Buying a house in Austria

How to find your house to buy in Austria

Studies show that a detached house is the preferred form of housing for most Austrians. Buying a house in Austria requires a lot of planning, as there are various aspects to consider in order to make the purchase a success.

What types of houses are there in Austria?

If you want to buy a house in Austria, you can choose from a relatively wide range of properties. The most important types of houses are

• Detached house: The classic among houses is the detached single-family house with its own garden.
• Semi-detached house: A semi-detached house offers space for two families and is typically cheaper than a detached single-family house.
• Terraced house: A terraced house is usually somewhat smaller and has a smaller garden, but the purchase price is lower.
• Vacation home: If a house is to be used as a vacation home, be sure to check in advance whether it is permissible to register only a secondary residence.
• Apartment building: Apartment buildings are multi-party houses that are used to generate ongoing rental income.

Apart from these central types of houses, there are also properties in special locations or with special features such as farms, which in many cases have particularly large green areas and outbuildings. Small houses ("tiny houses") are also available on the market, either as an affordable form of housing or as a second home in Austria's tourist areas.

Buying a house - the advantages

As with all aspects of housing, there are a wide variety of points to consider when buying a house. The advantages of owning a home are always individual, depending on your life situation and the property. In general, the following advantages apply:

• Size of the living space: the reason for buying is often linked to the desire for more space. Many people want to leave a small apartment behind and finally have enough rooms to be able to develop freely.
• Own garden: The garden always plays a particularly important role if there was no open space in the previous type of home. Having your own garden offers a variety of uses and extends the living space.
• Independence: Switching to ownership means no longer being dependent on a landlord who may not renew the tenancy agreement or drastically increase the costs. If independence is particularly important to you, you can also make sure that the property is retrofitted to be as energy self-sufficient as possible, e.g. with a photovoltaic system, an electricity storage unit and a cistern.
• Neighborhood: In a house, there are no immediate neighbors "trampling" over your living room, as can be the case in an apartment. Neighbourhood also means that there may be other couples or families in the development who are of a similar age and are also fulfilling their dream of owning their own four walls. This brings people together and helps them to quickly make friends in their new neighborhood.
• Individuality: In a rented apartment, not even a partition wall can be changed. Buying a house, on the other hand, gives you more freedom to design your own home.

How much does it cost to buy a house in Austria?

The cost of a house in Austria varies greatly. The cheapest houses in need of renovation are available for less than 1,000 euros per square meter. However, the price scale is open at the top, as there are also properties that sell for over 20,000 euros per square meter.

It is also important to factor in the additional costs. These are in particular

• Land register entry fee: 1.1% of the purchase price - note: this fee is not payable until July 1, 2026 if the specified criteria are met (e.g. the property will be used as a main residence in future)
• Real estate transfer tax: 3.6% of the purchase price
• Drawing up the purchase contract: 1.2 - 2.0% of the purchase price
• Notarization of the signatures: 200 - 500 euros
• Registration of the lien if the house is purchased with a loan: 1.2 % of the mortgage
• Real estate agent, if applicable: 3.6% of the purchase price as an agent's commission

Attractive alternative: A commission-free house from a private buyer

Incidental purchase costs account for over ten percent of the purchase price if a real estate agent is involved. This is why many people try to find a commission-free offer in order to save this sum, which amounts to thousands of euros.

To make buying a house even easier to afford, you can look into subsidy options. The most important subsidy is the Austria-wide housing subsidy, but there are also regional measures such as for the preservation of properties in town centers. If you buy a commission-free house from a private owner and also take advantage of subsidies, the costs will fall significantly.

You will only find commission-free offers on our portal. This means you can save on estate agent fees and buy a house without commission!

Information about buying a house

• Real estate prices in Austria
• Guide to buying real estate