April 2023

The portal "brigitte.de" has now identified which accessories bring a spring feeling into the home. In addition to vases, wooden trays, candles and fairy lights, cushion covers can also be used. Vases can be made of either glass or terracotta. They also look great on a wooden slice. Tulips in both types of vase make for a beautiful...

If you want to buy an existing apartment of around 80 square meters in a major German city, you will have to work for around 8 to 11 years; for a new-build apartment, it is even around 10 to 14 years. This is the result of an analysis by Immoscout24. In Munich, prospective buyers have to work around 11.2 years for a 5-day week (40 hours each) for an existing apartment and around 10 to 14 years for a new-build...

A special area for modular construction can be seen from Monday, April 17, to Saturday, April 22, at the "BAU" trade fair in Munich. The special area can be found in the atrium between the A and B halls. In addition, manufacturers and architects will be presenting various projects in the Communication Area in Hall B0 from Monday to Friday at 1 pm. Serial construction has been...

The Münch Foundation has now published a guide to "Energy efficiency in hospitals". In it, it has investigated where there is room for improvement with regard to the factors "light and lighting", "circulation and circulation pumps", "solar energy and photovoltaics", "room climate and cooling", "combined heat and power units", "heating and steam boilers", "building insulation" and "energy-saving...

Removal companies that drop unauthorized advertising material in letterboxes or in front of houses could be in for a price. The Munich Local Court has now threatened a removal company with a fine of up to EUR 250,000 or, alternatively, imprisonment for up to six months (case reference: 142 C 12408/21). In the case in question, all the letterboxes of a...

If landlords have concluded collective contracts with cable providers, they should check the possibility of termination. The portal mietercheck.de points this out. The reason for this is the abolition of the so-called ancillary cost privilege for cable fees. Although a corresponding law came into force on December 1, 2021, there is still a transitional period until June 30, 2024. The...

In his commentary "The housing market could put the ECB in a quandary", analyst Jochen Möbert from Deutsche Bank Research assesses the current situation on the housing markets. He says: "If inflation remains high, further interest rate hikes could lead to distortions on the housing markets." In his opinion, housing markets could find it difficult to cope with further interest rate hikes...

Individuals, companies, universities, research institutions and research associations from the field of construction research can still apply for "Zukunft Bau" research funding from the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB) and the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) until June 1, 2023. Funding is available for research and development projects in the...

Anyone who has questions about the calculation tool for self-assessment by system operators in accordance with Section 29 of the Electricity Price Brake Act (StromPBG) can now seek advice from experts at the German Energy Agency (dena). The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) has commissioned the establishment of a corresponding hotline there. In April, plant operators subject to the levy will receive a letter from...

For a compulsory portion penalty clause in a so-called Berlin will to be valid, third parties must actually inherit something. If this is not the case, they do not face any penalties. This has now been decided by the Higher Regional Court (OLG) of Frankfurt am Main (decision of 21.2.2023, 21 W 104/22). In this case, the spouses appointed each other as sole heirs. The man had inherited from his previous marriage...