A company survey conducted by the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) has revealed that companies fear the consequences of higher electricity and gas prices. Almost half (46%) of the 600 or so companies surveyed fear a loss of competitiveness in Germany as a result. In addition, the companies also fear that they...

The Association of Private Builders (VPB) criticizes the fact that there are still considerable deficits in the awareness of consumer rights in connection with turnkey construction. In its third study on construction contract law entitled "The new construction contract law - turnkey construction for consumer builders - investigation into implementation in 2020", the VPB found that...

How can the block development of Hamburg's Speicherstadt warehouse district be supplied with C02-neutral energy by 2040? HHLA Real Estate is investigating this question together with several project partners. Among other things, they are jointly researching how the energy required to operate the property can be generated, stored and used in the building itself. A particular challenge here is the protection of listed buildings...

If someone needs to care for a close relative and would like to move into the same house to do so, they can give notice to the current tenants on the grounds of personal use. This is the result of a ruling by the Munich Local Court (case no. 453 C 3432/21). In this case, a grandniece took legal action against the tenants - an elderly couple - following the failure of pre-trial settlement negotiations and was ultimately...

What is important when choosing a bed and mattress? This question is answered by the German Furniture Quality Association (DGM). It advises individuals to choose a bed with a mattress width of at least 80 centimeters. Couples should choose a bed width of at least 1.60 meters, as from this width two mattresses can be used to meet different requirements.

When searching for a property, 70% of those who have looked for an apartment or house to rent or buy in the past have used the internet either partially or exclusively. This is the result of a survey conducted by Bitkom Research, a subsidiary of the German Digital Association. The company surveyed around 1,000 people aged 16 and over...

A "Digital Construction Week" starts on Monday, December 13. It is aimed at architects, building contractors, specialist planners and tradespeople who want to find out about digital solutions in the construction industry. Numerous start-ups will be presenting their concepts, cooperation approaches and products. In 5-minute presentations on topics such as Building Information Modeling (BIM),...

In an evaluation of 1,681 existing and new buildings marketed by McMakler, it emerged that on average only 13 percent of all energy performance certificates issued were awarded energy efficiency classes A+, A or B and therefore the three best possible energy efficiency classes. If you only look at new-build homes, things look better: Here, 71 percent receive energy efficiency classes A+, A or...

If tenants have to pay for a broadband cable connection for the entire duration of their tenancy agreement, this does not violate the Telecommunications Act according to the current legal situation. This was recently decided by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH). However, this practice has no longer been permitted since December 1, 2021 anyway. The reason for this is an amendment to the...

In the new "Home Report 2022" from the Zukunftsinstitut, housing expert and futurologist Oona Horx-Strathern sheds light on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on living space. She has identified and summarized three different trends. She calls them "Conscious Kitchen", "FurNEARtur" and "modular furniture". The "Conscious Kitchen" trend refers to the fact that the...