Selling an apartment privately

Sell your apartment privately – When selling a condominium, there are two options: through a real estate agent or on your own. Selling privately saves you the real estate agent’s commission, typically 3.57% including VAT (buyer and seller share together usually 7.14%) – at a purchase price of 500,000 €, this can quickly amount to 17,850 € per side. At the same time, you bear the full risk: incorrect price assessment, missing documents or a failed financing can cost you significantly more than an agent would ever ask for. Here you will find everything about the process, costs, taxes, exposure, documents and the typical pitfalls. Get the complete overview in our guide: Sell your apartment.

Key Facts -

Selling an apartment privately: Advantages and disadvantages at a glance

Advantages of private selling

Disadvantages you should honestly factor in

Sell your apartment privately: Process in 6 phases

Determine property value: Three methods compared

Costs when selling a private apartment: What is coming your way

Preparing an Apartment for Sale: The Lever with the Highest Return

Creating a compelling property description: mandatory content

Legal mandatory information (otherwise fines up to 15,000 €)

Content for maximum sales impact

Important Documents for Selling an Apartment

General Documents

Additional Documents for Condominiums

Creditworthiness check of the buyer: The most common beginner’s mistake

Taxes when selling a private residence

Speculation tax: Sale within 10 years

Exception: Own use

Three-Object Limit: Beware of Commercial Real Estate Trading

Further Tax Aspects

Selling an apartment privately: Advantages and disadvantages at a glance

Selling privately sounds like a quick profit – but is only economically sensible if you have time, market knowledge and negotiation strength. An honest comparison:

Advantages of private selling

No real estate agent commission – at a purchase price of 400,000 €, approximately 14,280 € savings (seller’s share)
Full control over pricing strategy, marketing, and buyer selection
Direct contact with interested parties – authentic property presentation
Flexible scheduling without third-party coordination
Higher net profit with market-appropriate pricing

Disadvantages you should honestly factor in

Risk of incorrect pricing: 5 % too low = already 25,000 € lost at 500,000 € – more than the saved commission
Time investment: realistically 40 to 80 hours for preparation, viewings, and negotiations
Liability risks due to incorrect information in the property listing or purchase contract
No routine credit check: private sellers often overlook requesting a financing confirmation
Emotional negotiation – owners often act too accommodating or too rigid
Lower reach without a real estate agent network and access to premium portals

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Sell your apartment privately: Process in 6 phases

Realistically, you should plan for four to seven months for the entire process – depending on the location and market phase, it may also take longer.

Phase	Dauer	Core activity
1. Valuation	1–2 weeks	Market analysis, possibly an appraiser
2. Document acquisition	2–4 weeks	Energy certificate, land register, WEG documents
3. Exposé & photos	1–2 weeks	Home staging, photographer, text creation
4. Marketing & viewings	8–16 weeks	Portals, inquiries, viewings
5. Negotiation & credit check	2–4 weeks	Price, financing confirmation
6. Notary appointment & handover	4–8 weeks	Purchase contract draft until key handover

Determine property value: Three methods compared

The apartment valuation is the most important step – a price that is too high will cause the property to burn on the market, while a price that is too low will cost real money.

Method	Cost	Accuracy	Suitable for
Online valuation tool	free of charge	±15–25 %	First orientation
Self-comparison value analysis	free of charge	±10–15 %	Standard properties in dense markets
Short expert appraisal	500–1,500 €	±5–10 %	Properties in the premium or special segment
Full appraisal (market value)	1,500–3,000 €	±3–5 %	Probate, divorce, court

Practical tip: Set the asking price consciously 3–7 % above your target value – you create room for negotiation without positioning the property as unattractive on the market.

Value your multi-family propertyWhat is your building really worth?Value your multi-family property

Costs when selling a private apartment: What is coming your way

Selling privately is not free even without a real estate agent. A realistic cost overview for a standard condominium:

Position	Cost Range	Mandatory?
Energy certificate (consumption)	50–100 €	yes, for advertisement
Energy certificate (demand)	300–500 €	for old buildings up to construction year 1977 unsanitized
Land register extract	10–20 €	yes
Land survey / location plan	15–60 €	recommended
Condominium documents (manager)	50–250 €	yes, for ETW
Professional photos	200–600 €	recommended
Home staging	1,500–4,000 €	optional
Ad premium portals	50–250 € / month	recommended
Valuation report	500–3,000 €	optional
Notary fees (usually paid by buyer)	1.5–2 % of purchase price	yes
Prepayment compensation*	individual	if there is an ongoing loan

* If you pay off a real estate loan early, the bank may claim a prepayment compensation – often between 5,000 € and 25,000 €. Have this calculated before making a sale decision.

