Real estate in Upper Austria

Find your property in Upper Austria

Upper Austria is a diverse federal state, with a beautiful lake district, high mountain peaks, important industry and lively city centers. Real estate is correspondingly popular, whether a house in the countryside or an apartment in the city.

Living in Upper Austria

The northern federal state is often abbreviated as "Upper Austria" and has 15 political districts. As in Lower Austria, it is divided into districts:

• Mühlviertel
• Innviertel
• Traunviertel
• Hausruck district

The area around Linz, along the Danube, is often referred to as the "Upper Austrian central region".

The highlights in the province

Upper Austria is known above all for its clean lakes, such as Attersee, Wolfgangsee and Traunsee. This goes hand in hand with intensive tourism, as hiking, cycling and skiing in particular are possible in the alpine lake region.

But the region also has a lot to offer away from nature. The provincial capital Linz is one of Austria's industrial cities par excellence. This is mainly due to the enormous Voest factory site. Linz is equally popular with young people. Thanks to the Johannes Kepler University, there are thousands of students here who like to visit city center bars and enjoy the cultural offerings (e.g. Ars Electronica) in their free time.

Tourism in Upper Austria

Tourism is one of the most important economic sectors in Upper Austria. While the famous lakes, hiking areas, the Danube and Linz are particularly popular in summer, winter sports enthusiasts are also drawn here in the cold season.

Real estate market in Upper Austria: overview

Real estate is sought-after in many respects: the provincial capital Linz, as well as regional district capitals, have jobs and at the same time young people and students in particular want to live in the cities.

The rural areas are characterized by single-family housing estates. In addition, many older farms have been preserved, which are often in isolated locations and offer large areas of usable land. In the typical tourist regions, there are vacation apartments on the one hand and luxury properties on the other. Villas with direct access to the lake are particularly sought-after, although only a few of these properties come onto the market each year. Many high-priced properties are therefore also on the market in second and third rows - or simply with a lake view.

Properties with poorer connections are less in demand. This applies, for example, to the northern Mühlviertel, where public transport is less developed. Particularly large farms can also be more difficult to market. This is because maintaining these properties involves high costs and there is not always a practical use for the considerable areas.

What do the properties cost?

As there is a wide variety of properties in Upper Austria, statistics on property prices there should be treated with caution. Anyone looking to buy a property in Upper Austria is usually looking at a detached house or a vacation property as a second home. In contrast, the proportion of rental properties in urban areas is higher.

Linz and the lake district are particularly popular

The proximity to Linz, the companies and the university there, drives up prices. Property prices in vacation regions can be particularly varied, as old villas or luxurious houses located directly on the lake can command exceptionally high prices.

Purchase prices in Upper Austria

The statistics on property purchase prices in Upper Austria can be distorted, as there are not many properties on the market in all districts. Buying a house is particularly affordable in the district of Freistadt. Here, in the north of the Mühlviertel, houses are available for less than 2,000 euros per square meter.

In contrast, houses in the following districts are twice as expensive:

• Linz City
• Gmunden
• Vöcklabruck

And in the Linz Land district, too, prices often exceed EUR 4,000 per square meter, although the average purchase price here is still just below this value. In Upper Austria, this clearly shows that the decisive factors for the price of a property are "location, location, location".

Rental prices in Upper Austria

The statistics on rents in the province are sparse. On average, apartments are offered for around 13 to 17 euros per square meter, including operating costs, plus heating and hot water - depending on location, size and furnishings. Particularly expensive apartments can be found at lakes on the one hand and in the pedestrian zone in Linz on the other.

Affordable living

Upper Austria does not currently (as of 08/2024) levy a vacancy or second home tax. However, the problem of all types of properties becoming more difficult to afford for locals is growing, particularly in areas popular with tourists. There are frequent discussions about the development of lakeside properties.

The state has therefore taken measures to ensure that real estate remains affordable. These include, for example

• Housing subsidy
• Subsidized loan: Maximum 1.5% interest per year for 20 years ("Upper Austrian home ownership subsidy")
• Demolition and new-build: funding is provided for demolition if this is followed by a new-build house with a maximum of three apartments.
• Subsidies for the operation of school and student residences

There are also separate subsidies for multi-storey residential buildings, for example if older apartment buildings are to be renovated.

Finding real estate in Upper Austria

Finding real estate in Upper Austria can be quite difficult. This is especially true if you are looking for a bargain or need a property in a very specific area. However, if you are more flexible and your place of residence can be a little more remote, you may be lucky enough to discover really cheap houses.

You can find a property either through personal contacts, a real estate agent (note: 3.6% commission is usually charged on the purchase price) or online. You will only find commission-free properties on our portal. Whether you are looking for a plot of land, an apartment, a classic detached house or an exclusive villa - browse through the current real estate offers in Upper Austria and save yourself the high commission fee