Protect Your Property Properly.
Buying real estate in Germany is one of the biggest financial commitments in life. Homeowner insurance, called Wohngebäudeversicherung, protects the building itself against major risks such as fire, storm, hail and tap water damage.
This service is mainly for owners of the entire building. Please do not send contracts, invoices, property documents or personal documents via WhatsApp first. A short overview is enough to start.
What is homeowner building insurance?
Homeowner insurance protects the physical building: walls, roof, floors, permanently installed parts and other insured building components. It is different from household contents insurance, which protects your furniture and personal belongings inside the property.
For property owners, cheap coverage can become very expensive.
Your building is usually one of your largest assets. The right policy should not only look affordable, but also respond properly when a serious claim happens.
Whole building or apartment? The difference matters.
Many expats confuse homeowner building insurance with household contents insurance or WEG building insurance. The right answer depends on what exactly you own.
You own a whole house
If you own a detached house, townhouse, duplex or entire building, you usually need your own Wohngebäudeversicherung.
- Detached house
- Townhouse
- Duplex or semi-detached property
- Entire rental building
You own an apartment
If you own one condominium apartment, building insurance is usually arranged by the WEG and paid through the service charges.
- Check the WEG insurance policy
- Check what is covered as common property
- Insure your own contents separately
- Check owner liability if needed
You buy an existing property
When buying an existing building, the seller’s building insurance can transfer to the buyer. After land registry transfer, a special cancellation right may apply.
- Check the existing policy early
- Review premium and coverage
- Use cancellation right if needed
- Avoid gaps during ownership transfer
Buying an existing building? Do not ignore the old policy.
In many cases, the existing building insurance transfers with the property. That can protect the building during the ownership change, but it also means you should review the policy immediately.
What you should check:
- Current annual premium
- Insured risks and exclusions
- Deductibles and coverage limits
- Elemental damage coverage
- Solar panels, garages and outbuildings
- Special cancellation period after land registry transfer
What homeowner insurance can cover.
Exact coverage depends on insurer and tariff. A strong policy should be selected based on the building type, construction, location, usage and value.
Fire and lightning
Fire, lightning, explosion and related damage are typical core parts of building insurance.
Storm and hail
Storm and hail damage to the roof, facade or other insured building parts can be covered.
Tap water damage
Burst pipes, frost damage or leaking tap water systems can create very expensive claims.
Elemental damage
Flooding, heavy rain, backwater, landslide, subsidence or snow pressure often require additional elemental damage coverage.
Solar systems and extras
Solar panels, heat pumps, garages, carports, garden sheds, fences or other structures should be checked separately.
Rebuilding value
The insured value should match realistic rebuilding costs. Underinsurance can become a serious problem after a major claim.
Why the cheapest policy is often not the smartest one.
Building insurance is not about saving a few euros per month. It is about making sure a serious claim does not put your home, investment or financing plan at risk.
- Claims handling quality matters
- Coverage wording matters
- Deductibles matter
- Exclusions matter
- Rebuilding value and indexation matter
- Natural hazard coverage matters
Typical coverage gaps we check for.
Many old contracts look fine until you read the exclusions, limits and missing add-ons.
- No elemental damage coverage
- Backwater damage not properly insured
- Solar system or heat pump not included
- Outbuildings, garages or fences unclear
- Old contract value does not fit current rebuilding costs
- High deductible or restrictive claims wording
Homeowner insurance vs household insurance vs landlord protection.
Property owners often need more than one type of protection. These products cover different risks.
| Insurance type | Protects | Typical use case |
|---|---|---|
| Homeowner building insurance | The building itself: walls, roof, permanently installed parts and insured structures. | For owners of a whole building, such as a house or entire rental building. |
| Household contents insurance | Furniture, electronics, clothing and personal belongings inside the home. | For tenants and owners who want to protect their belongings. |
| Landlord legal insurance | Legal disputes with tenants, depending on tariff and policy terms. | For landlords renting out property in Germany. |
| Homeowner liability | Liability risks related to owning property, depending on property usage. | Relevant especially for rented-out property, undeveloped land or multi-unit buildings. |
We check more than just the premium.
German Sherpa helps expats understand existing German insurance documents and compare suitable alternatives in plain English.
Our review focuses on:
- Property type and usage
- Current annual premium
- Coverage quality and exclusions
- Elemental damage protection
- Special building components
- Cancellation options and timing
How German Sherpa helps you protect your building.
We guide you from first check to suitable coverage without confusing German insurance jargon.
Ownership check
We clarify whether you own the entire building or only one apartment within a WEG.
Contract review
If you already have a policy, we review coverage, premium, invoice and key gaps.
Market comparison
We compare suitable alternatives based on building type, risks and coverage quality.
Setup support
If a change makes sense, we help you understand cancellation, application and next steps.
Clear, honest and independent — German Sherpa helps you protect what matters most.
For the first check, we only need basics.
- Property type: detached house, townhouse, duplex or full building
- Whether you already own it or are buying now
- Whether you own the full building or only an apartment
- Whether an existing policy is available
- Whether elemental damage coverage is included
- Your email address for next steps
Please do not send sensitive documents via WhatsApp first.
For the first overview, a short summary is enough. If we need your current homeowner insurance contract or annual invoice, we will tell you the next suitable step.
- No property purchase contract via WhatsApp first
- No land registry documents first
- No full address in the first message
- No bank statements or financing documents first
- No personal IDs or sensitive identification numbers first
Request your homeowner insurance check.
Own or buying a whole building in Germany? Send us a short overview and we will help you check whether your building is properly protected.
Clarity Starts With Structure.
We advise expats who live and work in Germany.
