Budget planning: How much property can I afford?

Careful budget planning enables you to clearly define your financial options and find the property that meets your needs without being financially overstretched. Take all relevant factors into account – from your income and assets to all monthly expenses and long-term financial goals. Only through precise budget planning can you find out how much property you can really afford and which financing options are suitable for you.

Finding the right form of financing: Classic loans, home loan and savings contracts, Wohnriester and co.

Traditional loans offer you flexibility and various interest rate options, while building society savings contracts enable long-term planning and state subsidies. Wohnriester is suitable for anyone who wants to benefit from tax advantages and state subsidies. Other options such as KfW loans or mortgages with special repayment options offer you additional opportunities to optimise your financing. It is always important that the financing suits you.

Calculate the purchase price: Take ancillary costs, renovation costs and co. into account

When calculating the purchase price of a property, it is important to take ancillary and renovation costs into account in addition to the purchase price itself. Additional costs such as estate agent commission, land transfer tax and notary fees can quickly account for a considerable proportion of the budget. It is advisable to plan for these in advance to avoid any nasty surprises. In the case of older properties, there are usually costs for renovation and modernisation.

Plan early with our financing partner

It is important that you match the property to the potential financing and not the other way round. Otherwise, it is easy for buyers to overstretch themselves financially and not be happy with the property in the long term. Early planning is therefore essential. Our financing partners at Hüttig & Rompf will support you in taking the necessary steps to ensure that the financing is on a solid footing. With a view to your financial situation, your wishes and the various levers available to influence the financing, we will create a financing solution that is ideally suited to you. We work hand in hand to ensure that not only the property purchase in Berlin and Potsdam is a success, but also the property financing.

Der Beitrag How to finance a property purchase successfully erschien zuerst auf Bream Immobilien.

What is an energy performance certificate and why is it needed?

The energy performance certificate is a document that provides information about the energy efficiency of a property. It shows how energy-efficient the building is and how high the energy consumption is expected to be. The energy performance certificate contains information about the energy status of the building, such as the energy consumption in kilowatt hours per square metre and year, the primary energy requirement, CO2 emissions and recommendations for improving energy efficiency. The energy performance certificate is needed to give buyers, tenants and authorities a clear idea of how energy-efficient a property is. It serves as a decision-making aid for potential buyers or tenants and is also an instrument for implementing legal requirements in the area of energy efficiency.

Which properties must have an energy performance certificate?

Both residential and non-residential buildings, such as office buildings, must have an energy performance certificate. Exceptions to this are

• very small buildings with a maximum floor space of 50 square metres
• Houses that are being sold and are listed buildings
• Properties that are purchased and are to be demolished immediately afterwards

You should endeavour to obtain the energy certificate in good time. This is because the certificate must be presented at the latest at the viewing. In the case of a purchase, the energy performance certificate must be handed over immediately after the purchase contract has been concluded.

What types of energy performance certificates are there?

There are two types of energy performance certificate – the consumption-based energy performance certificate and the demand-based energy performance certificate. The consumption-based energy performance certificate is based on actual consumption data from previous years. The energy consumption values of the building are recorded and analysed in order to determine an average value. The demand-based energy performance certificate, on the other hand, is based on calculations and assumptions about the energy requirements of a building. Various factors such as the building envelope, heating system and other energy-related components are taken into account. Both types of energy performance certificate provide important information about the energy status of a property. 

If the date of the building application for a property is before 1 November 1977 and has fewer than five flats, a requirement certificate is required. If the property was built before this date, a consumption certificate can be used if the 1977 Thermal Insulation Ordinance was taken into account during construction or through modernisation. If there are fewer than three billing periods, a consumption certificate can also be used.

At Bream Immobilien, we prepare the consumption certificate for you as part of a joint sale. If a requirement certificate is required, we will take care of the preparation together with the relevant experts and ensure smooth processing.

Do you have further questions about the energy performance certificate?

