2023

Condominium owners are not allowed to make structural changes without further ado if the other condominium owners have not been informed about them or do not agree with them. Due to the so-called "obligation to pass a resolution", they must, if necessary, bring about a resolution to grant permission by way of an action to replace the resolution. This is the result of a ruling by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH)...

Before the start of the garden season, the portal "schoener-wohnen.de" has identified and summarized the current trends. Furniture made of oak, pine or teak is still modern, beautiful and also relatively easy to clean. In addition, 2023 but also wicker furniture from rattan or willow are in the trend. Those who want to set accents, for example in the covers for the cushions of the garden furniture,...

Germans not only have a heightened environmental awareness, they are also under increasing cost pressure. This is the finding of the study "Ecological Sustainability as a Driver of the Transformation of Housing in Germany," which was conducted by the Technical University of Darmstadt in cooperation with the real estate loan broker baufi24.de. Among other things, the researchers...

The number of building permits in Germany has fallen. That is according to figures recently published by the Federal Statistical Office. From 2021 to 2022, the number of building permits thus fell by 6.9 percent to 354,400 apartments. The figures reflect building permits for both new and existing housing. "The difficult mix of rising interest rates, strong...

In Germany, early warning systems need to be improved and hazards communicated more clearly. This is the conclusion of a working group at the University of Potsdam. Immediately after the flood disaster in the summer of 2021, the working group asked those affected online how they had been warned about the flood. The results showed that 35 percent of respondents from North Rhine-Westphalia and 29 percent of...

A neighbor dispute has ended up in court in Munich. In the case in question, a couple wanted to buy a six-square-meter plot from their neighbor in order to have access to Lake Pilsen. The couple owns a plot without lake access and a tubular plot with lake access. However, the couple can only reach Lake Pilsen via the six-square-meter plot....

A new kitchen should be well planned, and with the support of experts. This is the advice of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Die Moderne Küche (AMK). This will ensure functionality, flexibility and ergonomics in the kitchen later on. When planning, among other things, the base cabinets can be considered. Drawer systems with elements such as cutlery trays create individual...

In 2022, there was as little trading in residential portfolios and apartments as there had last been during the financial crisis of 2009 and 2010, the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) recently reported. According to BBSR, only twelve portfolios with at least 800 rental apartments changed hands in 2022 and a total of only 38,400 residential units. This is the result of an evaluation of a corresponding database on...

A very special hotel opened in Düsseldorf-Flingern at the beginning of March. At "b'mine," guests can not only stay overnight, but also reach 26 so-called CarLofts with their car in a car elevator. After the elevator ride, the car can simply be parked in the parking space in front of the room. The parking spaces are not only intended to save guests the hassle of searching for a parking space, but...

A system called "RENbuild" for the combined regenerative supply of buildings with fresh air, cooling and electricity is currently being developed by the Center for Applied Energy Research (CAE) in Würzburg and other project participants. The RENbuild system is composed of hybrid collectors, a high-performance heat/cold storage system, a heat pump system and a building automation system. According to...