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

The plan to own a house existed years ago, but out of reason, I only bought an apartment, especially since I was young and single. In hindsight, it would probably have been better to buy a used property back in 2003-04; with the current return, the new house would almost be paid off by now.

We then made the decision to build at the end of 2013 because the used market did not meet our expectations and the renovation discouraged me.

You know the new development areas in your region, so checking prices and selecting a plot was possible; at that time, there was even support for families, with 5000 euros returned for each child up to 3 years after the purchase.

June 2014 the plot was bought and October 2015 was moving in.

Back then, many thought we were crazy to build over 250 m2 including an granny flat. For about 280k euros + extras of about 20k, many today are glad to be able to build so cheaply.

After 3 years in the house I can say that we did almost everything right.

At the beginning of 2017, we decided to build a house. We were able to acquire the suitable plot of land in June 2017. We carefully planned how our future house should look over several months. Model homes were visited and we held discussions with a total of seven companies. In the end, it was a company from our region that made our plans a reality. At the end of July 2017, we signed the contract. Work began in October 2017. The topping-out ceremony was in early February 2018. However, winter struck again. Our house, whose topping-out ceremony we had already celebrated, has two extensions that, unlike the main house, do not have a basement. To construct the extensions, the basement had to be completely sealed, but this required minimum temperatures. These were only reached in early April. After the necessary drying times, work on the extensions then continued at the end of April 2018. Afterward, one trade followed another. Sometimes three or four companies were on the construction site at the same time. At the end of September 2018, we finally moved in and are very happy in the new house. Inside, everything is truly finished and exactly as we wished. The outdoor area has also taken shape. More than 50 meters of wall made of L-stones are complete. What is still missing now: exterior plaster, paving work, fence, that can wait until 2019. Best regards Axel

...on the other hand, I am currently annoyed that we searched in vain for 5 years - 5 years of rent payments of 600 euros per month cold x 12 months x 5 years = 36,000 euros... which we could already have paid as an annuity.

What annoys me more are the constantly rising prices, in our case for example about 5-8% from 2017 to 2018.

What annoys me more are the constantly rising prices, for example with us about 5-8% from 2017 to 2018.

The construction financing further favors this increase

What annoys me more are the constantly rising prices, in our area for example about 5-8% from 2017 to 2018.

True enough, you just can't keep up with saving anymore. Friends of ours bought in spring 2016 at a price where I just thought: "Are you out of your mind??" – today you wouldn't get anything comparable for that purchase price anymore... In the newspapers and financial magazines that I read professionally and privately, the imminent end of the real estate boom is announced every few months, and shortly thereafter there is the next price jump upward. The market is completely overheated and the building allowance for families with children will at best only have a short effect and then fizzle out after a few months. It only lasts until the end of 2020 anyway or until the fund runs out.

Regarding the format used in these cases, unfortunately, I don't know anything. It may well be that with DIN A1 we would have received more feedback than with discreet note slips.

With formats from postcard to DIN A5, neighbors who empty mailboxes often have the standing order to throw them away without looking. 99% of the time there is a note about old clothes collections, lost cats, hairdresser, Thai massage, or kebab shop openings on them. Cards the size of "Buyyourcar, no complaints, you get cash immediately" fall under the same order.

The shortest way to the decision-maker about a vacant house leads—except in single-family house areas where it is the neighbors—actually through the undertaker.

True, you can barely keep up with saving.

Precisely because of that, the real estate market on the demand side is, in some places, under high pressure and close to a bowel obstruction. People buy steep vineyards suitable for wine growing, which they then try to straighten with story-high L-stones, purely out of the attitude "better to quickly grab even the technically least favorable property if necessary, before later you can't afford any at all."