The Niederschönhausen district is located in the north of Berlin and is part of the Pankow district. At first glance, the stately old villas that abound in this part of the German capital catch the eye. Schönholzer Heide is a natural public park that is popular with both residents of the district and visitors alike. It is amazing how much this tranquil part of the metropolis has to offer its residents. Even though most of the residential areas are rather quiet and dignified, Berlin Niederschönhausen exudes a very special charm. There are many leisure activities on offer, from cinemas and exquisite restaurants to a soccer club.
The transport connections are ideal, because even though Niederschönhausen is relatively on the outskirts of Berlin, you can be in the center of the city in no time at all. Since the nearby Berlin Tegel Airport was closed, more and more young families have been drawn to this quiet district. Property prices are currently lower than in other parts of the city, which also makes Niederschönhausen an attractive location for investors.
The location of the Niederschönhausen district in the borough of Pankow
Purchase price trends for real estate in Niederschönhausen
If you look at the price trend for properties in Niederschönhausen, you will immediately notice a consistent increase. In the last quarter of 2018, prices for both condominiums and houses were still far below the prices per square meter that you have to budget for an investment in this beautiful district today. However, despite the sharp rise, property prices in Niederschönhausen are currently significantly cheaper in the condominium segment than in Berlin-Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain or Tiergarten.
Here you can find out in detail how prices are behaving and how they have developed in recent quarters. We can already tell you one thing at this point: If you want to buy a property in Berlin Niederschönhausen, you can look forward to a first-class investment property.
What does a condominium in Niederschönhausen cost?
The average price per square meter for apartments in the Niederschönhausen district of Pankow was € 4,300/m2 in the second quarter of 2023. The overall increase over 2022 was 10 percent, as the average price in the fourth quarter of 2021 was still € 4,096/m2. There was stagnation between the last quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2023, which can be attributed to the political crisis situation in Eastern Europe and the resulting rise in interest rates. Even if the price increase cannot be denied, condominiums in Niederschönhausen are still significantly cheaper than in Wilmersdorf, Steglitz, Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain or Berlin-Mitte. The district is in the midst of development. If you strike now, you may still be able to get a bargain. It can be predicted that prices for condominiums in Berlin Niederschönhausen will continue to rise over the next few years. Most of the district’s detached houses and apartment buildings have ornate facades and exude the special charm of times long past. However, there are also some very interesting new-build projects in Niederschönhausen in Berlin.
The cheapest condominium was sold in the second quarter of 2023 for €3,785/m2 per square meter. The most expensive property changed hands for €7,200/m2.
How much does a house in Niederschönhausen cost?
On average, houses in Niederschönhausen are significantly more expensive than apartments in Berlin. The price per square meter for houses in Niederschönhausen averaged €5,420/m2 in the second quarter of 2023, which is more than 25 percent higher than the average price per square meter for apartments. The price differences are partly due to the fact that the detached houses in Niederschönhausen have a beautiful plot of land and magnificent, historic facades.
The cheapest property was sold in the second quarter of 2023 for €4,312/m2 per square meter, while the most expensive property changed hands for €8,160/m2. Niederschönhausen is at the same price level as the entire districts of Pankow, Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain. Prenzlauer Berg and parts of Wilmersdorf, on the other hand, achieve significantly higher prices for houses.
The trend shows a steady increase in purchase prices for single-family homes in the period from 2019 to mid-2022. At the end of 2022, an increase of 6.2% was observed compared to the fourth quarter of 2021, even though prices fell by 0.5% in the last quarter of 2022. The price decline continued in the first and second quarters of 2023. For people looking for a home in Niederschönhausen, now is a good time to buy such a property. In the second quarter of 2023, prices are around 5.3 percent below the price level of the second quarter of 2022. Now is therefore not the best time to sell a property.
