Don’t buy blind. Independent technical inspections for property buyers in Frankfurt, saving you unnecessary hidden costs of up to €100,000.
We do not sell property. You get a technical read on the building and a repair figure for every finding, which is what turns a price you were quoted into a price you can argue with.

Remember, purchasing property is one of the largest investments we make in our lifetime, let’s do it right!
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Alice CarpenterIndependent certified BausachverständigeDESAG B/250907
Load-bearing walls, settlement cracks, structural integrity.
Tiles, flashing, insulation, timber condition.
Rising damp, water ingress, condensation traps, measured, not guessed.
Wiring age, safety standards, capacity.
Pipe condition, drainage, water pressure.
Seals, frames, thermal performance.
Thermal bridges, U-values, Energieausweis plausibility.
Structural versus cosmetic, and which is which.
Boiler age, radiators, air exchange.
Independent floor-area measurement and verification.
Render, balconies, drainage, boundary structures.
Visible mould, humidity levels, ventilation adequacy.
Every finding is backed by a reading: surface moisture, infrared temperature, humidity, build-up. You get values you can check rather than an impression.
Capacitive moisture mapping · infrared thermometry · thermal imaging included · endoscope inspection








I’m Alice Carpenter, Baugutachterin and Building Surveyor with an RICS-accredited BSc. I arrive with a thermal camera and moisture meters, I go into the cellar, I get onto the roof, and I read the minutes of the Eigentümerversammlung. In Frankfurt's post-war stock the bill usually sits in the services and the risers, not in the walls.
British training, continental practice. Before ABC Experts I worked for boutique technical due-diligence firms across the DACH region, including office and residential portfolios in Rhein-Main, which is why every finding carries a number rather than an adjective. I never work for the seller.
Deutsche Sachverständigen Gesellschaft. Entered in the expert registers; professional ID as a tested and recognised expert.
Verify certificate →
Personal certification seal B/250907. Valid through 09/2027.
Berufsfachverband für das Sachverständigen- und Gutachterwesen e.V., DE-B-18092507.
Over 51% of Frankfurt's population is international. Average prices in prime districts exceed €5,500/m². With so many banking and corporate expats buying property, an independent Baugutachten is your essential protection against hidden defects.
Frankfurt's property market spans elegant Gründerzeit apartments in Nordend and Bornheim to sleek high-rises in the Europaviertel and Westend. Altbau buildings hide Feuchtigkeit (moisture damage) and outdated electrics behind renovated facades. New developments in Gateway Gardens and the Europaviertel can have Baumängel (construction defects) masked by polished finishes.
If you don't speak German fluently, you're at a disadvantage in Frankfurt's competitive market. A Makler won't flag the Feuchtigkeit in the Keller. We will, fluent in both German and English, we deal with sellers, developers, and Hausverwaltungen in German, then give you the full picture in plain English so you can negotiate from a position of strength.
We don't just write a Gutachten and disappear. We support you through the entire Immobilienkauf (property purchase), helping you navigate the Notar appointment, understand your rights under German Baurecht (building law), and identify Sanierungskosten the seller should cover.
Clients have used our findings as costed, documented evidence when renegotiating. In Frankfurt the recurring figure is riser pipework and heating plant in reconstruction-era buildings.
Frankfurt was among the most heavily destroyed German cities in the Second World War. A large share of its housing therefore dates from the reconstruction of the fifties and sixties, alongside the high-rise stock and a great deal of recent new build.
Building was fast and used the materials of the period. Insulation standards, window junctions and services of these vintages are now routinely at the end of their service life.
Many of these buildings have since been partly refurbished. What matters is whether the work was thought through in building-physics terms or only touched the surface.
In multi-unit buildings of this period, riser and distribution pipework is a typical cost block that runs through the owners' association.
International buyers frequently purchase under deadline and without being able to read the German paperwork. The Hessische Bauordnung applies.
Insulation standards, window junctions and building services. These vintages are routinely at the end of their service life, and the fact that something was refurbished says nothing about whether the work was thought through properly.
They are the vertical supply and waste pipes running through the building. In multi-unit reconstruction-era buildings they are a typical large cost block, settled through the owners' association.
