Commission-free real estate directly from the owner in Aachen

The economy, science and housing market in Aachen attract many people

Germany's westernmost major city with a population of just over 240,000 in southern North Rhine-Westphalia on the borders with Belgium and the Netherlands is one of the oldest settlement areas in the federal territory. As early as the Neolithic Age, people lived within the city's area, which today covers about 160 km². In the following millennia and centuries, Celts, Romans and Franks left their traces in and around Aachen with tumuli and spas. In the early Middle Ages, the city, which was first mentioned in a document in 765, became the imperial residence and was the coronation site of the German kings for over 600 years. From the 14th to the 19th century, the city was an important center of textile production and metalworking, but major territorial losses in World War I and heavy bomb damage in World War II fundamentally changed the face of Aachen. However, the incorporation of the seven formerly independent communities of Brand, Eilendorf, Haaren, Kornelimünster, Laurensberg, Richterich and Walheim into new Aachen districts in 1972 meant that the city grew again and to its current size. Today, situated in the middle of the economically strong Euregio Meuse-Rhine, Aachen has also gained an excellent international reputation as the core of the city region named after it as a highly regarded business and science location with numerous resident companies and research centers. The most important industries with the most employees are automotive and its supplier industry, illuminant and confectionery production as well as mechanical engineering, automation, information, laser and environmental technology. In addition, Aachen is home to the "Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen" (RWTH Aachen University), together with its 40,000 students, the largest university for technical courses in the whole of Germany.

Expensive quarters in the south, center and north of Aachen, the east is somewhat more favorable

In administrative terms, Aachen is divided into the seven city districts of Aachen-Mitte, Brand, Eilendorf, Haaren, Kornelimünster/Walheim, Laurensberg and Richterich with their total of 50 districts, which sometimes differ quite significantly from one another in terms of their development and residential areas as well as real estate prices. The traditionally most expensive residential areas with many villas and detached single-family houses are found in the south (Preusweg, on Kaiser-Friedrich-Allee, on Scherpenberg, on Eberburgweg, west of Lütticher Strasse, between Eupener Strasse and Waldstadion), north of the city center (on the Lousberg between Nizzaallee, Kardinalstrasse and Kupferstrasse) and in the Laurensberg district to the northwest, including its districts of Orsbach, Seffent, Soers, Vaalserquartier, Vetschau, Gut Kullen and Steppenberg. In the top locations there, prices for single-family houses are now between 450,000 and 1.2 million (old building) or 480,000 to 800,000 euros (new building), condominiums are priced at 1,900 to 2,700 (old building) or 2,500 to 3,300 euros/m² (new building). A similar price level prevails in the districts of Westpark, Steinebrück and Burtscheider Kurgarten in Aachen-Mitte. Also in demand, but somewhat less expensive, are the urban district of Brand (Brand, Eich, Freund, Hitfeld, Niederforstbach) and the urban district of Haaren (Haaren, Hüls, Verlautenheide) with prices between approx. 2,500 and 2,800 euros/m² for apartments and approx. 2,200 euros/m² each for houses. However, houses and apartments in the northeastern district of Eilendorf are far less expensive than in the city center, which is also not quite cheap, with prices of around 2,400 euros/m², and costs range from 1,700 to 1,900 euros/m².

Some micro-locations and the periphery can sometimes still be inexpensive

Purchase prices below 2,000 euros/m² are currently also still available in Kornelimünster/Walheim in the southeast as well as in Forst and at Hansemannplatz in Aachen-Mitte; the Vaalserquartier in the otherwise rather expensive Laurensberg district also offers one or two favorable opportunities with a little luck. Again, the immediate neighborhood of Aachen Cathedral around the Elisengarten and Pontsstraße is much more expensive; new apartments here can easily cost up to 3,500 euros/m². However, the Frankenberger Viertel in the Beverau district, which is also centrally located, is even less expensive; the Wilhelminian style houses, most of which have now been refurbished, together with their apartments, sell for an average of around 2,200 euros/m². The Burtscheid district is architecturally more heterogeneous, with a mixture of old townhouses from the turn of the century and new buildings from the 1950s and 1960s. The so-called "Belgian houses" on Middeldorfstrasse, the estate houses around Ferberpark and the terraced and semi-detached houses around Robert-Schuman-Strasse and Erzbergerallee are in high demand, sought-after and therefore expensive. On the other hand, the Richterich-Dell district in the far north, Aachen-Soers with its new construction project on the old Tivoli stadium grounds, and Aachen-Haaren, popular with families, with its good infrastructure and links to the city center, are considered inexpensive, if somewhat remote, secret favorites for housingpurchases.

Information on the real estate market in Aachen:

• Aachen is an important business and science location and therefore rather expensive

• A strong demand for housing is generated by the many students

• The Südviertel, Lousberg and Laurensberg are among the most expensive city districts

• The Eilendorf district in the northeast currently offers prices below 2,000 euros/m².

• The districts of Burscheid and Beverau offer both old and new buildings

• Somewhat outside, but still quite cheap is the district Richterich in the north

• Aachen-Soers and Aachen-Haaren are popular with families and commuters