All prices are final (VAT exempt per §19 UStG). Travel within Berlin included. Renting it out? Inspection costs may be tax-deductible as Werbungskosten.
We join your viewing, verbal verdict on the spot, structured email summary the same day. No written report.
Book →Pre-purchase snapshot. Identifies deal-breakers before you commit to buying.
Comprehensive inspection with detailed English report. Every defect documented, photographed, and costed.
Thermal imaging is included in every service. For the Red Flag Check you can add a document review when it makes sense for your purchase. The full Baugutachten includes everything.
Desktop review before your second viewing. We read the Exposé and paperwork and tell you whether the flat is worth going back for, or where the hidden costs are buried.
Comparing three flats? Send us all three. We tell you which one makes sense and which to walk away from, before you commit to the wrong one.
Larger properties require more time on-site
Altbau pre-1945 needs more thorough checks
Houses include exterior, roof & foundation
Document review for the Red Flag Check. Thermal imaging always included.
Buying as an investment? If you plan to rent out the property, the cost of your building inspection is typically tax-deductible as Werbungskosten (income-related expenses). Ask your Steuerberater.
Accepted payment methods
Bank transfer (Überweisung) has zero fees. Online payments processed securely via Mollie.
Here's what a real inspection looks like, from document review to your final report.
A full building survey (Baugutachten) starts at €850. A Red Flag Check, the pre-purchase snapshot, starts at €650. A Viewing Check, where we come to the viewing with you, starts at €450. A desktop document review with no site visit starts at €175.
Every figure is a fixed price agreed before you book, not an hourly estimate. There is no VAT, because the practice is registered as a Kleinunternehmer under §19 UStG. Travel within Berlin is included.
If you are buying in Germany as an English speaker, you will meet all of these words and they are mostly the same job described in different languages. None of these titles is legally protected in Germany, which is exactly why the prices in the market vary so widely.
| Term | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Home inspector | North American term for a pre-purchase condition inspection. Same work, different continent. |
| Building surveyor | British term, and the formal discipline. Alice holds a BSc (Hons) in Building Surveying from London. |
| Baugutachter / Bausachverständiger | The German terms. Used interchangeably and not legally protected. |
| Property inspection / house survey | General descriptions of the same service. Scope matters more than the label. |
| Öffentlich bestellt und vereidigt | A genuinely protected status, conferred by the Chamber of Commerce. Mainly relevant for court-appointed work and considerably more expensive. |
So compare scope, not titles. Ask how long the inspector is on site, whether repair costs are estimated or defects merely listed, whether the sale documents are reviewed, how fast the report arrives, and whether they work for the agent or for you.
Usually scope. An inspection at €350 can be half an hour on site with a bullet list, no photographs, no cost estimates and no document review. That is not dishonest, it is simply a different product from the one you negotiate a purchase price with.
The most expensive findings in a Berlin apartment are frequently not in the flat at all. A special levy already voted through in the owners' minutes, an underfunded reserve with a roof renovation due, a Teilungserklärung that makes the windows your responsibility. None of that is visible at a viewing and none of it appears in the listing, which is why the document review is included in the full survey rather than sold as an extra.
In German, the same information is on Baugutachten Kosten Berlin.
A full building survey starts at €850, a Red Flag Check at €650, a Viewing Check at €450 and a document-only review at €175. Fixed prices, no VAT under §19 UStG, Berlin travel included. The exact figure depends on floor area, year of construction and property type, and is agreed before you book.
No. The fixed price is agreed before booking, travel inside Berlin is included, and thermal imaging is part of every on-site service. A LiDAR 3D scan with floor plans is available on request. Outside Berlin a travel surcharge may apply and we tell you beforehand.
No. German hourly rates for surveyors commonly run €100 to €180, which puts the risk on you because the invoice is only known once the work is done. We quote a fixed price. If an inspection takes longer than planned, that is our problem.
For a let property the fee is usually deductible as Werbungskosten. We are not tax advisers, so confirm the detail with yours.
Yes, and the fee already paid is credited. Many buyers start with the Red Flag Check while still comparing properties, then upgrade once they have chosen one.
A building survey (Baugutachten) typically costs from €850+ depending on property size, age, and type. Berlin travel is included. A Viewing Check with verbal verdict starts at €450, the Red Flag Check with dashboard report at €650. Larger properties (100+m²) or older buildings (pre-1945) carry slightly higher fees due to increased inspection time.
The Red Flag Check (€650, 1-2 hours) is a quick visual assessment identifying deal-breakers before commitment. The Full Baugutachten (from €850, 2-4 hours) includes a comprehensive 12-point structural inspection, detailed PDF report with repair cost estimates, document review, photo documentation, and negotiation leverage summary
No hidden fees. All prices are final and VAT-exempt (§19 UStG). Travel within Berlin is included at no extra charge. Document add-ons (€175 for WEG Protokolle review) are optional. For properties outside Berlin, a travel surcharge may apply, ask for details.
On-site inspection takes 1-2 hours for a Red Flag Check or 2-4 hours for a full Baugutachten, depending on property size and condition. Your Red Flag Check includes a 1-page Dashboard Report. The full Baugutachten report is typically delivered within 24 hours of inspection.
Yes. Our professional Verkehrswertgutachten (property valuation report) is suitable for divorce settlements, dividing an inheritance and co-ownership buyouts where both sides agree to use it. Valuations the Finanzamt or a court must formally accept require a publicly appointed (ö.b.u.v.) or ISO 17024 certified expert, which we will refer you to. Pricing starts from €1,500 and depends on property complexity. Contact us directly for a custom quote and to discuss your specific legal requirements.