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German property purchase costs calculator

When you buy a property in Germany, a noticeable sum sits on top of the price: the purchase incidental costs (Kaufnebenkosten). This calculator adds up the land transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer), notary (Notar), land registry (Grundbuch) and estate agent (Makler) fees using rates you enter yourself, and shows the costs as a share of the price and the total outlay. It is built for the German model and works in euros. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is stored or sent.

Every percentage is your own input – enter the rates that apply to you (from your Bundesland and your purchase contract). The tool deliberately holds no tax rates. The calculation runs in your browser; nothing is stored.

What your result means

The cards give the total incidental costs, the cost ratio (how much they add on top of the price, in per cent) and the total outlay including the price. The breakdown lists each item — land transfer tax, notary, land registry, estate agent — with its amount. If you enter your equity, a scenario shows what is left to finance and whether the equity covers the incidental costs, which German lenders usually expect you to pay from your own funds. None of it is a financing or credit decision.

How this calculator works

Each item is the purchase price times a percentage; fixed extra amounts (for example a survey) are added: costs = price × Σ rates + fixed amounts. The cost ratio is the total costs divided by the price. The total outlay is price + costs.

Every rate is deliberately your own input. In Germany the land transfer tax differs by federal state (Bundesland, roughly 3.5%–6.5%), notary and land registry fees follow the statutory schedule, and whether an agent fee applies depends on the case. So the tool holds no fixed rates could go out of date — you enter the ones that apply to you. The optional equity (Eigenkapital) scenario shows how much financing is left after your equity and whether your equity at least covers the incidental costs.

This is the German cost structure, not a UK or US one; it is not legal or tax advice. Internally the calculation is unrounded and only rounded for display.

Formula and variables

Item=Price × Rate / 100
Costs=Σ Items + fixed amounts
Ratio=Costs / Price × 100
Price
agreed purchase price of the property
Rate
percentage per item (your own input)
Fixed amounts
additional fixed costs in euros
Ratio
costs as a percentage of the price

Worked examples

Example: a flat at €350,000 with equity

Example inputs
Purchase price€350,000
Land transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer)6.5%
Notary (Notar)1.5%
Land registry (Grundbuch)0.5%
Estate agent (Makler)3.57%
Equity (Eigenkapital)€90,000
Example results
Purchase costs total€42,245.00
Costs as % of price12.07%
Total outlay (incl. price)€392,245.00
Remaining to finance€302,245.00
Equity covers the costs?Yes

On a €350,000 flat, land transfer tax at 6.5% is €22,750, the notary 1.5% (€5,250), the land registry 0.5% (€1,750) and the agent 3.57% (€12,495) — €42,245 in all, or 12.07% of the price. Added to the price, the total outlay is €392,245. With €90,000 equity, €302,245 is left to finance, and the equity more than covers the incidental costs. All rates are example assumptions — the land transfer tax rate depends on the Bundesland.

Assumptions

  • You know or check the rates that apply to you (e.g. the land transfer tax of your Bundesland).
  • The percentages relate to the purchase price.
  • You record all the relevant items yourself.

Limitations of this calculator

  • No built-in tax or fee rates — they change and are therefore entered by you.
  • No guarantee the item list is complete; other costs can arise case by case.
  • German model only (Grunderwerbsteuer, Notar, Grundbuch, Makler); not a UK/US closing-cost tool.
  • Not legal or tax advice, and not a financing or credit decision.

Common misconceptions

  • Using a fixed tax rate: The land transfer tax rate is set by each Bundesland and changes; enter the rate that applies to your state, not a national figure.
  • Forgetting the agent fee split: Whether and how an estate agent fee applies depends on the case and the region; enter the rate from your own contract.
  • Treating equity cover as approval: The equity scenario only checks whether your equity covers the incidental costs; it is not a financing or affordability decision.
  • Assuming the list is complete: Other costs (survey, valuation) can arise; add them as a fixed amount to keep the total realistic.

Frequently asked questions

Why are no state tax rates built in?

The land transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer) is set by each German federal state and can change. Rather than hold rates that go out of date, the tool lets you enter the rate that applies to you — so the result stays correct and easy to check. You can find the official rate from your state's tax administration.

Are the incidental costs part of the mortgage?

German lenders usually want the incidental costs (Kaufnebenkosten) paid from your own equity rather than borrowed. The optional equity scenario shows whether your equity covers the costs — it is expressly not a financing or credit assessment.

Does this apply outside Germany?

It is built for the German cost structure — land transfer tax, notary, land registry and estate agent. Other countries have different purchase costs (for example stamp duty and conveyancing in the UK), so the item names and typical rates would not match.

Are my inputs stored?

No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser. Your inputs are not stored and are not sent to any server.

Sources and further reading

Official and independent sources on this topic. The links open each website in a new tab; no content is loaded from them into this page.

Spotted an error in the calculation or the text?

If you notice something that is wrong or unclear: let us know via the contact page. We review every report.

Last reviewed: 28/07/2026 · All calculations run in your browser – inputs are not stored. ·How we check our calculators