Preparing an Apartment for Sale: The Lever with the Highest Return

Not every investment before a sale pays off. Anyone who completely renovates an apartment rarely recoups the costs 1:1 in the purchase price. Focus on the measures with the best cost-benefit ratio:

Clear out & depersonalize: Costs almost nothing, significantly increases the perceived value
Paint walls white: 300–800 € material costs, often a 2–5 % higher selling price
Repair minor defects: Faucets, silicone seals, light switches – signals a well-maintained condition
Deep clean windows & floors
Home staging in premium locations: ROI often 5- to 10-times

Warning: A complete kitchen or bathroom renovation is only worthwhile if the current condition makes the property unsellable. Otherwise: buyers want to realize their own taste.

Creating a compelling property description: mandatory content

A professional property description is your most important sales document. It serves two functions: legal mandatory information and emotional sales document.

Legal mandatory information (otherwise fines up to 15,000 €)

Type of energy certificate (consumption / demand)
Final energy consumption or demand in kWh/(m²·a)
Main energy source (gas, oil, district heating, electricity)
Construction year of the building according to the energy certificate
Energy efficiency class (A+ to H)

Content for maximum sales impact

10–20 high-quality landscape format photos, daylight, wide-angle
Measured and labeled floor plan
Location description with micro-location (schools, public transport, shopping within walking distance)
Specific features: type of flooring, heating, windows, bathrooms
For ETW: housing allowance, maintenance reserve, special usage rights
Realistic description – exaggerations can be a liability trap

Important Documents for Selling an Apartment

The complete documents should be available before the first showing – buyers needing financing need them for their bank.

General Documents

Current land register extract (not older than 3 months)
Energy certificate
Parcel map / location plan
Living area calculation according to WoFlV
Floor plan
Construction drawings / building description
Proof of renovations (invoices)

Additional Documents for Condominiums

Declaration of division with division plan
Last 3 WEG protocols (owners’ meetings)
Current financial plan
Last property management fee statement
Amount of the maintenance reserve
Overview of ongoing and approved special levies
Property manager contract and contact details

Creditworthiness check of the buyer: The most common beginner’s mistake

Private sellers are thrilled by the first offer and sign at the notary – only for the financing of the buyer to later collapse. Protect yourself:

Request a bank financing confirmation – not just a preliminary check for an installment loan
Proof of equity from buyers who want to pay in cash
Schufa self-disclosure from private buyers (voluntary, but common)
For commercial buyers: commercial register extract and latest annual financial statement
Only sign a reservation agreement after creditworthiness verification

Taxes when selling a private residence

Even without a real estate agent, the tax office is involved. Which taxes apply depends on the holding period, personal use, and the number of your sales.

Speculation tax: Sale within 10 years

The speculation tax applies when less than ten years pass between the purchase and sale. The taxable gain from the sale is taxed at your personal income tax rate – up to 45 % for top earners, plus solidarity surcharge and possibly church tax.

Example calculation:

Purchase price six years ago: 280,000 €
Purchase-related costs (notary, land transfer tax, land register): 28,000 €
Selling price today: 420,000 €
Sale-related costs (energy certificate, advertisement, photos): 1,500 €
Taxable profit: 420,000 – 280,000 – 28,000 – 1,500 = 110,500 €
At marginal tax rate of 42 %: approx. 46,400 € speculation tax

Exception: Own use

Tax-free is the sale if the apartment was used exclusively for personal living purposes in the year of sale and in the two preceding calendar years. Therefore, two full calendar years of personal use plus days in the previous year and the year of sale are sufficient – not necessarily 36 full months.

Three-Object Limit: Beware of Commercial Real Estate Trading

Anyone who sells more than three properties within five years is considered a commercial real estate trader for tax purposes. The consequences are significant:

Trade tax in addition to income tax (depending on the municipality, 7–17 % effective)
No 10-year speculation period anymore – every profit is taxable
Obligation to keep accounting records and prepare a double-entry balance sheet
Business registration and mandatory membership in the IHK
Possible retroactive review of previous sales

Caution: Even renovation followed by a sale or construction with the intention of selling can constitute a business operation independently of the three-object limit.