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Everything we have written about buying a flat, mortgages and upkeep.

Buying Property · 9 min read How to buy a flat in Latvia: from viewing to keys Buying a flat in Latvia, all on one page: budget, search, checks, the deal and moving in. Each part links to a more detailed article.
Buying Property · 7 min read How to check a flat before buying in Latvia: checklist What to check before buying a flat, before you sign anything or pay any money: from the price to the heating bills.
Buying Property · 5 min read What to ask the seller when viewing a flat: 20 questions A viewing gives you 20 minutes to learn what the listing does not say. These questions to ask the seller make sure you miss nothing.
Buying Property · 3 min read How to find a cadastral number by address in Latvia You can find a cadastral number by address for free in a couple of minutes. Here is where to look and how it differs from the cadastral designation.
Buying Property · 5 min read Flat floor area: why the listing and the cadastre differ 52 m² in the listing, less in the cadastre? Here is where the gap in floor area comes from, which figure counts and how it changes the price per m².
Mortgages · 5 min read Mortgage in Latvia: how it works from application to payout A mortgage (hipotekārais kredīts) is a loan to buy a home, secured on the home itself. Here is the whole path, from the first sum on paper to the day the bank pays the seller.
Mortgages · 5 min read Euribor explained: how it changes your mortgage payment Euribor is the part of your mortgage rate that neither you nor your bank decides. Here is how it works and what it means for your monthly payment.
Mortgages · 6 min read How much mortgage can I get in Latvia? Income-based calculation How much mortgage you can get is not just up to your bank. Latvijas Banka has set three limits, and your amount is the lowest of them.
Mortgages · 5 min read Down payment for a flat in Latvia: how much to save The down payment is the biggest sum you need to save before buying a flat with a mortgage. Here is the legal minimum and the real amount to plan for.
Mortgages · 5 min read Monthly mortgage payment: how to calculate it and what affects it How big will your monthly mortgage payment be if you buy a flat? Here is the method, the payment per EUR 10,000 borrowed and the income the bank will expect.
Property Valuation · 6 min read Flat market value in Latvia: how to work it out in five steps A flat's market value is the price it would actually sell for today. Here is a method you can use yourself, and where to check the result.
Property Valuation · 6 min read What flats really sell for in Latvia: asking vs sale price The asking price is what the seller hopes for. What flats really sell for shows up in deals, and the gap differs by place and building type.
Property Valuation · 6 min read How to negotiate a flat price in Latvia using data How to negotiate a flat price so the seller actually listens: with facts about the same building and neighbourhood.
Property Valuation · 5 min read How long it takes to sell a flat in Latvia, and what it means How long it takes to sell a flat depends on price, place and building. Time on the market is also a signal: it tells you whether the price matches what buyers will pay.
Property Valuation · 5 min read Flat price per m²: how to compare flats properly Price per m² is the easiest way to compare flats of different sizes. It only works when you compare like with like.
Heating & Upkeep · 5 min read Heating cost for a flat in Latvia: work it out before you buy The heating cost for a flat is one of the biggest winter expenses in Latvia. You can roughly work it out before you buy if you know three things.
Heating & Upkeep · 6 min read Monthly utility bills for a flat in Latvia: the full list Monthly utility bills for a flat are more than heating. Here is everything that comes with owning a flat, so your budget holds no surprises.
Heating & Upkeep · 5 min read Building management fee per m² in Latvia: what you pay for The building management fee per m² (apsaimniekošanas maksa) is a monthly charge for looking after the building. It is a small sum per square metre, but it adds up over a year.
Heating & Upkeep · 6 min read Mould in a flat: causes, fixes and how to spot it at a viewing Mould in a flat is usually a sign of a damp problem somewhere. Learn to spot it at a viewing and tell whether the cause is how people lived there or the building itself.
Heating & Upkeep · 6 min read How much does it cost to renovate a flat: cost per m² If you buy a flat that needs work, renovation costs are part of the price. Here is how to estimate how much it costs to renovate a flat and how to use that in negotiation.
Property Risks & Safety · 5 min read Rental and property scams in Latvia: how to spot them Scammers behind flat listings usually want one thing: for you to send money before you have seen the flat and the papers. Here are the common schemes and the signs that give them away.
Property Risks & Safety · 5 min read Kindergartens near home, schools and transport: judging the area You can renovate a flat, but not the area around it. Kindergartens near home, the school, the bus stop and the shop shape your everyday life more than kitchen tiles do.
Property Risks & Safety · 5 min read Flood risk map Latvia: how to check a flat's address Floods in Latvia hit specific places: riverbanks, the lower Daugava and the seacoast. A flood risk map lets you check an address in a few minutes before you buy.
Property Risks & Safety · 5 min read Rīga noise map: how to check noise levels at an address You often miss noise during a viewing, but you live with it every night. The Rīga noise map shows how loud it is at the building on average over the year, by day and at night.
Property Risks & Safety · 5 min read Building permits on a map: what will be built next door Today's park view can become a view of a nine-storey building in three years. Building permits on a map and the spatial plan show you what is planned next door before you buy.
