balcony, and main living rooms. A south-facing balcony and a north-facing one are very different properties.
- Spirit level (Wasserwaage), optional on a first visit, but useful if floors seem uneven, which can indicate structural settling.
- A surveyor or tradesperson, not for the first viewing, but absolutely for the second. Bring a Gutachter or experienced Handwerker who knows what to look for behind the cosmetic finish.
Timing your visit strategically
When you visit matters as much as what you inspect. A property can look and feel completely different depending on the time of day and week.
Visit during the week, during daylight. Weekend viewings are convenient but hide the reality of weekday noise, traffic, school runs, construction, delivery trucks.
Match your visit to the worst-case noise scenario:
- School or Kindergarten nearby? Come during the break (große Pause) to hear the playground noise that will be your daily reality.
- Railway line nearby? Time your visit for when an ICE passes. The listing won’t mention that an express train shakes the windows every 20 minutes.
- No garage or dedicated parking space? Visit during Feierabend (after work, 17:00–19:00) to see the real parking situation. If every space on the street is taken, that’s your future too.
Visit at least twice, once during the day for a thorough inspection, and once in the evening or at a different time to experience the neighbourhood in a different light. Literally.
Exploring the neighbourhood
Before you even step inside, walk the surrounding streets. The building itself can be perfect, but the location is what you’re really buying, and you can’t renovate a neighbourhood.
Check the following on foot:
- Public transport, where is the nearest bus stop, tram stop, or S-Bahn/U-Bahn station? How frequent is the service? Check the actual timetable, not just the distance.
- Parking, if there’s no dedicated Stellplatz or garage, how competitive is street parking? This affects both your daily life and your tenants’ willingness to pay.
- Green spaces, is there a Naherholungsgebiet (local recreation area), park, or forest within walking distance?
- Playgrounds, relevant if you’re buying for a family, but also for tenant attractiveness.
- Daily amenities, supermarket, bakery, pharmacy, doctor. Can you reach these on foot or do you need a car for everything?
- Doctors and medical facilities, how far is the nearest GP (Hausarzt), paediatrician, or emergency room?
- Safety, does the area feel safe after dark? Walk the streets in the evening. Check local police statistics if available.
For investment buyers: these are exactly the factors that determine tenant demand and how quickly you can re-let the unit. A property near an S-Bahn station with a supermarket within 5 minutes will always rent faster than one that requires a car for every errand.
Inspecting the exterior
Before walking through the front door, take a careful look at the outside of the building.
- Facade, are there cracks, water stains, crumbling plaster, or visible signs of settling? Hairline cracks in render are normal; diagonal cracks near windows or corners are not.
- Balconies, check for water damage, rusting reinforcement bars, crumbling concrete edges. Balcony repairs in a WEG can trigger a Sonderumlage of thousands of euros per owner.
- Roof, are tiles missing, broken, or misaligned? Can you see sagging in the roofline? Ask when the roof was last renovated, a full roof replacement costs €20 000–€60 000.
- Drainage and gutters, are they intact and clear? Water damage from blocked gutters is one of the most common and expensive problems in older German buildings.
Room-by-room inspection
Don’t just admire the kitchen and living room. Insist on seeing every room, including the ones the seller might prefer you skip.
For each room, note the flooring type, condition, and how it was installed (Bodenbelag, Untergrund, Trittschalldämmung, Fußbodenheizung):
- Wohnzimmer (living room)
- Schlafzimmer (bedrooms)
- Kinderzimmer (children’s rooms)
- Arbeitszimmer (home office/study)
- Küche (kitchen), what appliances are included? What’s the age and condition of the Einbauküche?
- Esszimmer (dining room)
- Bad/Badezimmer (bathroom), does it have a window? If not, is there mechanical ventilation (Lüftung)? Check for mould around tiles and silicone joints.
- Keller (cellar), this is where problems hide. Check for damp walls, water marks, musty smell, and how the space is ventilated. Look at: storage space, Fahrradkeller, Waschküche with connections for washer and dryer.
- Dachboden (attic), is it converted or raw? Check insulation, roof beams for damage, and signs of water ingress.
- Garten (garden), who maintains it? In a WEG, is garden maintenance part of the Hausgeld?
- Garage/Stellplatz, is it included in the purchase price or sold separately?
- Gemeinschaftsanlagen (shared facilities), in a WEG, inspect the common areas: stairwell, laundry room, bin storage, bike room. Their condition tells you how well the WEG is managed.
Check the room layout critically:
- Are there Durchgangszimmer (walk-through rooms) that limit usability?
- Dachschrägen (sloped ceilings) that reduce liveable floor area?
- Tragende Wände (load-bearing walls) that prevent opening up the layout?
- Pfeiler (pillars) or Kamin (chimney) obstructing furniture placement?
Windows: a surprisingly important check
Windows are one of the most expensive items to replace in a German property, and their condition tells you a lot about the overall building quality.
- Open every window. This serves two purposes: you discover how stiff or damaged the mechanisms are, and you hear the real noise level from outside.
