The majority of German homeowners are showing a growing interest in energy-efficient living and are planning corresponding renovation measures. This is according to the TechnologyRadar 2023 published by the German Academy of Science and Engineering, the Körber Foundation and the Center for Interdisciplinary Risk and Innovation Research at the University of Stuttgart. According to the study, around 80 percent of...

Prices for vacation apartments in the Alpine region, particularly in Switzerland, rose by 7% last year. Top prices were achieved in Engadin/St. Moritz, Flims/Laax and Gstaad. This is reported by nnz.ch, which cites a study by the major bank UBS. This development can be attributed to the coronavirus pandemic and the second-home initiative, which has limited the number of...

The Bundestag has passed the "BauGB Digitization Amendment". This is intended to speed up the urban land-use planning process and promote digitalization in the construction planning process. Faster construction and planning of buildings should make it easier to realize private and public investments. "This law will speed up the construction and planning of housing...

The Berlin Administrative Court has ruled that a furniture retailer in Germany that operates exclusively online may not employ its customer service staff on Sundays and public holidays (AZ: VG 4 K 311/22). The retailer currently provides its customer service on Sundays and public holidays mainly via call centers in Poland and Ireland. His application for permission to work on Sundays for...

The growing number of dementia patients in Germany also requires special adaptations to architecture. Nele Tramp, an architecture graduate from the Institute of Design and Building Theory at the Technical University of Braunschweig, addressed this topic in her master's thesis "Dementia Village Hulsberg" and was awarded the Architects' Award for Hospital Construction and Healthcare...

Residential real estate in Germany is still considered one of the most stable asset classes that offer reliable protection against inflation. This is the result of the latest ACCENTRO Housing Cost Report. The study, which was conducted in cooperation with the Cologne Institute for Economic Research, focused on the inflation protection and value stability of German residential real estate in...

The disagreement between the coalition parties over changes to the Building Energy Act (GEG) has weakened the confidence of many citizens in the heating transition. This is the view of Florian Becker, Managing Director of the Building Owners' Protection Association (BSB). He believes that there is confusion and uncertainty among consumers who are looking for efficient and sustainable solutions for their properties. The government has...

A vacation trip is the perfect time to reduce energy consumption. This is the conclusion reached by the energy advice service of the consumer advice center. It suggests a number of measures to identify energy guzzlers at home and save money. One strategy is to only switch on appliances when they are needed. Otherwise, care should be taken to ensure that the appliances are actually...

The federal government is providing 200 million euros for climate adaptation in urban areas. Cities and municipalities have until Friday, 15 September to submit their projects for the targeted development and modernization of parks, green spaces and open spaces for the federal programme "Adaptation of urban areas to climate change". The federal program aims to improve the urban climate and is...

Proper watering and the use of drought-resistant grass varieties are key to maintaining gardens in rising temperatures. The portal "schoener-wohnen.de" points this out. Garden owners do not have to put up with a yellow-brown lawn, but can maintain a green lawn even at temperatures above 30 degrees with suitable measures. Through high...