Der Beitrag Energy performance certificate: what property owners need to know erschien zuerst auf Bream Immobilien.

The Heating Act – or officially the Building Energy Act (GEG) – has been in force since 1 January 2024. The law is intended to pave the way for a sustainable energy supply by only installing heating systems that use at least 65% renewable energy. We have summarised the tasks and regulations that this entails for property owners here.

Which heating systems will be permitted in the future?

There are plenty of alternatives to conventional oil and gas heating systems. These include

• an electric heat pump
• connection to a heating network
• a pellet heating system
• biomass heating
• a heating system based on solar thermal energy
• or even a hybrid system

In existing buildings, it is also possible to operate heating systems that use hydrogen or liquid gas. Which options are suitable for your property can be clarified with an energy consultant. We will be happy to put you in touch with the right contacts in Berlin and Potsdam.

Where can I get financial support?

Various funding programmes are available to implement the requirements of the Heating Act. For example, anyone who is already replacing their heating system, even though they are not yet obliged to do so, can take advantage of the “speed bonus” of 20%. Households with a taxable income of less than 40,000 euros per year receive an additional 30% bonus. The KfW also offers low-interest loans to enable heating conversions and energy-efficient refurbishments.

It is therefore worth carrying out an initial check now: How old is my heating system? What costs or repairs can I expect in the next few years? Energy consultants can also help here with a realistic assessment in order to save costs in the long term.

Der Beitrag The Heating Act – the facts erschien zuerst auf Bream Immobilien.

Is property still a worthwhile investment? In view of the dynamic property market and rising prices, more and more people are asking themselves whether buying a property is still profitable.

As estate agents for Berlin and Potsdam, we take a closer look at this question in this article.

A look into the future

Currently, the financial differences in monthly comparisons are still small in some cases. However, this ratio may change in the future. The majority of market experts expect rents to rise in the future. Assuming a low estimated annual price increase of 2%, a rent of currently around EUR 1,250 will rise to just under EUR 1,500 in ten years. This means that the burden for tenants will be significantly higher than for owners, who can expect a fixed interest burden in the coming years.

Buying or renting? How do I make a decision?

Even if some industry experts agree on certain points, it is impossible to predict the exact future of the buying and renting market in Berlin and Potsdam. Your personal factors in particular should therefore influence your decision. We would be happy to discuss with you whether buying or renting is more suitable for you and your life situation. Together with our financial partner Hüttig & Rompf, we will also take a close look at your financial situation. This allows us to weigh up whether buying is worthwhile for you or whether you would be better off renting a property in the long term.

Der Beitrag Is buying property still worthwhile? erschien zuerst auf Bream Immobilien.

Inheriting a property is usually a challenging time. Decisions have to be made and tasks completed – and at the same time the loss of a close relative is looming. So that you are not left to your own devices during this time, we at Bream Immobilien will accompany and advise you. We have summarised the options open to you and the next steps for you here.

These options are now open to you

The first option is to keep the property and use it yourself. This can be an attractive option if you are looking for a new place to live and want to live in the area yourself. If you live in the property for at least the next ten years, inheritance tax will not apply. Another option is to sell the property to release the capital and possibly make a profit. This can make sense if you prefer financial freedom or do not want to manage the property in the long term. If you do not want to part with the property, renting it out can be an option to generate passive income.

Important: If you are part of a community of heirs, all heirs must make the decision together.

Customised advice from a professional

Depending on the option, various tasks follow – handling the sale, finding a tenant or initially renovating. We have the necessary expertise and suitable contacts in Gatow, Kladow or Staaken to support you with these tasks. This includes objective advice, taking over the tasks involved in the sale or finding partners to clear or renovate the property. Let us support you from A to Z so that you have more time to deal with the emotional aspects of inheritance.

Der Beitrag Inherited property? Here’s how to proceed erschien zuerst auf Bream Immobilien.