- How old are the windows? Single-glazed windows (pre-1980s) are a red flag for energy costs. Double glazing is standard; triple glazing is ideal.
- What type of glazing? Check for sound insulation (Schallisolierung), especially important near roads or rail lines.
- Are the frames in good condition and sealed? Run your hand along the edges. Feel for draughts. Check the rubber seals and silicone.
- Close all windows before you leave, this is basic courtesy and the seller will notice if you don’t.
Technical systems to check
These are the systems that cost the most to repair or replace and have the biggest impact on your Nebenkosten.
Heating (Heizungsanlage)
- What type of heating? Warmwasser-Fußbodenheizung (hydronic underfloor), Elektro-Fußbodenheizung (electric underfloor), radiators with gas/oil boiler, heat pump?
- How old is the system? A boiler older than 20 years will likely need replacing soon. Under the GEG (Gebäudeenergiegesetz), certain old oil and gas boilers must be replaced.
- Have maintenance intervals been kept? Ask for the Wartungsprotokolle. A well-maintained 15-year-old boiler is better than a neglected 8-year-old one.
- What are the annual heating costs? Ask for the last 2–3 Heizkostenabrechnungen. This is real data, not a sales pitch.
Water (Wasserversorgung)
- How is hot water produced? Central boiler, Durchlauferhitzer (instantaneous water heater), or solar thermal?
- Do all boilers and water heaters work? Test them.
- Is the water pressure consistent throughout the house? Turn on taps on different floors simultaneously. Low pressure on upper floors can indicate pipe problems.
Electricity (Stromversorgung)
- How old is the electrical system? You can often tell by looking at the fuse box (Sicherungskasten). Old ceramic fuses (Schmelzsicherungen) mean the system is decades old and may not meet current safety standards.
- Does the electrical supply work throughout the building? Flickering lights, warm outlets, or frequently tripping breakers are warning signs.
- Are there enough sockets and connections? Count them in each room. Older buildings often have far too few for modern living.
Connectivity
- What internet speed is available? Check on the Breitbandatlas (broadband atlas) before the viewing and verify with the seller. Glasfaser (fibre) availability is a genuine value factor.
- What TV connection is available? Kabel, satellite dish, or DVB-T2?
Critical questions to ask the seller or agent
Don’t be afraid to ask direct questions. Evasive or incomplete answers are themselves a red flag, press for specifics.
Condition and history:
- When were the last renovations or modernisations carried out? What exactly was done?
- Has the property ever experienced flooding (Hochwasser) or water damage?
- Has there ever been a pest problem (Ratten, Ungeziefer)?
- Is there any known mould (Schimmel)? Check behind furniture and in corners.
- What is the state of the thermal insulation (Wärmedämmung)? Has the building been energy-retrofitted?
Construction and infrastructure:
- Are any major construction works or public infrastructure projects (Sanierungsverfahren) planned in the area? New pipe installations, road works, or fibre-optic rollouts can mean months of disruption and potential cost contributions (Erschließungsbeiträge).
- Which built-in fixtures and furniture (Einbauten/Möbel) are included in the sale? Get this in writing before the Kaufvertrag, disputes over what stays and goes are common.
For WEG properties (Eigentumswohnung):
- What is the current Hausgeld and how is it broken down?
- What is the balance of the Instandhaltungsrücklage?
- Are any Sonderumlagen planned or under discussion?
- Can you see the Protokolle from the last three Eigentümerversammlungen?
- What is the Teilungserklärung and Gemeinschaftsordnung?
After the viewing
- Talk to the neighbours before you commit. They have no incentive to hide problems, ask about noise, the WEG dynamics, building condition, and the neighbourhood.
- Agree on a deadline with the seller or agent for when you’ll give your answer. This keeps the process professional and gives you time to reflect.
- Schedule a second viewing with a Gutachter or experienced Handwerker if you’re seriously interested. The cost of a professional assessment (typically €300–€800) is trivial compared to buying a building with hidden defects.
Important tip: If the agent or seller mentions items that need to be repaired or removed during the viewing, things they “just noticed”, ask for a complete written list and ensure it’s documented in the Kaufvertrag. Verbal promises have no legal weight after the notarised contract is signed.
The investor’s lens
If you’re buying as a Kapitalanlage (investment property), add these checks:
- What rent does the current tenant pay? Is it below or at Mietspiegel level? Below-market rent means upside but also limits your immediate yield.
- Is the current tenant protected? Long-standing tenants in Germany have strong protections. Eigenbedarfskündigung (eviction for personal use) is complex and not guaranteed.
- What are the actual Nebenkosten? Get the last Betriebskostenabrechnung. High operating costs reduce tenant attractiveness and your net yield.
- Run the numbers before the second viewing. Use our rental yield calculator with realistic figures, not the agent’s optimistic projections.
- Calculate your total investment including closing costs. Use our closing cost calculator to see the full capital requirement, then model the financing with our mortgage calculator.
A thorough Hausbesichtigung isn’t about finding the perfect property, it’s about knowing exactly what you’re buying, what it will cost to maintain, and whether the numbers work. Take your time, bring your checklist, and never let urgency override diligence.