Germany

Officially the Federal Republic of Germany has a population of approximately 82 million and it is estimated that more than 90% are German with less than 10% making up other ethnic minorities. German is of course the national language but the German taught in schools is often quite different to the German used on a daily basis. Many different dialects have a strong influence. English is well understood and spoken and of course many Germans living in what was formally East Germany speak Russian.

Germany has an interesting mix of large industrial cities and small picture postcard towns, pagan harvest festivals and beer festivals. There are huge areas of forest and beautiful countryside. Well known for its fine wine and beer Germany has a wealth of art and culture. The famous German beer garden apparently dates back to the “Middle Ages” when brewers planted chestnut trees around their beer storage areas to provide shade for the beer. There are also some very old laws and well established processes in Germany concerning the production of beer.

The German cuisine can vary greatly from region to region. In the South there is Bavaria and Swabia where they share a culinary culture with Switzerland and Austria. Germans are traditionally big meat eaters enjoying pork, beef and poultry. Pork is the main type of meat consumed and often presented in almost unlimited forms and types of sausage. There are said to be over 1500 different types of sausage and every region in Germany has its own kind of sausage, or as it is called in Germany; Wurst.

Buying property in Germany is a very similar process to that in most other European countries using a notary (solicitor) to handle the final transaction and register the sale. The first step is to find your property and agree a price with the vendor. You should then appoint a solicitor to act for you in drawing up the sale documents and contracts. f course you will need to have your finances in order and funds available so maybe a good mortgage broker will be required to help arrange funding. The closing costs are typically 7% - 10% of the purchase price, and include:

• Transfer Tax
• Notary's Fee
• Estate Agent's fee
• Land Tax:

There may be some additional cost items depending upon the exact location.
It is interesting that in Germany more than 50% of the population opt to rent rather than buy.

Berlin, prior to the wall coming down, has a special status and residents enjoyed various state subsidies which effected rents and prices. The idea was to keep people in Berlin with subsidized housing. Since the wall has come down there has been a boom in Berlin as companies have been encouraged to build and invest and the Government has provided tax incentives.

Germany is an interesting country with a rich cultural history and today is considered one of the major global economic powers; a fascinating place to visit and live.