Brandenburg Gate, large zoo & Co.

Berlin is becoming increasingly popular and young people in particular are drawn to the German capital. With numerous housing estates, shopping streets, sights & monuments, Berlin is particularly diverse and therefore so sought after. Here are not only young students, families or couples at home, but also numerous large companies and businesses. More and more people are drawn to the megacity for private but especially for professional reasons, which is why the living space is very popular and above all limited. Who owns a property in Berlin, can consider himself lucky.

List: The most expensive places & streets

Before we take a closer look at the individual streets and squares in Berlin, you will now get an overview of the most expensive streets and squares in Berlin. The purchase price per square meter ranges between 9,100€ and 23,000€.

• At the circus, Werderscher Markt
• Breitscheidplatz
• Gendarmenmarkt
• Island Road
• Klopstockstraße
• Kurfürstendamm
• Paris Square
• Savignyplatz

Werderscher Markt

The Werderscher Markt is located in the district of Berlin Mitte and is ideally situated near the Kupfergraben and the Spree. At Werderscher Markt there are a variety of residential complexes with housing options as well as numerous offices. So if you want to live very centrally and in the middle of the city, you are sure to find the right condominium here. Or would you like to buy an apartment and rent it out? The area around the Werderscher Markt is also perfect for this. Rental apartments are always in demand here.

The price per square metre here is

Maximum price up to 15.000€/ sqm

Here in the Werde market you will find top adresses, such as:

• The Foreign Office
• Bear Well
• Arcotel John F. Berlin

Werderscher Markt in Berlin (map):

Make yourself a picture and explore the Werderscher Markt in a virtual way.

Breitscheidplatz

The Breitscheidplatz in Berlin can be found in the center of the capital and is located in the southwest of the large Tiergarten. In the near vicinity are numerous shops, shopping opportunities, restaurants and the famous KaDeWe. So, if you want to live in a very central location or invest in a property in such an area, you should definitely take a look at the properties in this place. You want to buy a property here, then you can find out more about luxury real estate agents Berlin.

Here you will find top adresses like:

• Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
• KaDeWe
• Numerous shopping possibilities

Breitscheidplatz in Berlin (map):

Explore the beautiful place yourself and take a virtual look at the surroundings.

Gendarmenmarkt

Properties on the Gendarmenmarkt are particularly popular and sought after due to their location. The square is located in Berlin Mitte and is close to the large Tiergarten. Therefore, one lives here not only in the midst of a wide variety of shops but also close to nature and a large green area. The real estate prices here are at most 9,750 euros per square meter. For a three-room apartment with about 70 sqm you should expect a purchase price of up to 700,000 euros.

The price per square metre here is

Maximum price up to 9.750€/ sqm

Here you will find top adresses like:

• French Cathedral
• German Cathedral
• Hanns Eisler University of Music Berlin

Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin (map):

Island Road

The Inselstraße in Berlin-Mitte inspires with its exclusive location. The banks of the Spree River are within walking distance, the city’s most important monuments and sights are only a subway ride away, and for those who need a break from the colorful hustle and bustle of the city, the many green spaces and parks offer a relaxing change of scenery. Properties in this area are ideal as an investment and are priced, in this environment, at €23,000 per square metre.

The price per square metre here is

Maximum price up to 23.000€/ sqm

Here you will find top adresses like:

• Spree Canal
• Island Bridge

Inselstraße in Berlin (map):

You want to see the area? Here you will find, for example, the island bridge:

Klopstockstraße

The Klopstockstraße at the Berlin Tiergarten is ideally located and is particularly popular due to its proximity to the large Tiergarten. Anyone living here is centrally located and despite this has a large green area on their doorstep. Here one finds in particular multi-family houses and thus numerous living or investment possibilities. Property prices here are a maximum of €9,100 per square metre.

