Careful cost calculation and setting a realistic budget are crucial when building a house in order to avoid additional financing. Ancillary building costs must also be taken into account. To avoid unpleasant surprises during the construction process, builders should not only plan for obvious expenses such as materials and tradesmen's costs, but also...

A milestone has been reached in a project to develop a grid-supporting photovoltaic storage system. Under the coordination of the Center for Applied Energy Research (CAE), an innovative converter-storage unit is entering the demonstration phase, which is designed to smooth out power fluctuations in photovoltaic systems caused by cloud movement. After a three-year development phase, the...

If tenants want to barbecue in their garden or on their balcony, they should definitely take a look at the house rules and the tenancy agreement beforehand. The regional association "Haus & Grund Rheinland Westfalen" points this out. In some cases, barbecuing is completely prohibited. In residential complexes, barbecuing is often only permitted with electric barbecues to prevent fires....

Working mother of three Becky Rapinchuk has developed a "Simply Clean" method for house and apartment cleaning. She recommends cleaning for 10 to a maximum of 15 minutes every day to keep the home continuously clean. This strategy is designed to prevent lengthy cleaning sessions and maintain cleanliness in the long term. A distinction is made between daily, weekly and...

The housing crisis in Germany is coming to a head as the completion of over 220,000 new-build apartments has been delayed. This deficit is particularly affecting the A cities. These are large metropolitan areas where demand is highest. This is according to the Bulwiengesa study "Residential Developments in Germany", which was commissioned by a real estate agency. Between 2013 and...

Researchers at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft have developed innovative processes in the field of building refurbishment. The aim is to increase the renovation rate in order to significantly reduce CO2 emissions in the construction sector. Currently, the renovation rate is around one percent per year. According to the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, "it would take around one hundred years to refurbish the entire building stock" if the...

The consumer advice center points out that customers can check their bills for electricity, gas and district heating from the past year. Corresponding price brakes applied, which is why there are some special features to bear in mind. For example, the December discount for gas and heat for private households and small and medium-sized enterprises was abolished. To ensure the correctness of the...

In many cases, owners want to enjoy the peace and quiet of their garden, but neighbors trespassing can become a nuisance. The Regional Court of Lübeck has ruled that, under certain circumstances, neighbors still have a right to pass through the property (AZ: 3 O 309/22). In this particular case, two neighbors, a woman and a man, were in dispute. As the man's property is located in...

Colors influence our mood and our well-being. Greenery in particular, which is associated with nature and freshness, plays an important role in the indoor climate. Green plants can improve air quality and therefore contribute to a healthier living space. But which plants are best suited to the different living areas? This is important to know, because indoor plants fulfill...

Property prices will rise in Germany's seven largest cities, among others, but also in other regions. In almost half of the regions surveyed (47%), purchase prices will rise by more than 0.15% in real terms by 2035. This is according to the "Postbank Housing Atlas 2024" published by the Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI). The development will be driven by an increasing...