Notary appointment: Notarization, procedure and duration

Notary Appointment – One of the last steps in selling a property is the joint appointment at the notary's office. This is where the sale is officially sealed and notarized. Read on to learn which documents you need, how the notary appointment works, and whether you can be represented by someone else. Also: These are the points the notary absolutely must read aloud when reading the purchase contract! Back to: Selling a property. Explore Real Estate Germany.

Notary Appointment: Preparation & Planning

As you just learned, the notary first prepares a draft of the contract. It is reviewed, and then the notary appointment is scheduled. At the appointment, the notary reads the draft contract aloud once more and explains all the important legal terms and wording along the way. This is your last chance to clear up any open questions.

Bring Important Documents

You only need to bring a few documents to the notary appointment. These include your ID card or, if you don't have one, your passport, so that you can be identified. You will also need your tax identification number. You can submit your tax ID and ID document up to 24 hours after the appointment. The main thing is that the notary has everything important in front of them for the further steps of the process.

The seller needs to bring the following:

• Valid ID document
• Tax identification number
• If applicable, documents on the land charge (mortgage)

Is there still debt on the house or the apartment? If so, please bring all important documents regarding the loan, mortgage, etc. The notary needs these as well so that they can contact your bank.

Representation at the Notary With & Without Power of Attorney

Are you part of a community of heirs? Or is it not possible for you to attend the notarization in person for personal, family, or work reasons? In that case, you can have someone represent you. To do so, you must first have a notarized power of attorney issued. Of course, you can also send someone without a power of attorney. In that case, the signature and execution of the purchase contract are not yet legally binding. That only happens once you submit the power of attorney afterward.

In summary:

• With power of attorney: Contract is legally binding immediately
• Without power of attorney: Legally binding only once it is submitted afterward

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Officially Sealing the Sale: The Process

You now know which documents you need, the purchase contract is ready, and the day of the notarization has arrived. You are now only a few steps away from officially sealing the sale of your property! Here is what to expect at the notary's office.

Before the Notarization: Greeting & Questions

When you arrive at the notary's office, you will be greeted and shown to the meeting room. Your identity and the buyer's identity will be verified using your ID documents, important documents will be collected, and both parties will review the contract once more. This is also your last chance to clear up questions and raise any personal concerns.

In summary:

• Greeting
• Review of the purchase contract
• Discussion of changes
• Answering questions

During the Notarization: Reading the Purchase Contract Aloud

So that the sale can be fully completed, the notary then reads the purchase contract aloud in the presence of both parties. Final notes can still be added at this point.

These points are mentioned during the notarization:

• Description of the property, including fixtures and fittings
• Individual agreements
• Purchase price
• Due date of the payment
• Prorated settlement of utility costs as of the closing date
• If applicable, maintenance reserves under the German Condominium Act (WEG)
• Liability for material defects
• Street improvement assessment costs
• …

If both parties, buyer and seller, agree to the contract, the notary will then initiate all further necessary steps.

Duration of the Notary Appointment & the Notarization

The length of a notary appointment can't be determined exactly. It depends on the draft contract and its complexity, whether it's for condominiums, houses, villas, or even entire neighborhoods. If the most important questions have already been settled in advance, you can expect it to take about an hour. If matters are still unresolved, you should allow a bit more time.

You'll definitely get good coffee!

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On to Step 15: Land Register Entry and Payment Processing

Once the sale has been officially notarized, all that's left is to update the land register entry and receive the purchase price in your account. You'll find more details on the process here:

• Land Register Entry and Payment Processing

Back to Step 13: Having the Purchase Agreement Drawn Up by a Notary

The purchase negotiations were successful and a buyer has been found. Congratulations! Now all that's left is to draw up the purchase agreement so the closing process can begin. Number of keys, handover, fixtures and fittings, etc. – find out here which points absolutely must be included in the purchase agreement.

• Having the Purchase Agreement Drawn Up by a Notary