Welcome to Berlin-Gatow and Kladow! A true paradise awaits families in this idyllic neighbourhood in southwest Berlin. With an abundance of green spaces, first-class educational facilities, excellent infrastructure and a strong community, this charming area offers an unbeatable quality of life for young and old alike. In this article, we take a closer look at the advantages of Gatow and Kladow and show why these districts are the ideal place for families looking for a perfect balance between urban life and nature.

Berlin-Gatow – the village in the big city

Gatow is one of the least densely populated districts of Berlin. Single-family homes with gardens are the predominant type of property and there are still a few historic buildings around the village centre. The Windmühlenberg nature reserve is right on the doorstep and the three bathing meadows on the Havel are worth a trip, especially in summer. At the same time, the city centre of Spandau is within easy reach. For the almost 4,000 residents, this means a high quality of life.

Berlin-Kladow – the southernmost district of Spandau

Like Gatow, Kladow is in the district of Spandau and is the southernmost district, bordering the Havel River to the east and southeast. The ferry takes you to Wannsee, and to the west Lake Groß Glienicke and Lake Sakrower See are inviting. Greenery and lots of water alternate here, creating an atmosphere of well-being. The village character also offers the ideal place to find a suitable home for families. With four schools, the educational offer is excellent and all errands can be quickly taken care of in the local shopping centre. Especially with children, aviation history can be explored at numerous sites in Kladow, including the Gatow airfield, which is located in the urban area of Kladow.

We at Bream Immobilien are particularly active in Gatow and Kladow for a reason. The districts combine all the aspects needed for a high quality of life that families appreciate. If you would also like to find a new home here, we look forward to accompanying you.

Der Beitrag Berlin-Gatow and Kladow: High quality of life for families erschien zuerst auf Bream Immobilien.

The rise in interest rates can raise a number of questions and concerns for potential buyers. Is it still a good time to buy a property? How will the rise in interest rates affect financing? What factors should be considered when making a decision? We at Bream Immobilien will not leave you alone when buying a property in Staaken, Groß Glienicke, Gatow or Kladow and have already summarised the most important information here.

Is it still a good time to buy a property?

In view of the rise in interest rates, many potential buyers are asking themselves whether it is still a good time to buy a property. If you look at the historical development of interest rates, you will see that the current level is still comparatively low and that there have been no further sharp rises recently. Property prices are also still at a high level, and since in the past people usually benefited from a significant increase in the value of the properties they bought, this development is also realistic for the future. Traditionally, real estate thus represents a secure investment opportunity that also serves you as a retirement provision.

Compared to renting a property – especially in such a tight market as Berlin or Potsdam – owning your own property provides additional security when the monthly payments flow into the property. In your own home, you are safe from notices of owner-occupancy and can furnish your home completely independently of the landlord’s specifications.

With the right support, buying real estate succeeds

As you can see, even in the current market situation, buying a property in Gatow, Kladow or Staaken is a good idea and a safe investment opportunity. To ensure that the purchase is successful, that you find the right property and that the financing is on a secure foundation, we at Bream Immobilien, in cooperation with our financing partners, will support you in your property purchase.

Der Beitrag Buying real estate despite rising interest rates? What you should know erschien zuerst auf Bream Immobilien.

Those who opt for a new building can align the property with current energy standards. However, since building land is rare in the region around Berlin and Potsdam, the choice often falls on an existing property – sometimes also because of lower purchase costs. We have summarised here what to look out for in terms of energy efficiency and what changes should be made.

How to sell your existing property

In order to sell your existing property at the best possible price, it is worthwhile to follow a few helpful tips. It is advisable to obtain an assessment of the current energy status from an energy consultant before selling. These experts know exactly where weak points can be found, how they affect the overall efficiency of the property and what measures can be taken to counteract them. In addition, it is worthwhile to have the energy advisor check out funding opportunities for energy-efficient renovations. There are many state and regional programmes that offer financial support for energy efficiency measures. This renovation plan with listed funding and financing options makes it easier for the future buyer to decide in favour of your existing property because the unknown cost factors are minimised. You can achieve a better purchase price because it gives the buyer a perspective on how to improve the energy efficiency of the property. At Bream Immobilien we have the right contacts to find an energy consultant for your property in Gatow, Kladow or even Groß Glienicke.

