The Association of Private Building Owners (VPB) warns of the financial consequences of a planned reform of the Hazardous Substances Ordinance. If the reform is implemented as planned, private building owners, especially those without expertise, could have to pay for costly pollutant testing and remediation in older buildings on their own. Corinna Merzyn, Managing Director of VPB, emphasizes: "Not...

In times of increasing water scarcity, homeowners are called upon to use this vital resource more consciously. The Association of Private Builders (VPB) points this out. The carefree use of water for gardening, washing the car or filling the pool is no longer possible in view of falling groundwater levels in many regions. The association recommends taking this into account when planning a new...

Customers of the insolvent energy supplier BEV are still entitled to the promised new customer bonus. This was decided by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) (IX ZR 267/20). In this case, the insolvency administrator no longer wanted to grant the new customer bonus in full after the company filed for insolvency in 2019. The Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv) filed a model declaratory action against this...

The portal "schoener-wohnen.de" provides tips for the household. For example, the microwave can be cleaned using a lemon. To do this, it must first be squeezed. The juice and peel should then be placed in a dishwasher-safe container with water and placed in the microwave. This is now switched on for two minutes at the highest setting. Then...

The German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) has presented the new digital network platform "myDGNB" to the public. The platform is aimed at architecture, engineering and planning offices, real estate and finance companies, construction companies, product manufacturers, local authorities, universities and all other interested parties. Via the platform, they have...

Scientists from the universities of Freiburg and Stuttgart presented a pavilion that was constructed using new, computer-aided methods and robotic manufacturing processes. According to the researchers, the construction of the "livMatS Biomimetic Shell @ FIT" pavilion in lightweight timber construction resulted in considerable resource savings compared to traditional timber construction. The...

Researchers have now achieved an electrical efficiency of 99.74 percent using heat pump technology. This was made possible by advances in power electronics, which have been specially developed for electrocalorics. According to the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF, the effect is as follows: if an electrocaloric material made of special materials is...

A review mechanism for foreign investments that prohibits the acquisition of regional companies classified as strategic by foreign groups is not compatible with European Union law. The European Court of Justice recently came to this conclusion (ECJ, C-106/22). In the case at hand, the Hungarian concrete element manufacturer Xella...

The "Celestial Look" makes it possible to bring the heavens into your own four walls. The look is characterized by star charts, depictions of the night sky and astrological symbols. These elements can set subtle accents as well as serve as striking eye-catchers and, according to the portal "brigitte.de", can be integrated into the living environment in a variety of ways. For the...

Satisfaction with the housing situation depends largely on home ownership. This is the result of a survey commissioned by immoverkauf24 and ImmoScout24. The survey shows that homeowners are happier with their homes than tenants. Gender also plays a role in this context: women who live in a home of their own feel particularly happy with their...