Prices are expected to rise in the long term. Niederschönhausen is one of the districts of Berlin that is currently still growing. There are interesting new construction projects in Berlin Niederschönhausen, as the district has not yet fully exhausted its potential.
Rental prices in Berlin Niederschönhausen
In recent years, more and more young families have been drawn to the district in the north of the German capital. Some of them invest in a condominium or a detached house. Others, however, are opting to rent for the time being. Average rental prices for apartments have remained very stable in recent years. They have risen steadily, but there have been no major surprises. The situation was different for rents for houses and villas. Anyone looking to rent a property in Berlin Niederschönhausen still pays significantly less than in other parts of the metropolis.
Here you can find out which figures emerge from an analysis and what the forecast is for the real estate market in Niederschönhausen.
What is the average rent for an apartment in Niederschönhausen?
In the second quarter of 2023, the Niederschönhausen district of Pankow recorded an average rent index of € 12.26/m2. This corresponds to an increase of more than 16 percent compared to the previous year. In the second quarter of 2022, the average rent was still €10.52/m2. Over a period of four years, prices have risen from € 9.31/m2 to € 12.26/m2, which corresponds to growth of more than 30 percent.
Districts such as Berlin-Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Charlottenburg, Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg have significantly higher rents for apartments. Renting an apartment in Berlin Niederschönhausen is cheap compared to other districts in the German capital.
The apartments in Niederschönhausen are mostly located in completely renovated apartment buildings from the Wilhelminian era. The district is characterized by stately villas and ornate facades.
What is the average rent for a house in Niederschönhausen?
The rental prices for houses in Niederschönhausen in Berlin are on average significantly higher than the prices for a rental apartment. These are spacious houses with several rooms and a well-kept garden. The residential areas are exclusive, although not as expensive as in other parts of Berlin.
In Berlin Niederschönhausen, interesting new construction projects are being built in various locations. They show the potential of the district and attract young families. Rents averaged €16.24/m2 in the second quarter of 2023. Prices have risen sharply over the past three years. At the end of 2019, they were still €11.99/m2. This corresponds to a price increase of more than 35% within four years. A fall in prices is not in sight. It is likely that rents for houses in the Niederschönhausen district of Pankow will continue to rise in the future. In the second quarter of 2023, the most expensive house was rented for €20.61/m2, while the cheapest offer could be rented for €15.29/m2.
Localities in Niederschönhausen
The Niederschönhausen district is located in the north-west of the German capital and is part of the Pankow district – you can find out more about the district here. In addition to Schönhausen Palace, the district is characterized above all by old villas and beautiful apartment buildings. The district covers an area of almost 6.5 km2 and is home to around 32,000 people.
No late Slavic settlement remains have been found in Niederschönhausen, which indicates that the village developed as a street village. The Niederschönhausen village church was built around 1250 and the first written reference to the villages of Schonenhusen inferior and Nydderen Schonhusen was made in 1375.
One of the district’s emblematic buildings is Schönhausen Palace. It was built at the end of the 17th century and was renovated at the beginning of the 18th century. Frederick II gave the palace to his wife, who lived in it until the end of the 18th century.
Before Greater Berlin was founded in 1920, Niederschönhausen was considered an independent community in the Prussian province of Brandenburg. During the National Socialist regime, many Jews were forced to sell their villas in the Niederschönhausen district and flee into exile. After the Second World War, the entire district of Pankow was part of the Soviet regime. Schönhausen Palace and the Majakowskiring, which is very close to it, became the political center of the GDR. Until 1960, the palace was the official residence of the President of the GDR and until 1964 also of the State Council. It was not until 1973, long after the political center of the GDR had moved to the Waldsiedlung near Wandlitz, that the district was reopened to the normal population.
Today, Niederschönhausen is considered a quiet residential area, dominated primarily by villas and apartment buildings. The gardens are very well-kept and streets are lined with old trees. One of the highlights is undoubtedly the palace park with its extensive meadows, winding network of paths and ancient trees.
