Preparing to Buy a House in Luxembourg: A Pre-Signing Checklist

Direct answer

Before you sign, your file should answer six questions in writing:

1. What exactly are you buying, including the cadastral parcel and included fixtures?
2. Is your financing condition precise enough to protect you if the stated loan cannot be obtained?
3. What do the official parcel, planning and flood layers show, and what still needs confirmation?
4. What defects or near-term works did an independent inspection identify?
5. Is the CPE valid, available and consistent with what you observed?
6. What will you pay at the deed after taxes, fees and any confirmed Bëllegen Akt credit?

Do not leave a material uncertainty for “after the compromis”. Guichet’s sales-agreement guidance explains that a sales agreement is final and binding once signed, subject to the conditions written into it.

How the checks work — and what this changes for you

These checks belong before signature because the compromis is generally the commitment point. A precise financing condition can protect against a defined lending failure, while a vague assumption cannot. A parcel or permit concern can change the intended use, and a material inspection finding can change the repair budget. The CPE informs energy questions but does not replace a building inspection; therefore the two documents answer different risks.

As a result, the outcome is a go, renegotiate, add-a-condition or stop decision. For example, a material inspection finding can lead to a written repair allowance or a decision to stop, which means each uncertainty ends with evidence, a contract clause, a priced allowance or a conscious decision not to proceed.

1. Set your conditions before making an offer

Start with a maximum all-in budget, not only the advertised price. Include the cash contribution, lender-confirmed borrowing capacity, deed costs, immediate repairs and a reserve for defects that are not yet visible. ChatHome’s mortgage tools can help you test scenarios, but a calculator is not a bank approval.

Write down every condition that would change your decision. Typical examples are obtaining a specified loan, receiving and reviewing missing permits, resolving a material inspection finding, or confirming that an intended use is allowed. Ask the notary or legal adviser to turn necessary protections into clear contract wording with realistic deadlines and evidence requirements.

Do not assume that an email promise, an advertisement or an oral reassurance will protect you. Treat every seller or agent statement as unverified until the relevant document or contract clause supports it.

2. Build one evidence file for the property

Ask for the property’s cadastral reference and collect the documents that matter to the house, including:

• the valid CPE and any improvement recommendations attached to it;
• plans and available permissions for extensions, conversions or major works;
• invoices, warranties and maintenance records for the roof, heating, electrical system and significant renovations;
• a written list of fixtures and equipment included in the sale;
• any known easements, shared access, boundary questions or rights affecting the parcel;
• the proposed occupancy, key-handover and completion dates.

The list is a due-diligence request, not a claim that every seller must hold every document. Missing evidence is itself a decision input: resolve it with the seller, commune, notary or an appropriate expert before accepting the risk.

3. Inspect the house independently

A viewing is not a technical inspection. Look for signs of roof or façade deterioration, moisture, drainage problems, cracking, ageing electrical installations, heating condition, ventilation and water ingress. For an older, altered or visibly defective house, consider an independent architect, engineer or building expert before signing.

Ask the inspector to separate observations into urgent safety or water risks, work likely within the first few years, and matters that need a specialist test. Obtain written scopes or quotations where a finding could materially affect the budget.

The CPE complements this work but does not replace it. It describes energy performance; it does not certify the structure, wiring, plumbing or absence of hidden defects.

4. Screen the parcel and surroundings on Geoportail

The official Geoportail parcel guide explains how to locate a cadastral parcel by address or parcel identifier and inspect its attributes. Record the parcel number and compare the mapped outline with the property visited. An official cadastral extract can be ordered when needed.

Then use the official Geoportail map catalogue to screen relevant themes, including general land-use-plan maps and water maps covering rivers, flood zones and risks. Save the layer name, date and link or screenshot used for the review.

A map screen is a warning system, not a legal opinion, boundary survey or guarantee that work is permitted. Confirm any material planning, flood, access or boundary issue with the commune, notary and, where appropriate, a surveyor or other qualified professional.

5. Read the CPE as a decision document

Guichet’s energy performance certificate guidance says that a CPE is generally required when ownership changes if no valid certificate already exists, subject to listed exceptions. A prospective buyer must be able to consult it, and the original is handed to the new owner.

For an existing residential building, check:

• the certificate’s issue and expiry dates; Guichet states that a CPE is valid for 10 years;
• the energy-efficiency, thermal-insulation and environmental or CO2 classes;
• the improvement recommendations;
• whether extensions or renovations occurred after the certificate was prepared;
• whether the heating, ventilation and insulation observed are consistent with the document.

If the CPE is missing, past its printed validity date or appears inconsistent, ask for clarification before signing. Use its recommendations to frame follow-up questions and works estimates, not as a promise of future bills or renovation cost.

6. Treat the compromis as the binding point

Guichet states that the compromis de vente constitutes the sale and is final and binding for both parties. Its guidance identifies the parties, cadastral description, agreed price and payment terms as core contents. It also explains that suspensive conditions—such as obtaining a bank loan—can make the sale conditional on a defined event.

Before signing, check that the document accurately states the buyer and seller identities, the house and parcel, the price and payment mechanics, any financing condition, included fixtures, possession timing, and the handling of unresolved permit or inspection issues.

Guichet also explains that the notary checks matters including the seller’s ownership and mortgages, easements or other charges. Give the chosen notary enough time to review the property and proposed terms. Do not sign on the assumption that an essential clause can simply be added later.

7. Budget the deed and verify Bëllegen Akt

As of 10 August 2026, Guichet’s current Bëllegen Akt guidance states that the standard purchase taxes are 6% registration duty plus 1% transcription duty. It states a tax credit of up to €40,000 per buyer for a qualifying personal main residence, while at least €100 in registration duty remains payable.

The credit is not an automatic discount to subtract from every advertised price. Eligibility, the buyer’s remaining balance and the deed structure matter. Guichet says the request is made through the notary when the deed is signed. It also states occupancy deadlines and a minimum period of personal occupation, with different timing for a building plot or property under construction.

Ask the notary immediately before signing for a property-specific written estimate of duties, confirmation of each buyer’s current eligibility and remaining balance, other deed and financing costs, and the occupancy obligations that apply. Rules and personal balances can change, so use the current official page and notary confirmation rather than an old article.

8. Make a final go/no-go decision

Proceed only when each material answer is either verified or consciously priced into the decision.

When the file is complete, compare suitable houses for sale on documented characteristics rather than one headline €/m² number. A lender or qualified valuer can provide property-specific comparable evidence when valuation uncertainty is material. The wider financial-tools hub can help structure scenarios without replacing professional advice.