Apartment Selling Costs – Selling an apartment involves various costs that can vary depending on the type and size of the transaction. The main cost items are usually the brokerage and notary fees, as well as any costs incurred in obtaining documentation. You can find out here what additional incidental costs you can expect and who has to pay them – including a checklist.
Service charges when selling an apartment: checklist
The sale of an apartment is associated with various costs, which may vary depending on the country and region.
Before we take a closer look at the individual fees, here is an overview of the most important cost items:
Brokerage fees
Notary fees
Real estate transfer tax
Costs for the valuation
Costs for the most important documents
In most cases, owners decide not to sell their apartment privately and instead hire an agent to sell the apartment. As a result, brokerage fees also usually make up a large portion of the additional costs. Let’s take a closer look at them.
Brokerage fees for marketing & sale
When you hire a real estate agent to sell your home, you usually have to pay a broker’s commission. This commission varies depending on the agent and can range from 3% to 7% of the sale price. Brokerage fees usually include the cost of marketing the property, conducting viewings, assisting in negotiating the purchase price, and preparing the purchase contract.
Between 3% and 7% of the purchase price
Notary costs in the settlement
When selling an apartment, it is a legal requirement that the transaction be handled by a notary. Therefore, here too, you cannot avoid notary fees. The notary fees consist of various fees that are based on the purchase price of the property and are set by law. They amount to 1.5 – 2% of the purchase price. These include, for example, the basic fee, which is based on the value of the property, and the fees for drawing up deeds and certificates.
Between 1.5 and 2% of the purchase price
In most cases, the buyer pays the notary costs.
Real estate transfer tax: payable by the buyer
The sale of an apartment also incurs land transfer tax. This is also paid by the buyer. The amount of the real estate transfer tax varies depending on the federal state and is between 3.5% and 6.5% of the purchase price. It is calculated on the basis of the purchase price and must be paid to the tax office within a few weeks of the purchase.
Between 3.5% and 6.5% of the purchase price
You can find out everything else about taxes here:
Whether it’s a maisonette or a micro apartment – before you sell your apartment, you first need to know how much the property is worth. For this purpose, the apartment is inspected by a certified appraiser for condition and possible defects, and a value appraisal is prepared. This forms the basis for the subsequent purchase price. The costs for an appraisal can range from a few hundred to several thousand euros, depending on the scope and type of the appraisal.
Fees for the most important documents
For the sale of an apartment you also need several documents, which you not only have to hand over to the new owner, but which you also need, for example, for the purchase contract and the sales transaction. These include, for example, the energy certificate, an extract from the land register, and the development plan. You can get the consumption-oriented energy certificate for less than 100 euros, for the demand-oriented certificate you should expect several hundred euros. You should also not forget the extract from the land register. This costs 10 euros uncertified and 20 euros certified.
Consumption-oriented energy certificate: under 100 euros
Demand-oriented energy certificate: over 100 euros
Uncertified extract from the land register: 10 Euro
Certified extract from the land register: 20 Euro
Optional: Renovation & modernization costs
In order to increase the value of the property and the purchase price, some owners decide to renovate and modernize their apartment shortly before selling it. The cost of this depends on the extent of the renovation work, the materials used and the size of the apartment.
In summary, the sale of an apartment involves various costs that should be calculated precisely in advance. Precise planning and preparation can help to avoid unpleasant surprises and unnecessary costs. It is therefore advisable to obtain comprehensive information in advance and to prepare an accurate cost overview.
