Outdoor cooking is becoming increasingly popular and, according to the "Die Moderne Küche" (AMK) working group, is becoming a sociable highlight for family and friends. A tailor-made outdoor kitchen, which is weatherproof and conveniently equipped, transforms a balcony, terrace or garden into a place to enjoy. "The outdoor kitchen ensures short distances when barbecuing and guests...
In most areas of Germany, it is more financially advantageous to rent a home than to buy. This is indicated by a study by the company "Colliers". It shows that in 365 of the 400 districts and independent cities surveyed (91 percent), renting an apartment is around EUR 4,300 a year cheaper than buying one. In the seven largest cities...
According to the Bauherren-Schutzbund (BSB), only two to three percent of all homes are classified as barrier-free. According to the BSB, barrier-free living not only increases living comfort for older people, but also benefits all generations. A level-access shower or step-free access to the living area are examples of measures that make everyday life easier and improve...
Consumers can currently save 300 to 800 euros per year by switching electricity or gas providers. The North Rhine-Westphalia consumer advice center points this out. There are "cheap electricity and gas tariffs" again. In addition, some electricity tariffs are also back to "pre-crisis levels" according to the NRW consumer advice center. If a family switches from an electricity tariff with a basic price...
New regulations in the Condominium Act offer more flexibility in the allocation of costs for maintenance measures. According to the judgments V ZR 81/23 and V ZR 87/23 of the Federal Court of Justice (BGH), condominium associations can now pass resolutions that provide for a specific cost allocation at the expense of individual owners for the maintenance of the common property. This makes it possible to...
From July 1, landlords will no longer be allowed to pass on the monthly fees for a cable TV connection to their tenants. This was previously the case for apartment buildings with a shared cable connection. The reason for the abolition of the so-called "ancillary cost privilege" is an amendment to the Telecommunications Act. Tenants can then choose their own provider. For...
The provision of affordable housing by employers, known as "employee housing", is once again gaining importance in Germany. A recent study by the "RegioKontext" institute shows that companies from various sectors, from craft businesses to large corporations, are becoming increasingly involved in this area. Employee housing could be a...
For many people, buying a home is a financial challenge, particularly because of the high equity requirements. For example, buying a property worth 400,000 euros requires 80,000 euros of equity. In order to help potential buyers, the state offers various subsidies that can be used to save up equity capital or to help with the...
The energy efficiency class of a property has a significant impact on its market value. For example, houses with the highest energy efficiency class A+ are on average 25 percent more expensive than those with the lowest energy efficiency class H. This trend is also reflected in apartments: properties with class A+ achieve a premium of 25 percent compared to those with energy efficiency class D.
The Federal Court of Justice recently clarified the obligations to carry out decorative repairs in tenancy agreements (BGH; VIII ZB 43/23). In essence, the issue is that the responsibility for decorative repairs can be effectively transferred from the landlord to the tenant by means of standard contract clauses. However, this presupposes that the apartment is in a renovated condition at the start of the tenancy....
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