Wohnungssuche und Immobilien
German House and Apartment Glossary
Finding A Place to Live and Real Estate
An annotated German-English Glossary
Part of Lektion 18 - Haus und Hof (German for Beginners)
ADS • HOUSE HUNTING • WOHNUNGSSUCHE • REAL ESTATE
IMMOBILIEN • FLOOR PLAN • GRUNDRISS • BROKERS
MAKLER • MORTGAGE • HYPOTHEKE
Also see: Rooms of a House
A-L | M-Z | Abbreviations
> English-German version of this glossary
Real Estate & Housing Glossary German-English
A
ab sofort available immediately
die Absprache arrangement, agreement
nach Absprache by arrangement
der Abstellraum storage space/room
Abkürzungen (Abbreviations)
A German-English list of common abbreviations found in German real estate ads.
der Altbau older building
das Anderkonto escrow (account)
Geld auf ein Anderkonto legen to put money in escrow
das Angebot (-e) offer
die Anliegerwohnung adjacent apartment/flat, flat next to a house or apartment building, above-garage apartment
die Einliegerwohnung apartment/flat inside a house, granny flat
der Ansprechpartner contact person
die Anzahl number (of)
Anzahl Schlafzimmer number of bedrooms
die Anzahlung down payment
das Apartment/Appartement studio apartment/flat, bedsit
das Atelier studio (apartment)
der Aufzug elevator
Kultur: Don't be surprised if your German apartment house has no Aufzug, even if your apartment is on the 5th or 6th floor! Older German apartment complexes of six floors or less are likely to have no elevator.
der Autobahnanschluss (easy) access to autobahn
die Aussicht view
herrliche Aussicht great view
B
das Bad (Bäder) bath(s)
das Badezimmer (-) bathroom(s)
der Balkon balcony
barrierefrei handicapped access
barrierefreies Wohnen designed for disabled living
das Baujahr year of construction
das Bett (-en) bed
brutto gross, before expenses
netto net, after expenses
Ein gefliestes Bad.
Foto © H. Flippo
C
circa, zirka approximately, about
D
die Dämmung insulation
die Diele (-n) entry hall; floorboard, wood floor
die Dielung wood paneling
die Doppelgarage 2-car garage
die Dusche shower
Learn more about house and home
vocabulary in Lektion 18 of our free
German for Beginners course.
E
das Eigenheim private residence/home; one's own home
die Eigentumswohnung condo, condominium
der Eigentümer owner, property owner
Einbau- built-in (prefix)
die Einbaugarderobe built-in closet
die Einbauküche (EBK) built-in kitchen
die Einbauschränke built-in cabinets
das Einfamilienhaus (EFH) single-family dwelling/house
der Eingang entrance, entry
eigener Eingang separate entrance
die Einliegerwohnung apartment/flat inside a house, granny flat, in-law apartment
die Einzimmerwohnung one-room apartment
das Erdgeschoss ground floor
die Etage floor (story)
die Etagenwohnung apartment occupying an entire floor
in der vierten Etage on the 4th floor
Kultur: If you're American, when dealing with German or European floors, remember that an American second floor is the first in Germany - and so on. Same thing applies to elevator buttons! ("E" is the ground floor - das Erdgeschoss, or sometime "P" for French Parterre).
der Euro (-) euro (€)
200 € warm 200 euro incl. heat
300 € +NK 300 euro + utilities
German Real Estate
Ad Abbreviations
F
das Ferienhaus vacation home
die Ferienwohnung vacation apartment, holiday flat
der Festpreis fixed/firm price
die Fliese (-n) floor tile
der Flur hall, hallway
frei available, vacant
frei ab... available as of...
frei ab sofort available immediately
das Freizeitzentrum recreation room, activity room
der Fußboden floor, flooring
der Parkettfußboden wood floors, parquet
der Fußbodenbelag flooring, floor covering
Learn more about floors and levels
in Lektion 17 of our free
German for Beginners course.
G
die Garage garage
die Doppelgarage 2-car garage
die Gardine (-n) window curtain, lace curtain
der Garten garden, yard
das Gäste-WC guest toilet, restroom
gefliest tiled
gepflegt well cared for, in good shape
die Grundfläche floor area
der Grundriss floor plan
das Grundstück land, property
die Größe size, sq. footage
H
das Haus (Häuser) house
NOTE: das Haus can also mean "building"
Haus und Hof house and home (also the name of Lektion 18 of German for Beginners)
Rooms of a House
German for the rooms found in the typical house or apartment.
die Haustiere pets
keine Haustiere no pets
die Heizung heat, heating
die Elektroheizung electric heat
die Etagenheizung heat for a full floor
die Fußbodenheizung floor heat
die Gasheizung gas heat
die Nachtspeicherheizung night storage heat
die Ölheizung oil heat
die Zentralheizung central heat
die Hypotheke mortgage
I
die Immobilie property, house, piece of real estate
die Immobilien real estate
isoliert insulated
die Isolierung insulation
die Isolierverglasung insulated glass, windows
J
jährlich annually, yearly
die Jahresmiete annual rent, lease
K
der Kabelanschluss cable TV (hook-up)
der Kacheloffen tiled stove
kalt cold (rent not including heat)
die Kaltmiete rent not including heat
Kultur: German apartments are rented kalt (no heat & utilities) or warm (with heat & utilities). When comparing prices, be sure you are aware of this difference.
der Kataster land register/registry
das Katasteramt land registry office
die Kaution (KT) deposit
der Keller basement, cellar
der Kellerraum basement room
die Kinder children
kinderfreundlich, familenfreundlich children welcome, kids OK
der Kinderspielplatz children's playground
Kultur: Be aware that some German apartments are sold "bare" - with no light fixtures or even the proverbial kitchen sink! Read your Kaufvertrag (sales contract) carefully to avoid having to wash the dishes in the bathroom by candlelight after you move in to your new apartment.
der Kleiderschrank (-schränke) (clothes) closet, wardrobe
Kultur: German houses and apartments rarely have built-in closets (Einbaugarderobe). They are usually free-standing pieces of furniture that must be bought, just as a bed or any other furniture.
die Kleinanzeige (-n) classified ad
See: Abkürzungen (Abbreviations)
A German-English list of common abbreviations found in German real estate ads.
die Kochnische kitchenette
die Küche (-n) kitchen
L
die Lage location
ruhige Lage quiet location
zentrale Lage central location
NEXT > M-Z | Abbreviations
> English-German version of this glossary
WEB > Glossar Deutsch-Englisch des Planungs- und Baurechts - Terms for building permits and architectural planning
WEB > HEV Schweiz Immobilien-Lexikon (all-German)
WEB > LBS Immobilien-Lexikon (all-German)
Got a new word? Email me to add new words or ask a question.
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