The Cost of Buying a House in Germany: 2026 Fee Table
An original worked cost table on one real €400,000 example shows German house-buying closing costs running 9.07%–15.64% depending on Bundesland and how the estate agent's commission is split — with a full per-state Grunderwerbsteuer table and the 2020 commission-split law's real limits.
€36,280 to €62,560. That is the full range of closing costs — the Kaufnebenkosten — on the exact same €400,000 house in Germany, depending only on which Bundesland it sits in and how the agent's commission gets split. Nobody quotes you that number when you fall in love with a listing. Here is the actual math, state by state.
TL;DR — closing costs on a German house purchase
- All-in Kaufnebenkosten on a German house purchase run 9%–15% of the purchase price, on top of the price itself.
- Grunderwerbsteuer (property transfer tax) alone ranges from 3.5% in Bavaria to 6.5% in four states — the single biggest lever.
- Notary + Grundbuch (land registry) fees are fixed by federal law (GNotKG) at roughly 1.5% + 0.5% everywhere, non-negotiable.
- Maklerprovision (agent commission) is legally split ~50/50 between buyer and seller for houses and flats since a 2020 law — but that protection has real limits.
- Lenders almost never finance these costs — most buyers need the whole amount in cash on top of their deposit.
Grunderwerbsteuer: the biggest line item, and it varies by Bundesland
Grunderwerbsteuer is a one-off tax on the transfer of real estate, due once the notarized contract is signed. Since a 2006 federalism reform gave each Bundesland the right to set its own rate, the 16 states have drifted apart — and several raised rates again as recently as 2023–2025. On a €400,000 purchase, the tax alone ranges from €14,000 to €26,000 depending purely on location.
| Bundesland | Rate (2026) | Last changed |
|---|---|---|
| Baden-Württemberg | 5.0% | 5 Nov 2011 |
| Bayern | 3.5% | unchanged since 1997 |
| Berlin | 6.0% | 1 Jan 2014 |
| Brandenburg | 6.5% | 1 Jul 2015 |
| Bremen | 5.5% | 1 Jul 2025 |
| Hamburg | 5.5% | 1 Jan 2023 |
| Hessen | 6.0% | 1 Aug 2014 |
| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | 6.0% | 1 Jul 2019 |
| Bundesland | Rate (2026) | Last changed |
|---|---|---|
| Niedersachsen | 5.0% | 1 Jan 2014 |
| Nordrhein-Westfalen | 6.5% | 1 Jan 2015 |
| Rheinland-Pfalz | 5.0% | 1 Mar 2012 |
| Saarland | 6.5% | 1 Jan 2015 |
| Sachsen | 5.5% | 1 Jan 2023 |
| Sachsen-Anhalt | 5.0% | 1 Mar 2012 |
| Schleswig-Holstein | 6.5% | 1 Jan 2014 |
| Thüringen | 5.0% | 1 Jan 2024 |
Bayern stays the outlier at 3.5%, never raised since the reform. Brandenburg, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Saarland, and Schleswig-Holstein now share the top rate of 6.5%. The moves are not one-directional: Thüringen cut its rate from 6.5% to 5.0% on 1 January 2024, while Sachsen roughly doubled its rate from 3.5% to 5.5% in 2023, and Bremen raised from 5.0% to 5.5% as recently as 1 July 2025 to help close a budget gap.
Note
Grunderwerbsteuer is charged on the full notarized purchase price, not the land value alone, and it typically excludes only separately invoiced moveable items (a fitted kitchen, for example) if genuinely priced apart in the contract — a common, legitimate way buyers trim a few hundred euros, not thousands.
Notary and Grundbuch fees: fixed nationwide, not negotiable
Unlike Grunderwerbsteuer, notary and land registry (Grundbuch) fees are set by one federal law — the Gerichts- und Notarkostengesetz (GNotKG) — so they are identical whichever notary you use anywhere in Germany. You cannot shop around for a cheaper notary the way you can for a bank.
Budget roughly 1.5% of the purchase price for notary fees (drafting and notarizing the purchase contract, the Auflassungsvormerkung, and handling the transfer) and a further 0.5% for the Grundbuch office (the actual entry in the land register, plus a new mortgage entry if you're financing). Together that is about 1.5–2% combined, and the fee schedule is degressive — the percentage share edges down slightly as the purchase price rises, so a €800,000 property doesn't cost proportionally double a €400,000 one in notary fees.
Tip
If you're financing part of the purchase, ask your bank early which mortgage registration route it needs — a Grundschuld entry adds a real cost item that's easy to forget when you first sketch your budget.
Maklerprovision: the 2020 split law, and its limits
For most of German history, buyers routinely paid the entire estate agent's commission, sometimes 6–7% of the price, while the seller paid nothing. That changed with the Gesetz über die Verteilung der Maklerkosten, in force since 23 December 2020, which added §§ 656a–656d BGB. For Einfamilienhäuser (single-family houses) and Wohnungen (flats) bought by a consumer, the law now requires that whichever party hired the agent must pay at least half of the commission — in practice this has settled into an even 50/50 split in most transactions.
