What kind of living environment do the very old live in in Germany? The answers to these and other questions are provided in the eighth short report of the D80+ study "Old Age in Germany" by the University of Cologne, funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ). The results show that 64.9 percent of respondents feel connected to their living environment. This...

If you are also interested in gardening in connection with building a house, the guide "The natural garden - ecological garden design made easy" published by the Marzahn-Hellersdorf district authority provides some helpful tips on the right planting and maintenance of the garden. Among other things, the guide shows that a near-natural design is advisable in order to create a small...

The association Wohnen im Eigentum (WiE) is calling for legal simplifications for the supply of electricity to condominiums. WiE has two specific concerns in this regard. Firstly, homeowners' associations (WEG) should be defined as "self-suppliers". Secondly, there should be an obligation to purchase self-generated solar power for all residents of a WEG. With regard to the first point...

If an heir cannot use the family home themselves for health reasons, they do not lose the inheritance tax exemption for it. This was decided by the Federal Fiscal Court (BFH, judgment of December 1, 2021 - II R 18/20). In this case, a claimant had lived in the single-family home inherited from her father for a while. However, due to health problems, she had been living there...

The "Falstaff Living" portal from Vienna lists furnishing tips for children's rooms. Among other things, parents should use different materials sparingly. In this way, they can prevent clutter in the children's room. Toys and clothes should be sorted out frequently so that the children's room does not appear too messy. The portal also advises that a loft bed...

According to a study by the company "Matera", owners are dissatisfied with their external property managers. This particularly affects 18 to 35-year-olds. In this age group, 54 percent of respondents said they were dissatisfied with their property management company or had problems finding a suitable manager. The reasons given by respondents for their dissatisfaction include a lack of...

Experts from Fraunhofer IBP and a team of experts from the software and consulting company msg GillardonBSM AG have jointly developed a software prototype that combines the life cycle assessment and the overall economic calculation of buildings. Special software from Fraunhofer IBP will initially be used for this purpose. "The key figures of all relevant components such as...

The "Real Green Award" from the German Energy Efficiency Initiative for Businesses (DENEFF) was recently presented to several companies that are already building residential and non-residential buildings in a climate-neutral way or are creating corresponding strategies for this. The award was presented in two categories: the "Real Green Award" for "Ambitious Corporate Approaches" and the "Performance...

Italy may oblige real estate agents such as Airbnb to withhold 21% tax on the rent and pay it to the tax authorities. The freedom to provide services does not preclude either the obligation to collect and transmit information or the obligation to withhold taxes. This is the opinion of Advocate General Maciej Szpunar of the European Court of Justice (ECJ)...

The Initiative Pro Massivholz (IPM) is currently complaining about shortages of hardwood. Oak wood in particular has been difficult to obtain in recent months. This has also made the production processes for solid wood furniture more difficult. The IPM is highly critical of the export of wood to distant countries: "The trees are felled here in Germany, shipped to China as round timber, processed there and then sold in the form of...