November 2021

The TÜV association draws attention to the advantages of smart heating controls. These can be operated from a smartphone via an app and learn from user behavior. For example, smart heating controls can remember when and how many degrees the residents want to heat certain rooms. In addition, the thermostats have a so-called window open detection function and switch...

If an owner subsequently insulates existing buildings and these protrude onto the neighboring property as a result, the neighbors must tolerate this. This is the result of a ruling by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH). In this case, a dispute arose between owners of neighboring properties in North Rhine-Westphalia. The plaintiff was of the opinion that internal insulation of her gable wall was not compatible with...

How do owners or tenants find the right dining table for their house or apartment? The immonet.de portal explores this question. It advises choosing a table based on the number of residents. According to the portal, an area of 60 x 40 centimetres should be planned for each person. If guests visit frequently, owners or tenants can also consider an extendable table.

The German Real Estate Association (IVD) has taken a closer look at rental price trends in the retail sector and identified four developments. Firstly: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are many vacant retail spaces, especially in city centers. Secondly, particularly in Germany's seven largest cities, rents have fallen more sharply the higher they were previously...

The German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the construction industry (BG Bau) provides tips on safe working for construction workers in the cooler months of the year. To prevent accidents, construction sites should be prepared in good time for the fall. Due to the poor lighting conditions in the morning and from late afternoon, artificial light sources must be used. The BG Bau recommends a...

The Federal Council has approved a new Heating Costs Ordinance (HeizKV). Among other things, newly installed meters must be remotely readable. Devices that have already been installed must be retrofitted with this function or replaced by January 1, 2027. Tenants will also receive a different bill in future. This must include a comparison between the current consumption and the consumption...

The Federal Administrative Court (BVerwG) has partially overturned the right of first refusal for properties in Berlin and thus upheld the complaint of a real estate company. The right of first refusal is normally intended to ensure that houses are not bought up and the tenants move away - for example due to renovation measures that result in higher rents. In the present case...

Residents can marvel at the blazing flames in them, warm themselves and use them to create a cozy atmosphere in their homes: we are talking about fireplaces and stoves. The portal schoener-wohnen.de now presents the latest innovations in a series of pictures. From a pellet stove for smaller rooms and storage stoves for new builds to a wood-burning stove that combines a radiator and oven - the imagination...

Is it cheaper to buy a property in the suburbs and commute to work in the metropolis? The Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI) investigated this question on behalf of Postbank. It compares the seven largest cities in Germany - Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt am Main, Stuttgart and Düsseldorf - with each other. The study shows after how many years...

Researchers from the University of Duisburg-Essen (UED), the Institute for Applied Construction Research Weimar and the Kalk-Sand Research Association have developed a new type of rope robot. They spent two years working on it. The result is a cable robot that can build a storey of standard sand-lime bricks in just a few hours. It can also move bricks, prevent falls and...