Buy a holiday home with Engel & Völkers

Own use, rental or investment: What suits you best?

Use cases and benefits

A holiday home offers different advantages depending on how you use it:

Are you looking for a holiday home in the Alps for both summer and winter stays? Or would you prefer the Baltic Sea, Mallorca or the USA? With Engel & Völkers you can buy your holiday home from Germany or directly on site.

Since 1977, Engel & Völkers has been brokering high‑quality properties, today on five continents and in 35 countries. Our property advisors are present at more than 1,100 locations worldwide, including many of the world’s most sought‑after holiday regions.

Which holiday property is ideal for you?

Holiday homes in Germany and abroad come in many different forms. The living space, features and location that are right for you depend on how you plan to use the property. If you intend to buy a holiday home purely as an investment and rent it out, other criteria will be more important than for a weekend home used exclusively by yourself.

Holiday homes tend to be smaller than single‑family homes designed for permanent residence. They are often cosy bungalows with a garden and terrace. At the upper end of the market, luxury properties with two storeys in prime locations are popular. Excellent locations for holiday properties often mean first row to the water with unique sea or lake views, or a spectacular mountain panorama. Many buyers use these exceptional, dream properties themselves for their holidays, enjoying the privacy and atmosphere.

Holiday homes with high‑quality interiors are also attractive for year‑round letting. Key selection criteria when buying a holiday home include:

• The location of the holiday property: very good, good, average or simple location

• Size of plot, garden, terrace or balcony at the holiday home

• Living space and number of rooms, depending on the size of the family or target group when renting out

• Purchase price, expected rental income, potential yield

• Holiday region well frequented all year round or only seasonally

• Holiday home for own use, as weekend home or second home

• Investment in holiday homes with returns

What to consider when buying a holiday home

Whether it is a weekend apartment in Berlin or a chalet in Austria – there are several points you should clarify before buying a holiday home. Always check the entries in the land register for any rights of way or rights of residence. If the property has not previously been used as a holiday home and you plan to rent it out, you must also check whether there are any restrictions on converting residential property into holiday accommodation. In many tourist regions, changing standard housing into holiday lets is only permitted with prior approval.

If you plan to rent out your holiday home, you will also need a property management company to handle day‑to‑day tasks locally. If you are buying in a dedicated holiday park, there is usually already a management company in place which you can instruct to manage the rentals. For your own use of the holiday property, you are obliged to register it as a second home there. As a rule, you have two weeks from completion of purchase to do this. You can find more details in our article: When is a holiday home a second home?

Buying a holiday property in Austria: What you need to know

Austria is one of the most popular destinations for buying a holiday property – whether a chalet in Tyrol, a country house in Styria or an apartment on Lake Wörthersee. However, anyone wishing to buy a holiday property in Austria should be aware of several particularities.

In many Austrian federal states, strict rules apply to the purchase of real estate by people whose main residence is abroad. EU citizens are generally not restricted, but individual federal states such as Tyrol or Salzburg require a land transfer approval; without this, the property cannot be entered in the land register. The designated use (“Zweckwidmung”) is also crucial: not every property may automatically be used or rented out as a holiday home. Carefully check local regulations – ideally together with an experienced local estate agent – before signing the purchase contract.

How Engel & Völkers finds the right property for you

Before a property is marketed, Engel & Völkers carries out a thorough review and valuation of the holiday home for the owner. This gives you, as a potential buyer, the confidence to purchase at market value – even if you are unfamiliar with the holiday region.

In addition, our local property advisors are on hand to answer all your questions relating to the purchase. They know which locations are particularly attractive and will be pleased to present a curated selection of suitable holiday homes in your chosen region.

Property prices and costs for holiday homes

German holiday regions such as the islands of Rügen, Sylt or Norderney offer a great deal of appeal and several practical advantages. For example, travel times are relatively short and journeys can be made quickly by train or car.

The most popular regions for buying holiday homes in the DACH area and neighbouring countries include:

• Baltic Sea: from Mecklenburg‑Western Pomerania to Schleswig‑Holstein

• North Sea: from Schleswig‑Holstein to Lower Saxony

• Lake Constance: Bavaria, Baden‑Württemberg, Austria and Switzerland

• Five Lakes Region: Bavaria

• Alpine countries: Bavaria, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, France, Slovenia

When buying a holiday home, you should consider two types of costs: one‑off purchase costs and ongoing running costs.

One‑off purchase costs:

• Purchase price of the holiday home

• Notary fees and land register charges

• Property transfer tax

• Optional: estate agent commission

Ongoing costs:

• Operating costs (electricity, water, heating)

• Annual property tax

• Maintenance and repairs

• Insurance

• Property management

• For own use, possible second home tax

If you would like to buy a holiday home, you benefit from the local market knowledge of Engel & Völkers’ property experts in each holiday destination. Send us your search request or contact our shop at the location where you plan to buy your holiday home.