Interest rate development current situation. Build now or wait?

Back then, he interrupted his further education and turned down many projects to support me. That’s why such statements bother me a bit. Even if they certainly weren’t meant that way. One shouldn’t always generalize everything.

You should always ignore this here as much as possible. Exaggerated: there is the mega-saver faction, who portray every frugalist as a hedonistic spender. They save their entire life, have always kept a household budget book, live on 25% of the average. Or the wealthy-supported faction, where €200,000 in gifts and savings come together because mom & dad have always paid the rent and grandma pays for the car. They then get another €250,000 for the house and only need €500,000 for the bargain terraced house to buy. But ultimately they don’t earn more than you. Or the daredevils, whatever it costs, who use a consumer credit as equity to take out a construction loan for the ego-appropriate 200m² house in a cheap build, so that there’s a fitting little house in the middle of nowhere alongside the two leased SUVs.
There’s all kinds, getting worked up about it is wasted energy. Looking back is completely pointless. What matters is what is now. What you have and plan. Everything else can’t be changed anyway. Look at options and calculate. You have >30 years, and currently you can even secure this entire period at a low interest rate. Check and calculate critically.

Calculate everything for yourself. You know what you earn. How high is your savings rate and your housing expenses? With just under €4000 household income, you can manage around €1300 loan payment + €300 additional costs. Are savings rate + housing currently €1600 for you? If yes, okay. If no - adjust lifestyle accordingly and force saving at the beginning of the month. If everything above is green: You have no equity - so it comes down to full financing. House plus land should together be less than 100*household income. Does this fit in your region when buying existing property? Otherwise - €2000 - €2200/m² house as a guideline, plus 20% on the whole for additional costs. Then you can calculate what you can spend on land. If still green: For example: buying land + continuing to save is probably a good entry option. The reason is the big price driver.

Our total expenses currently amount to €2040. That really includes everything: insurance, rent, kindergarten, GEZ, food, ... savings rate for a new car (ours is fairly new, but it won't last forever). Currently, we can save about €1700 per month.

You don’t have to justify yourself at all. The important question for you is, can you manage a financing that you need now and in the future? With your salaries, it means sacrificing for the next years, probably decades, with more children. Are you willing to give up one vacation or another? To step back overall, not being able to fulfill as many wishes, all for a house? From my point of view, it does not matter whether you wait or not then. You can probably count the opportunities for a good property on one hand. That means if you think you have found something and can manage the financing. And the aforementioned conscience check turns out positive, then I would say go for it.


That reminds me of a school friend of mine. We had taken an exam, he scored 14 points (that is a straight A), I got 13 (A-), and he was annoyed because he had spent the whole weekend before the exam studying while I just played games.
He was really mad at me. I didn’t get it back then, don’t get it even now.
Thank you for your honesty. Free yourself from what others have and whether they “deserve” it or not, it brings you nothing but bad thoughts and it’s not a nice trait of character either.
Enjoy your house, being able to watch it grow and become more and more what you dreamed of. By the way, you will get real reasons to be annoyed with house construction. I understand that then too, I have to experience it myself right now... So save your energy now.

You don’t have to justify yourself at all. The important question for you is whether you can handle a financing that you need now and in the future? With your salaries, it means the next few years, with more children, probably decades of sacrifices. Are you willing to forgo one vacation or another? To step back overall, not being able to fulfill so many wishes, all for a house? From my point of view, it doesn’t matter then whether you wait or not. You can probably count the opportunities for a good property on one hand. That means if you think you have found something and manage the financing. And the above-mentioned conscience check turns out positive, then I would say go for it.


That reminds me of a school friend of mine. We had taken an exam, he scored 14 points (that’s a straight A), I got 13 (A-), and he was upset because he had spent the whole weekend before the exam studying and I was just gaming.
He was really angry at me. I didn’t get it back then, and I still don’t.
Thanks for your honesty. Free yourself from what others have and whether they “deserve” it or not, it only brings you bad thoughts and it’s not a nice trait of character either.
Enjoy your house, being able to watch it grow and become more and more what you dreamed of. By the way, you will get real reasons to be annoyed during the construction of the house. I understand that too, I have to experience it myself right now... So save your energy now.

Funny comparison and actually not quite inappropriate :D

By now, I mostly overlook all that and already focus on my own thing – which is also the right thing, clearly. You also have to admit when certain thought patterns and character traits are “unnecessary” or can be improved. I have no difficulty whatsoever to be happy for someone, really not at all. It’s rather the problem I described of being happy for someone who then afterwards stretches out their hands and wants something like pity – then from my side there’s simply none :)
By now, I live true to the motto “live and let live.” Ultimately, everyone is responsible for their own happiness and has to work for it.

What I wanted to convey to the OP is that there are different ways of thinking and it’s not all “black” or “white” with his question. As you also mentioned, so many things play a role here... That’s exactly why I’m giving the tip to first try to slowly build something up (equity, frugality, common goals, etc.). I’m of the opinion that nowadays everyone wants EVERYTHING too quickly and is not willing to give up certain things. A home is not just bought/built without making sacrifices :D

Yes, of course you can distribute your pity according to your own discretion, as long as "having no pity" is not synonymous with schadenfreude.

Yes, of course you can distribute your pity as you see fit, as long as "having no pity" is not synonymous with schadenfreude.

No, it is not schadenfreude :)

As I said, I rely on fairness – everyone gets somewhere what they deserve. But if you throw money around that you don’t have at all – want EVERYTHING – and then fall flat on your face – then it bothers me relatively little (but that has nothing to do with schadenfreude).

Our total expenses currently amount to €2040. That really includes everything: insurance, rent, kindergarten, GEZ, food, ... savings rate for a new car (ours is fairly new, but it doesn’t run forever). Currently, we can save about €1700 per month.

I think that with this savings rate, something is certainly possible – but as I said, in my opinion not right now.

With a house with land, you quickly end up with total expenses of over €500,000 (that won’t even be enough...) – you have to comfortably pay back €1,500 (more likely more). The current savings rate does not equal the repayment rate, since you have no reserves at all. Thus, a few thousand euros more equity would help you significantly. I think you shouldn’t act too quickly, otherwise you will have to turn every cent three times – can no longer afford to give your child a vacation – and only pay off the house. If a crisis comes and your husband loses his job – then it becomes difficult... In my opinion, you lack a solid financial and secure basic framework in the background. This framework provides security that you simply do not have.