The price per square metre here is

Maximum price up to 9.100€/ sqm

Here you will find top adresses like:

• Zoo
• Near Lazy Lake

Klopstockstraße in Berlin (map):

Kurfürstendamm

Kurfürstdamm in Berlin Mitte is a particularly popular residential area and is ideally located in the heart of the city centre. On the famous main shopping street, in addition to numerous shopping opportunities, you can also find some interesting and beautiful properties in the popular district of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. If you are looking for a property here, you should expect a maximum price of 9,800 euros per square metre. So if you’re looking for a nice three-bedroom apartment with about 90sqm, you should expect to pay just under €900,000. Find out more about living on Kurfürstendamm here.

The price per square metre here is

Maximum price up to 9.800€/ sqm

Here you will find top adresses like:

• Shopping options like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Zara
• Hard Rock Cafe

Kurfürstendamm in Berlin (map):

Explore the area yourself and walk along the shopping street virtually.

Paris Square

The Pariser Platz in Berlin is located directly at the Brandenburg Gate and inspires especially by ideal location in Berlin Mitte. Who owns a property here definitely has an impressive view of the landmark of the German capital or to the large Tiergarten. Here you live in the middle of the city center and yet close to a very large and extensive green space. Properties in this location are very sought after and cost around 10,200 euros per square metre.

• Find out everything about living in Berlin here.

The price per square metre here is

Maximum price up to 10.200€/ sqm

Here you will find top adresses like:

• Brandenburg Gate
• Starbucks
• Madame Tussauds Berlin
• Memorial to the murdered Jews

Pariser Platz in Berlin (map):

Make yourself a picture and explore the Pariser Platz, the Brandenburg Gate and the big Tiergarten in a virtual way!

Savignyplatz

The Savignyplatz is located in Berlin Mitte in Charlottenburg, in the middle of nature and is surrounded by numerous small cafes. Here, in the west of Berlin, you can live ideally and invest in a property. Savignyplatz is an ideal location for living and leads to some lively streets. Here you can visit restaurants, boutiques or the park.

Here you will find top adresses like:

• Park with flowers and sculptures
• L’Osteria Berlin

Savignyplatz in Berlin (map):

Most expensive residential streets in Berlin

Sources: Image / Engel und Völkers / Lukinski

More about Berlin: Real estate

Buy, rent and sell real estate in Berlin – Berlin is not only in Germany the “place to be” when it comes to real estate, in all of Europe and worldwide Berlin is known. Next to London and Paris, Berlin is the hotspot in Europe for Europeans themselves, tourists and real estate investors.

Berlin real estate market: overview

Millions of tourists, plus almost 4 million inhabitants living in the city, renovated old apartments in Kreuzberg, chic condominiums in Berlin-Mitte, large and imposing villas in Berlin Grunewald and exclusive off market properties.

The Berlin real estate market is due to its different districts, its high fluctuation of people, the laws of the state government and also international investors, a real estate market in which you need time as a buyer and especially as an investor with portfolio.

Here you will find the big overview, on the subject of buying, selling, renting, capital investment and everything else you need to know about the Berlin real estate market.

• Real Estate Berlin

Sell real estate in Berlin

Sell property Berlin – Berlin is known as the capital, as a university city and as a historical stronghold. As an international location, Berlin is an attractive place to live for people from all over the world. While the district of Wilmersdorf in Charlottenburg convinces with its well-kept green spaces, the residential areas of Prenzlauer Berg and Weißensee in Berlin-Pankow inspire with their unbeatable prices and central location. You want to sell your apartment, your apartment building or your property in the world metropolis Berlin? With our free guides and tips on the topics of real estate sales and property valuation, you are well prepared. Back to overview: Selling real estate Berlin.

• Pankow
• Charlottenburg
• Wilmersdorf
• Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg
• Prenzlauer Berg
• Kreuzberg
• Wannsee
• Steglitz
• Schöneberg

Living in Berlin: Popular residential areas

Living in Berlin – We introduce you to the most beautiful neighborhoods of the German capital and tell you where you can buy the best, highest quality and most exclusive properties to set up your new home, or which districts are best suited to invest in a property there as an investment. Here we present the most popular residential areas – from the upscale Grunewald to the charming Schmargendorf and the quiet Dahlem to the historic Charlottenburg.

