Knowledge base on home financing
These answers come from our approved knowledge base — the same one the KreditDirekt digital assistant draws on, and they are written in its voice. In plain language and without sales promises, they explain how home financing works in Austria, what the key terms mean and which documents banks usually ask for.
Process
How does financing through KreditDirekt work?
You provide your details fully digitally, an AI assistant guides you through it and prepares your case in a structured form. Your personal contact then reviews the details and gets in touch about the next step towards the brokerage to the banks, and possibly about further steps or points of detail. The non-binding initial assessment usually follows within 24 hours. The assistant decides nothing on its own — it structures, explains and calculates for you.
Basis: KreditDirekt process
What happens in the digital first conversation?
In the first conversation, your project (purchase, new build or Umschuldung — refinancing an existing loan), the property, your Eigenmittel (equity/own funds), the loan amount you want as well as your income and household situation are recorded in a structured form. This produces a needs profile that your personal contact reviews. It is not a commitment and not an evaluation of your case, but an orderly preparation of your financing enquiry.
Basis: KreditDirekt process
Which region does KreditDirekt cover, and from what amount?
Home financing is brokered across all of Austria from a financing amount of €100,000 — for purchase, new build, Umschuldung (refinancing an existing loan), renovation and extensions. Financing that includes a payout — for example of an inheritance share or in the course of a divorce — is also possible.
Basis: KreditDirekt process
How long does the first response take?
The non-binding initial assessment usually follows within 24 hours after your details are complete. It is non-binding and does not replace the bank's later review.
Basis: KreditDirekt process
Does the AI decide on my financing?
No. The assistant structures your details, explains and calculates for you — it does not evaluate and does not decide. Every case is reviewed and taken responsibility for by your personal contact; personal contact with them is a fixed part of every financing.
Basis: KreditDirekt process
What does the brokerage through KreditDirekt cost?
The calculator, the financing check and the non-binding initial assessment are free of charge. For a successful brokerage — that is, when the loan is concluded — FA – FinanzAktiv e.U. receives remuneration of 3% of the approved gross loan amount (Bruttokreditsumme, the loan amount approved by the bank) in total. Depending on the bank, this total remuneration consists of a commission from the lender (e.g. an internal commission, a credit intermediary commission or a share of the bank processing fee) and, where that does not reach the 3%, of a success fee that you pay directly. Your direct share is at most 1.5% of the approved gross loan amount. If the bank bears the entire remuneration, it does not apply at all. The lender's commission is offset against it and disclosed openly in the ESIS information sheet (Europäisches Standardisiertes Merkblatt) before the contract is concluded. I do not name concrete amounts. What applies in your case is clarified with you by your personal contact. If no financing comes about, you incur no costs.
Basis: KreditDirekt remuneration model (transparency page)
Terminology
What is the difference between a Fixzins and a variable interest rate?
With a Fixzins (fixed interest rate) your instalment stays unchanged for the agreed fixed-rate period; in return, during that time you do not take part in falling interest rates, and after the fixed-rate period ends the loan is automatically switched to a variable rate at the terms applicable at that point. A variable rate follows a reference interest rate (for example the Euribor) — rising rates increase the instalment and the total burden. There are also variable versions with a maximum interest rate as a safeguard (cap), usually combined with additional costs or a lower interest limit (floor). Which version suits you is a personal weighing-up that your personal contact goes through with you — I do not make any recommendation.
Basis: General terminology
What is the effective annual interest rate?
The effective annual interest rate expresses the annual total cost of a loan as a percentage — besides the Sollzins (nominal interest rate) it also contains certain additional costs. This makes offers easier to compare. Concrete figures for your case are calculated by the system, not estimated.
Basis: General terminology
What are Eigenmittel and why do they matter?
Eigenmittel (equity/own funds) are the share of the total costs that you contribute from your own assets (for example savings — or in the form of a substitute property as additional security). They reduce the loan amount needed and thereby the Beleihung (loan-to-value) of the property. How much is sensible or necessary in your case depends on the specific circumstances and is clarified with your personal contact.
Basis: General terminology
What does the Beleihungsquote (loan-to-value ratio, LTV) mean?
The Beleihungsquote (loan-to-value ratio) sets the loan amount in relation to the value of the property. The higher the share you contribute yourself, the lower the loan-to-value ratio. Banks use supervisory reference values as a guide here; a customary bank reference value is around 80 percent. What your specific ratio looks like is calculated by the system from your details.
Basis: General terminology
What is the debt service ratio and the Haushaltsrechnung?
The debt service ratio sets your monthly loan instalment in relation to your available net household income on an annual basis. In the Haushaltsrechnung (household budget statement), income and typical expenses are set against each other. The system calculates this for your case in a way you can follow and shows reference values for orientation — but it does not evaluate whether a loan will come about; that is reviewed by your personal contact and the bank.
Basis: General terminology
Which Kaufnebenkosten arise when buying a property?
The usual Kaufnebenkosten (purchase costs on top of the price) include, among others, the Grunderwerbsteuer (property transfer tax, 3.5 percent), the registration fees in the Grundbuch (land register) — 1.1 percent for the ownership right, 1.2 percent for the mortgage lien —, the costs of drawing up the contract and, depending on the case, an estate agent's commission. The specific amount for your project is calculated by the system from the stored rates; I do not estimate any amounts.
Basis: General terminology
What does Umschuldung of an existing financing mean?
With an Umschuldung (refinancing an existing loan), an existing financing is replaced by a new one, for example in order to obtain different terms or maturities. Whether and under what conditions that is sensible in your case depends on many factors and is discussed with your personal contact — I do not make any recommendation.
