House Viewing Checklist – Check existing and older homes in Germany with a traffic-light system | PDF, fillable & Excel

Basement to roof in 76 checkpoints: tick, take notes, link photos and see at once where you need professionals.

Viewing a used house in Germany and don't want to miss anything important? Time is short, the agent keeps talking, and afterwards you no longer remember how the basement smelled. With this checklist you go through the house area by area, record what you notice and rate each point with a simple traffic light.

How the traffic light works

• 🟢 ok: looks fine or is normal wear for the age of the house

• 🟡 watch: noticeable but not clear-cut – ask, take photos, look more closely at the second viewing

• 🔴 expert: possibly serious or cause unclear – have it assessed by professionals before buying

What makes this checklist different

• ✅ Traffic light, sources, Excel: 76 checkpoints with traffic-light rating, notes on hazardous substances and the German GModG with source references, plus a spreadsheet for evaluation.

• ✅ Written for non-experts: every checkpoint briefly says what to look for. No prior knowledge needed.

• ✅ Honest, not alarmist: every area ends with "Call in professionals if …", so you see clearly where your own assessment ends.

• ✅ Made for older buildings and northern Germany: clinker facades, salt efflorescence, damp basements, backflow, timber beams and roof structures are covered in detail.

• ✅ With safety rules: the checklist only guides you to look and document. For mould, suspected hazardous substances or structural damage: spot it, document it, call in professionals.

• ✅ Work the way you like: printed with a pen, as a fillable PDF on your tablet or as a spreadsheet in Excel / Google Sheets.

What's included (15 A4 pages)

• 📋 Cover with property details and table of contents

• 📘 Instructions: traffic light explained, safety rules, tips for linking photos

• 🎒 Preparation: what to clarify beforehand and what to bring

• 🏡 8 areas with 76 checkpoints, each with traffic light, note and photo no. column:

A Surroundings & plot · B Facade & roof (from outside) · C Basement & damp · D Living spaces · E Windows & doors · F Bathroom & kitchen · G Building services (heating, electrics, water) · H Attic & timber

• 📂 I Documents from the seller: 15 documents with status "available / requested / missing" – German document names with short explanations

• ❓ J 12 questions for the seller or agent with space for the answers

• 🧭 Summary & overall assessment: traffic light per area, the 3 most important open points, next steps

• ⚖️ Duties after purchase: general overview based on German sources with the note "check the current law"

• 📷 Photo log

Delivery (instant download, ZIP)

• House_Viewing_Checklist_Print.pdf: for printing

• House_Viewing_Checklist_Fillable.pdf: with form fields and tick boxes for filling in on a tablet or PC

• House_Viewing_Checklist.xlsx: spreadsheet version with drop-down list and automatic summary (Excel, LibreOffice, Google Sheets)

• House_Viewing_Checklist_DEMO_Example.pdf: completed example with entirely fictitious data

• Quick_Start_Guide.pdf

Requirements: an A4 printer or a PDF app with form support, e.g. the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. For the spreadsheet: Excel, LibreOffice or a free Google account.

Please note: This is a digital product; nothing is shipped. General information only; it does not replace an expert survey (Gutachten) and is not legal advice. The checklist helps you spot and document warning signs. It cannot rule out hidden defects and says nothing certain about causes or costs. German legal duties may change, so please check the current law. Legal sections are translated by meaning; the German version is authoritative. Licence for personal use only: printing for your own viewings is allowed, passing on and reselling are not. Some preview images show fictitious example data. © 2026 Vorlagen Studio – alle Rechte vorbehalten.

Right of withdrawal: for digital content the right of withdrawal expires early under § 356 Abs. 6 Nr. 2 BGB once the download starts with your express consent and acknowledgement; details in the shop's withdrawal policy (Widerrufsbelehrung).

Hinweis zur Umsatzsteuer: Gemäß § 19 UStG wird keine Umsatzsteuer berechnet (Kleinunternehmerregelung).

(VAT note: In accordance with § 19 UStG (German VAT Act), no VAT is charged – small business regulation.)