In the process, a constant comparison is made with the legal requirements of the Building Energy Act. We work closely with you to determine whether the current heating system will be subject to mandatory replacement in the near future, for example, and whether modernisation or the use of renewable energies is therefore already worthwhile.

With this expert support, you will ultimately achieve a much better sales price for your property in Berlin or Potsdam.

Der Beitrag Existing property instead of new construction? These energy aspects are important erschien zuerst auf Bream Immobilien.

Nobody wants to move away from here. Those who can, stay; those who have invested in a capital investment here keep their property just for the sake of appreciation. The demand for real estate far exceeds the supply.

Anyone looking for a property to buy in sought-after locations therefore needs staying power, a lot of perseverance and, ideally, professional support.

Good preparation in the run-up to the search brings decisive advantages. Not only the corresponding equity capital of at least 20-30% of the total purchase price, but also concrete preliminary discussions with a good financing agent put the real estate seeker in a better position on the market.

Once the longed-for situation has arisen where the desired property has been viewed, the prospective buyer must be able to react extremely quickly and decisively. A creditworthiness certificate or financing commitment from the bank should be available immediately.

What can I expect as a property seller in sought-after, inner-city locations? Do I need an estate agent or should I sell privately?

Are you considering selling your property in Berlin?
Are you facing a change and thinking about selling your property as smoothly and profitably as possible?
Should I sell privately or hire an estate agent?
What are the advantages and disadvantages?

What you can expect as a private seller on the real estate market and where the advantage of an agent lies

At least three points are common to all real property sellers…

All sellers wish to sell on the following criteria:

• at the best possible price
• fast and in good time
• as stress-free and safely as possible

Let us take care of it

The ideal estate agent is based in your area and shows a good range of sold properties and customer testimonials. He or she can generally be reached personally by phone, works full-time and has an informative website. With these prerequisites, the above three criteria should be fulfilled.

We, Bream Immobilien, fulfill the essential criteria of a committed and competent local estate agent and have set ourselves the goal of always delivering top performance for our clients:

We will provide you with a well-founded and professional property valuation with current market assessment and property inspection (important!) and provide you with free, individual, comprehensive advice.

The right price and sales strategy can ultimately only be determined in detail on the basis of a property inspection and is the foundation for successful marketing. Online property valuations are okay for a rough, initial market assessment, but they do not provide a serious basis for a successful and speedy start to the sale.

Find out more

We achieve a sale as fast and on time as possible through an offer price in line with the market and through an appealing and informative exposé, which ideally should be posted exclusively on the most visited portals. We recommend that you do not employ several estate agents in parallel, this does not provide any advantages.

Estate agents like us, who work full-time and present themselves professionally on the internet, usually have a large client base, a lot of routine and a good, professional network, which promises a good exclusive presentation on the internet and can speed up the process. We have access to the most visited property portals, market on our own website and also in social media.

Our experience shows: a second or third estate agent does not result in a broader spread of the offer, but only creates uncertainty and confusion among potential buyers. Only in rare cases can the involvement of a second agent be worthwhile.

Get consultation now

Have you ever thought about the rush you face when you advertise your property privately?
How much time and nerves it takes to answer all the requests, to distinguish serious interested parties from viewing tourists, to check creditworthiness and to organize the viewing process?

In addition, as soon as you advertise privately, a large number of estate agents will immediately contact you to offer their services. So you are back at square one and start thinking about whether one of the estate agents might make your life easier after all.

Instead of focusing on your prospective buyers, you are again distracted with estate agent approaches. That’s a waste. Listing and representation by a professional estate agent saves you all this inconvenience and also the time-consuming telephone calls with potential buyers.

