Don’t buy blind. Independent technical inspections for property buyers in Hamburg, saving you unnecessary hidden costs of up to €100,000.
We do not sell property. We measure it, cost it and hand you the numbers, so you can decide on the facts and negotiate from them rather than from a feeling about the place.

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, driving rain on exposed walls, condensation, 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. On a rain-loaded external wall you will know how wet it is, how far it reaches, and what the repair costs.
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 look hard at pointing, junctions and flat-roof membranes. In Hamburg the envelope is what decides, and the weather tests it harder than anywhere else in Germany.
British training, northern German practice. Before ABC Experts I worked for boutique technical due-diligence firms across the DACH region, which is why every finding carries a number rather than an adjective. I work only for buyers and owners, never 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.
Germany's second-largest city combines maritime heritage with a booming property market. Average prices in prime districts reach €5,000-6,000/m². Hamburg's maritime climate makes moisture inspection especially critical, an independent Baugutachten protects your investment.
Hamburg's property stock ranges from grand Gründerzeit apartments in Eppendorf and Winterhude to converted warehouse lofts in the Speicherstadt. The maritime climate means Feuchtigkeit (moisture damage) and Schimmel (mould) are more prevalent than anywhere else in Germany. New developments in HafenCity and along the Elbe can have Baumängel (construction defects) masked by premium finishes.
If you don't speak German fluently, you're at a disadvantage in Hamburg's property process. A Makler won't flag the salt-air damage on the facade or the damp 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 Hamburg the number that moves a price is usually a façade or a flat roof at the end of its service life.
Hamburg is a brick city on the coast. Clinker facades, flat roofs and converted warehouses meet a maritime climate with driving rain and persistently high humidity. The envelope works harder here than elsewhere.
Driving rain on clinker is normal. It becomes a problem where pointing has failed, where junction detailing is missing, and on flat roofs whose membrane has reached the end of its service life.
High external humidity does not forgive poor ventilation. Condensation at thermal bridges is a finding we record more often here than in drier regions.
Warehouse and commercial conversions bring their own questions: floor build-ups, acoustic separation, fire protection, and how well the original structure was adapted to residential use.
For properties near water, drainage, basement tanking and surface water handling form part of the inspection. The Hamburgische Bauordnung applies.
Yes, and the climate is why. Driving rain and persistently high humidity load facades, pointing and flat roofs harder than in drier regions. Damp is the finding we record most often here.
Yes. For warehouse and commercial conversions we additionally assess how the original structure was adapted for residential use: floor build-ups, acoustic separation, fire protection and the waterproofing of the new units.
Drainage, basement tanking and surface water handling then become essential parts of the inspection. We document the current condition and say where further investigation is sensible.
| Defect | How often we find it | Typical repair |
|---|---|---|
| Moisture in walls or floor build-upDriving rain, failed seals and old leaks, often behind a recent coat of paint | Very common | €4,000-35,000 |
| Roof and flat-roof waterproofing at end of lifeLooks sound from the street; the first autumn gale finds the weak flashing | Common | €20,000-90,000 |
| Windows past service lifeFrames, seals and heat loss across every elevation, worst on the weather side | Common | €7,000-40,000 |
| Heating or hot-water plant near replacementAge sets the deadline; the GEG decides what is allowed to replace it | Common | €12,000-45,000 |
| Electrical installation not to current standardOld wiring, insufficient capacity, missing RCD protection | Occasional | €5,000-25,000 |
| Underfunded InstandhaltungsrücklageThe works are already planned; your share lands 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, inspection costs are typically tax-deductible as Werbungskosten.
Absolutely. Our report documents every defect with photos, estimated repair costs, and technical assessments. In Hamburg, moisture-related repairs alone can run into tens of thousands of euros, evidence of these issues gives you serious negotiating leverage.
A Bauabnahme is the formal handover of a new-build from the developer. Once you sign the Abnahmeprotokoll, defects become your problem. HafenCity developments are built on reclaimed port land, foundation and waterproofing quality is critical. We attend the handover, document every defect in English, and ensure nothing is signed off until properly fixed.
Yes. We provide Verkehrswertgutachten (market value assessments) for divorce settlements, dividing an inheritance and co-ownership buyouts, by agreement between the parties. These are independent valuations for your own decisions and negotiations. Valuations the Finanzamt must formally accept under §198 BewG require the Gutachterausschuss, a publicly appointed (ö.b.u.v.) expert or an ISO 17024 certified valuer, so we refer those on.
We reply within 2 hours with the next available Hamburg 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 Hamburg 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 Hamburg. All reports are in English. We cover Eppendorf, Winterhude, Blankenese, HafenCity, Eimsbüttel, Ottensen, and all surrounding districts.
We cover all of Hamburg, Eppendorf, Winterhude, Blankenese, HafenCity, Eimsbüttel, Ottensen, Altona, Harvestehude, Rotherbaum, Bergedorf, and the wider metropolitan area. If you're looking at property anywhere in the Hamburg region, we can inspect it.
Yes. We offer estate management for international owners, annual inspections, maintenance oversight, contractor coordination, and CapEx planning, all in English. Think of us as your trusted eyes on the ground in Hamburg.
Yes. Hamburg's maritime climate, proximity to the Elbe, and high water table mean moisture problems are significantly more common than in inland cities. Rising damp, condensation, salt-air facade damage, and basement waterproofing failures are issues we see regularly. Thermal imaging and calibrated moisture meters are essential for any Hamburg property purchase.
Yes. We regularly inspect properties along the Elbchaussee, in Blankenese, and across Hamburg's waterfront. These inspections include flood zone assessment, drainage systems, foundation integrity near the water table, and the impact of maritime climate on building fabric. Quoted individually based on property size.
Twelve areas: façade and exterior, roof and attic, moisture and damp, windows and doors, mould and air quality, insulation and energy, foundation and structure, walls and cracks, electrical systems, plumbing, heating and ventilation, and Wohnfläche and layout. 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.