Mortgage for a house – buying a finished house step by step

You can buy a finished family house with a standard purpose-bound mortgage. Until 31 December 2026 a bank will normally lend at most 80% of the house’s value, and you pay the rest from your own money. The value is the lowest of the purchase price, the expert valuation and the bank’s internal valuation.

How much a bank will lend based on your income is set by the DSTI and DTI limits, as with any mortgage. The income-based mortgage calculator shows an indicative amount. Whether a bank accepts a particular house as security is up to each bank.

Buying a finished house versus building one

The two loans differ mainly in how the money is paid out and how the property is valued.

	Buying a finished house	Building a house
Valuation	The house’s current value	LTV uses the future value after completion or the contract price of the build
Payout	Money goes to the seller under the purchase and loan agreements	In stages as the building progresses
Proof of purpose	Purchase contract	Budget, contract with the builder, building permit or notification for the project

For construction, banks set the number of stages and the deadlines themselves. Slovenská sporiteľňa, for example, has described five stages with progress photos since 17 July 2026, and Fio banka states a drawdown period of up to two years for construction. If you’re planning to build, don’t follow the process on this page.

What to check about the house before signing

• Title record (list vlastníctva): who owns the house, which encumbrances are registered (such as the seller’s bank’s charge) and whether any changes are pending.
• The seller’s mortgage: if there’s a loan on the house, the seller asks their bank for a payoff figure, repayment instructions and the conditions for removing the charge. These steps need to fit with your bank’s drawdown conditions.
• Purchase contract: when and to which account the price is paid, and what happens if the cadastre doesn’t approve the registration or the bank doesn’t release the loan. Don’t assume you’ll send the full price to the seller before their loan is settled.
• Valuation: compare the purchase price with the valuation. You pay any amount above the valuation from your own funds.
• Holiday homes: banks assess a cottage or holiday house separately. Fio banka, for example, states a maximum of 80% for recreational properties.

Have a lawyer or notary check the contract and the order of payments. The exact sequence of signatures, drawdown and cadastre filings is set by the written instructions of the banks involved.

Valuing a house

For a house you often arrange the valuation yourself. Tatra banka, for example, offers its own €150 valuation only for flats. For houses and building plots the customer has to order an expert report.

No national average price for a valuation is published. As a guide:

Source	House	What it means
Banks’ APRC examples and indicative figures (e.g. ČSOB, UniCredit)	€250	A bank’s assumption, not a valuer’s invoice
Valuer Ing. Peter Novák	from €300	Published starting price
Valuer Dominik Ilavský, Bratislava	from €400	Published starting price; unclear whether VAT is included

The valuers’ price lists were checked on 19 October 2026. Only the valuer you instruct can give you the exact price.

Costs of buying a house with a mortgage

• own funds – at least 20% of the house’s value at the standard LTV, plus any gap between the price and a lower valuation,
• expert valuation – see the table above,
• cadastre registration application – €100 on paper, €50 electronically, or €300 or €150 for an expedited decision; applications are filed to register both your ownership and the bank’s charge,
• loan arrangement fee – per the bank’s price list; some banks waive it on conditions,
• house insurance – the annual premium depends on the insurer and the scope of cover,
• property tax – you file the return by 31 January of the following year.

The cadastre normally decides on registration within 30 days, within 20 days for documents drawn up by a notary or lawyer, and within 15 days for an expedited decision. A whole purchase involving a mortgage can take longer.

Insuring the house

The bank can require property insurance. Under section 4(2) of the Housing Loan Act, it must also accept a policy from another insurer with equivalent cover. Tatra banka, for example, requires insurance with the payout assigned to it (vinkulácia) when a flat or house secures the loan.

Property insurance covers the building – walls, roof, windows, floors and wiring. Contents insurance covers the furnishings, and liability insurance covers damage you cause to others. Payment protection insurance for the loan is another, separate product. See Home insurance for a mortgage.

Example: a house for €125,000

Suppose the house costs €125,000 and both the expert valuation and the bank’s valuation come out at the same amount. At 80% LTV you borrow €100,000 and pay €25,000 from your own funds. Add the extra costs on top.

Monthly payment on a €100,000 loan at an illustrative rate of 4% (not a bank offer):

Term	Monthly payment	Total interest if the rate never changes
20 years	€605.98	€45,435.28
25 years	€527.84	€58,351.05
30 years	€477.42	€71,869.51

At 5%, the 20-year payment would be €659.96. The calculation excludes fees and insurance. Enter your own figures in the mortgage calculator.

If the valuation put the house at only €120,000, the bank would lend at most €96,000 at 80% LTV and your own funds would rise to €29,000.

Buying and renovating

If you want to renovate the house after buying it, some banks finance the purchase and the renovation in one loan. Fio banka, for example, asks for an itemised budget, a schedule, a permit or notification where needed, and a valuation of both the current and the future value. For DIY renovation, VÚB accepts photos, an itemised budget and a declaration instead of invoices.

A new Building Act has applied since 1 April 2025. Banks’ websites still refer to building permits, zoning decisions and notifications, though. Check with the bank which documents your project needs.

If you have less than 20% of your own money, see 90% mortgage. If you’re buying a flat, go to Mortgage for a flat.