The German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) recently examined the development of real estate prices in 114 major German cities. It found that prices for owner-occupied homes and apartments have risen by 9 percent compared to 2020. The DIW is of the opinion that "speculative exaggerations are occurring in more and more regions and market segments, particularly in...

Wismar University of Applied Sciences, the Technical University of Braunschweig, the German Timber Industry Association (HDH) and Haas Fertigbau GmbH want to jointly develop an open standard timber construction system for public buildings by the end of 2024. According to the Agency for Renewable Resources, the aim is to create a standard timber construction system that can be used by planners and small to medium-sized carpentry and...

How long do singles and couples have to save up for property transfer tax in order to realize their dream of owning their own home? This question was investigated by the information service of the German Economic Institute (iwd). The result is that couples who want to buy a detached house have to set aside 5.5 months' income for property transfer tax. For singles who want to buy a condominium...

Landlords can pass on the costs of felling a rotten tree on a rental property to their tenants. This is the result of a ruling by the Federal Court of Justice (AZ: VIII ZR 107/20). According to the ruling, the costs of felling a tree are among the apportionable costs of garden maintenance. In the case in question, a tenant had taken legal action against a housing association that had cut down a rotten...

What's the best way to live in the new year? The portal "fuersie.de" has broken this down and identified the four biggest living trends for 2022. According to the portal, these are natural materials, Viennese wickerwork, teddy fur and geometric patterns. Natural materials include seagrass, marble and untreated wood, for example. Viennese wickerwork" refers to...

For 2021 and 2022, the analysis company Bulwiengesa expects a record completion volume for logistics properties of over five million square meters each. At 3.7 million square meters, completed logistics space recently fell short of the previous year's figure of 4.9 million square meters due to delayed construction starts caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Nevertheless, the...

Since January 1, 2022, new buildings must be equipped with higher chimneys. According to the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, "newly built pellet heating systems, tiled stoves or fireplaces must now have a chimney whose outlet opening protrudes so far above the roof that exhaust gases can be carried away by the natural air flow". The aim of the...

The North Rhine-Westphalia consumer advice center has summarized in a press release what will change in 2022 in terms of energy, the environment and housing. Among other things, consumers will have to expect higher heating costs. This is due to the CO2 price, which has risen from 25 euros per tonne to 30 euros per tonne of CO2. On the other hand, consumers will be able to...

If a tenant has to carry out decorative repairs according to the tenancy agreement, these do not have to be carried out perfectly. This is the conclusion reached by the Berlin Regional Court (Ref.: 65 S 264/20). In this case, a landlady demanded compensation from a former tenant. She claimed that her repainting of the walls and ceilings had led to a "worsening" of the previously professionally...

Senior citizens want to live independently. This was the finding of the market research institute Ipsos, which conducted a quantitative and qualitative survey of 1,124 senior citizens and 74 industry experts across Germany on behalf of the Carestore Group. The result was that 74 percent of respondents would like to live in the city center, in regular or upscale residential areas. The study also shows that...