Yes. Many of our clients are international. We review the documents first, inspect on site, and go through the findings by video or phone. The report comes in English or German.
| Defect | How often we find it | Typical repair |
|---|---|---|
| Moisture in walls or floor build-upFailed seals and pipework leaks, frequently covered by a quick refurbishment | Very common | €4,000-35,000 |
| Roof and flat-roof waterproofing at end of lifeFine from the pavement; the invoice follows the next storm | Common | €20,000-90,000 |
| Windows past service lifeFrames, glazing seals, condensation and measured heat loss throughout | Common | €7,000-40,000 |
| Heating or hot-water plant near replacementAge alone triggers it, and the GEG limits what may go in instead | Common | €12,000-45,000 |
| Electrical installation not to current standardOld wiring, insufficient capacity, missing RCD protection | Occasional | €5,000-25,000 |
| Underfunded InstandhaltungsrücklageThe association has works coming; you pay your part as a Sonderumlage | Very common | €8,000-80,000+ |
| Structural movement or settlementRare, but the one finding that can end a purchase | Rare | €25,000-150,000+ |
A Viewing Check starts from €450, a Red Flag Check with traffic-light dashboard report from €650, and a full Baugutachten from €850. All prices are final, VAT exempt per §19 UStG (Kleinunternehmerregelung). If you're buying as an investment to rent out, inspection costs are typically tax-deductible as Werbungskosten.
A Baugutachten is a comprehensive building inspection report. Frankfurt's property market attracts international buyers at premium prices, averaging over €5,500/m² in prime districts. A Baugutachten helps you understand exactly what you're buying, identify hidden defects, and gives you hard evidence to negotiate the Kaufpreis down. Clients have used our findings to renegotiate five-figure sums.
Absolutely. In Frankfurt, where prices are high and competition is fierce, our report documents every defect with photos, estimated repair costs, and technical assessments. We also support you through the negotiation, helping you push back on the seller, know your rights, and identify cost reductions.
A Bauabnahme is the formal handover inspection of a new-build property. It's the moment you accept the building from the developer, and the moment defects become your problem. Once you sign the Abnahmeprotokoll, your 5-year Gewährleistung (warranty) clock starts. We attend the handover with you, document every defect in English, and make sure nothing gets signed off until it's properly fixed.
We reply within 2 hours with the next available Frankfurt dates. After the inspection, your written report arrives within 24 hours, photos, ratings and repair costs included. If your offer deadline is tight, say so; we can often accommodate it.
Yes, and we encourage it. Walking the property together is worth half the report: you see every finding in place and can ask anything on the spot. If you cannot attend, we call you afterwards and walk you through the findings one by one.
Ideally: the listing, floor plans, minutes of the Eigentümerversammlung from the last three years, the Instandhaltungsrücklage statement, the Energieausweis, and any past damage or repair reports. Do not worry if you have only part of this, we will tell you exactly what is missing and why it matters.
Send the listing or address through the form below or by WhatsApp. Within 2 hours you receive the next available Frankfurt dates and a fixed price. No obligation, and no payment until the date is confirmed.
Yes. ABC Experts is a DESAG-certified Bausachverständige offering building inspections across Frankfurt am Main and the wider Rhein-Main region. All reports and consultations are delivered in English. We cover Westend, Nordend, Bornheim, Sachsenhausen, Bockenheim, Europaviertel, and all surrounding areas.
We cover all of Frankfurt am Main and the wider Rhein-Main region, Westend, Nordend, Bornheim, Sachsenhausen, Bockenheim, Europaviertel, Gateway Gardens, Oberursel, Bad Homburg, Kronberg, and surrounding areas. If you're looking at property anywhere in the Frankfurt region, we can inspect it.
Yes. Many of our Frankfurt clients are banking and corporate professionals on relocation packages. We help you navigate the German property purchase process under time pressure, reviewing documents in German, inspecting properties thoroughly, and delivering everything in English so you can make informed decisions quickly.
Yes. We offer estate management for international owners, annual property inspections, maintenance oversight, contractor coordination, and CapEx planning, all reported in English. Think of us as your trusted, independent eyes on the ground in Frankfurt and the Rhein-Main region.
Yes, Frankfurt's skyline is unique in Germany. We inspect high-rise units covering HVAC systems, facade integrity, communal infrastructure, lift access, and building management quality. We also review WEG documents and Teilungserklärung to ensure you understand ongoing costs.
Twelve areas: plumbing, heating and ventilation, electrical systems, insulation and energy, windows and doors, moisture and damp, roof and attic, façade and exterior, foundation and structure, walls and cracks, Wohnfläche and layout, and mould and air quality. Every finding is photographed, rated traffic-light style and given a repair cost estimate, plus a review of the sale documents and the Eigentümerversammlung minutes.