Here you’ll find our top tips and tricks for renting or buying the ideal home for your family in Luxembourg. Quickly find the ideal apartment or house to help the whole family settle in.
Our advice for an efficient housing search in Luxembourg
Define your search criteria to match your family’s needs
Looking for a house or an apartment to buy or to rent is not something you can improvise. Work with all members of the household to determine their individual needs.
Note the features of the property itself
- number of people in the family, need for separate rooms or not => number of rooms required
- habits and rhythms of each family member, especially in the morning before going to work or school =>number of bathrooms or showers
- Whether or not you need a separate toilet. In Luxembourg, toilets are often installed in bathrooms.
- Shared family living space, TV or gaming area,
- Open kitchen or not,
- Office or extra room if one of the family members telecommutes,
- Garden, terrace,
- Garage,..
Determine your ideal living environment
Specify the environment in which you want to live, according to the lifestyle and needs or desires of each family member.
- urban or rural environment,
- proximity to public transportation,
- close to shopping and leisure facilities, restaurants and cinemas,
- proximity to schools, workplaces, etc. See the neighborhoods where to live in Luxembourg-City
Write down all your criteria, and don’t hesitate to rework them as you go along. Rank them in order of importance. Is it negotiable or uncompromising?
Refer to this list every time you visit a property. This will avoid missing a major criterion for family well-being.
Set your search budget in line with the market
Once all the above criteria have been determined and rated, check how they match up with the offers on the market. This will give you an idea of how much you need to spend to find your ideal property in Luxembourg.
You can use real estate portals to determine the price range by searching for homes that meet your criteria. You can also use our information on the Luxembourg property market and the latest trends in property prices in Luxembourg.
Define your average and maximum budget. Be sure to factor in additional costs, especially when buying a property. Note that renting a property also requires certain additional costs over and above the monthly rent.
Be proactive in your property search
Create alerts on real estate portals
Stay alert on properties for sale or rent. Create alerts on market offers via real estate portals. Check that your pre-defined budget allows you to purchase your ideal home. If not, review your criteria or your budget if possible.
Contact real estate agencies
Don’t hesitate to contact the real estate agencies (see below) in charge of the properties you like. You will make yourself known and inform them that you are looking for the same type of property. They will put you in their file and will be more likely to contact you if they know you are a potential buyer.
More and more sales and rentals in Luxembourg are made off-market. When agents receive a mandate to rent or sell a property, they contact the people in their customer database directly. Only low-quality properties are advertised on real estate portals or in real estate ads.
Put word-of-mouth to work
Traditional or virtual word-of-mouth, don ‘t hesitate to let people know you are looking for an apartment or a house. Luxembourg is a small world, and it’s not uncommon to network. Don’t have any local contacts? Social networks can help. A number of real estate groups exist for exchanges between expats and individuals, notably on Facebook.
Get support from real estate professionals
The best way to find a home is through real estate intermediaries. They know the market. These real estate professionals can help you refine your search and determine your criteria. They will be able to advise you on the different districts of Luxembourg or communes corresponding to your search criteria. They will advise you on the properties that match your budget.
Real estate hunters
By entrusting your search to a property hunter, you can delegate the initial research work and the first prospecting visits. He will keep you informed of the progress of his research. You can refine your search as you go along, until you find the ideal home for you and your family.
Research mandates
To ensure you get the best possible service, you’ll probably be asked to sign an exclusive search mandate for a period of 1 or 3 months. Each mandate is specific and determines the expected performance. The remuneration of the services of the real estate hunter will be calculated either in percentage on the amount of the sale or the price of the rent, or in fixed commission. This will be paid after the service is completed.
Relocation agencies can also help you with the administrative procedures involved in signing the lease or the deed of purchase at the notary’s office.
Prepare your file
If you’re planning to buy a home, check with banks and financial institutions to make sure your budget is in order. This way, you will know from the start how much you can spend on your purchase. You’ll also get a head start on other potential buyers by making a realistic offer to purchase quickly.
If you arerenting, put together your file by assembling the various documents requested: pay slips, proof of income, work contract, rent receipts, identity papers, deposit if necessary, etc. Remember to scan them, so you can send them quickly to complete your file. Your request will be forwarded more quickly to the owner if you go through an intermediary. In addition, your seriousness will be an important asset in front of other potential tenants.
You will be sure not to miss the property of your dreams. In Luxembourg, you have to know how to be reactive and not hesitate to position yourself quickly on a property you like. Beautiful products go quickly.
Visit like a real estate professional
Real estate intermediaries in Luxembourg
Real estate agencies
There are many real estate agencies in Luxembourg. Whether international networks, local agencies or independents, estate agents are the first point of contact between landlords and potential tenants or buyers.
Consult several agencies to find your real estate partner
For your housing search in Luxembourg, do not hesitate to consult several real estate agencies. You will be able to find the partner you trust and who is sensitive to your wishes. In fact, it’s important that the agency is familiar with your family’s needs, whether you’re looking to buy a property or rent a home.
Make an appointment in advance
We also recommend that you make an appointment in advance. This will give you time to explain to your real estate provider what you are looking for. By going directly to an agency, you risk not being able to visit anything at the time. Agencies do not necessarily have the keys.
If you are still in your home country, you can also do this interview by phone.
