Guide · Reading listings
How to read a Danish property listing
A Danish property listing is short, but almost every number in it needs explaining. The price is shown in several ways. This guide explains what each figure means, which ones matter for a buyer from abroad, and what to check before you spend more time on a home.
Seven things
To check in every listing
Two numbers
The cash price and the ownership cost
In plain English
Danish terms explained
What a Danish listing really tells you
The listing (the salgsopstilling) is based on what Danish rules require an estate agent to put in it. Read it closely, because the figures are easy to misunderstand. If you are not sure you are allowed to buy in the first place, start with our guide on how to buy a home in Denmark from abroad.
The short version: the two numbers you can rely on are the cash price and the ownership cost. The down payment and the monthly payments depend on how you finance the purchase, and the listing assumes a Danish mortgage.
The cash price (kontantpris)
The price in the headline is the estimated cash price, called the udbudspris. It is what the seller hopes to get. It is not a final price, and the home can sell for more or for less.
Further down, the listing shows the official property valuation (offentlig vurdering) and the year it was made. The valuation is set by the tax authorities for tax purposes. It is not a market price, but it is a useful second number to compare with the cash price.
The down payment (udbetaling)
The down payment is the cash you pay at the start. The listing calculates it from a standard financing proposal: a mortgage from a mortgage bank plus a bank loan for the rest. The standard financing in the listing assumes a down payment of 5% of the cash price. In practice you transfer part of the price to the estate agent about 6-8 days after you sign, and the purchase costs come on top.
This is where buyers from abroad go wrong. The figure assumes that you can get a Danish mortgage. If you live outside Denmark, you cannot open a Danish bank account, so the standard proposal does not describe your situation. You finance the purchase yourself, from your own money or a loan from your current bank.
Start from the cash price. Use it as your starting point, not the down payment.
The gross and net payment (brutto og netto ydelse)
These two figures show roughly how much the monthly cost of a standard financing will be, per month and per year. You can use them to estimate your monthly financing payment when buying the house.
- Gross payment (brutto) is the payment on the loan with no deductions: interest, repayment and fees.
- Net payment (netto) is the same payment after the tax deduction for interest, calculated with the tax rate of the municipality.
The net figure only helps if you pay Danish income tax and can use the deduction. If you do not, the gross figure is closer to reality.
The ownership cost (ejerudgift)
The ownership cost is the fixed cost of owning the home, shown per month and per year. It includes property value tax (ejendomsværdiskat), land tax (grundskyld), mandatory house insurance, waste collection, pest control and chimney sweeping.
It does not include electricity, heating or water. The listing shows an estimate of the heating cost, taken from the energy label or from the seller’s own use over the last year.
The monthly ownership cost also does not include maintenance, which is a real cost on an older house. Add it to your budget yourself.
The facts about the property
The listing shows the facts from the building register (BBR). These give you the size of the house as measured on the outside walls. You will also be informed about the build year, the current use, etc.
The energy label and the running cost
The energy label (energimærke) runs from A2020 (best) to G (worst). It gives you an estimate of how much energy the home needs for heating and hot water, given its insulation, windows and heating system. A poor label means higher heating bills and often a renovation to come.
The documents behind the listing
The listing is a summary. The detail is found in the property documents. I will analyse all the documents as part of my legal review of the deal. If I find any irregularities, we have the possibility to correct these before the deal is legally binding for you.
Frequently asked questions
What does kontantpris mean?
It is the estimated cash price of the home, the price the seller asks. It is also called the udbudspris. It is not the final price.
Is the net payment (netto ydelse) what I will pay each month?
Not necessarily. It is the monthly cost of a standard Danish loan after the tax deduction for interest. If you do not have a Danish loan or pay Danish tax, it will not match your own cost.
Why is my total cost higher than the price?
Because the price does not include the costs of buying: registration of the deed, advice, your share of the ownership transfer insurance and moving. After you move in there are also running costs such as heating, electricity, water and maintenance.
Can I trust the area stated in the listing?
The listing uses the area registered in the building register (BBR). It is a good starting point, but it can differ from the area you would measure. I check it against the other documents for each home.
Do I need to read Danish to understand a listing?
No. The listings and reports are in Danish, but you do not need to read them yourself. I read them for you and explain what matters.
Contact
Not sure where to start?
Tell me where you live, where in Denmark you want to buy, and roughly what you have in mind. I will reply personally and tell you what I would do next.