Don't lose €30,000 on a flat with hidden damage or a defect.
We assess your property before you buy. As a Bausachverständigerin in Germany, I check moisture and structure, and offer extras such as a full technical document check and thermal readings. The report helps you negotiate the price down, or simply reveals a bad investment. Reports in English or German, 24 to 48 hour turnaround.
Get your fixed price in 60 seconds
Tell us about the property. We'll calculate the exact price, no hidden costs.
From enquiry to English report in 4 steps
Use the booking wizard above, or just email us the details. Either way, we'll handle the rest.
Send us the details
Email us the property address, type, size, and your preferred date. We'll reply with a fixed-price quote within 2 hours.
We inspect the property
Alice inspects the property using thermal cameras, moisture meters, and a 12-point checklist. Takes 2-4 hours depending on size.
English report delivered
You get a detailed report in English within 24 hours, defects documented with photos, repair costs, and severity ratings.
We help you negotiate
We support you through the buying process. Use our findings to negotiate the Kaufpreis, request repairs, or walk away with confidence.
I crawl into lofts. I search for damp. I check your documents.
I inspect every property personally, with thermal cameras, moisture meters, a BSc in Building Surveying, and over 11 years of experience in the German property market. I read the WEG minutes, check the Hausgeldabrechnung, and make sure you understand exactly what you're buying before you sit down at the Notar.
We speak two languages and work on your side. No subcontractors, no junior staff, just honest, detailed findings delivered in plain English. We see what others overlook, and we help you feel secure about your purchase.
Alice Carpenter, BSc Building Surveying, DESAG-certified Bausachverständigerin (B/250907)
Brandenburg property questions, answered in English
The German terms you keep hearing, explained by someone who inspects buildings for a living.
The German you need to know, before you buy
Buying property in Brandenburg means navigating German legal and technical terms. Here's what they mean and why they matter.
| German Term | English Meaning | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Bausachverständiger | Certified building expert | Independent inspector, not a Makler, not selling you anything |
| Baugutachten | Full building survey | Your negotiation weapon, documents every defect with repair costs |
| Kurzgutachten | Short inspection report | Quick pre-purchase check, go/no-go before you commit |
| Verkehrswertgutachten | Market value assessment | Official valuation prepared to professional standards |
| Bauabnahme | New-build handover inspection | Once you sign, the Gewährleistung clock starts, get it right |
| Kaufvertrag | Purchase contract | Signed at the Notar, binding once you put pen to paper |
| Feuchtigkeit | Moisture / damp | Hidden behind renovated surfaces, the most expensive surprise |
| Schimmel | Mould | Health risk and structural red flag, common in older Brandenburg Altbau |
| Baumängel | Construction defects | Cracks, subsidence, faulty drainage, what we find for you |
| Sanierungskosten | Renovation / repair costs | We estimate these, use them to negotiate the Kaufpreis down |
| Werbungskosten | Tax-deductible expenses | Inspection costs are deductible for investment/rental properties |
| Hausverwaltung | Property management company | We deal with them in German so you don't have to |
| Grundbuch | Land registry | Legal record of ownership, mortgages, and Grunddienstbarkeiten (easements) |
| Energieausweis | Energy performance certificate | Required by law, tells you the building's energy class and heating costs |
| Gewährleistung | Warranty period | 5 years for new-builds, starts at Bauabnahme, not move-in |
What international buyers in Germany say
Real feedback from expat clients who trusted us to inspect their future homes.
"I contacted Alice for a review of an apartment and I was impressed with both the results and the attitude! Easy, friendly, professional, and with attention to detail!"
"Alice completely won me over throughout the entire building survey process. Exceptionally friendly, patient, and highly professional. I had many questions and uncertainties, Alice truly put me at ease."
"We contacted Alice for a survey before putting down an offer to buy an apartment, and she was fantastic. She checked everything, did a water damage check with specialized gear, read through the building's meeting minutes and documents. The report was meticulous and detailed, delivered within 24 hours. We highly recommend booking her!"
"Alice was extremely professional and thorough with her red flag assessment. She helped us become more knowledgeable and feel empowered to make sensible decisions before buying property."
"Super reliable, best service."
"100% recommendation. Super professional, warm, very thorough, every detail considered and great communication. We felt excellently looked after. German/English a bonus on top."
"My partner and I needed a last-minute pre-purchase inspection of an apartment, and Alice was extremely prompt, helpful, professional, and capable in supporting us. She sent her full report to us in just a couple of days. I really appreciate that she communicated fluently in English and provided the entire report in English, this was a lifesaver for us as newbies in Germany!"
In Brandenburg you are usually buying more than a house.
Outside Berlin you often find older detached buildings with outbuildings, barns and large plots. The scope is different from the city, and the infrastructure is part of it.
What rural stock brings with it
Older country and farm houses frequently have no continuous damp proofing and structures adapted over decades. What was done is rarely documented.
Outbuildings are easily overlooked at purchase and become a cost block of their own. Roof, structural stability and usability all need checking.
What we look at hardest in Brandenburg
Drainage, access, water supply and wastewater are real inspection points here and cannot be assumed.
The heating type and fuel strongly determine running costs. The Brandenburgische Bauordnung applies.
Questions specific to this location
What needs checking when buying a country house?
More than in the city. Alongside the house itself, outbuildings, barns, access, water supply and wastewater all belong in the inspection. These are regularly overlooked at purchase and become a cost block of their own.
Older farmhouses often have no damp proofing. Is that a dealbreaker?
Not necessarily. What matters is how wet it actually is, which elements are affected, and what remediation costs. We measure that rather than estimate it.
How important is the heating in a rural property?
Very. The heating type and fuel strongly determine running costs, and a replacement that is due is a major single item. The age and condition of the system are therefore part of the inspection.
Building Inspections & Valuations
Complete solutions for expat property buyers across Germany
Looking at property in Brandenburg?
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