Beginner seeking advice - when should planning start?

One can optimize shading in room planning to some extent. I have always made sure that the study has proper windows on corner 2 so that you can shade the direction from which the sun comes. It is also quite clever if one of the windows faces north. In general, it is advisable not to have windows in only one direction in the bedroom but in several directions to ventilate through draft at night.

Nochmal zurück zur Eingangsfrage: ich selbst bin 30, werde dieses Jahr 31. Meine Freundin wird dieses Jahr 29. Wunschtechnisch/Gedankenspiel wäre das man in 3 Jahren vielleicht ins Eigenheim zieht, wann wäre es da angebracht sich um die ersten Dinge zu kümmern? Ein Grundstück wäre auch noch nicht vorhanden.

Then it would be time to start slowly. Construction time is about 10-12 months from the building permit with most companies we asked. The permit can take 3-6 months depending on the location, before that you still need surveying, soil analysis, and the two small matters of finding a suitable construction company and a floor plan. From the approval of the plot, that is quickly 1.5-2 years lead time until moving in. And for the plot itself, you also have lead time. If you end up in a new development area with an application phase, etc. or if you are looking for something from private sellers, all that takes time. Therefore, clarify the budget now (420K euros for 150 sqm including plot and outdoor facilities will by the way be difficult) and search for plots.

You can optimize shading a bit during the room planning. I have always made sure that the office has decent windows on two corners so you can shade the direction from which the sun comes. It's also quite clever if one of the windows faces north.
In general, it is recommended that the bedroom has windows not only in one direction but in several to allow cross ventilation at night.

Then it would slowly be time to start. Construction time is about 10-12 months from the building permit with most of the companies we inquired with. The permit can take 3-6 months depending on the location, before that you still need a survey, soil report, and the two small things—finding a suitable construction company and a floor plan. From the land approval, that's quickly 1.5-2 years lead time until moving in.
And you also have a lead time for the land itself. If you end up in a new development area with an application phase, etc., or if you are looking for something privately, it all takes time. So clarify the budget now (420,000 euros for 150 sqm including land and outdoor facilities will be difficult by the way) and start looking for plots.

As said, it’s wishful thinking. Whether it’s actually true is a bit up in the air.
Regarding the budget, back then we were also told by the LBS that building might be more expensive than that. Still, what lingers on when I look at the real estate market here is that houses are for sale here that cost around 400,000 euros according to the standards but date back to the 1970s. Which is not necessarily a disqualifier, but if the inside also dates from the 1970s, you’d have to spend quite a bit of money renovating it. At least that’s what I fear.

Houses for €400,000 do exist, but that's only half the truth. Then there are about €50,000 in additional purchase costs, plus usually necessary renovations. How much depends on the individual case and your requirements, but I have also seen original kitchens and bathrooms in this price range, heating is a typical issue, and some houses from the 70s still have a terrible energy consumption. I have also observed that this type of houses was very neglected (except for one) and the previous owners only invested money when something was really broken. Houses in good condition are usually sold privately.

Houses for €400,000 do exist, but that is only half the truth. There are then about €50,000 additional purchasing costs, plus usually necessary renovations. How much depends on the individual case and your standards, but I have also seen original kitchens and bathrooms in this price range, heating is a typical case, some houses from the 70s also have terrible energy consumption. I have also noticed that this type of house was very neglected (except for one) and the previous owners only invested money when something was really broken. Houses in good condition are mostly sold under the table.

You basically speak my mind. When I see the energy certificate, I sometimes cry. Last year, when we were looking for a new apartment, there were 2-3 nice houses at acceptable prices. But all had energy consumption that was beyond reason.

What does "under the table" mean in this case? That sounds like a completely new/different world to me than the one I live in :D

"Under the table" means that someone looking for a house knows someone who knows someone who wants to sell a house and the two come together without the house ever appearing on a real estate portal or in the newspaper. With bad houses, often no one is found and it then ends up on the public market where mass viewings take place every 10 minutes and the real estate agent says "it's just a house for 400,000€".

"Under the table" means that someone looking for a house knows someone who knows someone who wants to sell a house, and the two come together without the house ever appearing on a real estate portal or in the newspaper. For bad houses, often no one is found, and those end up on the public market where mass viewings take place every 10 minutes and the agent says "it's just a house for 400,000€."

I wouldn't have suspected that directly with houses, wow. Would it maybe also make sense to ask a friendly real estate agent about land, for example? Land feels somewhat scarce around here (Mülheim), but it could also be that I'm not looking properly. The question here would of course be whether it would be worthwhile already? Also, I wonder what one would estimate for a house with ~140-150sqm on maybe a 400sqm plot + all-in.