General

The German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) recently examined real estate price trends in 114 major German cities. It found that prices for owner-occupied homes and apartments have risen by 9 percent compared with 2020. The DIW believes that "in more and more regions and market segments, there are speculative exaggerations , especially in...

The University of Wismar, the Technical University of Braunschweig, the German Timber Industry Association (HDH) and Haas Fertigbau GmbH want to jointly develop an open standard timber construction system for public buildings by the end of 2024. According to the Agency for Renewable Resources, this will be a standard timber construction system that can be used by planners and small to medium-sized carpentry and...

How long do singles and couples have to save for land transfer tax in order to realize their dream of owning their own home? This question was investigated by the information service of the Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (iwd). The result is that couples who want to buy a single-family home have to set aside 5.5 months' income for land transfer tax. For singles who want to buy a condominium, the...

Landlords can pass on the costs of cutting down a rotten tree on a rented property to their tenants. This is the result of a ruling by the Federal Court of Justice (AZ: VIII ZR 107/20). Accordingly, the costs for the felling of a tree are among the apportionable costs of garden maintenance. In the case in question, a tenant had filed a lawsuit against a housing association that had cut down a rotten...

What is the best way to live in the new year? The portal "fuersie.de" has broken this down and identified the four biggest living trends in 2022. According to the portal, these are materials from nature, Viennese wickerwork, teddy fur and geometric patterns. With materials from nature is meant for example sea grass, marble or untreated wood. With the "Viennese weave" it concerns...

For 2021 and 2022, the analysis company Bulwiengesa expects a record completion volume for logistics properties of over five million square meters each. Most recently, completed logistics space of 3.7 million square meters fell short of the previous year's figure of 4.9 million square meters due to delayed construction starts caused by the Corona pandemic. Nevertheless, the...

New buildings must be equipped with taller chimneys as of January 1, 2022. According to the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, "newly constructed pellet heating systems, tiled stoves or fireplaces must now have a chimney with an exit opening that extends far enough above the roof so that exhaust gases can be carried away by the natural air flow." Aim of the...

In a press release, the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Center has summarized, among other things, what will change in 2022 in the areas of energy, the environment and housing. Among other things, consumers will have to reckon with higher heating costs. This is due to the CO2 price, which has risen from 25 euros per ton to 30 euros per ton of CO2. In return, consumers can sign energy supply contracts that...

If a tenant has to carry out cosmetic repairs according to the rental agreement, these do not have to be perfectly executed. This is the conclusion of the Berlin Regional Court (Ref.: 65 S 264/20). In the case in question, a landlady claimed damages from a former tenant. With her repainting of the walls and ceilings, she would have led to a "worsening" of the previously professionally...

Seniors want to live a self-determined life. This was the finding of the Ipsos market research institute, which conducted a quantitative and qualitative survey of 1,124 seniors and 74 industry experts across Germany on behalf of the Carestore Group. The results showed that 74 percent of those surveyed would like to live in the center, in regular or upscale residential areas. The study also shows that...