How long did it take you to reach the construction decision?

Observation: .... know where the hearse threatens ......

Now I wonder, how do you recognize that, or from what age is it threatened?

I know who lives there and what’s going on. Leukemia, stroke, etc.... This is not an anonymous big city, and I have been at home here for about 25 years, well connected and known, and vice versa.

The imminent death of one or the other owner does not mean that the houses will then be available at a bargain price.

The imminent passing of one owner or another does not mean that the houses will then be available at bargain prices.

Certainly not the individual house in a good and desirable location, that’s true. But often someone already has their hand on it anyway, or the community of heirs is at odds. Such things very rarely come onto the open market. We once attended an open viewing – together with about 20 other interested parties who parked their SUVs all along the street and crowded around the real estate agent. No chance!

Relaxation is more to be expected from C locations downward with a high average age if several houses should come onto the market in short succession. At the moment, even the most built-up 1950s energy guzzler only sells because the buyer is driven by the fear that nothing else will come along for a long time afterward. But if I know or can estimate that huts are regularly sold in that location, then the negotiating position is different. This already applies to D and E locations here with us today. If I were willing to commute 50-60 km to work in Kassel, I could be a homeowner before Christmas and save myself the building stress.

We wanted to build at some point and did not search specifically. On a Saturday in January 2015, we went for a walk and turned left instead of right. We stumbled upon a building area with 15 plots. On Monday, we called the land development company. Three weeks later, we signed the notary contract. Between February and May, we obtained offers; in May, we completed the financing and signed the construction contract. Construction began at the end of August, and we moved in in May 2016.

All in all, 16 months from decision to moving in.

In my parents' residential street, for example, almost only 60+ live there now. Will these people really invest tens of thousands of euros again for heating, insulation, windows, barrier-free renovation, etc., or will they put their houses on the market beforehand? Do they still feel like spending hours gardening and heating 150 sqm for two people?

Why not? The children are finally out, you finally have everything for yourself, you may still have 7 years to work or not, everything is factored in, including the building savings contract for the modernizations was concluded early... whatever. The current 60+ is the old 50. In our development, families are in the minority, many are 50+ or even 65(+) who have built. You can no longer generalize about age nowadays. Many only really start to blossom then, others have already emigrated before. For us, building a house was not even planned. Then we drove past the development (there was only the show house with the office). Leasehold plots. We informed ourselves and found it doable and good. We didn't have much time for planning: I was looking for a BU, a type house that has more space downstairs and less upstairs. A bungalow wouldn't have been enough for us. I planned alone, there was still a lot of naivety back then. I was hardly active in the forum because I was rather designing the floor plan at that time. But I am also glad that I didn't fuss about it like some others here, whether to move the toilet 10 cm or whatever. Plot reservation 09.13 House sale RH 12.13 Signature BU 01.14