Living in the big city – for more and more people in Germany, this is unaffordable. The result: the demand for rental apartments in the surrounding communities is increasing. An evaluation by the real estate portal Immoscout24 shows that demand in the surrounding communities rose by 23 percent in the first quarter compared to the previous year, while it remained consistently high in the metropolises.
The advantage of living outside of big cities like Berlin, Munich and Leipzig: Fewer competitors, more spacious apartments, lower rents. In large cities, six times as many candidates apply for a vacant rental apartment as in rural areas. Thanks to flexible working hours, home office and Germany ticket, surrounding communities are also becoming more attractive.
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There are cities like Gera in Thuringia, about an hour’s train ride from Leipzig. According to Immoscout24, demand has increased by 350 percent within a year. The district of Altenburger Land also seems to be benefiting from its direct train connection to Leipzig: Demand has increased by 300 percent. In Leipzig, eight times as many applicants are competing for a vacant rental apartment as in Altenburger Land.
According to Immoscout24, the asking rent in Gera was EUR 5.62 per square meter in the first quarter and EUR 5.44 in the district of Altenburger Land. For comparison: in Leipzig, the average price per square meter is 7.75 euros. Accordingly, for this price, you get an average of 24 square meters more living space in Gera and 35 square meters in Altenburger Land.
Home inspection tips
Anyone viewing a property should definitely do so in broad daylight. Then not only defects can be detected better, but also the overall lighting conditions can be assessed. If you want to know whether traffic noise or trades in the vicinity are annoying, you should visit on weekdays – before or after lunchtime.
A thorough property inspection takes time – and sellers and prospective buyers should take that too. Let each room work its magic on you, pay attention to details such as radiators, windows, doors and fittings. Let us show you everything in peace and then take a second tour. Then you will surely have open questions and you will get a more lasting impression.
It is also advisable to take a companion with you on a first visit. The four-eyes-principle makes every viewing appointment twice as productive, because everyone pays attention to different things. The risk of overlooking something essential is significantly lower.
If there are two people viewing a property, one person should definitely take photos of all the rooms and the outside. They help to reflect on what you have seen later and to clarify any details.
Make sure that they check your ideas and wishes on the property. A list of the most important criteria that the house should meet and a list of the most important questions that need to be clarified with the seller will help. Such lists simplify the viewing appointment considerably.
After the visit, ask for a building plan or a floor plan drawing together with a calculation of the living space, or make a photocopy of it. A digital photo of it will also do if necessary. Then you can calmly consider whether the room layout meets your requirements and whether the desired furniture would also find its place.
In the case of used properties in particular, you should examine the walls, windows, doors, roof structure and basement as closely as possible. If rot or moisture has made its way somewhere, renovation work can quickly become expensive. Watch out for possible mold growth in room corners or behind furniture, also try out windows, shutters and doors. Also take a close look at the building services: How old is the boiler? What condition are the power and water lines in?
Anyone who sells a property must submit an energy performance certificate. A lot of real estate listings say it’s a work in progress. However, buyers should not do without it voluntarily, but rather insist on it. Only then does he get a comparative value for the energy hunger of a property, especially as far as the costly heating requirements are concerned. But beware: There are two variants, the requirement and the consumption card. The latter only provides information on how much energy the previous residents used on average over three years – and that depends on their individual heating behavior. The requirement certificate is only based on the building fabric and average weather and is more objective.
If the property is seriously considered after the first inspection, it is worth arranging another appointment with a building surveyor. This surveyor should be able to identify significant defects that are difficult to detect for the layperson and to estimate the necessary rehabilitation or defect removal costs. You can find suitable architects or civil engineers at Dekra (dekra.de), the Association of Private Builders (vpb.de), or the Federal Association of Freelance Experts (bvfs.de).
A property viewing should always include a walk through the neighborhood. In this way, you will be able to see how good the infrastructure is in the immediate vicinity, whether there is a source of noise that is disturbing you, and estimate the distances to shops, schools, or bus and train stops. Last but not least, the atmosphere in a residential area also plays an important role.
A similar development can be observed in the area around Berlin: Frankfurt an der Oder recorded an increase in demand of 194 percent in the first quarter – Cottbus of 156 percent. Both university cities can be reached within 90 minutes by train from the capital. According to the study, those looking to rent get 22 to 32 square meters more living space here compared to the capital – and compete with less than ten competitors on average. Asking rents in Berlin are almost twice as high at EUR 12.56.
And then there’s Munich, one of the most expensive cities in Europe, with asking rents of EUR 18.44 per square meter. There are 40 percent cheaper rents in Ingolstadt and Landshut, less than an hour away by train. Apparently, word got around: demand in Ingolstadt rose by 160 percent, in Landshut by 150 percent.
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