House purchase - what investments will I face?

I suppose the craftsman will recommend replacing the windows as well.

After removing a window, a wall rarely looks as if a screwed-on fender has been replaced – rather it looks as if its teeth have been knocked out. The window fitter naturally earns more from a larger scope of work and is therefore a biased "advisor". With a house from 1658, this is already a delicate matter, and windows from 1994 are usually well suited for just exchanging the glass units.

So definitely enter with an expert who knows about such old houses.

Not far from the Euregio, you can find a suitable architect with old building experience in Münstereifel:

Absolutely valid objection. The current owner has lived there since childhood, his parents carried out the first renovation, and he later did the second one. The house has been in one family for about 50 years, but no matter how good a renovation is, it doesn’t last forever. I somewhat believe him when he says he is attached to the property and has done the best for the house, but at the same time that will also be a sales strategy. Someone from the profession has a different perspective on the building. @|11ant Thank you very much for both hints! I rely on tried and tested methods and keep the windows from 1994, only replacing the glass. The tip about the architect from nearby, who knows about old buildings, is worth its weight in gold. Thanks again.

Someone with expertise has a different view of the building.

A roof truss has considerable weight; simply doubling it like that raises what I’d call "initial suspicion" in me. I would definitely review this with the recommended expert before making a purchase decision.

This is recommended in any case, especially with a high investment amount such as when buying real estate. I hope the expert known here from the region can take the time for an inspection and thoroughly check the building.

A few meters away, starting next year, an old elementary school will apparently also serve as a refugee shelter. I have read that there are no verifiable data showing that such shelters negatively affect the value of land or real estate. Without igniting a (politically sensitive) discussion: what experiences have you had in this regard (your own or from acquaintances/relatives), or can you imagine that such a shelter in the immediate vicinity and neighborhood could deter potential buyers?

From my own experience with acquaintances in the neighboring town, which has a larger refugee reception center, I can tell you that the houses in the immediate vicinity became virtually unsellable.

However, it is certainly individual and also depends on the size of the refugee shelter.

Personally, I would not buy a house in such a location, but I am somewhat biased because my school used to be near the mentioned reception center and I already witnessed many incidents there at that time.

For this reason, I have distanced myself from the property.