Basis: General terminology
What is a Bauspardarlehen?
A Bauspardarlehen (building society loan) is a particular form of financing that can carry a fixed or a variable interest rate at the start, with a statutory interest rate ceiling that as a rule applies for the first 20 years — after that no ceiling applies any more. It is used in part as a safeguard against long-term interest rate fluctuations. Whether it is an option for you is a personal weighing-up that your personal contact goes through or discusses with you.
Basis: General terminology
Are there financing models for owners aged 50 and over?
Yes. There are bullet financing models — so-called Umkehrhypotheken (reverse mortgages) — with which owners aged 50 and over draw liquidity from the property they live in themselves, without selling it. The loan amount is not repaid on an ongoing basis: during the term, interest and product-dependent fees arise, and the loan amount is paid back later — for example through repayment, through realisation of the property or through new financing by the descendants. The funds are freely available; use for housing purposes is not required. The requirements — such as region, property and Haushaltsrechnung (household budget statement) — depend on the product; your personal contact clarifies the details.
Basis: General terminology
Bank guidelines
Are there upper limits for loan-to-value, instalment or term?
The Finanzmarktaufsicht (FMA, the Austrian financial market authority) names three reference values for orientation: a loan-to-value ratio of at most around 90 percent of the property value, a debt service ratio of at most around 40 percent of net household income on an annual basis and a term of at most 35 years. These are explanatory orientation values, not commitments or rejections — whether and how they apply in your case is reviewed by your personal contact and the bank, who may also deviate in an individual case.
Basis: FMA WIK circular (explanatory, indicative — no commitment)
Documents
Which personal documents do I need for home financing?
Usual documents are a photo ID and a Meldenachweis (confirmation of registered residence), proof of income (for example payslips for the last 6 months), proof of your Eigenmittel (equity/own funds) as well as an overview of existing loans or leasing agreements. Which proofs are needed in an individual case is clarified by your personal contact with you — financing without verifiable documents is not possible by law.
Basis: Usual bank documents (practice)
Which documents do I need as a self-employed person?
For self-employed people, the annual financial statements for the last 3 years and, where applicable, interim business figures (BWA) as a rule take the place of the payslips. The exact scope is agreed individually with you by your personal contact, as it can differ depending on the bank and the situation.
Basis: Usual bank documents (practice)
Which documents about the property are required?
Depending on the project, the usual documents on the property are: a current Grundbuchauszug (extract from the land register), the draft purchase contract or the Kaufanbot (binding purchase offer), a valid Energieausweis (energy performance certificate) and photos; for Wohnungseigentum (apartment ownership) the Wohnungseigentumsvertrag (apartment ownership contract) and the Nutzwertgutachten (expert report setting the value shares of the units), for a new build the Baubewilligung (building permit), the Einreichplan (building plan submitted to the authority) and cost estimates. Which documents are concretely needed is clarified by your personal contact with you.
Basis: Usual bank documents (practice)
Subsidies
Are there subsidies for home financing?
The Austrian federal provinces offer different Wohnbauförderungen (housing subsidies), such as provincial loans or interest subsidies; they can reduce the monthly burden. Their design, requirements and amount differ from province to province and change from time to time. Alongside the provincial subsidies there are also federal subsidies; the two can be combined in part. You should additionally clarify energy-related subsidies with an Energieberater (energy assessor). Which subsidy is an option for you is clarified by your personal contact with you — I do not name concrete amounts.
Basis: General information on subsidies (no commitment)
Data, languages and contact
What happens with my data?
Your data is processed and stored in Europe, transmitted in encrypted form and used only for the brokerage of your financing. You provide personal details only after you have been informed about data protection. Anonymous chat conversations are kept for a short time only.
Basis: KreditDirekt data protection
In which languages can I use KreditDirekt?
KreditDirekt is fully available in German and English. You can provide your details in German or in English, and the assistant guides you accordingly.
Basis: KreditDirekt process
Why do I speak to a personal contact even so?
Contact with your personal contact is a binding part of every brokerage — as a quality promise. The assistant prepares your case and explains; the review and the brokerage are the responsibility of your personal contact — a human being with professional expertise, not a machine.
Basis: KreditDirekt process
Limits and personal contact
Which bank or which offer is the best one for me?
The assistant does not make any recommendation — neither for a particular bank nor for an offer or a type of interest rate. That requires a licence and is a matter for your personal contact. I am glad to explain the differences to you factually and can calculate examples on a non-binding basis; the decision is yours, in coordination with them.
Basis: HIKrG / limits of information (explanatory)
Will I get the loan? Is my income enough?
Whether a financing comes about and whether the income is sufficient is reviewed by your personal contact and the bank on the basis of your documents — the assistant cannot and may not judge that, and no case is screened out automatically. What I can do is calculate for you on a non-binding basis what an instalment would look like, for example.
Basis: HIKrG / limits of information (explanatory)
How do I get to my personal contact?
You can continue the conversation in person at any time — the assistant puts you in touch with your personal contact, a human being with professional expertise. With more complex topics (for example self-employed income, foreign currency or special circumstances) the assistant hands over to your personal contact in any case.
Basis: KreditDirekt process
Everything on this page is general information and not a commitment. Whether and on what terms a bank finances your project is decided solely by the bank after reviewing your documents. You receive binding information before the contract is concluded, in the ESIS information sheet pursuant to the Austrian Mortgage and Real Estate Credit Act (HIKrG).
The complete and authoritative description of our remuneration is here: How do we make money?
Knowledge base as of: September 15, 2026.