General

In which living environment do very old people in Germany live? The answers to these and other questions are provided by the eighth summary report of the D80+ study "Advanced Age in Germany" conducted by the University of Cologne and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ). The results show that 64.9 percent of respondents feel connected to their living environment. This...

Anyone who is also interested in gardening in connection with the construction of a house will find the first helpful tips on the correct planting and care of the garden in the guide "Der natürliche Garten - Ökologische Gartengestaltung leicht gemacht" (The natural garden - ecological garden design made easy) published by the Marzahn-Hellersdorf district authority. Among other things, the guide shows that a near-natural design is advisable in order to create a small...

The association Wohnen im Eigentum (WiE) demands legal simplifications for the own power supply in residential property. In addition the WiE has two concrete requests. Firstly, condominium owners' associations (WEG) would have to be defined as "self-suppliers". Second: There would have to be an obligation to purchase self-produced solar power for all residents of a WEG. With regard to the first point...

If an heir cannot use the family home himself for health reasons, he does not lose the inheritance tax exemption for it. This was decided by the Federal Fiscal Court (BFH, ruling dated December 1, 2021 - II R 18/20). In the case at hand, a plaintiff had occupied the single-family house inherited from her father herself for a while. Due to health problems, however, she was...

Furnishing tips for children's rooms are listed by the portal "Falstaff Living" from Vienna. Among other things, parents should be sparing with different materials. In this way, they can prevent unrest from arising in the children's room. So that the children's room does not appear too untidy, toys and clothing should be sorted out from time to time. The portal also advises to use a loft bed...

Owners are dissatisfied with their external property managers, according to a study by the company "Matera". This particularly affects 18- to 35-year-olds. In this age group, 54 percent of respondents say they are dissatisfied with their property management company or have problems finding a suitable manager. Among the reasons for dissatisfaction, respondents see a lack of...

Experts from Fraunhofer IBP and a team of experts from the software and consulting company msg GillardonBSM AG have jointly developed a software prototype that combines life cycle assessment and the overall economic calculation of buildings. To do this, they will first use special software from Fraunhofer IBP. "In the process, the key figures of all relevant components such as...

The "Real Green Award" of the German Corporate Energy Efficiency Initiative (DENEFF) recently honored several companies that are already constructing residential and non-residential buildings in a climate-neutral manner or creating corresponding strategies for this purpose. The award was presented in two categories, namely the "Real Green Award" for "Ambitious Corporate Approaches" and the "Performance...

Italy is allowed to oblige real estate intermediaries such as Airbnb to withhold taxes of 21 percent on the rent and pay them to the tax authorities. The free movement of services does not preclude either the obligation to collect and transmit information or the obligation to withhold taxes. This is the opinion of Advocate General Maciej Szpunar of the European Court of Justice (ECJ)...

The Initiative Pro Massivholz (IPM) is currently complaining about shortages of hardwood. Oak wood in particular has been difficult to obtain in recent months. This also makes the production processes for solid wood furniture more difficult. The IPM is highly critical of the export of wood to distant countries: "The trees are felled in this country, shipped to China as roundwood, processed there and then sold in the form of...