Tips to Buy an Apartment Building in Berlin

Overview of Berlin Property Market

With an average of 4150€ per square meter, residential condominium property prices in Berlin remain significantly lower than home prices most of large cities in Germany and capitals in Europe like Paris. In addition to this, there are some lower-priced neighborhoods in Germany where one can still buy at quite low budget. Investors that have interest to buy apartment buildings in Berlin may find this a great moment to get into these city areas’ markets. Other regions continue to see prices climb at astonishing rates, so you need to work with a real estate professional who understands how to buy or sell a property in Berlin. You also may want to work out a building development project with the local city authorities who target up to 200,000 new apartments built within the next decade. The building market was very active in Berlin during 2018 and 2019 with over 700 apartment buildings sold per year, of which a large number is concentrated in the following central city areas.

Watch out new regulation for apartment buildings in Berlin

Since 2021, the regulation for buying apartment buildings in Berlin changed drastically, especially for protected areas, the so called “Milieuschutz” hotspots. The Those hotspots are located in the middle of the city where real estate speculation was the most active last years and caused damages to local residents, in terms of housing security. In protected areas, there are now quite strong restrictions on dividing apartment buildings and reselling individual apartments. However, if you are interseted to buy an apartment building in Berlin to keep it as long-term investment, this new regulation won’t have much of impact.

Buy an apartment building in Berlin’s central areas

Charlottenburg

It is getting hard to remember when living in Charlottenburg was not desirable as more people move to Berlin. The region has taken on a unique international flair that is found nowhere else in the world. This neighborhood now demands some of the highest prices for rents and sale in the city. The number of available units for sale peaked in 2016, and there have been fewer units available ever since. Therefore, prices to buy an apartment building in Berlin Charlottenburg are on the rise, and there is no end in sight. Area protection rules and  has led to many taking a second look at this neighborhood where there is an estimated shortage of about 18,000 apartments currently. The average property price to buy an apartment building in Berlin Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district is 4177 Euro per square meter. The district has registered the highest number of building property transactions in Berlin with 89 apartment building sold in 2018.

Prenzlauer Berg

Bordering some of East Berlin’s most popular neighborhoods, like Pankow, Wedding, Mitte, Friedrichshain, Weissensee, and Hohenschönhausen, Prenzlauer Berg is one of the most sought-after areas in the city. In the last decade, prices have climbed by almost 146 %, but there is still some opportunities to buy an apartment building, especially around Kollwitzplatz, Arnimplatz, Helmoltzplatz and in pockets along Greifswalder Strasse. If you target less hot locations toward Bornholmer Strasse and Wisbyer Strasse, there you might have more chances to buy an apartment building in Berlin Prenzlauer Berg at quite lower prices.

Kreuzberg

Young people from all around the world choose to live in Berlin Kreuzberg area. You can find many examples of stylish housing complexes south of Gitschiner Straße and Skalitzer Straße along with those in Bergmann-Kiez and Graefe-Kiez. While usually more modest in price, investors can often find great deals on both sides of Prinzenstrasse when looking to buy an apartment building in Berlin southern districts. New developments in this area are generally privately funded, and they often give investors a high return on their investment. About 53 % of apartments is located in “Milieushcutz” property protection areas.

Friedrichshain

Investors used to know this region as one of the last remaining areas where East and West Germany divided, but new property developments in this area have destroyed the stereotypes. This region is one of the fastest growing areas of Berlin with over 800 apartments built during 2018. The building boom along the Spree and on the Stralau Peninsula is using most pre-fabricated buildings, so rentals are reasonably priced. This can be great for modest investors looking for property for sale. As it has been for several years, many are choosing more period luxurious housing along Karl-Marx Allee and Frankfurter Allee. Investors looking to get started in investing in Germany may want to consider northern areas where apartments for sale are relatively less expensive. The average price to buy an apartment building in Berlin Friedrichshain- Kreuzberg is 3529 euro per square meter. The district has registered 51 transactions of apartment buildings’s sale in 2018.

Mitte

Located at the center of Berlin, Mitte offers the most luxurious real estate in Berlin. In particular, the areas surrounding Hackescher Markt, Potsdamer Platz, Brandenburg gate and Oranienburger Straße are very much in demand by international private home buyers and professional investors as many international family-offices are investing in luxury properties in Berlin. Investors can also find many historical buildings, especially around Leipziger Straße. If you are going to buy an apartment building in Berlin’s most central area, it is vital to learn the difference between the municipal housing market and the free-housing market as the two behave quite differently.

Which apartment building types to buy in Berlin

The city of Berlin suffered a major destruction during the second world war and the Berlin Wall requisitioned large portions of the city center called No mans’ land. This land is now being constructed by property developers with essentially luxury apartment building complexes and offices. The city of Berlin has 4 main types of apartment building properties:

• Period apartment buildings: dating back to 1900s there are easily recognizable with large entrances, high-ceilings up to 4m, massive wooden-flooring, large rooms and stucco ornaments. When you buy an apartment building in Berlin’s period periods, you might have the possibility to create more investment value by constructing attics and rent them out.
• Thirties apartment buildings: built in the early 30s with a space optimization logic, they are recognizable for highly optimized floorplans, small sizes, often no balconies or lifts, minimalistic facades and standard  ceilings of ca. 2.70m. Most of those buildings are large residentiel complexes that are well-maintained, so if you decide to buy an apartment building in Berlin’s thirties constructions, you can find deals where you do not have to invest immediately additional funds.
• Sixties apartment buildings: due to housing needs, large apartment building complexes were built during this period. They are quite standard and similar to thirties buildings, except the addition of balconies and lifts. Buying an a sixties apartment building in Berlin often implies full renovation works both in common parts and in the apartments.
• Stalinian apartment buildings: built in East Berlin during the 50-60s, they are reputed to be very robust and offer a unique insight into the city history. They have imposing ceramic-coated facades, large hall entrances, lifts, balconies and ceiling-heights of ca. 3m.
• New apartment buildings: built in the last years with the property market boom, they offer modern features with balconies, lifts, parking places and energy-efficient consumption. Most of those apartment building developments are sold to private buyers as individual condominiums but it’s possible to acquire a package of apartments or to buy the overall Berlin apartment building project before the private sales start.