As the title suggests, what's the situation like for you? Is there still a lot of building going on, or has it slowed down?
Are entire fields being developed, or just scattered plots?
And so on. Please share your observations and experiences. My impression is that the forum has become somewhat quieter.
Are entire fields being developed, or just scattered plots?
And so on. Please share your observations and experiences. My impression is that the forum has become somewhat quieter.
Q
QQSTSolar21 Sep 2022 20:48Nowadays, building a house can still be quite convenient. The problem lies in the exaggerated demands. It has to be at least an urban villa with every possible extra feature included. Not a must-have anymore, just a nice-to-have.
The biggest expense when building a house with a general contractor (GC) is actually the value-added tax. If you think your house costs 500,000 euros, you have to subtract the VAT. That’s how you can save a lot more by doing some of the work yourself.
Out of curiosity, I drive through new residential areas, get out, look inside the houses, and assess the different levels of quality. You always meet various tradespeople and the craftsmen themselves. You just have to listen to them a little. You can’t learn more than from that. But who am I telling this? The homeowner prefers to go on vacation rather than visit other construction sites during the week.
I’m no longer a homeowner, but I can tell you what’s currently available, which affordable alternatives exist, or where you can still find a heat pump. Before building, as I have mentioned here before, you need to build a network. You have to be brave and also speak the language of the craftsmen. Showing up on site in old work pants makes a different impression than appearing in a suit after working hours.
There are always affordable workers operating under the table. You just need to know them. Nothing has changed about that. If I can build a house for 200,000 euros, then 3 percent interest doesn’t bother me.
A few weeks ago, I already predicted maintenance costs of 2,000 euros per year for a house. For the middle class, that becomes threatening. Many will still be surprised by this.
But basically, these are just side issues. The euro is practically crashing and losing value steadily. The German government is becoming more chaotic and unpredictable. The economy is collapsing. Immigration is reaching new record levels these days. Interest rates will rise dramatically. In this context, 3 to 4 percent is still very cheap.
The biggest problem that worries me the most is the expanding war. We are only at the beginning. The war will spread to core Europe. In Ukraine, Russia and NATO face each other directly. NATO arms deliveries, NATO soldiers in Ukraine, targeting against Russian troops originating from Germany, and so on.
On the other side, the partial mobilization of 300,000 Russian soldiers. New conflicts in the Balkans between Serbia and Kosovo, in Armenia, Syria, Taiwan, and elsewhere.
I fully expect a NATO war against Russia. Therefore, I would advise waiting now and putting everything on hold. Take savings out of euros and convert them into other investments. Watch the situation. Since we are entering a severe liquidity crisis, prices will collapse. Soon, no one will have any interest in real estate. That’s how it looks.
What will you do if our Chancellor Scholz orders a general mobilization? Then it’s off to the Eastern Front, early at six in the morning at the train station. In this regard, thinking about building a house these days is a waste of time.
The biggest expense when building a house with a general contractor (GC) is actually the value-added tax. If you think your house costs 500,000 euros, you have to subtract the VAT. That’s how you can save a lot more by doing some of the work yourself.
Out of curiosity, I drive through new residential areas, get out, look inside the houses, and assess the different levels of quality. You always meet various tradespeople and the craftsmen themselves. You just have to listen to them a little. You can’t learn more than from that. But who am I telling this? The homeowner prefers to go on vacation rather than visit other construction sites during the week.
I’m no longer a homeowner, but I can tell you what’s currently available, which affordable alternatives exist, or where you can still find a heat pump. Before building, as I have mentioned here before, you need to build a network. You have to be brave and also speak the language of the craftsmen. Showing up on site in old work pants makes a different impression than appearing in a suit after working hours.
There are always affordable workers operating under the table. You just need to know them. Nothing has changed about that. If I can build a house for 200,000 euros, then 3 percent interest doesn’t bother me.
A few weeks ago, I already predicted maintenance costs of 2,000 euros per year for a house. For the middle class, that becomes threatening. Many will still be surprised by this.
But basically, these are just side issues. The euro is practically crashing and losing value steadily. The German government is becoming more chaotic and unpredictable. The economy is collapsing. Immigration is reaching new record levels these days. Interest rates will rise dramatically. In this context, 3 to 4 percent is still very cheap.
The biggest problem that worries me the most is the expanding war. We are only at the beginning. The war will spread to core Europe. In Ukraine, Russia and NATO face each other directly. NATO arms deliveries, NATO soldiers in Ukraine, targeting against Russian troops originating from Germany, and so on.
On the other side, the partial mobilization of 300,000 Russian soldiers. New conflicts in the Balkans between Serbia and Kosovo, in Armenia, Syria, Taiwan, and elsewhere.
I fully expect a NATO war against Russia. Therefore, I would advise waiting now and putting everything on hold. Take savings out of euros and convert them into other investments. Watch the situation. Since we are entering a severe liquidity crisis, prices will collapse. Soon, no one will have any interest in real estate. That’s how it looks.
What will you do if our Chancellor Scholz orders a general mobilization? Then it’s off to the Eastern Front, early at six in the morning at the train station. In this regard, thinking about building a house these days is a waste of time.
KingJulien21 Sep 2022 21:11QQSTSolar schrieb:
Out of curiosity, I drive through new residential developments. I get out, look inside the houses, and assess the varying quality levels. Well, I’d be happy to help you 😀
QQSTSolar schrieb:
Many people here will still be quite surprised. Whenever you make such a statement, I at least have to be very surprised.
QQSTSolar schrieb:
That’s how it is. Well then, get well soon.
Q
QQSTSolar21 Sep 2022 21:36It is quite telling that you rarely see the homeowner on the construction site. I usually only meet the tradespeople.
And when the front door is open, you can just go inside the house. As mentioned, wearing work clothes means you don’t stand out at all. And if someone asks, you simply say you are the construction manager. That always works!
And when the front door is open, you can just go inside the house. As mentioned, wearing work clothes means you don’t stand out at all. And if someone asks, you simply say you are the construction manager. That always works!
M
Myrna_Loy21 Sep 2022 21:38Most homeowners have jobs and cannot watch the craftsmen closely for 10 hours.
W
WilderSueden21 Sep 2022 21:51Ysop*** schrieb:
I’m actually wondering whether construction costs have really increased that much relative to income, or if we’ve simply become a bunch of spoiled brats who are now being brought back down to earth. I looked into it a bit online. Unfortunately, I couldn’t quickly find data going back to the 1970s, but at least there are two comparable periods. Construction costs have risen faster than net wages and overall inflation. Especially compared to around 2005, prices have increased much more rapidly.
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