# Property Budget Calculator

> How much property can you afford? Calculate your maximum purchase price and loan from income, equity and the purchase costs of your federal state.

Canonical: https://www.investbud.de/en/calculators/budget
Last updated: 2026-10-28

Before the property search begins, the budget should be settled: how much property can you finance with your income and equity? Our budget calculator derives the maximum loan from the affordable monthly payment, deducts the purchase costs of your federal state and shows the maximum purchase price. That number lets you search with focus.

## How to use this calculator

The calculator works in three steps: affordable payment, maximum loan, maximum purchase price.

- Step 1: Enter your monthly household net income and existing obligations (e.g. other loans, alimony).
- Step 2: Set the maximum share of income that should go into the payment.
- Step 3: Enter equity, interest rate and initial repayment rate.
- Step 4: Select your federal state and whether an agent commission applies. Both determine the purchase costs deducted from the budget.

## Understanding the results

From income to purchase price in traceable steps:

- Maximum monthly payment: your income share for the financing minus existing obligations.
- Maximum loan: the payment scaled up via the annuity formula from interest plus repayment rate.
- Purchase costs: your state's transfer tax plus notary (1.0%), land register (0.5%) and, if applicable, the agent share (3.57%). They are paid out of the budget but create no equivalent value.
- Maximum purchase price: the total budget of loan plus equity, divided by 1 plus the purchase cost rate. This is the upper limit for your property search.

## Why conservative budget planning is crucial

The biggest danger in property financing is a budget calculated too tightly. If the payment is set at the upper limit, there is no buffer for rate rises at refinancing, maintenance, utility back-payments or income interruptions. So also check with a higher interest rate whether the payment stays affordable. Also often underestimated: purchase costs are roughly 5 to 11.6% of the purchase price depending on state and agent (transfer tax 3.5 to 6.5%, plus notary and land register and, if applicable, the agent share). These are sunk costs that should ideally be covered from equity. For buy-to-let investors there is one more point: rental income can increase the affordable payment. Each bank decides in its own household calculation how much of it to count.

## Practical Tips

- Cover at least the purchase costs from equity, as they create no equivalent value in the property.
- Stress-test the payment: does it remain affordable with a higher interest rate at refinancing?
- Beyond the loan payment there are running costs: building fees (Hausgeld), maintenance reserves and property tax also belong in the monthly budget.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What share of income may the loan payment take up?

The law sets no fixed percentage. For consumer real estate loans, the bank must thoroughly assess creditworthiness based on income, expenses and other financial circumstances (§505b(2) BGB). In the calculator you set the share yourself; existing obligations are deducted from it.

### How much equity do I need to buy property in Germany?

At least the purchase costs should come from equity. Depending on state and agent they are roughly 5 to 11.6% of the purchase price. Every euro of equity beyond that reduces the loan needed and thus the monthly payment.

### Why does my budget depend on the federal state?

The real estate transfer tax varies between 3.5% (Bavaria) and 6.5% (Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saarland, Schleswig-Holstein) depending on the state. With the same total budget, less remains for the actual purchase price in states with high transfer tax.

### Does rental income count towards my income?

For rented properties, rental income can be included in the household calculation. Each bank decides what share of the net cold rent it counts, so ask. In the calculator you can add the amount you expect to be counted to your household net income.