Closing Costs Calculator: All Extra Costs When Buying Property in Germany
Calculate the closing costs for your property in Germany: free, up to date for 2026 and instant for all 16 federal states. Property transfer tax, notary fees, land registry costs and agent commission at a glance.
Last updated: February 2026
Enter the property's purchase price
Since 12/2020: buyers pay at most half of the agent commission
Standard: 3.57% incl. VAT
Select a federal state on the map or in the dropdown
What are closing costs?
Closing costs (Kaufnebenkosten) are the additional costs that arise when buying a property on top of the actual purchase price. They consist of four main components: property transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer), notary fees, land registry costs and agent commission. Depending on the federal state and whether an agent is involved, closing costs amount to between 7 and 15 percent of the purchase price. That is a substantial sum you should account for when planning your financing.
The 4 closing-cost components at a glance
Property transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer)
The property transfer tax is a state tax due on every property purchase. The rate varies by federal state between 3.5% (Bayern) and 6.5% (Brandenburg, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Schleswig-Holstein, Saarland). It is usually the largest closing-cost item. The tax office sends the tax assessment a few weeks after the purchase contract is notarized. Only once it is paid is the clearance certificate (Unbedenklichkeitsbescheinigung) issued, which is required to register the change of ownership in the land register.
Notary fees
In Germany, notarization of the purchase contract is required by law. Notary fees are governed by the German Court and Notary Fees Act (GNotKG) and are therefore uniform nationwide. As a rule of thumb, expect around 1.5% of the purchase price. This covers the notarization of the contract, its execution (obtaining approvals and cancellation consents) and the notary's supervisory work.
Land registry costs
Registering the new owner in the land register incurs fees, also governed by the GNotKG. These include the priority notice (Auflassungsvormerkung), the transfer of ownership and, where a loan is involved, the registration of a land charge (Grundschuld). Land registry costs typically come to around 0.5% of the purchase price.
Agent commission (buyer's share)
Since December 2020, the law on splitting agent costs applies: buyers pay at most half of the total commission. In practice the buyer's share is usually 3.57% (incl. VAT). The total commission then comes to 7.14%. Agent commission can be avoided entirely by buying directly from the owner (private sale).
Property transfer tax by federal state: 2026 table
The table below shows the current transfer tax rates for all 16 federal states, sorted from highest to lowest. The rates have been unchanged for several years. A first-time-buyer allowance has been politically discussed but, as of 2026, has not been implemented.
| Federal state | Transfer tax | At €300,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Brandenburg | 6.5% | €19,500 |
| Nordrhein-Westfalen | 6.5% | €19,500 |
| Saarland | 6.5% | €19,500 |
| Schleswig-Holstein | 6.5% | €19,500 |
| Berlin | 6.0% | €18,000 |
| Hessen | 6.0% | €18,000 |
| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | 6.0% | €18,000 |
| Bremen | 5.5% | €16,500 |
| Hamburg | 5.5% | €16,500 |
| Sachsen | 5.5% | €16,500 |
| Baden-Württemberg | 5.0% | €15,000 |
| Niedersachsen | 5.0% | €15,000 |
| Rheinland-Pfalz | 5.0% | €15,000 |
| Sachsen-Anhalt | 5.0% | €15,000 |
| Thüringen | 5.0% | €15,000 |
| Bayern | 3.5% | €10,500 |
Worked example: closing costs at €300,000
What do the extra costs come to in practice? Here is a comparison for a property with a purchase price of €300,000 in Bayern (lowest tax rate), Hamburg (mid range) and Nordrhein-Westfalen (highest tax rate).
Bayern
Hamburg
Nordrhein-Westfalen
How to lower closing costs: 5 tips to save
- Itemise fixtures separately in the contract. A fitted kitchen, awnings or furniture sold along with the property can be listed in the contract as movable items. No transfer tax is due on that amount. A realistic value (e.g. €10,000–15,000) is generally accepted by the tax office.
- Buy directly from the owner. Without an agent, the commission disappears entirely. On a purchase price of €300,000 that is over €10,000 in savings. Property portals, newspaper ads and social networks all list commission-free properties.
