Does the real estate market increasingly force more families to build?

Google the keywords "sunlicht Institut Karlsruhe haushaltungskurs". Then take a look at the pdf. It is a "housekeeping course" from the year 1915 - and I think it teaches humility! What there was to do in the household back then was really enormous. Starting from pdf page 45, it’s about house construction. It was first recommended to build an emergency apartment and then later add onto it. Tiny rooms, but something of your own.

Well, tiny rooms don’t have to be a thing nowadays, but many people’s expectations in everyday life are generally much higher today. Vacations? Yes, at least one big one per year. Cars? Preferably new. Clothing? Yes, brand is important. When building a house, too. In-laws used to build themselves with friends back then. The house remained unplastered for two years, without an entrance area, and the later indoor stairs also took a long time. They moved in with an old sofa and the respective youth beds. The kitchen was a gift from the parents at the time of moving in, otherwise it would have taken even longer. Bathroom tiles were given as a wedding gift. The landscaping of the garden took many years; whenever money was saved again, it went into the house. There were vacations; but of course no air travel, instead hiking and skiing vacations in the nearby area.

Today, that is almost unthinkable. How many move into a house without furniture? Many also dispose of their previous furniture to refurnish. Costs a lot of money. Yes, and the driveway must be paved immediately. Garden too, what would the neighbors say otherwise? Saving is also rather difficult then. After all, you have to go on vacation to relax from all the stress of overtime... The car must not stand outdoors either. Not to mention the equipment of the house - after all, you only build once. And the few extra euros for nicer tiles are quickly forgotten. Ceramics? Yes, the XYZ line is so chic, oh, we’ll treat ourselves. Parquet? You should take a good one. Windows? Well, we never liked the white plastic windows in the rental apartment, it shouldn’t look cheap... And so on. Meanwhile, the account is ticking away diligently. Unfortunately in the wrong direction.

Somehow I can't confirm these impressions when I look at my surroundings... only when I came to the forum did I feel the same way and wondered if I should feel bad that we are only choosing white plastic windows and mostly laminate flooring, that we will take our furniture with us, the outdoor area will be made nice little by little, etc.... I have decided to rather be happy that we are building a house and can implement it stylistically according to our wishes, even if it is "only" a Flair

You are right. This forum is not lived reality. It is also a bit of a self-presentation showcase here. Reality is simpler, Ikea sells more kitchens than Schüllermann and Co., the Flair 125 sells better than Viebrockhaus Kfw 40+ palaces, there are more white plastic house doors than gray aluminum portals, etc. K.

I also think that it is definitely possible to do it much cheaper than what is often preached here. I built as a single person. The plot was already available and the house (in the triangle Munich-Augsburg-Ingolstadt, so rather expensive) cost a good piece less than €250,000 for a little over 150 m2. But I love that I consciously do not have many things that are considered standard here. I have no ventilation because I cannot stand the dry air at friends' places. I have underfloor heating with an air heat pump, no smart home, white plastic windows, laminate flooring, the tiles in the toilets are leftover stock from the tile dealer, the tiles in the bathroom are small format, the tiles in the utility room are cheap from OBI, the blinds upstairs are operated by hand, I only have spotlights over the kitchen countertop, otherwise classical lamps, etc. Some rooms still look a bit empty after a year (carpet or pictures are missing on the wall, I don't have a "proper" wardrobe yet, the old bedroom furniture doesn't really fit), but you can take your time until you have saved up some money again. Despite these supposed "deficiencies," I love my house and am glad I didn't pay the sums that are often rumored here. So I don't think people are forced to take out a huge loan, but that you can also bake much smaller bread rolls.

It is rather the costs around the house (Erdarbeiten, Aushub, Stellplätze, Stützmauern, Terrassen...) that can especially be quite expensive on a hillside location.

: With your explanations about the demands, you hit many things right on the mark. Touché! We forget to question our demands and thereby assign exaggerated importance to many things.

... wondered if I should feel bad that we are "only" taking white plastic windows and mostly laminate on the floor, will take our furniture with us, the outdoor area will be beautified gradually, etc....

You have every reason to feel very good! It is quite easy to build a house if you are flexible with the budget. Setting the right priorities and building economically-smart is much more demanding. Besides, it is ourselves who determine our quality of life. I would rather be happy under a bridge than unhappy in a palace.

You are right. This forum is not lived reality..

Much here revolves around dreams and their realization. I benefit from the exchange of ideas and share mine. That is forum reality. I find the non-standard particularly interesting, which does not have to be more expensive than the standard. The best decisions can be made when you know the alternatives. If the decision after consideration often falls on the proven and acknowledged good in terms of price-performance ratio, that is great. It is only a pity when people later ask themselves: "If I had known that something like this existed, then I would have...". From this perspective, I am happy about the many exceptions that are presented in this forum.