2023

More and more people aged 65 and over are living in private households in Germany. According to a report by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), at least one person in this age group lived in around 13 million households in 2022. This corresponds to 32 percent of all households. Twenty years ago, only 29% of households had at least one person aged 65 or over. About...

According to the real estate price index (GREIX), residential real estate prices in Germany are set to fall significantly in the third quarter of 2023. This trend can be seen in all residential segments, with regional differences. Prices remained relatively stable in the major cities of Cologne and Berlin in particular, while in other regions prices fell significantly in some...

The danger of asbestos in the construction industry continues to pose a serious threat to health. This is shown by figures provided by Dipl.-Ing. Martin Kessel, an expert from the VDI Society "Construction and Building Technology". According to official figures, around 1,600 people die every year in Germany as a result of exposure to asbestos. However, the expert assumes that there are even around...

The use of heat pumps to heat water in new and existing buildings is becoming increasingly important. They represent a sustainable solution that uses renewable energies. The domestic hot water or hot water heat pump, a form of hybrid heating, can be particularly useful in existing buildings. The energy advice service of the consumer advice center points this out. For...

A homeowner must dismantle the photovoltaic system on his listed building in Goslar. This was decided by the Higher Administrative Court of Lower Saxony (AZ: 1 ME 15/23). In doing so, the Higher Administrative Court of Lower Saxony has also overturned the decision of the Braunschweig Administrative Court and upheld the complaint lodged by the town of Goslar against the house owner. The homeowner had applied for a...

A new potential for living space is emerging in densely populated cities: adding storeys to existing buildings. The portal "schoener-wohnen.de" points this out. A series of pictures shows how a 1950s apartment building in Germany was extended with two wooden cubes. Building owners benefit not only from a sustainable construction method, but also from a...

Deskbikes offer an innovative way to combine fitness and working from home. This sports equipment can easily be placed under the desk, allowing you to exercise while working. Choosing the right Deskbike depends on various criteria, including maximum load capacity, additional functions and ergonomics. This is what the...

"We can generate three to four kilowatt hours of usable heat from one kilowatt hour of electricity - the efficiency of heat pumps is enormous," says Prof. Dr. Michael Schaub from Coburg University of Applied Sciences. In addition to reducing CO2 emissions, heat pumps could also help to reduce the load on the electricity grids. Studies predict that between 60 and 80 percent of heat will be generated by heat pumps in the future.

A ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court could lead to uncertainty with regard to home ownership subsidies. It has declared the Second Supplementary Budget Act 2021 null and void (2 BvF 1/22). The aim of the law was to make a credit authorization of 60 billion euros for the "Energy and Climate Fund", which was planned for 2021 but not used, available for future financial years.

Criticism of the diversity of programs and opinions of public broadcasters does not justify an exemption from the obligation to pay the broadcasting fee. This was declared by the Bavarian Administrative Court (BayVGH, AZ: 7 BV 22.2642). In this case, a plaintiff from the district of Rosenheim had previously challenged the obligation to pay the broadcasting contribution on the basis of an alleged "structural failure of the public...