Hallway view through white doors to a light wood chair, woven basket, and black-framed window with gray curtains.

Private subletting - what is permissible and what is not?

You want to sublet your apartment? Whenever a contract is signed, the signatories should be aware of the applicable legal situation in order to avoid any subsequent disputes resulting from inadequate knowledge of the law. This also applies to subletting your own four walls. We would like to inform you about the most important legal principles by answering frequently asked questions.

Two real estate agents in white shirts review blueprints on a table near a large window.

Applying for a change of use: How do you obtain the necessary planning permission?

The change of use of a building or part of a building is an undertaking under building law. Whether you have to apply for a change of use and need planning permission does not primarily depend on whether you are planning structural measures. Changes of use are subject to planning permission if the new use is subject to different or more extensive requirements under public law than the previous use.

Person in blue blouse reviewing and signing papers at wooden desk with keys and crystal glass visible, photographed in a warm, natural setting

Notary contract - 4 things you should know when selling a house

A house sale is nearing its end: The buyer for the property has been found together with the estate agent, the price negotiations are over. Now all that is missing is the notarial contract of sale or notarial deed to make the transaction legally binding and to notarise the purchase at the notary's office. But what does such a contract actually contain and what legal force does it have? Can you withdraw from a notarial contract after signing it? In this article we explain

Elegant living room featuring tall French windows, a cream L-shaped sectional sofa, herringbone wooden flooring, white walls, decorative radiators, and natural sunlight casting geometric shadows across the room, with a potted fiddle leaf fig plant in the corner

The energy performance certificate - an important document for selling a house

If you want to sell your house or apartment, an up-to-date energy performance certificate, which provides information about the energy efficiency of your property, is one of the most important documents of all. Since the Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV) of 2014, such an energy certificate is mandatory if you want to sell your Sell your property want to sell your property. The most important questions about the energy certificate are explained below.

A smiling female real estate agent in a black blazer and white shirt extending her arm to hand over documents, captured in a bright professional office setting. Her expression conveys warmth and professionalism.

Why commission is worthwhile when selling with Engel & Völkers

The commission when selling with Engel & Völkers represents the compensation for the services rendered by our real estate agents. Property sellers often have questions about this, for example when it comes to the exact scope of the services. Also the question of Amount of the brokerage fee and how exactly it is made up are also frequent topics for property sellers. In this guide, we would therefore like to briefly and concisely answer the most important questions about commission when selling with Engel & Völkers and show why working with an estate agent is worthwhile.

Bright, airy room with white walls, wood floors, and a large window. A radiator sits below the window, topped with a potted green plant. Building exterior visible.

What are the heating systems of the future?

Whether it's a new building or the modernisation of an old building: Anyone planning an upgrade of their heating system should take a closer look at the heating systems of the future. Because while fossil fuel heating systems are usually cheap to buy, they will cost a lot of money to operate over the next few years. Natural gas and heating oil are dependent on the world market and at the same time are only available in limited quantities. This is why heating systems based on heating oil or natural gas are not future-proof. Fossil fuels are also subject to carbon tax, which makes them even more expensive. Modern heating systems using renewable energy sources such as solar or heat pumps protect the environment. Energy from the sun, the air, the earth or the water is available for free. This greatly reduces energy costs in the future. Energy-efficient heating systems make property owners more independent of energy suppliers and politics. Heating systems such as heat pumps, solar thermal energy or heating with biomass contribute to the transition of the heating sector as a significant part of the energy transition. But which heating system of the future is the right one for old or new buildings?

Hand silhouetted against a bright sky holding up a paragraph symbol with sun shining through, creating a backlit effect

Broker commission: Reform 2020

In May 2020, the Federal Cabinet finally discussed the reform of estate agent commission - since then, sellers and buyers have shared the costs of the estate agent when buying a property. This law rejects the so-called ordering principle. In particular, the law makes the division of the estate agent's commission between the buyer and seller of a property, which has not been uniformly regulated in Germany to date, fairer. In the following, we explain exactly what changes the reform to commission entails and why it now pays off more than ever to commission a real estate agent.

Close-up view of an architectural drawing with measurements and dimensions, showing a wooden pencil and metal ruler on the technical plan

Building on someone else's land: 7 frequently asked questions about hereditary building rights

Are you planning to build a property? Then building on someone else's land is an option available to you as a builder. Ownership, finances and rights of use are regulated by the so-called heritable building right. In this article, we answer 7 questions on the subject that you may frequently encounter.

Close-up view of white office file folders arranged in a row with minimal monochromatic design, shot with shallow depth of field

The operating cost bill - what to look out for?

As a rule, every tenant receives an operating cost bill once a year. According to the German Tenants' Protection Association, this always leads to a large number of enquiries and requests for advice. Since this is a complex issue based on many different laws and contractual agreements, incorrect or unfounded billing can occur time and again.

Close-up of a person's hand in business attire using a pen to analyze colorful charts and graphs on a financial report, with a laptop visible in the background on a white desk.

House sale documents: These are the documents you need

If you want to sell your house successfully, you need documents on all the important features of your property. Obtaining these documents is certainly one of the biggest challenges for owners. Countless documents are related to a building, but by no means all of them are necessary to successfully sell a property. On the other hand, the absence of certain documents, such as the energy certificate, is punishable by severe fines. In addition, many owners do not know for sure how and from which authorities they can obtain the necessary documents. In the following, we therefore present the most important documents for selling a house and show you how our real estate agents can help you obtain them.

Contact

Contact your personal advisor

Professional in a gray suit and white shirt smiling confidently while holding a smartphone, standing in front of classical white buildings with arched windows and elegant architectural details.
Professional woman in a beige business suit and white blouse walking confidently in an urban environment, with wind-swept hair and carrying a leather portfolio, against a blurred city background.

Engel & Völkers Germany

Vancouverstraße 2a

20457 Hamburg, Germany

Tel: +49 40 361310