Construction costs are currently skyrocketing

I agree. In the neighborhood where my father bought his terraced house in 1972, the owners of five out of nine houses are over 75 years old. Quite a few properties will come onto the market in the coming years...

Nothing will come onto the market at all. It all gets snapped up before you even notice. They probably have children – and the increased demand for larger living spaces plus the corona baby boom plus immigration (climate change, crises) does the rest. Just wait for affordable housing, you’re probably the only one LOL.

Basically, you are right about demography and a few months ago I also expressed this here in a discussion. But for now, the population will definitely not shrink. Refugees always convince themselves that they are only away for a short time and will return soon. But such a war usually lasts longer than expected and after a few years people actually have no desire to return to a bombed-out country. The children are then integrated here, the parents maybe too... Of course, this is not the typical clientele for single-family houses at first, but that naturally increases the pressure on the housing market from the bottom up. And how this develops in the long term, we'll see.

But the idea that every generation builds a new little house again and again in a new development area is simply at least difficult.

You are right and I would also have liked to take something existing. But not at almost new-build prices and with major refurbishment needs. And I think the development of the last few months has proven me right. The question is also how to make it attractive for older people to give up their property in time and not only when it is run-down. Simply moving into a city apartment with a tiny balcony is not an attractive solution either.

The Federal Network Agency warns of "terrible consequences" of a gas shortage +++ An acute gas shortage as a result of the Ukraine war will have serious consequences for the population, according to the Federal Network Agency. "Unfortunately, it cannot be completely ruled out that we will have to make decisions that have terrible consequences for companies, jobs, value chains, supply chains, and entire regions," said the President of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, to the "Handelsblatt". He appealed to all gas consumers to "already save gas today in order not to burden the storage levels". His authority focuses its work entirely on preventing a gas shortage. "We do not want the third stage of the gas emergency plan to be declared." This includes "finding out in intensive talks with various industries where saving potentials exist". Coal and wood are now subject to an embargo. It remains to be seen how Russia will react. By the way, 45 percent of all coal imports come from Russia. Even more wood. Cement is also involved. This is particularly interesting if German cement factories have to stop production due to energy costs.

The question is also how to make it attractive for older people to give up their property in time and not only when it is run down.

For the older people, it is not run down; it is still the self-built dream house that is inhabited as long as possible. In 40 years, the black-and-white new buildings will also be old run-down huts, and the heirs will be upset about the dilapidated inheritance.

The Federal Network Agency warns of "terrible consequences" of a gas shortage +++
An acute gas shortage as a result of the Ukraine war will have serious consequences for the population, according to the Federal Network Agency. "Unfortunately, it cannot be completely ruled out that we will have to make decisions that have terrible consequences for companies, jobs, value chains, supply chains, and entire regions," said the president of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, to the "Handelsblatt." He appealed to all gas consumers to "start saving gas today in order not to strain the storage levels." His agency is focusing its work entirely on preventing a gas shortage. "We do not want the third stage of the gas emergency plan to have to be triggered." This includes "finding out in intensive talks with various industries where savings potentials are."

Coal and wood are now subject to an embargo.

It remains to be seen how Russia will react. By the way, 45 percent of all coal imports come from Russia. Even more wood. Cement is also involved. This is particularly interesting if the German cement factories have to stop production due to energy costs.

That is your way, wildly fabricating figures that support your doomsday scenarios.
In 2021, Germany imported 5.2 million m3 of softwood sawn timber. Of that, 14% (750,000 m3) came from Russia. Imports from Belarus amounted to 350,000 m3 (7%) and 140,000 m3 were imported from Ukraine to Germany.
So much for much more than 45%…

That's your pattern, wildly concocting numbers that support your doomsday scenarios.

In the bunker, surrounded by lenses, you don't catch everything, the air is so bad :rolleyes: