House purchase and house construction - What can we afford

I advise caution for high earners. A normal earner with 2000-2500 euros net may be dismissed relatively quickly (as they are often employed in smaller companies), but will also quickly find at least a roughly comparably paid job again. Classic vocational professions exist everywhere and in large numbers.
It looks different for high earners. Especially in management, the drop can be quite steep very quickly. But even for pure experts in well-paying companies, who might make their 4-5k net, it is risky to count on that permanently over decades. Especially if you are young. No question, the training is usually good and you will find something. But then you are in a narrow job market (which doesn't have to remain rosy forever and is already currently tipping quite heavily) as a relatively specialized person often only with about 3-3.5k net (for a standard academic job without deep specialist knowledge there are only very rare cases with more) or have to commute far (and expensively) (or even move farther away and sell). In the worst case, you even end up with a common job paying 2k net (okay, that’s more likely at an older age when specialization is possibly already technically completely outdated).
In any case, I would rather plan smaller and in a good scenario spend more on consumption, leisure (part-time especially with children is a great thing), etc. I just cannot understand why, as a couple in that salary class, people burden themselves with a 4-5k installment and therefore necessarily depend on 2 full-time salaries at the original high level.

But then you are in a tight labor market (which doesn't have to stay rosy forever and is currently already tipping quite heavily)

I see it differently. In 5 years, the boomers will start retiring, then the market will shift even further to the employees' side than it already has. Many jobs and high salaries will become available.

Anyway, I would rather plan smaller and spend more on consumption, leisure (part-time work is a great thing right now with kids), etc. if things go well. I definitely cannot understand why, as a couple in that salary bracket, people take on a 4-5k installment and therefore necessarily rely on 2 full-time salaries at the originally high level.

Well – because we also want to be debt-free again quickly and live a fairly frugal life. We have the salary but never adjusted our standard of living accordingly. We’re also not specialists or managers, just regular engineers ;-)

Well – because we also want to be debt-free again quickly and lead a fairly frugal life. We have the salary, but never adjusted our standard of living accordingly. We are also not specialized or managers, just regular engineers ;-)

Sounds like a very good approach – I would still keep the fixed installment contractually rather low and tackle the rest through special repayments. Then, if something unforeseen happens, you can react better.

I see it differently. In 5 years, the Boomers will start retiring, then the market will shift even more towards the employee side than it already has. Many positions and high salaries will become available.

The Boomers are mostly already retired. At least in companies that pay 4-5k net for simple employees (VW, Porsche, etc.). Nobody walks around at 67 anymore. At the latest, the last ones go into phased retirement at 63.

Sounds like a very good approach – I would still keep the fixed rate contractually rather low and tackle the rest through special repayments. If something unexpected happens, you can react better.

Right. As an alternative to special repayments, saving in ETFs. Committing to a high rate where nothing serious can go wrong liquidity-wise is financial madness. No one forces consumption. But capital market savings can also be used to reduce the remaining debt accordingly after 10 years. What counts is net assets, not gross debt.