Total commission still varies regionally, typically quoted including 19% VAT: most states sit around 7.14% total (3.57% each side), while a handful of northern states — Bremen, Hessen, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern around 5.95% total (≈2.98% each), and Hamburg around 6.25% (≈3.13% each) — run a little lower.
Warning
The 50/50 split protection under §§ 656c–656d BGB applies only to houses and flats bought by a private buyer — it does not cover building plots, multi-unit apartment buildings, or commercial property. Buy one of those and you can still be asked to carry the agent's full commission alone, with no legal cap. Confirm the property type and the commission split in writing before you sign anything.
The worked example: three real scenarios on €400,000
Here is what those three cost blocks add up to on an identical €400,000 house, across three realistic situations.
| Scenario | Grunderwerbsteuer | Notary + Grundbuch | Maklerprovision | Total Kaufnebenkosten |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayern, split commission | 3.5% / €14,000 | 2.0% / €8,000 | 3.57% / €14,280 | 9.07% / €36,280 |
| NRW, split commission | 6.5% / €26,000 | 2.0% / €8,000 | 3.57% / €14,280 | 12.07% / €48,280 |
| Saarland, plot/commercial — full commission | 6.5% / €26,000 | 2.0% / €8,000 | 7.14% / €28,560 | 15.64% / €62,560 |
The spread between the cheapest and most expensive scenario is over €26,000 — more than half a year's net salary for many newcomers — and none of it buys you any more house. It is the exact same €400,000 property in every row.
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Budgeting for it: why cash matters more than the mortgage rate
Most German banks will finance the purchase price and, if your equity is strong, sometimes a slice of the Nebenkosten too — but the common assumption among mortgage brokers is that Kaufnebenkosten are paid from your own funds, separate from the loan. If you've been building a cash buffer through a savings plan rather than leaving it in a low-interest account, this is exactly the pot it is for.
Practically, that means a buyer targeting a €400,000 house in a 6.5%-Grunderwerbsteuer state with a split commission needs roughly €48,000 in liquid cash just for the closing costs, before a single euro of deposit toward the property itself. Route that cash through an account you can actually access on short notice — see our rundown of German bank accounts for newcomers if you're still deciding where to park it before closing.
Common mistakes buyers make with Kaufnebenkosten
- Budgeting only the deposit, not the Nebenkosten. A 20% deposit plan can quietly become a 29–35% cash requirement once transfer tax, notary, and commission land on top.
- Assuming the agent split is automatic. It only applies to houses and flats bought as a consumer — read the Maklervertrag before assuming you're protected.
- Ignoring the state before making an offer. The same budget stretches to a noticeably bigger or smaller house depending purely on whether you're searching in Bayern or NRW.
- Forgetting ongoing costs start the day you close. Once you own the place, providers don't switch themselves — reviewing your options for energy contracts and building insurance in the first weeks after moving in is a common early win, alongside checking your personal liability cover still fits a homeowner rather than a renter.
- Not asking the notary for a written cost estimate. GNotKG fees are fixed, but the exact total depends on your specific contract (financing entries, deletions) — a written estimate avoids surprises at signing.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly counts as Kaufnebenkosten in Germany?
Kaufnebenkosten are the closing costs on top of the purchase price: Grunderwerbsteuer (property transfer tax), notary fees, Grundbuch (land registry) fees, and — where an agent was involved — your share of the Maklerprovision. They typically add up to 9–15% of the purchase price, on top of the price itself.
How much are the total closing costs on a German house?
For a consumer buying a house or flat with an agent involved, a realistic all-in range is 9% to roughly 15% of the purchase price. The low end reflects a low-tax state with a split commission; the high end reflects a high-tax state combined with a scenario where the buyer carries the full agent commission.
Which German state has the lowest Grunderwerbsteuer?
Bayern, at 3.5%, unchanged since the tax became state-set in 1997. The next-lowest group — Baden-Württemberg, Niedersachsen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Sachsen-Anhalt, and Thüringen — sits at 5.0% in 2026.
Do I always have to pay half the estate agent's commission as the buyer?
For houses and flats bought as a private consumer, §§ 656c–656d BGB require an even split with the seller in most cases since December 2020. That protection does not extend to building plots, multi-unit buildings, or commercial property, where you can still be asked to cover the full commission.
Can Kaufnebenkosten be added to the mortgage?
Some lenders will finance a portion if your overall equity position is strong, but the common assumption in German mortgage lending is that these costs are paid in cash, separately from the loan on the property itself. Confirm this explicitly with your bank or broker before you calculate how much deposit you actually need.
This article is for general information and does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Grunderwerbsteuer rates, GNotKG fee percentages, and Maklerprovision figures are 2026 values sourced from official and industry references cited below and can change; always confirm current rates and your specific notary's cost estimate before budgeting a purchase. Compare financing options via licensed intermediaries such as Tarifcheck.
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