Calculations on the annoying topic of buying/building vs. renting

In math, I had learned that there is division. Fixed base contributions can be fantastically divided among several tenant parties in the house.

Otherwise, the same tiresome discussion starts here again. I'm out and getting popcorn.

Just to clarify quickly, I am not comparing with a smaller rental apartment but with a comparable property to my own home, even if such a thing is probably very hard to find on the market right now.

I believe you must not ignore the interest rates, as they are actually the main cost factor and vary greatly depending on the financing. Some pay 30,000 euros in interest over the term and others 250,000 euros, and they haven't financed a higher value but perhaps simply less equity or a higher interest rate. So you really can't leave that out, especially since this, alongside the personal contribution, is the only lever you can really adjust to lower the price.

As for material costs and labor hours, you currently have slim chances.

So you really can't just leave that out, especially since this, besides the own contribution, is the only lever you can really turn to reduce the price.

Well, you actually can't do much about the interest rates either, since they differ relatively little, at least with our offers. The biggest factor regarding the interest rates, if you look at it that way, is the equity. But that is a fixed value that can only be influenced to a limited extent.

As a tenant, I only have to pay for cosmetic repairs. For the house, EVERYTHING that breaks.

Nonsense: Small repairs up to €100 (recently also up to €120) must be paid by the tenant themselves. So things like a broken light switch, a leaking siphon, a detached door fitting... that lands directly in your mailbox as a bill (if the landlord wants) as the tenant.

I still agree that the ancillary costs for the house are generally somewhat higher, sometimes simply hard to compare: Insurance for a multi-family house is often much more expensive than for a single-family house, but then it is divided among the tenants. It doesn’t really make much difference.

Not quite. The interest-determining factor is not the equity but the loan-to-value ratio (besides the financing timing, but that's a matter of luck – I was so happy about the 2.4%…). And this can be influenced to the extent that you adjust the wishes not only to the income but also to the equity.

I still agree that the additional costs for a house are generally somewhat higher, partly also simply hard to compare: insurance for a multi-family house is often much more expensive than for a single-family house, but then is divided among the tenants. It doesn't make much difference.

Cheese: those who want to live in an apartment compare a condominium with a rented apartment, those who want to live in a house compare an owner-occupied house with a rental house. The actual additional costs (which I do not include the repair reserves in, these must be considered separately) are exactly the same in both cases. (Edit: in the single-family house case possibly even cheaper in ownership, because I decide myself where to insure and the landlord may rather sign where the service is especially good. Likewise, I decide whether the gardener comes, not the landlord) If I compare a rented apartment with an owner-occupied house, the rented apartment of course always wins. Just as well, I could also cook a Kobe steak at home and cover it with gold leaf and eat a currywurst at the chip stand for comparison. Then I also come to the conclusion that eating out is cheaper than cooking yourself.