Construction costs are currently skyrocketing

...a bit of pressboard, cold foam, and a cover, I only see someone trying to fill their pockets. And I'm not just talking about the store offering these things. Then we'll just go to the furniture discounter if a 3,000€ budget for a sofa in the mid-quality segment isn't enough and buy one for 1,500€ that we can replace after 4-5 years with the next 1,500€ couch if necessary. I find it shocking what such a seating set costs nowadays. Currently, we're sitting on a 500€ sofa from our first shared apartment in 2016 and it doesn't even wrinkle yet. If it were a bit bigger, we wouldn't buy a new one at all.

With furniture, especially couches and sofas, it's often worth looking for used brand furniture. My dream furniture (Brühl Four-Two) would have cost about 4.2K, in the desired color even nearly 6K :-(. With all due respect, it wasn't worth it for me, especially since I would occasionally have my grandchildren as overnight guests on the functional furniture. Used (unfortunately not the desired color), it was only 1.2K from a private seller. Professional furniture dealers wanted about 2.5-3K for used. And at Ikea, increasing prices on couches go hand in hand with worse materials (worse foam, less wood, more cardboard, etc.).

Except for the wardrobes, I actually have almost exclusively antiques in the house. Mostly Art Nouveau furniture. A dining room set from the 1920s. I can't do anything with modern furniture made of chipboard.

Fortunately, I have a good antique dealer here in the village who has already procured one or two real gems for me. The prices for such furniture have also fallen in the last 10 years. But it's not everyone's thing.

The prices for used high-quality seating furniture are very affordable on various classified ad portals. If I buy a couch from Rolf Benz and have it reupholstered by an upholsterer, then I have a very high-quality and affordable seat that usually lasts forever.

I have already rescued antique chairs from bulky waste and refurbished them. You don't need to buy the modern junk anymore.

I find it shocking what such a seating set costs nowadays.

Hmm… That sounds typical for a classic furniture store. I'm done with those. But well, many only find something suitable there because they can't do anything with furniture pieces that are considered individual items. I specifically subscribe to newsletters. That’s how I got a new Kare corner sofa from the outlet in 2022 for €720 including delivery (regular price €2400). With a dog, something other than dark green velvet had to come now. That’s why I know that many, home24 or Otto, had big reductions during Black November. And if you know “your” measurements and understand how foam, wave springs, and spring cores feel, I would also order. We have now chosen an extravagant design with (hopefully) long-lasting upholstery for under €1500 including an ottoman, made in Europe – from one of the countless smaller furniture suppliers locally.

from 2016 and it doesn’t even wrinkle. If it were a bit bigger, we wouldn’t buy a new one at all.

Then I give you the advice to simply upgrade a bit: add footstools or a footstool bench, two different armchairs, or a two-seater. Or an ottoman. The living space usually gains coziness when you mix. Ps: Sold Kare sofa for €550 on classifieds :)

Unfortunately, we couldn't find anything suitable to add that satisfied us. So far, we have only been to regional furniture stores and not yet to any chain, as I don't expect much from them either – but that will come at the end. Perhaps that's also why the sticker shock. Or because we simply haven't had to compare prices for these things for many years and they have since reached heavenly heights. You don't need to explain the value of unique pieces to someone with a Vitra glass table (by Antonio Citterio) ;-) But with two small children at home, the Alcove sofa (to exaggerate a bit) would simply be "pearls before swine." When we looked away for just a moment from our youngest in the well-stocked upholstery store, she was already jumping on a snow-white genuine leather couch. Since for the kids a sofa is just a sofa, we decided to choose something that fits our life situation. We couldn't imagine that €3,000 might not be enough for that. Therefore, ultimately the thought of still going to the big red chair & Co. to look for something suitable that is not too precious to "wear in." Not least so that those who appreciate unique pieces can enjoy them where they are probably (at the moment) better off. :-)

Generally on the topic of construction costs: I recently visited the house of a builder family I know. The house was only completed a few months ago. The SHK company actually managed not just one, not just two, but three water pipe breaks. Of course, a lot of work with construction dryers is needed again and according to the general contractor's statements, the builder family is simply doing everything wrong (sometimes ventilating and/or heating too briefly, sometimes too long).

The kitchen countertop made of natural stone was delivered not just once with a break around the sink cutout, but twice with such a break. On the third time, the idea came up to cut the natural stone on site.

Both were covered by warranty or had not even been accepted yet. All this causes additional costs for the companies, which they then have to pass on to the client and leads to an increase in construction costs, right? If the order books are currently less full due to interest rates and high construction costs, wouldn't preventing such problems be a way to reduce construction costs?

Both are presumably warranty obligations of the subcontractor and therefore have nothing to do with the prices of the general contractor in the first step. However, whether the subcontractors have freedom in pricing to factor in such cases when they want to work with the general contractor on a permanent basis is at least questionable.