How is the construction boom? Still there?

Everyone can still build very conveniently today. The problem lies in the exaggerated demands. It has to be at least a city villa with every possible extra. No longer a must-have but just a nice-to-have.

The biggest item in house construction with a general contractor, however, is the VAT. If you think your house costs 500,000 euros, you have to deduct the VAT. And that’s how you earn significantly more when you do the work yourself.

Out of curiosity, I drive through new development areas. I get out, look inside the houses, and assess various qualities. You always meet the most different trades and the craftsmen themselves. You just have to listen to people. You can’t learn more than that. But who am I telling this? The builder prefers to go on vacation rather than visiting other construction sites during the week.

I’m no longer a builder, but I can say what is currently available, what affordable alternatives there are, or where to still get a heat pump. Before building, as I have already written here, you have to build a network. You have to be brave and speak the language of the craftsmen. If I show up at the construction site in old work pants, that’s different than coming in a suit after work.

And there are always cheaply working undeclared workers. You just have to know them. Nothing has changed. If I can build a house for 200,000 euros, then the 3 percent interest doesn’t hurt me either.

A few weeks ago, I already predicted maintenance costs of 2,000 euros for a house. That’s becoming threatening for the middle class. Many will still be surprised here.

But basically, these are all side issues. The euro is crashing and steadily losing value. The German government is becoming increasingly chaotic and unpredictable. The economy is collapsing. Immigration is reaching new record levels these days. Interest rates will rise dramatically. 3-4 percent is actually still super cheap in this respect. The biggest problem that worries me the most is the expanding war. We are only at the beginning. The war will spread to core Europe. In Ukraine, Russia and NATO face each other directly. NATO arms deliveries, NATO soldiers in Ukraine, target acquisition against Russian troops from Germany, etc.

Against this is the partial mobilization of 300,000 Russian soldiers. New conflicts in the Balkans between Serbia and Kosovo, in Armenia, in Syria, in Taiwan, etc.

I firmly expect a NATO war against Russia. Therefore, I would now wait and put everything on hold. Take savings out of the euro and convert them into other investments. Watch the situation. Since we are heading into a severe liquidity crisis, prices will collapse. Soon no one will have any interest in real estate anymore. That’s how it looks.

What will you do if our Chancellor Scholz orders general mobilization? Then it goes to the Eastern Front. Early at six at the train station. In this respect, thoughts about building a house these days are a waste of time.

The 1,000 EUR were for gas and electricity... Not everyone has a basic supplier and not every basic supplier is equally cheap.

A terraced house, usually a mid-terraced house, can hardly be compared in terms of heating demand to a detached single-family house.

Single-family house with 170 sqm built in 1995 in northern Germany, gas boiler about 3 years old: 18,000 kWh