Can we not afford a house?

@ Shism, I would always go so far as to say that the house can be financed with one salary. If necessary, with 1% repayment. The second salary can then be used for renovations, vacations, new purchases, and special repayments. But you should not count on it.

In principle, I agree with you and I even calculate this way myself... I even plan for separation and child support payments!, but this is becoming possible for fewer and fewer people... the gap keeps widening...

You are a software developer in BaWü, I am an engineer in BaWü... we can possibly calculate based on our salaries and the wife’s income then serves for "luxury financing"...

"Normal" employees who bring home salaries of less than €2000 net/month do not have this option... either the wife contributes her share or you cannot manage the financing in the long term... or you have the building plot and good equity inherited from grandma...

"Normal" employees who come home with salaries of < €2000 net/month do not have this option... either the woman contributes her part or the financing cannot be managed in the long term... or you have the building plot and good equity inherited from grandma...

That is the point many do not want to see. There is talk everywhere about the oh-so-low interest rates and owning a home instead of renting. Added to this are bargain prices from numerous house companies’ advertisements, which have nothing to do with reality (because thousands of items are missing).

Either a lot of equity (from wherever) or ONE good income. Especially since often the second income with poor taxation just about covers the additional monthly costs of children for kindergarten/school/transportation etc.

Either a lot of equity (wherever it comes from) or ONE good income. Especially since the second income with worse taxes often just covers the monthly additional costs of the children for daycare/school/transportation, etc.

Right, my wife earns 2500 net, now there is a baby break first, maybe later again. But her salary will always get lower. During the baby break no more 1800, then a part-time job with a worse tax class so a maximum of 1000 net, plus costs of 300 for daycare. If another child comes right away, the parental allowance will be massively less, then the same game, just with daycare twice, or whatever. In any case, the loss is by no means buffered by my additional earnings. What changes tax-wise I cannot estimate, because the German tax system is too bizarre for me to even try to understand it. I only know that children bring small advantages, but don’t ask me which. Child benefit can also be neglected, since you definitely need it for the child. There is nothing left for the house. But I really think it’s good that the OP is thinking ahead. How others do it honestly wouldn’t matter to me.