'A no-brainer': How one international family bought their dream home in Germany

When Renato Rocha Pinto and his wife welcomed their son to the world last summer, they realised they had outgrown their Munich apartment.

But when the Brazilian couple looked at the rising costs of renting a bigger home in the Munich area, they were shocked.

"It became very clear to us that, as the rental prices in Munich are extremely high, it would make more sense to buy a property,” he says. "It became a no-brainer for us."

When the couple set eyes on a property in the Langenpettenbach area, around 46 kilometres north of Munich, they fell in love. With four bedrooms, a garden and garage, the newbuild was the perfect spot to settle in with their baby. 

However, finding the property was only part of the challenge.

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Getting to grips with Germany's complex system

For foreigners, getting to grips with Germany’s home-buying process is notoriously difficult – from understanding land transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer) to factoring in notary and registration costs. Financing is typically secured before contracts are signed, and everything is handled in German.

Renato, a 43-year-old chief executive of a media management company, is a long-term resident of Germany with knowledge of the language. But even with his experience, he knew it would be tricky.  

The father-of-two enlisted the help of Baufi24, one of Germany’s leading mortgage brokers, to move the process forward.

"Even though I've been here for more than 10 years, the German language can be quite of a challenge, especially in specific terms," says Renato, explaining why the couple chose to partner with the mortgage specialists. "All the contracts and everything that I signed were in German."

Working with a Baufi24 consultant meant having access to dedicated advisor who could help translate documents and explain each step clearly. Renato says his advisor, Robert, was always on hand to take care of details.

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"Robert was very helpful in, of course, reviewing paperwork as part of his job, but whenever I had a specific question or was unsure, he would kindly answer me in easy-to-understand English," Renato says.

"And, of course, he also intermediated pretty much all the paperwork with the broker, with the bank, with the notary. He carried us through the process."

From pre-approval to move-in day 

The timeline moved quickly. After partnering with Baufi24 at the end of January, the couple secured a financing pre-approval certificate (Finanzierungszertifikat) for the property soon after – a key step in Germany signalling to sellers that buyers are financially vetted.

By February, they had signed the purchase contract (Kaufvertrag) with a notary. By mid-March, they had the keys.

The property cost €795,000, with the family contributing around 12 percent of the total, including seven percent equity – a fairly typical structure in Germany where buyers must also cover taxes and fees upfront. The couple also secured a favourable interest rate. At the end of March, they moved in. 

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"It’s incredible," Renato says. "Of course there are still some boxes to unbox, some pictures and frames to hang, but it feels like home, it feels like we've been living here forever."

Despite the daunting reputation of Germany’s property market, Renato says the process itself was largely smooth and the numbers made sense too. The bank valued the property at €850,000 – well above the purchase price – while the deal came with extras including a kitchen and photovoltaic system.

Of course, there were moments of uncertainty along the way. When the bank took two weeks to release funds, for instance, Renato began to get anxious.

"I felt a bit uneasy," says Renato. "But Robert was there to calm me down, to intermediate conversations with the bank. So it was great. Whenever I needed anything, Robert was there to help me."

The notary appointment – conducted entirely in German as required by law – was another step that might have felt overwhelming without support. For Renato, it passed without any surprises. 

"I see the same challenge come up again and again with expat clients: navigating the German property market feels incredibly daunting at first," says Robert, senior mortgage advisor at Baufi24.

"Many of my clients have tried approaching banks individually. Making things less complicated and providing clients with exactly the kind of mortgage they need – that's exactly why coming to a specialist broker like us makes so much sense."

'I regret not buying earlier'

Buying a home made sense for the family even without a fixed long-term plan. Like many internationals, the couple may eventually leave Germany. But Renato sees property ownership as a way to build security while keeping options open, particularly in a market where demand remains strong.

"I think that if you're a foreigner and you have the means to afford it, you should buy," he says. "But if you don't have full control of the German language, you need to find partners that can assist you. There are very good people out there to help."

"What we do is compare hundreds of offers across our network of around 500 lenders simultaneously, at no cost," says senior mortgage advisor Robert.

"But beyond the numbers, what I think really sets Baufi24 apart is that we genuinely understand expat situations.

"My clients often come with excellent salaries and qualifications that German banks absolutely value, they just don't always know how to present their profile in the right way to the right lender. That's where I come in."

It's advice Renato wishes he'd found sooner.

"I just regret not starting this earlier," he says.