How do I buy a house?

If you are planning to buy a house, you have a wide choice of properties in the federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. These differ in their living space, their location, their age, but also in the equipment. Various personal criteria are decisive for the purchase decision. These include the purchase price you wish to invest. But you should also consider your individual ideas of how you would like to live in your house. Consider how large the garden should be and whether you prefer a rural or central location. In addition, there are different types of houses, with the classic detached family home being preferred by many buyers. Semi-detached houses and terraced houses have only become increasingly popular in recent years.

Building forms of the houses

As soon as you take a closer look at buying a house, you will notice that there are different types of construction. The classic detached house has a lower floor and a peaked roof under which one or two more floors can be added. However, there are variations on this design. These involve the upper floors of the house. There are properties that are one and a half storey or two storey. The two-storey construction method has become increasingly popular in recent years. The reason for this is that there are no more sloping rooms on the upper floor. The living space increases while the footprint of the house remains the same. Since large lots are no longer desired by many owners, the two-story home offers more living space in a small area. Another advantage of two-storey detached houses is that the cost of the land becomes cheaper. An average living area of 140 m², which a detached single-family house has, can be realized on a smaller plot of land with a two-storey house than if it is a single-storey building. As a result, many residential areas are created that are predominantly built with two-story houses. Even with terraced houses and semi-detached houses, the two-storey construction method has prevailed due to the smaller area to be built on. A speciality is the bungalow. Here it concerns single-family houses, which are established in single-storey building method. Depending on the roof construction, a further floor can be built directly under the roof truss. Here, however, there are only rooms with sloping walls. The classical bungalow construction knows no stairs. Thus, the construction method is preferred by older people or by people with handicaps. The disadvantage is that larger plots of land are required for this type of construction, as bungalows have a fairly large floor area.

The detached single family house

By buying a detached single-family home, you are opting for the most modern, but also the most expensive possible form of housing. As the name suggests, these detached houses stand on their own plot of land. They have four exterior walls. The nearest neighbor may live within sight or may be a few feet away. You can get detached single family homes in central or secluded locations. It is important that you do not start looking for a suitable property until you have analysed your ideas of the form of housing for yourself. There are very many variants of the detached single-family house. It is advisable if they look at different properties before making a final decision. Check the detached houses you are shortlisting on various criteria. You should compare the size of the plot, the infrastructure, the available living space and the possibilities for later extensions or other changes to each property. You should also find out how you will get to work and whether there is an airport or railway station nearby. This is especially important if you need to be mobile for work or leisure. Detached single family homes are built in many different sizes. The living space of classically used houses ranges from 80 to 250 m². City villas and country houses, which are built according to the planning of an architect in individual construction, can be much larger. The prices for these properties, depending on location and equipment, often exceed the million mark. Lukinski – Ihr Hausverkauf will be happy to advise you if you wish to obtain comprehensive information about the characteristics of the various types of houses.

Terraced houses and semi-detached houses

For several decades, this form of housing was not so popular because of the close proximity to the neighbor. In recent years, this has changed. It is due to the fact that many city dwellers prefer living in a quiet suburb or outskirts instead of the vibrant city. Due to the longer commute time to work and taking care of other interests, semi-detached and terraced houses with low-maintenance gardens are now very popular to buy. In addition, the houses are more affordable in terms of purchase price. This also relates to maintenance. Since terraced and semi-detached houses have only two or three external walls, the cost of energy requirements is not too high. Smaller living spaces make these types of houses ideal for young families and for singles and couples living alone. When a large living space is not needed or the budget is tight, townhomes and duplexes are considered the ideal alternative to renting or owning a home. For these reasons, many of these properties do not sit for sale for long, as an interested party can quickly be found who decides to buy and is able to finance it in the short term. Terraced houses and semi-detached houses have an average floor area of 100 m² and are therefore smaller than detached single-family houses. The range is between 80 and 160 m², whereby large terraced houses and semi-detached houses are considered a rarity and are often older.

Buy a house for your own use

Most prospective buyers who are looking into purchasing a home want to occupy the property themselves. If you want to buy a house for your own use, it is advisable to choose a property that will be vacant when you sell it. As a general rule, even if you buy a detached house, the lease remains valid when the owner changes. If you want to live in the house yourself, you must declare your own needs. You have to prove this own need. You should know that the tenant is allowed to doubt the own need. This means that he has the right to object to your notice of termination because of own need. In this case, a court will decide whether the own need is admissible or not. In practice, it is easier to register your own needs when you buy a detached house than when you buy an apartment. Nevertheless, you should expect resistance from the landlord. In principle, you cannot assume that you will be able to move into the detached house immediately after the purchase.

Contact the tenant

If you have found a property that is currently still rented out, it is advisable to contact the tenant and register your own needs with the landlord before buying. In this case, you will find out before you buy what the tenant’s position is and whether they are willing to accept the owner occupation and move out of the property. If so, you should get this intention confirmed in writing. In the event that the tenant announces that they do not want to release the house, it is a good recommendation that you look for another property. Lawsuits for own use often drag on for a long time and lead to resentment on the part of both parties. We will be happy to advise you on owner occupation and introduce you to properties that are not rented or that are vacant for your occupation. Buying such a property is often more satisfying for the new owner than dealing with a tenant who is not prepared to vacate the property by the deadline set for him.

Buy a house for rent

In particularly attractive locations, buying a house for the purpose of renting it out is a lucrative investment. If you would like to invest in this area and buy a house, we will be happy to introduce you to various properties in prime locations. Here it is an advantage if the property is already rented. In this case, you do not need to look for a tenant. It is important to know that you have to take over an already existing lease. You are obliged to do so by law. Rent increases are also only possible within the limits of the law. If you buy a property that you rent out yourself, you are free to set the rent and agree it with your new tenant. After that, however, you must also comply with the legal regulations regarding rent increases. This also applies to renovations, which you as a landlord are obliged to carry out in single-family houses.

Buying a house – costs and procedure simply explained

If you have found a house that you want to buy, it is necessary that a notary contract is drawn up. The costs are usually borne by the buyer. The same applies to the fees for the estate agent. However, it is also possible to share the costs with the seller. In addition to the purchase price, there is a land transfer tax, which is determined by the city or municipality. Be sure to include these additional costs in your calculations. The modalities around the payment of the purchase price are set out in the notary contract. It is customary to deposit the money in a notary’s escrow account to confirm the intention to purchase. The buyer only receives the money once the purchase has been completed and a transfer can take place in the land register. Only after the transfer in the land register is completed, you are considered the new owner of the house. You also have to include the costs for the land register entry in the total costs for your new home.

Conclusion

If you are planning to buy a house, it is important that you define your individual requirements in the first step. You can choose from many different house types and property sizes. You should also decide whether you would like to live in the property yourself or whether you would prefer to rent it out. The purchase of a property comes about through the drawing up of a notary contract. Only with the transfer of the land register you are considered as the new owner. Lukinski – Ihr Hausverkauf will be happy to advise you and present you with properties that suit your budget and your individual ideas. Please feel free to make an appointment. We look forward to your first non-binding contact.