Frequently asked questions

Key figures are enough for a first assessment: your target purchase price or price range, the equity you have, your household net income and ongoing obligations. A full property brochure is not needed at the start. The complete documents (salary statements, proof of equity, property documents) follow once it is clear which option and which bank come into question.

This is common. We issue a financing certificate in advance, based on the listing (purchase price plus estimated additional costs). It usually opens the door to the full documents. It does not replace the later review once real property data such as a dimensioned floor plan is available.

For the agent, a certificate in advance is usually enough: we issue it through our financing platform as soon as your basic data has been captured. It shows that financing within this range is fundamentally feasible, but it is not a loan commitment. A binding financing confirmation is only given by the bank once it has approved the loan for the specific property, that is, with complete property documents. Whether and in what form it is issued differs from bank to bank.

No. Your creditworthiness, proof of equity and most of the documents remain usable. For your next search we pick up where we left off instead of starting from scratch.

Yes, in principle. Banks do require three things, though: a gift letter (amount, date, purpose), proof that the money has arrived in your German bank account and, for larger sums, in some cases the source of funds of the donor. A verbal promise is not enough. Important: raise the topic early, so that there is no round of follow-up requests.

Banks want to trace the path of the money (anti-money-laundering rules). Typical evidence is account statements from the country of origin, transfer receipts and a deposit into a German account. For larger sums a notarised declaration may also be requested. Allow extra time: the transfer including documents takes longer than proof from a domestic account.

Personal: your latest salary statements, proof of equity and a copy of your ID. For the property: a current land register extract, energy performance certificate, dimensioned floor plan, declaration of division with division plan and a living-area calculation. Details vary by bank; we put together the exact list once the bank has been chosen.

Often yes, but many banks want a confirmation from your employer before submission that the probationary period has ended. We request it early and plan the submission date around it, so that no time is lost.

Until it is certain that the tenant will move out, banks usually treat the purchase like an investment property, with different requirements for equity, valuation and terms. An existing tenancy passes to you with the purchase. Whether and when you can move in yourself is a question of tenancy law, which you should clarify legally before buying. A written confirmation of when the apartment will become vacant helps, ideally obtained early. In such cases we calculate both variants as a precaution: owner-occupation and investment.

Besides your creditworthiness, the bank looks more closely at the property: rent, costs, condition and remaining useful life. Rental income is usually not counted in full but with a deduction for management costs and vacancy, often only at about three quarters. Some banks expect more equity than for owner-occupiers or a higher repayment rate, for example so that the loan is repaid within the remaining useful life. We calculate return, cash flow and depreciation transparently in advance, so that your decision rests on numbers.

Three routes usually come into question: a loan that is fully repaid within the fixed-rate period (higher instalment, debt-free afterwards), a loan with a lower repayment rate (lower instalment, but a follow-on financing later) and a combination with a building society savings contract (low instalment with long interest certainty, but more complex and with contract fees). Which route fits depends on what matters most to you: a low instalment, interest certainty or simplicity. Up to about 50,000 euros, a loan without a new land charge is sometimes possible, and for energy-efficiency measures we also look at subsidies.

Before the project begins, and that comes earlier than many think: for a purchase, as a rule, with your signature on the purchase contract; for new construction, with the construction contract. For new construction, the plain purchase of the plot does not count as the start, but the plot itself is not funded either. If a contract has to be signed earlier, this often works with a condition precedent. It must be in the contract from the start, and payments or construction work may only begin after the application has been submitted. The rules differ by programme, so we clarify the timeline before any notary or construction contract appointment.

That depends mainly on the bank and on whether the documents are complete. After complete documents are submitted, it typically takes 3 to 10 working days. In simple cases, a bank with digital checks of the property and account can decide on the same day. With subsidies or in more complex cases it usually takes longer. It is fastest when the documents are complete at the first submission, which is why we compile them with you beforehand.

We support you through to disbursement: evidence for the bank, coordination with notary and seller, deadlines and disbursement conditions. All important documents are then filed in order for you.