Buyer's Guide
Your guide to buying property in Austria
Austria is one of the world’s most stable economies, and the third wealthiest nation in the EU. It has a very low crime rate and property values have steadily increased between 5% and 10% pa in recent years.
Austria has been a member of the EU since 1995 and has historically imposed a number of restrictions on foreign property buyers. Austria has nine independent provinces and the rules governing property investment vary between them. Thankfully, a number of legislative changes in the past 15 years have made investing in Austria a more viable option, creating fresh opportunities for overseas investors to enjoy the benefits of an Austrian lifestyle while earning a stable return.
The Hagan Lodge development is located in the province of Styria, where there are much fewer restrictions governing properties than elsewhere in Austria. Rest assured, the team at AlpenParks will be able to answer all of your questions and ensure a simple and smooth purchase of your own mountain chalet.
Costs of purchasing
The chalets at Hagan Lodge cost between €365,000 and €374,000 to purchase. A €1,000 reservation deposit is required to hold the property for 21 days. Completing the purchase will take between two and six weeks depending on whether you are taking out a mortgage or are paying in cash.
On average, the costs of purchasing a property in Austria amount to around 7.5% of the purchase price, and with AlpenParks, all these costs, which includes the costs of notaries, lawyers and taxes, are built into the sale price so there are no unexpected expenses.
Mortgages
The mortgage market in Austria is very stable as banks only lend up to 60% loan to value, usually over a period of 15 - 25 years. If you need a mortgage to buy your AlpenParks property, we can arrange this for you through our partnership with Austria's premier banks. You are also welcome to arrange a mortgage independently with your preferred bank if you choose. Average interest rates are currently around 3.5% (correct as of the 01/04/2009 - subject to change).
When you take out a mortgage in Austria you should expect to pay an additional 2% to 4% in mortgage fees. The additional 2% to 4% includes various admin and set-up fees which will be highlighted in all mortgage quotes supplied by the bank.
Please note: that although the cost of the furniture packages are included in many of the properties we sell, for mortgage purposes part of this cost must be deducted as banks will not lend on furniture. The cost of the furniture packages for apartments and chalets is usually anywhere between €15,000 and €20,000.
The Legal Process
According to Austrian law, the deed of sale must be signed by both the purchaser and the vendor in the presence of a notary, though both parties usually delegate this to a power of attorney.
The notary’s office will send you a copy of the deed of sale in German, together with a proper English translation, along with a power of attorney authorising the notary’s secretary to sign on your behalf (if you have already given approval that any outstanding issues have been adequately resolved). You must take the power of attorney to a notary public in your home country to have your signature witnessed, before the notary public sends this on to the foreign office.
If you’d prefer to hop on a plane and sign in person instead, you can always do that as it is much more fun!
Taxes
The housing market in Austria has been subject to a number of controls in order to keep house prices within reach of locals, especially in the tourist areas. For example, a Capital Gains Tax of 50% applies if you sell your property for a profit within ten years of purchasing. The tax is waived after this time and is designed to encourage long-term community investment.
The previously low inheritance tax of only 4% has since been reduced to zero for next-of-kin and relatives. VAT of 10% must be paid on all rental income, and will be reclaimed each quarter upon the filing of the owners’ accounts by our official accounting partner Prodinger GFB & Partner. There are no taxes on assets in Austria, except the property tax. In this instance the property tax will range from €70 to €100 so it is comparatively small.
There are a number of ways to reduce the tax you pay on your rental income. Any interest you pay on your mortgage can be written off against rental income; you can write off 10% of the costs of your furniture package as depreciation against your rental income; and in Austria, there is a €10,000 income tax exemption per person. Earnings above that will be taxed at 38.33% (up to €25,000 income). Because the tax exemption is for individuals, if two people purchase a property together, there is a tax free allowance of up to €20,000.
Keeping your accounting simple
AlpenParks will organise for all of your accounting to be done by Prodinger GFB & Partner on a quarterly basis. We are committed to ensuring that purchasing a property in Austria is simple and cost-effective, and we would be happy to provide you with more detailed information about any of the issues outlined above. We can also connect you with an in-house English speaking accountant who will appraise your circumstances free of charge.
