How quickly should one pay off a house?

It's sad when that is the life goal.

You don't know my life goals.

You said that in old age you don't need more money than before. And that's not the case if you want to travel more than before because you have more time.

No, I did write that traveling, a motorhome, and an expensive dog are the thing in old age. At least for us. The mentioned expensive crossing of the Alps rather refers to agility.

No, I wrote that traveling, a camper van, and an expensive dog are the order of the day in old age. At least for us. The mentioned expensive crossing of the Alps refers more to agility.

"One is also entitled to things in old age, but no more than in the 30 years before." That is what I was referring to.

Instead of the much-described "Work Life Balance," the headline here should be "House Life Balance." And everyone has to find that for themselves. I, for example, also want to live as long as I can health-wise/fitness-wise. So not only from the mid-50s or later. So the repayment is not that high and the financing runs mathematically until the mid-80s. So what. Not that I actually want to pay the installment until the mid-80s. But even if? Then maybe I pay €500 installment for an almost paid-off house. That still leaves me better off than probably 60% of all retirees, as they have to pay high rents.

I wouldn't stress about it either. Being done by 43 is definitely cool, but only if you don't have to restrict yourself too much. And that would be the case for you, as I understand it. I would repay it so that I might be done by 50. That's still early. Then you have almost 20 years until retirement to look into retirement provision, and by the time you're 50, you can at least afford the heat pump or the new car or whatever you want. With the small remaining debt, there is also no big interest rate risk anymore.

You are thinking about being done with the house financing at 43 because you see it as retirement security and don't want the financing to stretch into your retirement years.

It's about first building a real, liquid retirement provision at all. The house can of course be part of it, but you can't eat a house (or maintain a car or go on vacation) from it.

At 43, you are still far from retirement. Under normal circumstances, you still have 24 (!!) working years ahead of you.

In practice, I currently see almost everyone who can taking early retirement at 63.

Why not do a 100k follow-up financing? The terms should be great given the loan period.

It could very well be that we then have 10% interest or more. You might not believe that now, but until about two years ago, everyone thought there would be 1% interest forever, and historically interest rates have also been 10% or more.

Then you write that the second car is absolutely optional and more of a luxury item. But the calculation of possibly necessary expenses also includes a second electric car. Again: either keep driving both cars or buy two e-cars. Why so black and white?

A second car is an unnecessary luxury, but we afford it. Driving in an old compact car is still much, much better than public transport: air conditioning, privacy, no waiting at stops and not being exposed to weather. The two e-cars are planned for the longer term—at some point, the city will ban combustion engines in the urban area, and if you want to drive two cars, both have to be e-cars then.

And why do you assume that you will need a photovoltaic system with storage? I think you are not forced to do so by any means.

I also suspect that at some point an implicit obligation will come.

550k "pure construction costs"

550k for everything you declare to the bank: land, construction costs, outdoor facilities, incidental construction costs, property purchase/notary/land registry, development, etc.—in short, everything except furniture/built-in furniture/garden tools/lamps, etc...

Maybe one decides on photovoltaic after all and can finance it from these reserves, and when 2031 comes, one examines the then prevailing financing conditions and decides how much of the saved amount goes toward repaying the then outstanding loan amount and which part is simply financed longer as a loan.

Before the home loan is fully paid off, I don't really think about things like photovoltaic, photovoltaic storage, or heat pumps. One thing at a time.

At that age, you don't have to repay specially at all if everything is calculated to be paid off by 60.

After paying off, the first thing is saving for retirement at all. So building up an ETF portfolio from which you can later withdraw by a withdrawal rate when no longer two incomes bring in 6,500 euros net, but maybe two pensions (then reduced due to political decisions—it can happen) only bring in 2,000 euros together.

Since I also know enough people who have not reached retirement age or are too sick then

Exactly that can still happen. Disability/termination/AI taking over jobs, etc., and then maybe you still have 100k outstanding, but the income for repayment is no longer there. If you had stretched yourself earlier, the house would be paid off. I definitely see it as possible that 6.5k net is no longer available for the next 30+ years—for various reasons that perhaps one can't even imagine now.

So you just repay less and the financing runs mathematically until the mid-80s. So what.
Not that I really want to pay the rate until my mid-80s. But even if? Then maybe I pay 500€ rate for an almost paid-off house. That still leaves me better off than probably 60% of all pensioners, as they have to pay high rents.

Those renters might have 500k euros in a portfolio and earn 7% p.a. (= about 3,000 euros per month) from it or have to go to the food bank. Our goal was actually to pay off the house (by 43? by 50?...) and THEN save up a proper portfolio from which food, clothing, vacation, and other consumption can be financed. And on top of that (but in my view no earlier than once the house is at least paid off) come cost blocks like photovoltaic, photovoltaic storage, heat pumps, and two e-cars. Not out of whim or fancy, but because I think all of it will eventually become mandatory in one way or another (i.e., the heat pump will become legally mandatory and gas networks will be shut down sooner or later; combustion engines will be banned in cities, making e-cars mandatory; but I also see an implicit obligation within the next 50 years for photovoltaic and storage).