2023

Germans are not only more environmentally aware, they are also under increasing cost pressure. This is the result of the study "Ecological sustainability as a driver of the transformation of housing in Germany", which was conducted by the Technical University of Darmstadt in cooperation with the real estate loan broker baufi24.de. Among other things, the researchers...

The number of building permits has fallen in Germany. This is according to figures recently published by the Federal Statistical Office. From 2021 to 2022, the number of building permits fell by 6.9 percent to 354,400 apartments. The figures reflect building permits for both new and existing homes. "The difficult mix of rising interest rates, strong...

In Germany, early warning systems need to be improved and dangers need to be communicated more clearly. This is the conclusion of a working group at the University of Potsdam. Immediately after the flood disaster in summer 2021, the working group asked those affected online how they had been warned about the flood. The results showed that 35% of respondents from North Rhine-Westphalia and 29% of...

A neighbor dispute has ended up in court in Munich. In this case, a couple wanted to buy a six-square-metre plot of land from their neighbor in order to have access to Lake Pilsen. The couple own a plot without access to the lake and a tubular plot with access to the lake. However, the couple can only reach Lake Pilsen via the six square meter plot...

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...