Construction costs are currently skyrocketing

Just something on the topic, just came across 2 extremes. Everything is freely available online, just search for the headline.

-> Focus Online "The downfall of the German real estate market is self-inflicted"
The diagrams are very interesting and prove the increased prices. Was a bit surprised about the few heat pumps.
-> Heise Online "Saudi Arabia: How the mega-city project 'The Line' is progressing"
It's crazy, construction costs don't seem to matter much there. The earthworks are totally insane. I wonder if they will later also have problems with material availability?

Was a bit surprised about the few heat pumps.

Not surprised. When we started with the topic of house construction about 2 years ago, the heat pump was still rather a premium extra. In the franchise chains, gas was dominant, and among the prefabricated builders, air heating was dominant in my impression. And a golden nose was made from the surcharges for heat pumps. You have to look at the ratios. Nationwide in Germany, we're talking about approximately 40 million housing units, and the target of 400,000 housing units (1%) is almost unattainable. And a large part of the units comes from large buildings. If, as infill development, a complex with 20-30 apartments is squeezed in somewhere, then gas is simply much more practical. Accordingly, almost no one planned with heat pumps there. And in the existing stock, the heating replacement was rather oil to gas than X to heat pump. Arguments like heating demand and flow temperature are well known. When you then look at the age of the buildings (about 2/3 before 1980), it becomes clear that nothing can be simply exchanged there, but real money would have to be invested. And Saudi Arabia is a different league. When money does not matter, you always get the material.

The governing coalition of SPD, Greens, and FDP has agreed on relief measures for consumers with oil, pellet, and liquid gas heating systems. Specifically, there will be retrospective relief of up to 2,000 euros for the period from January 1 to December 1, 2022, for households heating with "nicht leitungsgebundenen Brennstoffen."

Quelle: stock3

That naturally interests me greatly. I refueled heating oil worth over 4K in 2021-22 :rolleyes:

There are 2 categories of new "firewood gatherers"

I have always been category d) Until now, when something oven-ready is sold cheaply somewhere, e.g., in house sales, clearances, etc., I would drive by with the trailer and stock up, the wood stove was/is also more comfort and nice to look at. Next year, however, I am moving up to category c (b I cannot afford): House with wood gasifier, approx. 40 RM consumption per year, alternatively 2 wood stoves. I have a trailer, a (gifted from a category c acquirer in the family) nice saw with plenty of power and a splitting axe – that has been enough so far, as it was only a "side job." Therefore, a question about the splitter:

Splitting is done in the forest

Then yes, petrol-powered, what kind of unit do you have there? For 40cm diameter and 50cm length (the gasifier manages almost 60 cm) or what can you recommend? I originally planned to split at the house, but the dirt argument and one less handling is of course not to be dismissed.

How does it actually work with the chainsaw certificate, you only need it for "foreign" forests. But what if you show up in "foreign" forests with a shotgun saw? Or just an axe? Apart from the fact that you should have trained properly for it, can you still be denied wood cutting because you don't have a chainsaw certificate?