House buying - No idea what one can afford

I’m going to ask a provocative question to the many homeowners who obviously exist here. With “all the stress” and things like “life changes completely, especially financially” and endless risks... why would anyone still want to buy a house, where there is generally the fundamental debate whether it’s even an advantage at all. That is, compared to renting, of course.

What are the advantages compared to so many negative things? This really makes me think now, since I particularly wouldn’t have expected such reactions here.

The question is good. My answer is always: Not everyone has to live in a single-family house. Paying rent definitely has big! advantages. A single-family house is and remains a luxury. And it also wears out over time. Our plan for a single-family house started about 10 years ago*. In 2017, we hope to be living in it. That makes 11. Any more questions?

Regards, Steffen

* As an apprentice, I took out my first building savings contract.. that was in 1998. I still have it today and it earns 4.5% interest. Even if it doesn’t flow directly into the house.. you probably realize what I want to tell you with that

Addendum: My first post here is from 2012.. still searching for a property. 5 years later we move in..

* as a trainee I took out a first building savings contract.. that was in 1998. I still have it today and it is interest-bearing at 4.5%. Even if it doesn’t flow into the house.. You probably realize what I mean by that

That you were sold a product back then just like me, which is actually useless for the purpose the product is supposed to serve.

I also didn’t use my old building savings contract for building. The "well" interest-bearing reserves are now kept there.

That back then, just like me, you were sold a product that is useless for the case it was actually supposed to be for.

I also did not use my old building savings contract for building. The "well" interest-bearing reserves are now deposited there.

Unfortunately, I only have about ~5000 EUR. I would like to put in 50000 But no one wants that. They are lying at 0% in a TG account..pff..

My father always says: "There is nothing more beautiful than owning your own house. You can do whatever you want, whenever you want, and however you want."

Yes - unfortunately, I was not lucky enough to be raised in a way that you put something aside. I have been working since I was 16 years old, alongside school, alongside university, always. I shouldn't even calculate what phase I would be in now if I had invested 50 or even just 20 euros a month in a fund... or even "just" a savings account.

That is my lesson for my children - and of course I will also arrange something for them to have for their studies, etc. unfortunately, my wife and I did not have that either.

But what's the use of complaining

Either way, I still have to think a lot and much time will pass until anything concrete happens. Until then and from now on, no more luxury will be lived but saved or old loans paid off, that is already clear.

In the meantime, I can also do more analyses and figure out what is realistic to spend monthly in total later for the house topic.

What I absolutely do not know and will also deal with is the topic of prefabricated houses - I keep coming back to Massa Haus and there are just as many negative as positive experiences. So again, a potential risk.

Only this would eliminate the issue that there are not many houses, since you are building new, and for me it is the mixed form of starting from scratch versus buying something already finished...