Some real estate agencies are specially recommended by the Chambre Immobilière du Grand-Duché Luxembourg. This label guarantees a quality service and protects you from potential scams. Indeed, these partner agencies have signed the code of ethics included in the Quality Charter of the ASBL “CIGDL”, established for over 40 years in the country.
Define your search criteria
Define with your real estate agent the search criteria for your purchase or your rental: area sought, available budget, time, number of rooms, … As a result, real estate agents will be able to find the ideal home for you. Less time wasted for you and for the agency that will know what you are looking for.
In this way, the agency will be able to make an initial selection of properties to visit and draw up a viewing schedule according to your wishes. They will inform you of the properties that match your requirements and show you the selected properties.
Identify all project contours
If you are looking for a property to rent, you will have to pay an agency feeexcluding charges. This fee generally amounts to one month’s rent, excluding taxes. They include research, visits, drafting the lease and administrative follow-up.
Whether you are buying or renting, we advise you to make an inventory of fixtures at the beginning and end of your stay in case of renting, or at the time of the signature of the compromise in case of purchase. The real estate agency will take care of this inventory of fixtures. This is often included in the agency fees charged. Remember to ask about it!
The agencies will also be able to provide you with information on the housing subsidies to which you may be entitled as a future owner or tenant.
Relocation agencies
Expatriation issues
Are you planning to move to Luxembourg soon? In order for this expatriation not to turn into a nightmare, do not hesitate to call upon a relocation agency.
Leaving your home country and moving your whole family to a new country is no easy task, which is why it’s important tobe in contact with someone who knows the country and the issues involved in expatriation . Relocation agents are often expatriates in Luxembourg themselves. They were once in the same situation.
Finding a home to buy or rent, completing the administrative procedures, all this is sometimes quite complicated. A relocation agency will be able to accompany you in all these steps to ensure a smooth landing.
Especially when there’s a change of language and culture , a local actor who has been living in Luxemborug for years will be able to give you the best advice.
Relocation agency services for a soft landing
Relocation agencies provide a comprehensive service in return for a fee. They are your privileged interlocutor to help you in your search for a rental accommodation. They can also assist you in all your administrative procedures for impatriation to the Grand Duchy.
Relocation agencies will help you settle in Luxembourg. They provide a personalized, professional service. They will help you with your mobility project: looking for a place to live, taking care of administrative formalities, choosing a school or a nursery for your children, installing the telephone, connecting water, gas, electricity, etc.
Specialized websites and real estate portals
One of the best ways to familiarize yourself with the real estate market
Consulting the Luxembourg real estate portals remains one of the best ways to know the Luxembourg real estate market, even from a distance.
Are you planning to come and live in Luxembourg? Are you looking for a house or apartment to buy or rent in the Grand Duchy? From the very start of your expatriation project to Luxembourg, consult the specialized real estate websites. From your current residence, you can determine your initial search criteria: purchase/rental, house/apartment, number of bedrooms, location, garden, etc., and of course your budget.
Create alerts to receive notifications
By creating e-mail alerts and push notifications on real estate portals, users are notified in real time of properties matching their search criteria. They can thus, in a few clicks, contact directly the agencies or the owners.
Thanks to real estate portals, you can make an initial selection before visiting the selected properties , and find the property of your dreams to suit your needs and desires.
Which real estate portals to consult in Luxembourg?
Below are the main real estate portals to help you in your search for a home to buy or rent:
AtHome.lu, No. 1 in real estate in Luxembourg and the Greater Region
The real estate portal atHome.lu is a must in the real estate search in Luxembourg.
Whatever your search for housing, house, apartment, new or old, house to be built, offices, business, apartment building, land or even garages and parking lots, atHome remains the leader on the Luxembourg real estate market. The mobile app atHome.lu (available on iOS & Androïd) facilitates the real estate search. Feel free to download it.
Immotop.lu, real estate specialist
Immotop.lu is also a major player in real estate research in Luxembourg and the Greater Region.
Maps provide information on price ranges and market trends.
Search through the interactive map to see at a glance all the ads that match your criteria. Download the mobile app immotop.lu (iOS & Android) and let it guide you in your search for accommodation. You can also follow all the real estate news in Luxembourg on the Immotop blog.
Wortimmo.lu, real estate ads
Wortimmo.lu is available on the internet, as well as in the real estate pages of the daily newspaper Luxemburger Wort.
You can compare the price per m2 per city and per neighborhood. You’ll also find all the latest real estate news, to help you find your future home in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
Vivi.lu, official portal of the Chambre Immobilière du Luxembourg (CIGDL)
Vivi is a real estate advertisement and information site set up by the Chambre Immobilière du Grand Duché de Luxembourg (CIGDL). Exclusive ads are also published.
The Real Estate Chamber brings together 300 real estate professionals, real estate agencies, condominium managers and developers. By joining the Real Estate Board, you agree to abide by its strict rules and to provide high-quality services.
Still haven’t found a place for your family to live? Do not hesitate to consult the temporary housing offers.
In the meantime, take a look at our article on the Luxembourg real estate market to gain a full understanding of the market.
Our partners
Insurance
Finance
Telecommunications
Automotive
OUR LATEST NEWS
DISCOVER OUR PARTNERS
