2021

In the new "Home Report 2022" from the Zukunftsinstitut, housing expert and futurologist Oona Horx-Strathern sheds light on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on living space. She has identified and summarized three different trends. She calls them "Conscious Kitchen", "FurNEARtur" and "modular furniture". The "Conscious Kitchen" trend refers to the fact that the...

In Germany, prospective buyers have to pay an average price per square meter of 3,299.70 euros for an apartment. For single-family homes, the average price is even €3,990.96. This means that prices for apartments and houses rose by 6.93% and 7.09% respectively from May to October 2021 compared to the period from November 2020 to April 2021. This is according to a...

The German Institute of Urban Affairs (difu) has developed a new guide as part of the "Controllable urban material flows" project funded by the Federal Environment Agency. It is entitled "Urban planning and urban development as a lever for resource and climate protection: municipal instruments, case studies and potential for reducing resource consumption". The guide...

The TÜV association draws attention to the advantages of smart heating controls. These can be operated via a smartphone app and learn from user behavior. For example, smart heating controls can remember when and how many degrees the residents want to heat certain rooms. In addition, the thermostats have a so-called window open detection function and switch...

If an owner subsequently insulates existing buildings and these protrude onto the neighboring property as a result, the neighbors must tolerate this. This is the result of a ruling by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH). In this case, a dispute arose between owners of neighboring properties in North Rhine-Westphalia. The plaintiff was of the opinion that internal insulation of her gable wall was not compatible with...

How do owners or tenants find the right dining table for their house or apartment? The immonet.de portal explores this question. It advises choosing a table based on the number of residents. According to the portal, an area of 60 x 40 centimetres should be planned for each person. If guests visit frequently, owners or tenants can also consider an extendable table.

The German Real Estate Association (IVD) has taken a closer look at rental price trends in the retail sector and identified four developments. Firstly: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are many vacant retail spaces, especially in city centers. Secondly, particularly in Germany's seven largest cities, rents have fallen more sharply the higher they were previously...

The German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the construction industry (BG Bau) provides tips on safe working for construction workers in the cooler months of the year. To prevent accidents, construction sites should be prepared in good time for the fall. Due to the poor lighting conditions in the morning and from late afternoon, artificial light sources must be used. The BG Bau recommends a...

The Federal Council has approved a new Heating Costs Ordinance (HeizKV). Among other things, newly installed meters must be remotely readable. Devices that have already been installed must be retrofitted with this function or replaced by January 1, 2027. Tenants will also receive a different bill in future. This must include a comparison between the current consumption and the consumption...

The Federal Administrative Court (BVerwG) has partially overturned the right of first refusal for properties in Berlin and thus upheld the complaint of a real estate company. The right of first refusal is normally intended to ensure that houses are not bought up and the tenants move away - for example due to refurbishment measures that result in higher rents. In the present case...