• Grunewald
• Charlottenburg
• Zoo
• Dahlem
• Schmargendorf
• Prenzlauer Berg
• Kreuzberg
• Kurfürstendamm

UG (limited liability company) – foundation, financing, liability & Co.

The UG was created in 2008 in the course of the Act to Modernise the Law on Private Limited Companies and Combat Abuses (MoMiG) and is thus one of the newer forms of corporations. With regard to the required start-up capital, the special character of an entrepreneurial company (haftungsbeschränkt) is reflected: The company can be founded with a cash contribution of as little as one euro, which is why this legal form variant is sometimes simply called a 1-euro GmbH.

By lowering the required share capital to a symbolic euro, the founding process has been considerably simplified for many start-ups: Instead of laboriously putting money aside and saving the 25,000 euros for the founding of a conventional GmbH, you can become self-employed as a corporation almost immediately. However, a UG (haftungsbeschränkt) is always founded with the prospect of later changing its legal form to a conventional GmbH. There are no time limits for this, but at some point an economically managed entrepreneurial company (haftungsbeschränkt) will inevitably become a limited liability company.

Other typical corporations:

• Limited liability company (GmbH)
• Stock corporation (AG)
• European Company (Societas Europaea, abbreviated to SE)
• Partnership limited by shares (KGaA)

Foundation & Company Name

You can found a UG (limited liability company) with just one person. This means that as a founder you also take on a managing position at the same time. To do this, you need a tax identification number – tax ID for short – from the tax office and must register your company with the trade office. In addition, you have to take care of the establishment of the partnership agreement aka articles of association and have it notarized. If you have a maximum of three founding members, you can also simply use a sample protocol, as it is available as an annex to the Law on Limited Liability Companies (GmbHG): In this way, you can complete the articles of association, appointment of managing directors and list of shareholders all in one!

In the next step you can register your company in the commercial register. Your company can consist of personal names, industry names, fantasy names or a mixture of these… It is important that the name contains either “Unternehmergesellschaft (haftungsbeschränkt)” or “UG (haftungsbeschränkt)” – in exactly one of these two variants: Brackets are a must and abbreviations are forbidden! Once you have reached the minimum share capital of 25,000 euros, you decide whether to change the name of your company to a GmbH or to continue it as a UG (haftungsbeschränkt).

Financing & profit distribution

Even if the contribution of only one euro may sound quite attractive at the beginning… Caution is required when determining the amount of the share capital for your company: If the capital is too low and the company’s specific needs cannot be met as a result, you can quickly slide into insolvency! Many UG founders therefore opt for a starting capital of around 500 to 1,000 euros. This way they can ensure that their entrepreneurial company (haftungsbeschränkt) does not go bankrupt after the first small purchases.

When founding a UG (limited liability company), you may only use cash contributions; contributions in kind are prohibited. If a share capital of more than 25,000 euros is set, you can no longer establish your company as an entrepreneurial company (haftungsbeschränkt) and will automatically be treated as a GmbH (limited liability company). Until your share capital reaches this limit, you are subject to the obligation to retain profits, which means that you are not allowed to distribute profits in full, and you must transfer 25 per cent of your profits to the statutory reserves.

Liability, accounting & taxes for UG shareholders

As an entrepreneurial company, you are limited by liability and – as with the GmbH – are usually liable for the amount of your capital contribution, i.e. at least one euro. As a UG shareholder, however, you are also subject to the obligation to file for insolvency: In the event of a breach of duty or other criminally relevant actions, you may also be held personally liable under certain circumstances.

The Unternehmergesellschaft (haftungsbeschränkt) is subject to the same taxes in Germany as its big sister, the Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung. It is therefore subject to the obligation of double-entry bookkeeping – annual balance sheet plus profit and loss account – and, depending on the size of the company, may have to prepare regular management reports. Furthermore, it is fully burdened with corporation tax, trade tax and input tax or turnover tax as well as – with regard to the distribution of profits to shareholders – capital gains tax and other final withholding taxes. For all natural persons, income tax also applies as usual.

• Corporate income tax (KSt)
• Trade tax (GewSt)
• Value added tax (VAT)
• Income tax (ESt)
• Capital gains tax (KapESt)

Unternehmergesellschaft (haftungsbeschränkt) – For whom is it worthwhile?

