ᐅ Which downdraft vent system would you recommend for a new kitchen? Any suggestions?

Has anyone already had experience with the Bora X Pure? Probably not, right? Currently, this is our cooktop in the kitchen planning. Originally, we wanted the Classic model, but a) it takes up more space and b) it costs a bit more...

pagoni2020 schrieb:

Exactly my understanding, including the awareness that this wouldn’t necessarily lead to a sense of deficiency. As a repeat builder, I am always amazed at the scale of what young homeowners today consider almost indispensable standards and the pressure that might arise from feeling the need to have this or that in order not to end up with an inferior house. Maybe people just don’t remember the past well enough; in addition, in the past, usually only what was locally available was used… unfortunately… but also fortunately.

But that is also the German mentality. Marketing works perfectly in Germany. The keyword is "trend," which the majority follow because very few people have the ability to assess how something will actually look when finished, or whether they really need and will use a feature (for example, a combi-steam oven in the kitchen). I lived in Germany for 47 years and witnessed how much pressure comes from others, because people talk about you if you do things differently. Germans are known abroad to be very critical and to express it openly. People play it safe by building and planning their house and interior so that they don’t "stand out"—except for the already very expensive properties.

I live in Australia, where there are hardly any "trends" because they cannot be enforced. The cultures are too diverse. For example, everyone in Germany believes that a kitchen without a Dekton countertop isn’t a real kitchen, no matter how small it is, whether it only has Ikea cabinets underneath or is a rented tiny apartment.

I also don’t understand why everyone is so eager to build NOW. Probably because they have to "keep up" with colleagues and friends. There is a shortage of qualified personnel, everything is offered at inflated prices, good architects are hard to find, and there is a lot of poor-quality work on site. I have experienced three boom and bust cycles; the last boom here ended in 2014/2015. Those who bought or built back then get up to 20% less today for their property. The last bust in Germany was after 1998 (Asian financial crisis), followed by a long period when hardly anyone built in Germany anymore.

Oops, I’m so out of the loop – what exactly is a Dekton countertop??? Never heard of it...

Climbee schrieb:

Oops, I’m out of the loop – what exactly is a Dekton countertop??? Never heard of it...

It’s a composite material. It’s the brand name of a manufacturer. It’s an almost indestructible countertop.
Naturally, it comes with a price to match.

We have also planned the kitchen very thoroughly – Dekton was not even considered. So, it’s not a matter of “everyone believes” anything. We are not building because of peer pressure, but because it is financially manageable now, we need more space, and we are tired of living in an apartment with neighbors above, below, to the right, and to the left. In conclusion: no one can say today how the real estate market will develop in the future or when the "right" time to buy is. In 2030, people can look back and assess whether building in 2020 was a good or bad decision.

Ideally, with a cold beer in hand in one’s nicely matured garden.

evelinoz schrieb:

But that is also the German mentality. Marketing works perfectly in Germany. The key word is “trend,” which most people follow because few have the ability to judge how something will actually look finished, or whether they really need and will use the item (for example, a combi-steam oven in the kitchen). I lived in Germany for 47 years and experienced how much pressure people are under, as others talk about you if you do things differently. Germans abroad are known for being very critical and outspoken about it. People play it safe by designing and planning their house and interior so that they don’t stand out—except for the already very expensive properties.

I live in Australia, where there is hardly any “trend” because it can’t be enforced. The cultures are just too different. For example, everyone in Germany believes that a kitchen without a Dekton countertop is not a kitchen—no matter how small it is, or whether it only has IKEA cabinets underneath, or if the small apartment is rented out.

I also don’t understand why everyone is so eager to build NOW. Probably because they want to keep up with colleagues and friends. Qualified staff are lacking, everything is overpriced, it’s hard to find an architect, and there is a lot of poor workmanship on construction sites. I have witnessed three boom and bust cycles already; the last boom here ended in 2014/2015. Those who bought or built back then now get up to 20% less for their property. The last bust in Germany started around 1998 (Asian financial crisis), and after that, no one built for a very long time.

Sounds somewhat bitter…