Nordend in Niederschönhausen
The Nordend district was originally a colony. It was established at the end of the 19th century and initially consisted of just a few people. However, more and more people were drawn to this beautiful spot, so that after a short time new building land was needed. Around the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, numerous farms were built on Kastanienallee. Their pretty front gardens faced the street, while the sheds, barns and fields were at the back.
The residential area in Nordend is quiet and is characterized by lots of greenery. The front gardens, parks and meadows transform this part of Berlin into a place that is more reminiscent of a small town. At the beginning of the 20th century, many doctors lived in Nordend. Their villas are still a reminder of this splendid time before the Second World War, when well-heeled people built their magnificent houses in Nordend.
There are some very interesting condominiums in Buchholzer Strasse that we would like to present to you in more detail.
Schönholz in Niederschönhausen
The village of Schönholz dates back to the 18th century, a time when the wife of Frederick II, Queen Elisabeth Christine, had her residence in Schönhausen Palace. In 1752, she decided to acquire more land in this beautiful location and plant mulberry plantations. The street Tuchmacherweg has its origins in the fact that clothmakers and linen weavers settled on the edge of the plantation. In the middle of the 19th century, the plantation developed into a beautiful estate with a park and a castle. The park became known as Schönholzer Heide and was used by Berliners as a popular excursion destination. When Greater Berlin was founded in 1920, Schönholz became part of the Niederschönhausen district in the borough of Pankow.
During the GDR era, parts of Schönholz were no longer accessible to GDR citizens. Schönholz S-Bahn station, for example, was now on the other side of the Wall and inaccessible to GDR residents. Parts of the housing estates and garden colonies were located in the restricted area. The residents of these residential areas could only receive visitors with a special permit. Large areas were expropriated when the Wall was built and remain undeveloped to this day. Exciting new construction projects have been planned on this site for several years.
The Majakowskiring in Niederschönhausen
The Majakowskiring is located to the west of the Schlosspark. It is an oval ring of streets that has witnessed numerous historic moments in Berlin’s development. Before the Second World War, the big industrialists lived here in their stately villas. Later, the magnificent residential buildings were taken over by GDR politicians. The sealed-off town only became accessible to the population when the GDR politicians moved their domiciles to Wandlitz. Since then, the villas have been used as normal residential buildings. Some of the stately old buildings now house embassies.
Neighborhood conservation areas in Niederschönhausen
Berlin’s politicians are increasingly committed to preserving the cityscape of the German capital. A lot has happened in recent decades and there are fears that many people will be forced out of their original residential areas due to high real estate prices. In order to counteract this development, new milieu protection areas are constantly being introduced.
There are currently no areas in Niederschönhausen that have been designated as social conservation areas. Here you can find more information about the milieu protection areas in Berlin and what effects they have on property owners.
Conclusion - Solid residential area with great potential
Niederschönhausen is undoubtedly one of the parts of Berlin that is currently undergoing major development. The residential areas are well-kept and the streets are mostly lined with chic villas and large apartment buildings. But even though the Niederschönhausen district is located in the north of the city, you can reach the center in no time at all by private or public transport.
Real estate prices have risen steadily in recent years and will most likely continue to do so in the future. That’s why Niederschönhausen in Pankow is an ideal place to invest. Regardless of whether you want to use the condominium or villa yourself or are thinking about renting it out – Niederschönhausen offers ideal conditions for buying a property.
Rents are currently still lower than in other districts such as Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin-Mitte or Friedrichshain, even though rents for houses have risen sharply in recent quarters.
If you want to find out what it’s like to live in Niederschönhausen, how many schools there are, where you can get delicious food and which doctors are represented, then be sure to read our article on “Real estate analysis Berlin-Niederschönhausen: Housing and investment potential – infrastructure, demographics, leisure opportunities” and find out more about the Niederschönhausen district in the Pankow district of Berlin.
