The proposals for changes to the construction contract law of the German Civil Code (BGB) have met with resistance from the construction industry. The core of these proposed amendments concerns the possibility for clients to change contractually agreed services independently. The construction trade and construction industry associations reject the abolition of the attempt to reach an agreement before such an amendment...

Sustainability is evolving from a marketing asset to a business necessity for companies. This is the conclusion of the Fraunhofer IPK trend report. Due to raw material shortages and rising energy prices, resource-efficient practices are becoming increasingly important. Using data-based methods and intelligent control technology, companies could find the most energy-efficient...

The award procedure for the planning services for the new Asklepios clinic building in Hamburg-Altona can be continued with the existing award documents. This was recently decided by the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court (1 Verg 3/22). However, a re-evaluation of the bidders' final offers is required. The decision upheld an appeal by Asklepios-Kliniken in Hamburg against a decision by the...

High electricity and heating bills are prompting property owners to invest in their buildings. But how can homeowners minimize energy use to avoid high energy bills? According to the German Window + Façade Association (VFF), the building envelope plays a particularly important role alongside the heating system in order to achieve solar gains. An efficient building envelope helps to...

Real estate prices are perceived as less daunting, but the fear of a high financial burden when buying a property remains. This is the result of an Interhyp study of over 1,000 real estate buyers and prospective buyers. Jörg Utecht, Chairman of the Interhyp Group, emphasizes the need to take a close look at the property purchase process and to make the project...

The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has a direct impact on spatial development in Germany and Europe. It has an impact on the supply of energy and raw materials and raises questions about the resilience of settlement structures and the protection of critical infrastructure. In its current issue, the specialist journal IzR of the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR)...

The Building Owners' Protection Association (BSB) criticizes the current draft of the law to amend the Building Energy Act (GEG) as being too narrowly defined and not sufficiently open to technology. In a statement submitted to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) and the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Construction (BMWSB), the BSB criticizes the neglect of...

An extraordinary termination of a gym contract due to coronavirus protection measures is invalid according to the Munich District Court. The local court therefore ordered the defendant to pay the outstanding membership fees of around 1,200 euros (case no. 161 C 2028/22). The defendant from Munich concluded an 18-month gym contract in April 2021 with a monthly membership fee of 74...

The "Home Ownership for Families" (WEF) funding program from the Federal Ministry of Building (BMWSB) was launched at the beginning of June. The aim of the funding program is to make it easier for families with low and medium incomes to dream of owning their own home. Families can obtain low-interest loans from financing partners, such as their house bank or savings bank. The reduced-interest...

Adjusted for inflation, real estate prices fell slightly for the first time in the majority of German districts and independent cities in 2022. This is according to the "Postbank Housing Atlas 2023". In around 63% of regions, condominiums were cheaper to buy than in the previous year. The seven largest metropolitan areas recorded sharper declines than medium-sized cities. On average, the...