Germany home buying costs (Kaufnebenkosten) calculator

What is added to the purchase price when you buy an apartment or a house in Germany: real estate transfer tax, notary, land registry and agent.

Purchase costs

€45,715

11.4% of the purchase price

In total €445,715
North Rhine-Westphalia: 6.5%

With a purchase price of €400,000 in North Rhine-Westphalia, about €45,715 of purchase costs are added, which is 11.4% of the purchase price. The property then costs you €445,715 in total.

These are €26,000 real estate transfer tax (6.5%), €14,280 agent (3.57%), €3,623 notary (with 19% VAT), €1,813 land registry. On top comes your own capital: the consumer advice center (Verbraucherzentrale) advises 20 to 30 percent of the purchase price plus the purchase costs, so between €125,715 and €165,715 in your case.

What the purchase costs consist of

Real estate transfer tax€26,00057%
Agent€14,28031%
Notary€3,6238%
Land registry€1,8134%

I’m not an accountant or a financial advisor. This is an estimate, for information only. Check with a professional before you decide.

Your numbers

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Purchase price

The price in the purchase contract. The real estate transfer tax is calculated on the consideration, as a rule the purchase price.

Federal state

The states set the real estate transfer tax rate themselves. Here are the rates on 5 October 2026: check the rate with the tax office before you sign.

Agent commission you pay as the buyer (with VAT)

The rate is in the agent contract. One example: 3% plus 19% VAT is 3.57%. Enter 0 if you buy without an agent.

Loan amount

What you borrow from the bank: you grant it a land charge (Grundschuld), which causes costs at the notary and in the land register. Enter 0 if you buy without a loan.

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The costs in detail
	Real estate transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer)6.5% of €400,000, rounded down to full euros	€26,000.00
+	Agent3.57% of €400,000	€14,280.00
+	Notary: purchase contractFees €2,355.00, expenses €30.00, 19% VAT	€2,838.15
+	Notary: land charge (Grundschuld)Fee €635.00, expenses €24.50, 19% VAT	€784.81
+	Land registry: transfer of title and priority noticeCourt fees, no VAT	€1,177.50
+	Land registry: land chargeCourt fee	€635.00
=	Purchase costs (Kaufnebenkosten)	€45,715.46

How it works

The real estate transfer tax is your state’s tax rate times the consideration, as a rule the purchase price, rounded down to full euros (GrEStG § 11). The basic rate is 3.5%; the states may set the rate themselves, and all but Bavaria have raised it, up to 6.5%.
The agent: rate times purchase price, the rate includes VAT. For an apartment or a single-family house the agent contract must be in text form, and if the buyer is a consumer: if the agent works for both sides, both pay the same; if only one party commissioned them, the other can only be obliged to pay at most the same amount (BGB §§ 656a to 656d).
Notary and land registry follow the Court and Notary Fees Act (GNotKG): the notary receives 2.0 times the fee of table B for the purchase contract, 0.5 times each for completion and supervision and 1.0 times for the land charge; the land registry charges 1.0 times for the transfer of title, 0.5 times for the priority notice and 1.0 times for the land charge. The fee of table B depends on the purchase price or the loan; expenses are added, and 19% VAT at the notary.

Worked example

Purchase price €400,000 in North Rhine-Westphalia (6.5%), agent 3.57%, loan €300,000: real estate transfer tax €26,000; agent €14,280; notary €3,622.96 (purchase contract €2,838.15 and land charge €784.81); land registry €1,812.50. Together €45,715.46, which is 11.4% of the purchase price. In Bavaria (3.5%) it would be €33,715.46, so 8.4%.

Sources

Text checked on October 5, 2026

Good to know

The states’ rates can change; here the rates of 5 October 2026 apply. Check the rate with the tax office before you sign. There are also exemptions, for example for acquisitions by spouses, by relatives in a direct line or up to a value of €2,500 (Federal Ministry of Finance).
The calculator works out notary and land registry for the typical case: purchase contract with completion and supervision, priority notice, transfer of title and, if you take out a loan, a land charge. In an individual case further fees and expenses can arise; for postage and copies the calculator assumes the order of magnitude from the Federal Chamber of Notaries examples.
The agent commission is an assumption in the calculator: the rate is in the agent contract, and the agent cannot simply change it to your disadvantage. For an apartment or a single-family house, the buyer as a consumer may not pay more than the seller if the agent works for both (BGB § 656c).
Not included: costs for valuations and financing (processing, commitment fees), moving, furniture and renovation, and running costs such as property tax and maintenance. You should plan reserves for these.

Frequently asked questions

What costs are added to the purchase price in Germany?

The real estate transfer tax, the costs for notary and land registry and, if an agent is involved, the agent commission. According to the Verbraucherzentrale, these purchase costs can already be 10 percent of the price. Which costs you bear is set in the purchase contract and the agent contract.

How much equity do I need?

The Verbraucherzentrale advises putting in as a rule 20 to 30 percent of the purchase price, plus the purchase costs. In the example with €400,000 in North Rhine-Westphalia and €45,715 in costs, that is between €125,715 and €165,715.

Why does the real estate transfer tax differ so much?

Because every federal state sets the rate itself: since 2006 the states may deviate from the basic rate of 3.5%, and all but Bavaria have raised it, up to 6.5%. At €400,000 that is €14,000 in Bavaria and €26,000 in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Does the buyer always pay the whole agent commission?

No. For apartments and single-family houses with a buyer who is a consumer: if the agent works for both sides, both pay the same; if only one party commissioned them, the other can only be obliged to pay at most the same amount (BGB §§ 656c and 656d). The agent contract needs text form (BGB § 656a).