Buying and renting a home in Charlottenburg

Charlottenburg was for decades the centre of West Berlin and still feels like it: the Kurfürstendamm and its shops, Savignyplatz with bookshops and restaurants, the palace and its park. Life is quieter and less touristy than in Mitte, with a mix of long-established families, professionals and students from the Technical University and the University of the Arts.

The housing stock is dominated by period buildings (Altbau) from around 1900, often with very large flats, ceilings over three metres, grand entrances and street-facing balconies. In between stand post-war buildings that filled bomb-damaged plots and sell for less per square metre.

It suits people looking for space and a settled environment: families who need four or five rooms, professionals and international buyers who know West Berlin. Schools, services and transport are excellent; nightlife is more low-key than in Friedrichshain or Kreuzberg.

For investors Charlottenburg is a conservative choice: lower prices than Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg, steady demand and good-quality buildings. The Gutachterausschuss average also covers Westend and Charlottenburg-Nord, which price differently; the streets around Savignyplatz and Lietzensee sit above it.