Expats who want to buy a house often do not know where to go to find their ideal property. However, the process of finding a home in Austria is similar to that in many other countries.
There are several options for finding homes for sale in Austria, some of which are outlined below.
There are many websites specialising in the sale of property, from those belonging to real estate agencies, to eBay or even Craigslist. An Internet search is useful not only for finding properties, but also for learning more about prices in the area where you're about to buy.
When searching for a property online, it's best to use an Austrian search engine, as it's more likely o display relevant websites from the country. Websites from Austria end in '.at '.
Many sellers choose to use the classifieds if they don't want to sell through a realtor, allowing buyers to escape the real estate agency fee. As in many other countries, the classifieds section of national and local newspapers are getting replaced by online classifieds, which get updated continuously.
If you've already made some contacts in Austria, it's worth asking them if they know of any homes for sale. This could give you the chance to be the first to find out about a property that is soon to go to market. Those looking to sell a house will sometimes try to do so via word of mouth first, before they look for a realtor.
In Austria, real estate agencies charge a commission of three per cent of the property's price. Estate agents are one of the most convenient ways to find a property in Austria. They are familiar with the Austrian property market and can help you navigate through all the rules and regulations surrounding the property purchase.