How much property can you afford?

How the calculator works

The calculator starts from the instalment you can afford each month. Twelve instalments make up the annual instalment. Divided by the sum of interest and initial repayment, this gives the loan that this instalment can service. Loan and equity together must cover the purchase price and the additional purchase costs; this gives the purchase price. That is all there is to it.

There is one simplification: the calculator applies a flat 2 per cent for the notary and land register. For expensive properties the actual rate is lower, so there it calculates somewhat too cautiously.

An example with assumptions: a household has €4,500 net per month and sets aside 35 per cent for the instalment, i.e. €1,575. If interest and initial repayment together come to 6 per cent a year, this instalment supports a loan of €315,000. With €80,000 of equity, €395,000 is available. The additional costs with an agent amount to 11.57 per cent, so the purchase price comes to around €354,000 and the additional costs to around €41,000.

Equity and additional costs

Banks finance the purchase price, but as a rule not the additional costs. Your equity should therefore first cover the real estate transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer), notary, land register and, where applicable, the agent's commission (around €41,000 in the example above). Anything beyond that reduces the loan. The smaller the loan in relation to the value of the property, the lower the interest rate usually turns out to be. Details on each item are in the guide Additional purchase costs in Berlin.

Repayment and outstanding balance

A higher repayment rate makes you debt-free sooner, but with the same instalment it lowers the purchase price you can finance. What matters is the outstanding balance at the end of the fixed-rate period: for this amount you will then need follow-up financing at the interest rate applying at that time. The calculator shows the outstanding balance after ten years and the time until the loan is fully repaid with a constant instalment.

What the bank checks

Before granting any property loan, the bank must assess your creditworthiness (§ 505a BGB, German Civil Code). This includes a household budget calculation with all fixed outgoings, the security of your income, your credit rating and the value of the property as set by the bank itself. The result may differ from the calculator's, upwards as well as downwards. The Deutsche Bundesbank publishes current average interest rates for housing loans.

Have your financing checked

Sort out your financing before you go to viewings. We compare offers from many banks and support you until you receive the financing confirmation, which often tips the balance when there are several interested parties. How we proceed when you buy is explained on the page Buy a property.

The brokerage of property loans (Immobiliardarlehensvermittlung under § 34i GewO, German Trade Regulation Act) is carried out by Maximilian Vigansky personally; the register details are in the Legal notice (German). If we receive money from a partner, we tell you beforehand.

Sources

• § 11 Real Estate Transfer Tax Act (Grunderwerbsteuergesetz) in conjunction with the real estate transfer tax rate of the State of Berlin (6 per cent)
• Court and Notary Fees Act (GNotKG), schedule of costs
• § 656c BGB (German Civil Code), entitlement to commission when acting for both parties (equal split)
• § 505a BGB (German Civil Code), obligation to assess creditworthiness
• § 491 BGB (German Civil Code), consumer loans and consumer loans secured on property
• Deutsche Bundesbank: banks' effective interest rates on new business

All sources accessed on 9 October 2026.