Before the dream of owning a home becomes reality, builders should make careful decisions and carry out thorough planning. The portal "baumentor.de" points this out and offers a checklist with 15 important questions as a guide for the successful implementation of the building project. We summarize the questions in a three-part series. Today: Points 1 to 5 The...

How can hydrogen be used more easily as an energy source for private homes and small businesses? This is currently being researched by a team at Frankfurt University of Applied Science. The aim is to store CO2-neutral energy and counteract fluctuations in the electricity supply. In the first phase of the project ("Smart tank device for hydrogen"), the focus was on basic research as well as...

If spouses separate, one partner does not necessarily have to move out in order for a separation to actually be assumed. Rather, an appropriate degree of physical separation within the shared home is sufficient. This includes living and sleeping separately and the absence of significant personal relationships. This was decided by the Frankfurt am Main Higher Regional Court (AZ: 1 UF...

Feng Shui, an ancient Chinese art of interior design, aims to promote harmony and balance in living and working environments. This is achieved by optimizing the arrangement and alignment of furniture to allow a free flow of life energy, known as chi. Especially in small spaces, it is important to keep things tidy and avoid clutter in order to...

A new housing demand forecast calls into question previous estimates of the housing shortage in Germany. Instead of the assumed 400,000 new apartments per year, the research and consulting institute Empirica forecasts a demand of only 170,000 apartments. According to Empirica, many of the recently built apartments were built in the "wrong place". The result: they do not contribute to...

Additional living space can be created by converting the basement. Windows provide daylight in the hobby room, office or guest room. Installing these is particularly useful if the basement is above ground level. Ideally, window installation should be carried out by specialist companies who also supply the windows. The portal "sanier.de" points this out. To the...

An energy performance certificate is required when selling or renting a property. The consumer advice center points this out. The law requires this in order to ensure transparency regarding the energy efficiency of a property. A distinction is made between demand and consumption certificates, with the latter being cheaper but less informative. The cost of the energy performance certificate must not...

If a living room and a basement room are rented separately with two contracts, the rent cap does not apply to the basement room. This was decided by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH; case reference: VIII ZR 94/21). In the case in question, tenants had paid an apartment for an initial basic rent of 850 euros. They also concluded a basement usage agreement with their landlord for 79 euros per month. The rent for the...

When you plant a garden, you sometimes have to wait a long time for a visible result. But there are tricks that can shorten the wait. With the right planning, suitable methods and the right tools, the garden can quickly come to life. The portal "mein-schoener-garten.de" points this out. An immediate requirement is often a privacy screen. But plants need time to grow...

Rents in the surrounding areas of many major cities are rising faster than in the cities themselves. This trend is being driven by the increasing demand for housing outside the metropolitan areas. The former price advantage of apartments in the surrounding area is therefore increasingly disappearing. In the long term, this trend - which is particularly noticeable in the areas surrounding Berlin and Munich - could lead to...