Financing a single-family house realistically?

Either it will be expensive, or you accept it as the house is. According to the thread starter, at most the bathrooms would need to be renewed. That’s the crux with 30-year-old houses: For some, junk; for others, like new.

I wouldn’t call it junk. It’s simply a perfect seller’s house. Not old enough to be “junk,” but just right to sell it now. The taste of the 90s is starting to become modern, but it’s not quite there by today’s standards. The floor plan still fits today as well. Technical things still work (for now), but they are no longer modern. This especially applies to heating, windows, and the roof. You can live well in it. But you can also sink money into it, whether intentionally or unintentionally (because of the aforementioned points). As a real estate person, I personally prefer either newer properties or much older ones. I like the former as they are. The older ones can be completely flipped inside out.

Most people live in apartments and houses that are older, and many live there very well.

Yes, that's true. But most people - at least those living in about 22 million apartments = multi-family houses - cannot choose whether to renovate or refurbish. In multi-family houses, it's not that easy. And as a retiree or a normal earner who is already glad to own property at all, I often can't afford it financially. The desire for improvement is great, but the feasibility unfortunately low.
And there is also a big difference between what a tenant is satisfied with compared to an owner.

But that's all off topic.

The fact is that our two potential home buyers are extremely privileged and actually don't need this thread for decision-making. They are clear that they can afford the house. In my opinion, they just need one more confirmation. And they can gladly get that. The house itself is another topic that could be discussed in a house thread.

Most people live in apartments and houses that are older, and many live there very well.

The question when buying a house is not only whether you live well or badly. The question should above all be whether the offer and price are in a reasonable relation. And there was (and still is) the problem that many sellers almost demand new-build prices for houses that are not. 30-year-old windows, 20-year-old heating, 50-year-old roofs, etc. all work. The question is just when money has to be invested and where it comes from. With a new build or a comprehensive renovation, you have everything new at first and also a warranty on it in the short term.

The question when buying a house is not just whether you live well or badly. The question should above all be whether the offer and the price are in a reasonable ratio. And the problem was (and still is) that many sellers demand almost new-build prices for houses that are not that. 30-year-old windows, 20-year-old heating, 50-year-old roofs, etc. everything works. The question is just when money has to be invested there and where it comes from. With new construction or core renovation, you have everything new at first and also a warranty for the short term

That’s true, but the price seems to be fair (depending on the region, I can’t judge that, where we are it would probably be a bargain) and also affordable for the OP. The question is also whether something comparable will come on the market in the foreseeable future. A house purchase usually can’t be postponed indefinitely.

Yes, in that case the price does not seem that high at all. Which raises the question whether really nothing can be done

This is really crazy, how some people think you have to put 100k directly into a 27-year-old house in order to live there properly at all. Of course, the heating is due and the bathroom is probably not nice anymore, but definitely still usable. A roof usually lasts significantly longer than 27 years, as do the water pipes. If you go by the forum here, most houses in Germany are uninhabitable and would need to be completely renovated and brought up to new construction standards as quickly as possible. :rolleyes: If the house, plot, and location suit you, you should go for it. You probably won’t get such a large plot with an already established garden with a new build. A 27-year-old house doesn’t immediately fall apart. Of course, there are more repairs than with a new house, but it will still be a long time before you have to worry about major investments like the roof, for example.