2024

Fewer and fewer owner-occupied homes are being built in Germany. According to a study by Deutsche Bank, the last owner-occupied home could even be built in 2050. The main reasons for this are rising construction costs and greater environmental awareness. The trend is towards "greener building". This also means that apartment buildings are more likely to be built than semi-detached and detached houses. They have - comparatively -...

In the current real estate landscape, condominiums from the 1970s and 1980s are increasingly attracting buyers due to their comparatively lower prices and the decline in new construction activity. However, buyers of such apartments should not only consider the purchase price. The Association of Private Builders (VPB) advises that the amount of the maintenance reserve should also be checked. The reason for this...

Germany's potential for using solar energy on buildings is enormous, but still largely untapped. In 2023, 61.1 terawatt hours of solar power were produced. This corresponds to only twelve percent of national electricity consumption. According to the knowledge magazine "scinexx", if Germany's annual electricity requirements were to be covered by solar energy, the area of the island of Rügen - i.e. almost 1,000...

Property owners can optimize their tax deduction for wear and tear (AfA) with a remaining useful life report. An expert opinion can prove that the actual useful life of a property is shorter than the tax office's estimate. This makes it possible to increase the annual depreciation amounts and extend the remaining useful life.

The pantry is experiencing a revival in modern kitchen concepts, not only as a nostalgic relic, but also as a practical solution for storing food and kitchen utensils. In today's world, where living space must be used efficiently, the integration of a pantry offers numerous advantages when planning a kitchen. It can help to store food in the best possible way and...

More than half of the property buyers and prospective buyers surveyed (56%) rate the ability to purchase a property as "moderately" to "easily" achievable. This represents an improvement of 9 percentage points compared to the previous year, when fewer respondents felt that real estate prices were affordable. This is the result of a recent study by the Interhyp Group...

Building acceptance is a crucial milestone in any construction project, as it marks the transfer of legal responsibility for the building from the construction company to the client. This moment requires great care, as overlooking defects can have serious financial and legal consequences. It is therefore essential that the client does not carry out the acceptance procedure under pressure and...

Chinese researchers from Wuhan University and Northeastern University in China have developed a new method for recycling end-of-life solar modules. It is a method that is both energy efficient and takes into account the increasing demand for sustainable recycling methods. The innovative process is based on the use of a molten mixture of sodium and sodium carbonate to...

Legal costs incurred in an action for a resolution by a homeowners' association must also be borne proportionately by the victorious plaintiffs. This was decided by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) (V ZR 139/23). The ruling is based on the reformed German Condominium Act of December 2020, which states that all members of a community must contribute to the administrative costs of...

The exterior lighting of a house offers aesthetic and practical benefits. By using recessed or surface-mounted luminaires and wall luminaires, for example, impressive lighting effects can be achieved that emphasize the character of the house. Lighting under a canopy or roof overhang provides ideal orientation light, making the surroundings safer and more secure.