A UG (limited liability company) is the perfect choice for solo founders who have few assets but still want to start their own business with limited liability. The mini-GmbH is particularly suitable for smaller companies in the service industry, as unlike the formation process of a GmbH, no large start-up capital is required for the company formation. Another major advantage is the limitation of liability, which protects the private assets of the UG shareholders.

So for whom is the formation of an entrepreneurial company (haftungsbeschränkt) worthwhile? The legal form always makes sense if the later change of form to a limited liability company is planned. In this way, the first profits can be made with the company at an early stage and business relationships can be established, even though the share capital of over 25,000 euros is not yet available. The UG (limited liability) forms a more favourable preliminary stage to the GmbH – the conversion from UG to GmbH itself is extremely simple, as it is basically only a change of name within the same legal form.

Comparison: Sole proprietorship, one-man GmbH, small AG or entrepreneurial company?

If you plan to set up your business on your own, you can choose between different legal forms of business: On the one hand, there is the classic sole proprietorship, in which you act as a freelancer or registered trader, or set up a small business. Alternatively, you can choose between the one-man limited liability company and the entrepreneurial company – often referred to as a “mini-GmbH” – or set up a small public limited company.

You can find out more about the different legal forms for solo founders here:

• One-man limited liability company – see GmbH
• Sole proprietorship (EU)
• Small public limited company – see AG

Sole proprietorship & one-person GmbH

Basically, there is not much difference between the two legal forms of a sole proprietorship and a single-member company, because in both cases you are the sole shareholder with sole power of management and sole power of representation. However, the decisive difference arises in the form of the liability issue: As a registered businessman (e. Kfm.) or registered businesswoman (e. Kff.) you are liable without limitation, directly and jointly and severally – as the sole shareholder of a one-person GmbH, on the other hand, you are liable exclusively for the business up to the amount of the capital contribution you have made.

Are you a sole proprietor yourself and no longer want to bear the enormous liability risk? Then you should think about converting your sole proprietorship into a one-person limited liability company. The change of form is easily accomplished, but can make a huge difference in case of losses! In order to avoid personal liability, as part of the registered traders (e. K.) you only need a notarial certificate confirming a value of at least 25,000 euros for your business and submit this to the commercial register together with the opening balance sheet. The sole proprietorship is practically brought into the GmbH as a contribution in kind.

Entrepreneurial company & small public limited company

Alternatively, you can consider setting up an entrepreneurial company (UG). Often referred to as a “small GmbH” or “mini-GmbH”, this legal form of company is a sub-form of the conventional limited liability company, but unlike the “normal” GmbH, it only requires a single euro as share capital. It is therefore particularly attractive for solo founders who do not have 25,500 euros in their bank account. Without the share capital of a GmbH, however, your image with the banks could be lower and your chances of getting a good loan could decrease.

The so-called “small AG” is primarily intended for individual shareholders who wish to keep their public limited company within a small group of people. Apart from the individual shareholder, who also equally assumes the role of the management board, only three other persons are required to be appointed as supervisory board members. However, the formation of a public limited company, regardless of its size, is very complex and more cost-intensive than the other common forms of corporate law. Therefore, a one-person limited liability company or an entrepreneurial company may be more suitable if you intend to found your company on your own. Alternatively, you might also consider setting up a sole proprietorship.

Alternatives to the UG: Legal forms in Germany

Legal forms – What types of company are there? If you want to start your first company, then choosing the ideal legal form is one of the first steps in the process of setting up a company. Whether it’s a special real estate company or a start-up, I’ve summarized all the types of companies in Germany for you here.

• Legal forms: List

Company types in detail:

• Sole proprietorship
• Registered businessman / registered businesswoman (e. K.)
• Civil law partnership (GbR)
• General partnership (OHG)
• Limited partnership (KG)
• GmbH: Limited liability company
• Real estate GmbH / Asset management GmbH
• Stock corporation (AG)
• Real estate stock corporation (REIT-AG)
• Societas Europaea (SE)
• Foundation / Family Foundation