Buying an old housewhat to look out for with older properties

Typical weak points by construction year

The most important points to check

Damp: a musty smell, efflorescence, flaking plaster or mildew stains in the cellar point to missing waterproofing. Retrofitting waterproofing can cost five-figure sums.

Roof: age of the roof covering, condition of the battens, insulation, gutters. Re-roofing a detached house including insulation easily costs €40,000 to €80,000.

Windows: single glazing or old double glazing, leaky frames. New windows for a detached house: roughly €15,000 to €35,000.

Heating: age, type and condition. Oil and gas boilers more than 30 years old must be replaced under certain conditions. When the heating is replaced, the requirements of the Building Energy Act (Gebäudeenergiegesetz, GEG) on renewable energy apply.

Electrics: two-core wiring without an earth conductor, no residual current devices (FI-Schalter), old fuse boxes. A complete rewiring costs roughly €15,000 to €30,000.

Water pipes: lead pipes (mainly before 1973) must be replaced; galvanised steel pipes corrode.

Pollutants: asbestos, tar-based adhesives, old wood preservatives. If in doubt, have them tested before you buy.

Obligations for new owners under the GEG

Anyone who buys a one- or two-family house in which the previous owner has not lived since February 2002 must, within two years of the transfer of ownership, among other things:

• insulate the top floor ceiling or the roof if they do not meet the minimum thermal protection,
• insulate uninsulated heating and hot water pipes in unheated rooms,
• decommission certain old oil and gas boilers (constant-temperature boilers older than 30 years).

Since 2024, an informational consultation on the energy performance certificate (Energieausweis) has also been required when buying a one- or two-family house. Have an energy consultant explain the obligations for your specific property – the law may change.

View with a surveyor

For older houses we strongly recommend a second viewing with a building surveyor (Bausachverständiger). They spot damage, estimate renovation costs and give you arguments for the price negotiation. The cost (approx. €500–1,500) is small in relation to the risk.

Financing and subsidising the renovation

KfW supports renovations with low-interest loans and repayment grants, while BAFA subsidises individual measures on the building envelope and building services; there is separate KfW funding for replacing the heating. An individual renovation roadmap (individueller Sanierungsfahrplan, iSFP) increases the funding rate for many individual measures. Important: applications must usually be submitted before the work begins. More in the guide Energy-efficient renovation.

Renovation costs at a glance

The following ranges apply to an average detached house with 130 to 150 m² of living space. They are a guide for your purchase decision – only quotes from tradespeople are binding.

A complete renovation of a house from the 1960s or 1970s can therefore easily reach €150,000 to €250,000. That sounds like a lot – what matters is the comparison with the purchase price and with a new build.

Worked example: old house with renovation or new build?

A family is looking for a detached house in the district of Hof and compares two routes:

In this example the old house is considerably cheaper – with the advantage of an established location and a large garden. In return, there are compromises on the floor plan. If you would like to build new, you will find background information under Buying a plot.

The right order for renovation

When renovating, do not start with what is visible, but with what is hard to change later:

1. Roof and cellar – protection from water from above and below.
2. Electrics and pipes – before walls are plastered and floors are laid.
3. Building envelope – windows and insulation, so the new heating can be sized correctly.
4. Heating – matched to the future heat demand; a heat pump only works efficiently in a sufficiently insulated house.
5. Interior finishing – bathrooms, floors, walls.

An individual renovation roadmap puts exactly this order on paper and at the same time secures higher funding rates. See Funding programmes for property and Heating Act (GEG).

Half-timbered and listed buildings: special features in Oberfranken

In the old towns of Bamberg, Kronach, Forchheim or Kulmbach and in many villages there are half-timbered houses (Fachwerkhäuser) and listed buildings (Baudenkmäler). Special rules apply to them:

• Permit requirement: almost every change to a listed building – even inside – needs a permit under monument protection law from the local monument protection authority (Untere Denkmalschutzbehörde).
• No energy performance certificate required, but also no free choice of windows, insulation or roof covering.
• Tax advantages: renovation costs on rented listed buildings can be depreciated 100% over twelve years under § 7i EStG (9% a year for eight years, 7% a year for four years). Owner-occupiers can deduct 90% over ten years like special expenses under § 10f EStG. A certificate from the monument authority is required, which should be agreed before the work begins.
• Half-timbering needs specialists: the wrong insulation or sealing paints lead to moisture damage in the timber. Plan with tradespeople who have experience with historic building fabric.

Whether a house is on the list of monuments is shown in the Bavarian Monument Atlas (Bayerischer Denkmal-Atlas) of the State Office for Monument Protection.

Negotiating the price with defects

Defects are no reason to panic, but a basis for negotiation. Here is how to proceed:

1. Have the surveyor record the defects in writing, with a rough cost estimate.
2. Check whether the asking price already takes these defects into account – with realistically valued houses this is often the case.
3. Negotiate on the part that is not priced in – objectively and with evidence.
4. Record known defects in the purchase contract. This creates clarity for both sides.

Further points to check during the on-site appointment are contained in the Viewing checklist.

An old-building check in twelve points

A simple list helps with the first on-site assessment. Every point marked "unclear" or "poor" should be examined by the surveyor:

In addition to the building fabric, take a look at the documents: building permits, energy performance certificate, invoices for modernisation work. You will find the full list in the Viewing checklist.

When demolition is the better option

Not every old house is worth renovating. Demolition and a new build can make sense if:

• the renovation costs approach the cost of a new build,
• the floor plan still does not suit your needs even after renovation,
• load-bearing elements are badly damaged (foundations, timber beams with dry rot),
• the plot allows considerably larger development.

Costs are not the only factor in the decision. Demolition requires a permit, and for listed buildings it is usually ruled out. And a new build takes longer. An architect or energy consultant can compare both options. For buyers who want to build new from the outset, the land value is decisive – see Standard land values.

Living through the renovation

Many buyers only move in once the house has been fully renovated. That is more comfortable but more expensive, because rent and loan run at the same time. An alternative is renovating in stages: first the roof, heating and pipes, then move in, and later the bathrooms and interior finishing. Plan realistically – tradespeople in Oberfranken are often booked up months in advance, and unforeseen damage often only appears once the walls are opened.