March 2023

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 the planning stage. 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...

A very special hotel opened in Düsseldorf-Flingern at the beginning of March. At "b'mine", guests can not only stay overnight, but can also reach 26 so-called CarLofts with their car in a car elevator. After the elevator ride, the car can simply be parked in the parking space in front of the room. The parking spaces are designed not only to save guests the hassle of searching for a parking space, but also to...

The Center for Applied Energy Research (CAE) in Würzburg and other project participants are currently developing a system called "RENbuild" for the combined regenerative supply of buildings with fresh air, cooling and electricity. The RENbuild system consists of hybrid collectors, a high-performance heat/cold storage tank, a heat pump system and a building automation system. According to...

In Berlin, land may not be used as a so-called container park where tenants live in caravans, for example. This has now been decided by the Berlin Administrative Court (VG 13 L 325/22 and others). In one of the cases in question, an operator had set up and rented out containers on a 4,000 square meter plot of land in Treptow-Köpenick without permission. The rental costs...

If you want to add copper accents to your apartment or house, you can place small bowls or vases on a bookshelf or windowsill, for example. The livingathome.de portal points this out in its article "Living trend copper: highlights for the home". If residents choose untreated copper, different shades of color will develop over time. The reason for this...

Paying high rents and repaying loans is a burden for more and more Germans. As a result, 12 percent of 12,000 respondents are planning to move for financial reasons. These are the findings of a joint analysis by the ifo Institute and Immowelt. The respondents could theoretically save costs, for example, by moving from the usually expensive city to the often cheaper...

The Construction Circular Economy Initiative under the auspices of the German Building Materials Association recently published a new monitoring report with figures on the generation and fate of mineral construction waste. According to Dr. Matthias Frederichs, Managing Director of the German Building Materials Association, "mineral construction waste is now almost completely...

The energy advice service of the consumer advice center provides tips on how owners and tenants can prevent the formation of mould through correct heating and ventilation. After showering, cooking or sleeping, the property should first be completely aired out. Afterwards, the energy advice from the consumer advice center recommends leaving the windows open for two to three...

A meadow orchard in Berlin-Johannisthal/Adlershof must make way for a school building. This was decided by the Berlin Administrative Court (VG 24 L 36/23). In this case, a community school is to be built on an approximately 3.5-hectare plot of land that is currently home to a meadow orchard. According to the Federal Nature Conservation Act, meadow orchards are protected biotopes that cannot be...