Construction costs are currently skyrocketing

Therefore, a control system with a humidity sensor should also be present in an enthalpy heat exchanger. This counteracts the "problem," meaning if it is too humid, the bypass opens; if it is too dry, the bypass closes. This way, you almost always have a constant room/house humidity.

Die Kfw hat diese Woche erst wieder leicht gesenkt... Ich denke gegen Ende Juni werden die Zinsen anziehen... 1-2 Wochen wird man wohl noch "Zeit" haben

We were lucky again; in May, we quickly took out a forward loan for 2026 for 10 years at 2.81%. That means we will be done after the term and can calmly prepare for retirement in the coming decades :cool:

That's right. A enthalpy heat exchanger also has nothing to do with a condensation dryer. But whatever. It has never been too humid in winter here, but also not too dry. Just the way you would like it. Enthalpy: Yes, absolutely and always!

Back to the topic. Interest rates are starting to rise again after a short pause.

ECB is ending bond purchases. There will probably be an interest rate hike by the ECB from July or autumn.

I'll now throw out a provocative thesis.

The ECB's interest rate hikes will NOT (!) be responsible for a further rise in mortgage rates.

Why? Interest rates have already risen massively without the ECB having moved. So there are other relevant parameters. Another reason that comes to mind is that the bonds the ECB has bought so far are considered currency in the shadow banking market, whose dimension no one in the world knows. The bond purchases have withdrawn currency from this market. If the purchases stop, but states continue to take on debt, a part of the financial market will become more liquid than before — a circumstance that rather does not lead to interest rate increases.

This is only a hypothesis. It may be wrong. I am curious about what really happens. But after recent years, I consider the power of central banks to simply set interest rates or even inflation rates an even bolder hypothesis. Everyone talks about it, the data somehow says otherwise.

I do not know a single house with a ventilation system that complains about excessive humidity. On the contrary. It is also only logical, so the discussion is unnecessary.

Regarding construction costs: Currently, the interest rate risk far exceeds the risk of rising building materials. The latter have already become extremely expensive.

Just checked with the KfW. We signed a week ago (the condition could already be secured 10 days before, so it comes from somewhere around 2 weeks ago). We have 2.5% and now it would be 2.86%...So it was increased again

There was nothing open-plan anymore.

Not open-plan. But huge rooms separated as living/dining and kitchen. Often you could really create something modern by partitioning and making a wall breakthrough.
In my job, if it was from the 60s, 70s, or 80s, I was almost always confronted with such large living rooms. At home, I often reconstructed the floor plan with a pencil and replanned it appropriately. But whatever. Doesn't fit the topic.