We are transparent at every stage of the sale and will inform you as soon as we have a serious prospective buyer. Further negotiations and creditworthiness enquiries, obtaining documents from the property management company and tiresome dealings with the authorities, as well as monitoring the legally secure process through the assistance of a notary, are all professionally taken care of by us. In the end, you only need to decide on the right buyer once everything is in place.
You decide, we do the work for you!

Find out more here

Experience shows that professional estate agents also act professionally, usually negotiate better purchase prices because you are not emotionally attached to the property and have more routine and the right tools!

Agents who are organized in well-known real estate associations – for example in the IVD (Real Estate Association of Germany) – are obliged to undergo continuous further training. This means that a certain quality and professionalism can be expected. A sale with an estate agent usually runs more smoothly, if only because you as the seller always have time to make your decisions and do not have to react directly to the buyer. The agent acts as a buffer, which is pleasant and saves many a hectic wrong decision.

All in all, it is usually worth hiring an estate agent. The time saved and the additional revenue pay off. The estate agent’s commission is then gladly paid for good work. Unfortunately, estate agents often have a bad reputation. That is a pity, because many estate agents are committed and do a very good job.

We, the team of estate agents at Bream Immobilien, try to refute the general bad reputation by making it our top priority to always do a top job.

Der Beitrag Little movement on the real estate market in Berlin – <br>Patience, good preparation and know-how are requested from sellers and prospective buyers erschien zuerst auf Bream Immobilien.

The controversial law to reduce rents in the city of Berlin, MietenWOG Bln, or colloquially known as the rent capping (“Mietendeckel”), which has been in force since 23 February 2020, was rejected by the Constitutional Court on 15 April 2021.

The reason: it was not the county of Berlin but the federal government of Germany that was responsible for regulating rents.

What did the rent capping (“Mietendeckel”) mean for landlords and tenants?

The law MietenWOG Bln, rent capping (“Mietendeckel”), was created to stop the rent increase in the city of Berlin. The rents of existing buildings were “frozen” by a rent freeze, planned for 5 years.

A rent table was used as a basis for the law; depending on the location and the degree of modernisation of the property, a rent from approx. 5.95€ to approx. 9.80€ per square metre was envisaged.

However, if the rent was more than 20% above the upper rent limit according to the rent table, it had to be reduced accordingly. For new rental contracts the rent table should also be followed. New buildings built in 2014 or later and social housing were exempt from the law.

What will happen after the rent capping (“Mietendeckel”) is abolished?

Tenants in Berlin are threatened with retrospective payments. Landlords will be able to retroactively claim the difference between the lowered rent and the agreed rent according to the tenancy agreement. In some cases, this will lead to larger additional payments for the tenants.

The Berlin Senate has promised to support tenants who are unable to pay. Affected households with an income of up to 280% of the federal income limit are eligible. Rent repayments are to be subsidised and can be applied for at the Senate Department for Urban Development and Housing.

The identity card/registration certificate, the tenancy agreement, proof of rent payments for the last 3 months and the letter/demand from the landlord must be submitted.

Find out more here

The Rent Law Amendment Act (rent control / “Mietpreisbremse”) still applies

We remember, there was something else… the “Mietpreisbremse”, the Rent Law Amendment Act. It came into force on 1 June 2015, still exists and also protects tenants from excessive rents.

The “Mietpreisbremse” is based on the local comparative rents. In the case of a new rental, the rent may not be more than 10% above the local comparable rent. The local comparable rent can be found in the Berlin rent index.

The “Mietpreisbremse” does not apply to first-time rental in new buildings or after comprehensive refurbishment. Existing rents are also protected, i.e. existing higher rents (10% and more above the local comparable rent) do not have to be lowered again.

However, they cannot be increased further either.

Find out more here

Der Beitrag Revocation of the rent capping (“Mietendeckel”) in Berlin by the Constitutional Court erschien zuerst auf Bream Immobilien.