Reducing dependence on raw material imports and strengthening domestic raw material production - this is what the German Construction Industry Federation (HDB) and the German Building Materials Association (bbs) call for in their joint position paper "Ensuring security of supply of raw materials, building materials and energy - further increasing resource efficiency". The associations fear that...

How can apartments and houses be designed to be barrier-free and energy-saving at the same time? The energy advice service of the consumer advice center provides several tips on this. For example, owners have design options with regard to entrance doors, balcony and patio doors, bathrooms and smart homes. When converting entrance doors, it is important to ensure that new steps are as...

Private landlords may not recklessly rent out their property to relatives at an exorbitant rent. This has now been decided by the Frankfurt am Main Local Court (AZ: 940 OWi 862 Js 44556/21). In this case, a private landlord had rented out his 53 square meter 2-room apartment to his cousin and his cousin's family for 810 euros per month. The local comparative rent was allowed to...

The Initiative Pro Massivholz (IPM) has a funny way of pointing out the advantages of a closet made of solid wood: "The natural material wood is inherently antistatic and therefore does not attract dirt or dust, which means that choosing a solid wood closet plays into the hands of those who hate cleaning," explains Andreas Ruf, Managing Director of IPM. In addition, the...

In a study, the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) recommends creating a social package instead of the additional tax cut on gas. In this package, the one-off energy price lump sum of EUR 300 should be replaced by a regular "Energy Price Lump Sum Plus" of EUR 80 per month for taxpayers with a net salary of no more than EUR 3,000 and EUR 40 per month for...

BG Bau informs small and medium-sized companies in the construction industry about fire protection in the construction industry with various measures. For example, interested parties can order the brochure "Betrieblicher Brandschutz in der Praxis" for 5 euros via the bgbau.de website. There is also a so-called Bausteine app, which provides tips for safer working. Users can enter...

Whether it's a ceiling solution for a multi-storey timber construction, a dry stacking system for masonry blocks or a smart bike parking system - the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUV), the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) and the International Design Center Berlin (IDZ) have announced the 28 nominees for the Federal Ecodesign Award 2022. Interested parties can find out more about the nominees and their projects at...

If damage occurs after mains water damage due to defective pipes in a condominium owner's apartment, this must be paid for jointly by all condominium owners. This was decided by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH)/judgement of September 16, 2022 - V ZR 69/21 V ZR 69/21 In this case, a community of owners had taken out building insurance for the special...

The brigitte.de portal shows how interested parties can turn old books into decorative items. For example, a side table can be made from several books. This works by stacking the books, gluing them together and then staging them with spray paint. According to brigitte.de, disused books can also be used to make postcards. To do this, the pages are...

If you want to buy a new-build apartment in Munich, you will have to dig deep into your pockets. According to the study "11th edition of the Property Index - Overview of European Residential Markets" by Deloitte GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, Munich is the second most expensive city in Europe in this respect. While buyers in Munich have to pay 10,500 euros per square meter, the...