Life & Living

High electricity and heating bills are prompting property owners to invest in their buildings. But how can homeowners minimize energy use to avoid high energy bills? According to the German Window + Façade Association (VFF), the building envelope plays a particularly important role alongside the heating system in order to achieve solar gains. An efficient building envelope helps to...

Whether pendant lights, floor lamps or table lamps - according to the portal "schoner-wohnen.de", various garden lights can be used on the balcony, on the patio and in the garden. There are apparently no limits to the shape of the lighting either. Lamps come in the shape of a parasol, the letter 0 or as a lantern and ensure that your garden is...

Fewer flowers and plants were sold last year than in previous years. According to estimates by Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft mbH (AMI), consumers in Germany spent an average of around 22 euros on bedding and balcony plants in 2022, almost 1 percent less than before the pandemic. The AMI attributes the reluctance to buy plants to rising energy costs and an increasing...

Babies become mobile in their first year of life and begin to explore their surroundings. It is therefore important to make the nursery and home childproof in good time. According to the German Furniture Quality Association (DGM), parents can look out for the RAL "Golden M" quality mark when buying furniture. This ensures that the furniture is child-safe and tested for harmful substances. To avoid the risk of injury...

Accessories and plants can create a homely atmosphere in a kitchen. Volker Irle, Managing Director of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Die Moderne Küche (AMK), points this out. For example, cookbooks, memorabilia and bottles of wine, oil or vinegar can be placed on open shelving systems to create a decorative effect. For example, lettering with a reference to the kitchen can be used to decorate the kitchen walls.

The "schoener-wohnen.de" portal shows in a series of pictures how a dark semi-detached house in an old building can be transformed into a modern and light-flooded home. Various measures such as removing a wall between the kitchen and dining room, remodeling the bathroom and kitchen and choosing matching furniture give the old semi-detached house a new lease of life. The measures have...

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 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...

Furniture surfaces should also be cleaned during spring cleaning. However, there are a few things to bear in mind when cleaning solid wood furniture in particular. The Initiative Pro Massivholz points this out. "Especially with solid wood surfaces, aggressive cleaning agents should be avoided and water should only be used sparingly," says Andreas Ruf, Managing Director of Initiative Pro...

Before the start of the garden season, the portal "schoener-wohnen.de" has identified and summarized the current trends. Furniture made from oak, pine or teak is still modern, beautiful and relatively easy to maintain. In addition, wicker furniture made of rattan or willow will also be on trend in 2023. If you want to set accents, for example with the covers for the cushions of garden furniture,...