General

In his commentary "The housing market could put the ECB in a bind," Deutsche Bank Research analyst Jochen Möbert assesses the current situation on housing markets. He says, "If inflation remains high, further interest rate hikes could lead to distortions in housing markets." In his opinion, housing markets could find it difficult to cope with further interest rate hikes....

Individuals, companies, universities, research institutions and research networks from the field of construction research can still apply for the research funding "Zukunft Bau" (Future Construction) of the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Construction (BMWSB) and the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) until June 1, 2023. Funding is available for research and development projects in the...

Anyone with questions about the calculation tool for self-assessment by plant operators in accordance with Section 29 of the Electricity Price Brake Act (StromPBG) can now get advice from experts at the German Energy Agency (dena). The Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) has commissioned the establishment of a corresponding hotline there. Plant operators who are subject to skimming will receive a letter in April from...

For a compulsory portion penalty clause in a so-called Berlin will to be valid, third parties must actually inherit something. If this is not the case, they do not face any sanctions. This has now been decided by the Higher Regional Court (OLG) of Frankfurt am Main (decision of 21.2.2023, 21 W 104/22). In the case at hand, the husband and wife appointed each other as sole heirs. The man had inherited from his previous marriage a...

During spring cleaning should also be cleaned furniture surfaces. Especially with regard to the cleaning of solid wood furniture, however, there are a few things to keep in mind. The Initiative Pro Massivholz points this out. "Especially with solid wood surfaces, aggressive cleaning agents should be avoided and water should only be used sparingly," says Andreas Ruf, managing director of the Initiative Pro...

The "Sentiment Indicator Real Estate Stocks 2023" was recently published by Kirchhoff Consult AG, the Hamburg-based agency for financial and corporate communications. The sentiment indicator shows that the basic sentiment of analysts remains at a low level of 3.8 points (H1 2023). Previously (H2 2022), the basic sentiment of the analysts was still at 4.5 points, with the possible scale being a...

The Association for the Promotion of Fair Conditions in Construction has recently published a revised leaflet on the subject of "Building free of explosive ordnance". It not only explains the obligations of those involved in construction, but also provides information on the rules of conduct when explosive ordnance is found. In the leaflet, interested parties will find a flow chart for...

There is little difference between rental and owner-occupied apartments in terms of energy efficiency. This is the conclusion of the "RWI - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research". On average, the difference is only 1.8 percent in terms of energy consumption per square meter. According to the researchers, this corresponds to a difference of two kilowatt hours per...

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,...