- Negotiate the agent commission. The usual maximum (3.57% buyer's share) is not a law. There is room to negotiate, especially on high-value properties or ones that sell quickly.
- Keep an eye on notary costs. Watch out for unnecessary extra services, such as the separate notarization of cancellation consents for old land charges. These can be optimised by agreeing details with the notary.
- Consider the federal state in border areas. If you are searching in a border region, you can compare tax rates. For example, Niedersachsen (5.0%) instead of Nordrhein-Westfalen (6.5%). At €300,000 that is €4,500 of difference in transfer tax alone.
Closing costs and equity
Banks expect closing costs to be paid out of equity. They are not part of the property loan. A so-called 110% financing (purchase price plus closing costs) is possible at some banks, but comes with significantly higher interest rates and increases your risk. The rule of thumb: plan for at least the closing costs (10–15%) as equity, ideally 20% of the purchase price plus the closing costs.
Are closing costs tax-deductible?
For owner-occupiers: No. If you live in the property yourself, you cannot deduct closing costs from tax.
For investors: Yes, in part. Transfer tax and notary fees count as acquisition costs and are written off via depreciation (AfA, Absetzung für Abnutzung) together with the building value. Agent fees are also deductible as incidental acquisition costs. The actual tax saving depends on your personal tax rate and the building depreciation.
Closing costs: apartment vs. house
The percentage closing costs are identical for apartments and detached houses: transfer tax, notary and land registry costs are always calculated on the purchase price. The difference lies in the running costs: buying an apartment also involves a service charge (Hausgeld) and a maintenance reserve. These are not part of the closing costs but monthly operating costs. The notary's work can also be a little more extensive for apartments (declaration of division, community rules).
Frequently asked questions about closing costs
Closing costs (Kaufnebenkosten) are all the additional costs that arise when buying a property on top of the purchase price: property transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer), notary and land registry costs and, where applicable, agent fees. Depending on the federal state they amount to 7–15% of the purchase price.
The total depends on the federal state and whether an agent is involved. Without an agent the extra costs are around 5–8%, with an agent around 9–15% of the purchase price. Bayern is the cheapest (3.5% transfer tax); the most expensive are Brandenburg, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Schleswig-Holstein and Saarland (6.5% each).
The four main items are: property transfer tax (3.5–6.5% depending on the federal state), notary fees (~1.5%), land registry costs (~0.5%) and agent commission (up to 3.57% buyer's share). Further costs such as a surveyor, renovation or removal can be added, but these are not counted among the classic closing costs.
The property transfer tax ranges from 3.5% (Bayern) to 6.5% (Brandenburg, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Saarland, Schleswig-Holstein). You can find a full table for all 16 federal states higher up on this page.
Since December 2020: the buyer pays at most half of the agent commission. In practice, buyer and seller split the total commission (usually 3.57% each incl. VAT). With some listings the seller hires and pays the agent alone, so the buyer pays no agent costs at all.
Banks expect you to pay the closing costs out of equity. A 110% financing (purchase price + closing costs) is possible, but the interest rates are significantly higher and not every bank offers it. Recommendation: plan for at least the closing costs as equity.
For owner-occupiers: no. For investors: yes, in part. Transfer tax and notary fees count as acquisition costs and are written off via depreciation (AfA). Agent fees are also deductible as incidental acquisition costs.
The most effective levers: (1) itemise fixtures such as a fitted kitchen separately in the contract, since no transfer tax is due on them; (2) buy directly from the owner without an agent; (3) negotiate the agent commission, as the maximum rate is not mandatory.
Closing costs apply when acquiring an existing property (transfer tax, notary, land registry, agent). Construction incidentals arise with a new build: building permit, surveying, soil report, development, site electricity/water, insurance. Transfer tax applies in both cases, but for a new build only on the land portion.
As of 2026: no, there is no general allowance on the property transfer tax in Germany. An allowance for first-time buyers has been politically discussed (including in the 2021 coalition agreement) but has not yet been implemented. Some federal states are reviewing models. We will update this page as soon as the legal situation changes.
More tools for your property purchase
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