The Association for the Promotion of Fair Conditions in Construction recently published a revised leaflet on the subject of "Building free of explosive ordnance". It not only explains the obligations of those involved in construction, but also provides information on the rules of conduct when explosive ordnance is found. In the leaflet, interested parties will find a flow chart for...

There is little difference between rented and owner-occupied apartments in terms of energy efficiency. This is the conclusion reached by the "RWI - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research". On average, the difference is only 1.8 percent in terms of energy consumption per square meter. According to the researchers, this corresponds to a difference of two kilowatt hours per...

Condominium owners are not allowed to make structural changes without further ado if the other condominium owners have not been informed or do not agree to them. Due to the so-called "obligation to pass a resolution", they must, if necessary, bring about an authorization resolution by way of an action to replace the resolution. This is the result of a ruling by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH)...

Before the start of the garden season, the portal "schoener-wohnen.de" has identified and summarized the current trends. Furniture made from oak, pine or teak is still modern, beautiful and relatively easy to maintain. In addition, wicker furniture made of rattan or willow will also be on trend in 2023. If you want to set accents, for example with the covers for the cushions of garden furniture,...

Germans are not only more environmentally aware, they are also under increasing cost pressure. This is the result of the study "Ecological sustainability as a driver of the transformation of housing in Germany", which was conducted by the Technical University of Darmstadt in cooperation with the real estate loan broker baufi24.de. Among other things, the researchers...

The number of building permits has fallen in Germany. This is according to figures recently published by the Federal Statistical Office. From 2021 to 2022, the number of building permits fell by 6.9 percent to 354,400 apartments. The figures reflect building permits for both new and existing homes. "The difficult mix of rising interest rates, strong...

In Germany, early warning systems need to be improved and dangers communicated more clearly. This is the conclusion of a working group at the University of Potsdam. Immediately after the flood disaster in summer 2021, the working group asked those affected online how they had been warned about the flood. The results showed that 35% of respondents from North Rhine-Westphalia and 29% of...

A neighbor dispute has ended up in court in Munich. In this case, a couple wanted to buy a six-square-metre plot of land from their neighbor in order to have access to Lake Pilsen. The couple own a plot without access to the lake and a tubular plot with access to the lake. However, the couple can only reach Lake Pilsen via the six square meter plot...

A new kitchen should be well planned, with the support of experts. The Arbeitsgemeinschaft Die Moderne Küche (AMK) advises this. This will ensure functionality, flexibility and ergonomics in the kitchen later on. Among other things, the base units can be considered during planning. Drawer systems with elements such as cutlery trays can be used to create individual...

In 2022, there was less trading in residential portfolios and apartments than during the financial crisis in 2009 and 2010. This was recently announced by the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR). According to the BBSR, only twelve portfolios with at least 800 rental apartments changed hands in 2022 and only 38,400 residential units in total. This is based on an evaluation of a corresponding database on...