State Support · 6 min read State Housing Support in Latvia: Every Home Purchase Programme State support for buying a home in Latvia mostly helps with the down payment. Here is which programme fits you and where to start.
State Support · 6 min read ALTUM Guarantee for Families with Children: Amounts and How to Get It The ALTUM guarantee for families with children lets you buy a home with a smaller down payment. The amount depends on how many children you have and where you buy.
State Support · 6 min read ALTUM Guarantee for Young Specialists: Rules and Fees The ALTUM young specialists programme is for buyers up to 35 with a diploma. It lets you buy a home with a 5% down payment, even without children.
State Support · 6 min read How to Apply for an ALTUM Guarantee Through Your Bank How do you apply for an ALTUM guarantee? Not at ALTUM: the bank handles it when you apply for a mortgage. Here is how it works in practice.
State Support · 6 min read ALTUM Regional Housing Loan: A Home with 5% Down The ALTUM regional housing loan is for people buying a home outside Rīga and its neighbouring municipalities when a bank will not lend or wants too large a down payment.
Renting & Investing · 6 min read Rent or buy a flat in Latvia: how to compare the costs Deciding whether to rent or buy a flat is about more than which monthly payment is smaller. Here is a simple way to compare only the money you will never get back.
Renting & Investing · 6 min read Rental yield in Riga: what a let flat really earns The rental yield in Riga you see in listings and conversations is usually a gross number. Here are both formulas, a worked example and a list of everything that brings it down to the real net figure.
Renting & Investing · 5 min read Rent prices in Riga: what sets the rent and how to check it Rent prices in Riga vary a lot between neighbourhoods and buildings. Here is what sets the rent in different areas, plus tips on comparing listings properly.
Renting & Investing · 5 min read How much rent to charge for your flat in Riga How much rent should you charge so the flat neither goes too cheap nor sits empty? The answer is in similar flats around you and one simple calculation.
Renting & Investing · 6 min read Investing in a flat in Riga: new build or Soviet-era series If you want to invest in a flat to let, the first choice is usually between a new build and a Soviet-era series building. Each has its own logic: one costs more up front, the other later.
Costs & Taxes · 5 min read Costs of buying a flat in Latvia on top of the purchase price The costs of buying a flat don't stop at the asking price. Here is everything that comes on top, with the sums worked out for a real-sized flat.
Costs & Taxes · 5 min read State fee for buying a flat in Latvia: rates and discounts The state fee for buying a flat is the biggest cost on top of the price. Here are the rates, the discounts and the sums at typical prices.
Costs & Taxes · 5 min read Real estate tax (NĪN) on a flat in Latvia: rates and examples Real estate tax (NĪN) on a flat is usually small if someone is declared there. If no one is, in Rīga the tax can be seven times higher.
Costs & Taxes · 5 min read Flat insurance in Latvia: what it costs and what it covers Flat insurance is one of the cheapest costs after you buy, yet it covers things that can cost thousands. Here is what to look at.
Costs & Taxes · 5 min read Notary fees for buying a flat in Latvia: rates and example What a notary costs depends on what you ask them to do: just certify signatures, or handle the whole deal. The fees are set by the state, so you can work them out in advance.
Selling Property · 7 min read How to sell a flat in Latvia: a step-by-step guide How to sell a flat without rushing and without leaving money on the table: from the first price estimate to the moment the money is in your account.
Selling Property · 6 min read Flat selling price: how to set your asking price The selling price in your listing decides how many calls you get in the first weeks. Here is how to choose it with numbers instead of hopes.
Selling Property · 6 min read Costs of selling a flat in Latvia: what the seller pays The costs of selling a flat are lower for the seller than for the buyer, but they exist. Here is what to count before you tell a buyer your lowest price.
Selling Property · 6 min read Sell a flat without an estate agent or with one: compared You can sell a flat without an estate agent, and many people do. The question is whether your time and nerves are worth more than the fee.
Selling Property · 5 min read When and how much to reduce your flat's price If your listing sits and nobody calls, it is time to reduce the flat's price. Here is how to tell when, and why one clear cut works better than several small ones.
Land & Houses · 6 min read Buying a house in Latvia: what to check before the deal Buying a house in Latvia takes more checks than buying a flat: you also buy the land, the road, the water and the heating. Here is the list to start with.
Land & Houses · 6 min read Buying land in Latvia: what to check before you buy a plot Buying land looks simpler than buying a house, yet land hides the most restrictions. Here is what to check before you pay a deposit.
Land & Houses · 5 min read House prices near Riga (Pierīga): what sets the price House prices near Riga are not the same in listings and in deals. Here is what sets the price of a house and how to compare a specific offer with real deals.
Land & Houses · 5 min read Land prices in Latvia: what sets the price per m2 The land price per m2 varies tens of times depending on the location and on what may be done with the land. Here is what drives the price of land and a way to value a specific plot from real deals.
Land & Houses · 5 min read Land boundaries on the map in Latvia: how to find and read them You can view land boundaries on the map in a couple of minutes. Here is where to find them, how to read what you see and when the map is not enough.