If you want to buy a property, you need to request informative documents from the seller. On the one hand, these serve to get to know the property better and to be able to obtain the best possible advice regarding the purchase. However, these documents are also necessary for the financing and legal conclusion of the transaction.
A checklist for documents when buying a property will help you find your way around. This way, you can keep track of everything at all times. The documents that you must present to the notary are also crucial. This includes, for example, the building description of the condominium you need to purchase. It should not be missing from the checklist.
If you would like to find out more tips on buying real estate, read our detailed article.
What documents are required when buying a house?
If you want to buy a house, you need to get some important documents from the seller of the property. The checklist of documents for buying a property differs depending on the property in question. You will need the following documents from the seller of the house so that you can proceed with the property purchase:
- Calculation of living space
- Dimensioned floor plan
- Land register extract
- Building plans
- Energy certificate
- Cubature calculation
- Site plan or extract from parcel map
- Building description
Ideally, these documents should already be available before the viewing appointment so that you can get an overview of the property. They should be handed over by the seller or the estate agent at the latest at the viewing. This allows you to see whether all the documents are available. The documents are decisive for your purchase decision.
What documents should be available when buying a home?
If the property is part of a homeowners’ association, you as the buyer of the property will need to inspect the documents. A clear checklist will help you when buying a property.
- Land register extract
- Building plans
- Site plan or extract from parcel map
- Cubature calculation
- Building description
- Calculation of living space
- Remediation certificates
- Housing benefit statements
- Statement of the maintenance reserve
- Declaration of division
- Energy certificate
- Invoices for modernization and maintenance measures
- Current minutes from the owners’ meeting
- Business plan
If the property is a rented apartment, the rental agreements are also required. In this way, you can ensure that the condominium meets your requirements. Depending on whether you want to live in the property yourself or rent it out, the documents will be weighted differently. The building description should definitely not be missing from the checklist for a condominium.
We have also summarized further information and a checklist for you in our article Procedure for buying a property.
Checklist for buying an apartment in an old building
In Berlin and other major German cities, apartments in old buildings are extremely popular today. The facades are beautifully decorated and the ceiling height is impossible to beat. Existing floors are often made of high-quality wood, creating a convincing overall appearance. However, an apartment in an old building also harbors risks that can turn into disadvantages. The insulation of windows and doors usually does not meet current standards. The pipes and wiring may also need to be modernized if this has not already been done.
That’s why it’s important that you take a close look at the property before buying an apartment in an old building. The checklist for buying an apartment in an old building will help you with this:
- Completion certificate
- Exposé
- Description of the original construction of the residential building
- Extract from the land register
- Community and house rules
- Annual financial statements and business plans for the past five years
- Minutes from the owners’ meetings of the past three years
- Property management contract
- notarized declaration of partition with partition plan
- If modernizations are planned: Cost estimates and expert opinions
- Building energy certificate
Use the checklist to keep track of the documents you need to buy a property. As the buyer of an apartment or house, you need to make sure that the property suits you perfectly. Otherwise you may be in for a nasty surprise after the purchase. To avoid this and reduce stress during the real estate transaction, you should request all documents and also seek advice from your estate agent.
You can also find out more about estate agent commission for real estate buyers, such as the amount, calculation and current regulations.
