ᐅ Is the real estate market increasingly forcing families to build their own homes?
Created on: 6 Apr 2019 11:35
T
Thierse
Actually, we would prefer to avoid building. Unfortunately, existing properties within a 20 km (12 miles) radius have become quite expensive, and affordable rental houses with small gardens are simply scarce.
Until now, we have been living in an old rental apartment without a garden. We would like to change that, but there is a lack of options. The listings on various platforms are overcrowded with families looking for affordable housing.
Who is familiar with this situation, and how do you deal with it?
Until now, we have been living in an old rental apartment without a garden. We would like to change that, but there is a lack of options. The listings on various platforms are overcrowded with families looking for affordable housing.
Who is familiar with this situation, and how do you deal with it?
wurmwichtel schrieb:
We used geoportals to find vacant lots and then visited them to see if they were suitable. After that, it was time to introduce ourselves to the neighbors and property owners. But don’t you think someone approaches the owner every week trying to persuade them to sell their land? That’s at least how I imagine it here. The empty plots are being kept for children and so on, the owners have enough money and don’t need or want to sell.
wurmwichtel schrieb:
You can only appeal to individual initiative here.
Of course, those who rely solely on online search engines and at most classified ads in newspapers won’t find anything this way.
We used geoportals to locate gaps in the building fabric and then went to see if they would suit us. After that, it was time to knock on neighbors’ and owners’ doors. For searching plots, this approach certainly isn’t wrong, but here we’re talking about families who actually want to buy rather than build. Geoportals don’t help them much. There are enough building lots available here and elsewhere, so I don’t need to ask neighbors about what’s happening with the greenfield next door (especially since they often don’t want to provide information because they dislike construction noise).
Daycare services are well managed here in our rural area. The district town has to distribute children to the surrounding villages.
Problems that friends and acquaintances face in cities are unknown here.
Building land is scarce even in our remote area where hardly anyone lives. On paper, there are building plots—more than enough. Unfortunately, the grandmother doesn’t want to sell, so the grandson has three building plots to choose from if he ever wants to move back to the countryside. This is not an isolated case. However, there is a subsidy program for the use of vacant houses. It used to be better and needs adjustment, but it is still better than nothing and could reduce vacancy in many towns.
Problems that friends and acquaintances face in cities are unknown here.
Building land is scarce even in our remote area where hardly anyone lives. On paper, there are building plots—more than enough. Unfortunately, the grandmother doesn’t want to sell, so the grandson has three building plots to choose from if he ever wants to move back to the countryside. This is not an isolated case. However, there is a subsidy program for the use of vacant houses. It used to be better and needs adjustment, but it is still better than nothing and could reduce vacancy in many towns.
Obviously, we are currently experiencing a construction boom, at least according to various media reports. I personally see many construction sites, especially concerning apartments and houses. So why is there no relief in the rental market when so many people are building?
Thierse schrieb:
Obviously, we are currently experiencing a construction boom, at least according to various media reportsAs always, it depends; building permits have actually slightly declined compared to last year, according to various media reports.
Thierse schrieb:
So why is there no relief in the rental market if so many people are building?- see above
- demand exceeds supply
If you look more closely at the issue, a slightly increasing supply is met by a much stronger increase in demand.
Why?
The number of households is rising, despite a stagnant population. More single-person households, fewer multigenerational households.
Increasing living space per capita. We indulge more.
And a few other factors.
The key figures therefore do not indicate a bubble (except for certain local hotspots).
If prices should fall again at some point, it would only be if the economy significantly worsens. Everyone can judge for themselves if and when that might happen. Interest rates are not the cause—at least not in the short term. Early recession fears are subsiding or easing...