Hidden costs of a new-build flat in Prague: what the headline price omits

The surprise can arrive at the second meeting. You have chosen a flat, agreed a price and reserved it, and the sales office produces a second sheet: parking space, storage cellar, optional upgrades. None of the items is unreasonable. All of them are additional, and together they can change the budget.

This guide lists the costs that new-build buyers in Prague can overlook. It quotes no prices, because they differ by project, and it does not repeat the full list in our article on the real cost of buying a flat, which covers purchases in general. Here the focus is on what is specific to buying from a developer.

What is in the price, and what is not

Ask the developer for a definition of the headline price. The questions are simple.

• Does the price include the flat only, or the flat plus a cellar or balcony counted in the area?
• Does it include VAT, and at what rate? Check that the contract states the price a consumer pays.
• Does it include the finish: floors, doors, tiles, sanitary ware, a kitchen?
• Are parking and storage included, or priced separately?
• Is the price fixed, or can it change with the final measured area?

The answers go in the contract. A price that depends on a final measurement is a floating price, and a clause that explains how the adjustment works protects both sides. Our piece on price per square metre explains how areas are counted.

Parking and storage

Parking is an easy cost to overlook in Prague, where on-street spaces in many districts are zoned. The developer may sell underground or surface spaces separately, as units or as a right of use. Ask whether the space is a separate unit registered in the cadastre in your name, or a right of use, because the legal form affects resale and the mortgage. Our guide to parking zones shows why a space matters, and it is worth comparing the cost of buying a space with renting one nearby.

A cellar or storage room is usually sold the same way. Ask for its size and for access rules. A bicycle store or a pram room is often a common part, not a unit you buy.

Fit-out

Some flats are delivered ready to live in. Others come with a basic finish, with the buyer choosing and paying for flooring, kitchen, doors and wardrobes. A flat sold "to a standard finish" has a specification annex that lists exactly what is installed. Compare it to what you saw in the show flat, which may carry a higher specification than the one in your contract.

Common items that are not included even in a finished flat:

• the kitchen units and appliances;
• light fittings;
• built-in wardrobes;
• blinds and window treatments;
• a lock upgrade or a security door.

Get quotes for these before you reserve. The show flat is staged, and the contract is what you receive. Our checklist for handover of a new-build flat shows how to compare the delivered flat with the specification.

Fees and payments around the contract

Reservation deposit. Paid when you reserve and normally credited to the price. Check under what conditions it is refundable, as our explainer on reservation agreements and escrow describes.

Escrow and legal fees. If the payment runs through escrow with a notary or lawyer, there is a fee. A lawyer's review of the contract is a cost worth paying; see notaries, lawyers and escrow.

Cadastre fee. CZK 2,000 per application (as of 2026; check the ČÚZK), with the transfer and a lien as separate applications.

Signature verification and translations. Small amounts that add up for foreign buyers.

Bank costs. A valuation, which the borrower normally pays, and insurance the bank requires. Our articles on bank valuation and mortgage insurance explain both.

Tax. There is no property acquisition tax in Czechia, abolished in 2020 (check the Financial Administration), so do not budget for one. Annual property tax is payable later; see annual property tax.

Costs after handover

The owners' association. When the building is complete, the owners form an association (SVJ) and begin to pay monthly advances for services and the repair fund. In a new building the initial advances may be set before the association has any experience of real costs, so they can change in the first years. Ask for the planned budget.

Initial contributions. Some projects ask for a payment into the repair fund or to start the association's account. Ask whether the developer collects one.

Utilities and connections. Meters, an internet connection and heating arrangements. Ask who pays for the connections and registration of the meters.

Defects. Faults found at handover or later are the developer's responsibility under the contract and the Civil Code. The guide to what builders and developers owe you explains the periods. Time you spend on defects is a cost too, and a lawyer's help with a dispute adds to it.

Moving and furnishing. Often forgotten, and it can be considerable for a flat with no kitchen or wardrobes.

Payment timing as a hidden cost

When you pay can matter as much as how much. Instalments paid before the building is finished tie up money, and if you also pay rent, you carry two housing costs. If you borrow, the bank's loan is usually released late, and bridging the gap is the buyer's problem. Our article on payment schedules explains the usual structures, and the guide to the mortgage application shows when the bank pays.

A delay in completion is a cost as well. Check what the contract says about compensation, and read the explanation in buying off-plan.

To compare extras across projects, you can start from the project listings on Novostavby.com (in Czech) and ask each sales office for its price list.

Frequently asked questions

Is parking included in the price of a new-build flat in Prague?

It depends on the project, and it is often sold separately. Ask whether it is a registered unit or a right of use.

Is a kitchen included?

It depends on the project. Some flats are delivered without kitchen units or appliances. Check the specification annex.

Is there a property purchase tax?

No. The acquisition tax was abolished in 2020 (check the Financial Administration). Registration costs a fee of CZK 2,000 per application.

Who pays for the escrow account?

The contract decides. Ask who bears the fee before you sign.

How do I avoid surprises?

Ask the developer for a written list of everything you pay, with amounts and dates, and compare it with the contract.

A practical next step

Before you reserve, ask the sales office for a single sheet that lists every payment from reservation to the first year of ownership. Then add your own lines for the kitchen, the moving and the reserve.

This is a general explainer, not legal, tax or mortgage advice.