For buyers of land, houses and flats in northern Germany

Buying property in Germany: what to check before you sign

Before you sign at the notary, check the official records and sometimes the property itself. Are the boundaries correct? Is the house recorded in the cadastre? Is the floor area correct? We tell you what to check and do it for you.

Request a quote See the checklist

No obligation · cost estimate in advance

  • Publicly appointed surveying engineers
  • Extracts from cadastral map and land register
  • Throughout Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Official boundary marker in the ground with the inscription Grenzpunkt

The key facts

When to check?
Before the notary appointment. If you find something later, you can no longer settle it in the purchase contract.
What to check?
Cadastral map, land register, boundaries, the floor area and whether all buildings are recorded.
Who may do it?
Publicly appointed surveying engineers (ÖbVI) and the cadastral office (Katasteramt) provide extracts and official surveys.
What does it cost?
Extracts and official surveys cost what the state fee regulation says. For the floor area you get a quote.

How buying property works in Germany

Notary, land register and cadastre

In Germany, a property purchase must be made before a notary. The notary writes the contract and reads it out to both sides. Then the notary applies for the entries in the land register (Grundbuch). The land register records ownership, rights and charges. The purchase is complete when you are entered there as the new owner.

The real estate cadastre (Liegenschaftskataster) shows what exactly you are buying: every land parcel with its boundaries, size and buildings. The notary does not check if the boundaries on site are correct. The notary also does not check if all buildings are recorded or how large the house really is. This is where we help. As publicly appointed surveying engineers, we may issue official extracts and do official surveys.

  • Contract and land register entry: notary
  • Boundaries, parcels and buildings: cadastre and publicly appointed surveyor
  • What may be built: development plan of the municipality
Land register extract and documents relating to a property on a table

The checklist before you buy

Six questions to clarify before you sign.

Cadastral map and land register

Official extracts, before the notary appointment

As publicly appointed surveying engineers we may issue extracts from the cadastral map (Liegenschaftskarte). We may also issue prints from the electronic land register. The cadastral map shows where the parcel lies and what stands on it. The land register shows ownership, rights and charges.

Only people with a legitimate interest may see the land register. As a possible buyer you usually have this interest if the seller agrees. You can get the cadastral map without owner details also without the seller's consent.

  • Extract from the cadastral map, also digitally for your architect
  • Land register print, with the consent of the seller
  • We explain the German documents to you in English

Do you need the official extracts?

Request extracts
Extract from the cadastral map with parcel boundaries and buildings on a desk

Boundaries and boundary certificate

Is everything you are buying on the property?

A boundary certificate (Grenzbescheinigung) shows whether the house, garage and outbuildings lie within the boundaries. It is based on a current survey. Banks often ask for it before they finance a purchase.

Boundary markers may be missing, or the boundary line may be unclear. Then we establish the boundary officially and mark it again. If you buy only part of a plot, we make it a separate parcel. This is needed before the land register can be changed.

  • Boundary certificate for bank and purchase contract
  • Official boundary survey and new boundary markers where the boundary line is unclear
  • Subdivision if you buy only part of a plot

Would you like the boundaries checked before you buy?

Request a boundary certificate
An official boundary marker being marked with red paint for the parties at a boundary appointment

Buildings in the cadastre

An extension is missing from the map? Soon it will be your duty.

In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a building must be recorded in the real estate cadastre if it was built on or after 12 August 1992. The same applies if its ground plan was changed on or after this date. This is the duty of the owners. After the purchase, that means you.

Compare the cadastral map with what is really there. If something is missing, agree before the notary appointment who pays for the survey. The fee depends on the construction value of the building. We estimate it for you in advance.

  • We compare the cadastral map with the buildings on site
  • Cost estimate for missing surveys, as a basis for the purchase contract
  • Official building survey after the purchase, if you take it on

Is a building missing from the cadastral map?

Request a building survey
Residential house with terrace that has been officially surveyed

Floor area

How large is the house really?

The floor area in a German listing is often copied, estimated or calculated by a rule you do not expect. Depending on the rule, balconies, sloping ceilings and cellars count fully, partly or not at all.

We measure on site and calculate by the German Living Space Ordinance (Wohnflächenverordnung) or DIN 277. You get a list of all rooms with their areas. With it you can support the purchase price and future rent.

  • Measurement on site, room by room
  • Calculation by the Living Space Ordinance or DIN 277
  • Scaled floor plan on request

Would you like the floor area checked before you buy?

Request a floor area calculation
Surveyor measuring the dimensions of a living room with a laser distance meter

How to proceed

Best as soon as you are seriously interested in a property.

  1. Send us the property

    Send us the address or parcel and the listing. We tell you what is worth checking and what it costs.

  2. Obtain extracts

    We get the cadastral map. If the seller agrees, we also get the land register print.

  3. Check on site

    Where necessary, we survey boundaries, buildings or floor area on site.

  4. Before the notary appointment

    You get the results in time, so you can use them in the purchase contract.

Request a quote

Costs

What do the checks before buying cost?

Extracts, boundary certificate, boundary survey and building survey are official services. Their fees are set by the state fee regulation (VermKostVO M-V). They are the same at all official surveying bodies in the state.

The floor area calculation is a freelance service. You get a binding quote for it in advance. Often the extracts alone show whether you need more.

Good to know

  • Free cost estimate in advance
  • After you see the extracts, you decide whether we measure on site
  • You can agree in the purchase contract who pays for missing building surveys

Frequently asked questions

Doesn't the notary check all this anyway?

The notary checks the land register. The notary makes sure that ownership and charges are transferred correctly. The notary does not check if the boundaries on site are correct. The notary also does not check if all buildings are in the cadastre or how large the floor area really is. You clarify these points with us before the purchase.

Who pays for a missing building survey?

By law, this is the duty of the owners. After the purchase, that means you. In the purchase contract you can agree that someone else pays. For this you need to know the amount in advance. We estimate the fee from the construction value of the buildings before you sign.

Do I need to be in Germany for the checks?

No. For measurements on site we only need access to the property. The seller or an estate agent can usually give us access. You get the extracts and results by email.

Related services

Do you have a property in mind?

Send us the address and the listing. We will tell you what to check before the notary appointment and what it costs.

Request a quote or call: +49 381 405 69-0