My home financing 2025 is bursting against reality

Free of charge in one of the mini-apartments with 25 sqm. And that including a child. I do not call that "living," but "cramming."

The one-room apartment is not a permanent solution, this year still with "turning a blind eye" but by 2026 at the latest a solution must be found. Living space of 26 sqm is very stressful, we cannot receive visitors, we cannot even buy furniture because there is no space. So far it went quite well because both of us were hardly ever at home before, always on the go but now we realize, oops … She wants the house but does not want to severely restrict herself. We now have the solution that we a) lower the purchase price, 1 million was unrealistic, we want to set a maximum of 500,000 euros. b) we will sell 3 properties (at least 300,000 euros) so that the financing rate does not become too high. I will keep you updated Thanks for all your input, my wife has calmed down in the meantime and now sees some things too, I also think that my ideas need to be implemented more gently. I cannot say Sell your car No sweets / no cola etc. She can’t handle that so quickly

Most of it has already been mentioned here, but something fundamental. You are living completely beyond your means. You have adopted a standard of living that is not sustainable. With just under €5,000 net, going on vacation 4 times a year, eating out every weekend, presumably sometimes ordering food during the week. Then you also live in an expensive area, your rent is certainly not the cheapest right now. Since your wife apparently has a different opinion, or you have gone through this whole process by yourself, you first need to get on the same page together. It makes no sense if you restrict yourself, you dream of owning a house, but your wife has completely different goals. Sure, it's rare that both partners share 100% of the same dreams and opinions, but at least the partner must support the decision. If in the end she only does it for you, then it is not sustainable.

Yes, I agree with you, I have admitted myself that we are living beyond our means, or regardless, there is a lot of potential for savings with us.

The biggest cost blocks were / are

Vacations / 4 times a year
Eating out in expensive restaurants
Ordering food on Lieferando and similar
Food and coffee at bakeries

Just by addressing these areas, a lot could be saved.

Vacations are no longer that important to me, I feel like I have been everywhere.

But I also no longer see the point in paying the high prices in those countries.

Example Turkey

2024 is completely overpriced, prices above German levels, restaurants way too expensive.

Service and price have deteriorated greatly.

We will follow our own path.

2025 will be the year of finding our way
2026 should be the year of the move

I often say (mostly to my wife and my mother, less often at work) that there are many (actually infinite) shades of gray between black and white. Same here. Restricting yourself doesn't mean living like an Indian ascetic or the Greek in the barrel. But just as well, you don't necessarily have to always go wild and keep the party meter at maximum. A little less Geissens, a little more Diogenes, without falling into extremes, and you are probably already on the right path. In behavioral therapy, they also rely on small realistic goals to be able to celebrate successes and then gradually improve.

But I also no longer see any reason to pay the high prices in those countries.

If you plan individually and don't need a 5* AI holiday in the Caribbean, you can still manage four holidays a year.

I often say (mostly to my wife and my mother, less often at work) that there are many (actually infinite) shades of gray between black and white.

Mr. Winkelmann alias Loriot named alone 28 I'll put it this way. If you use your apparently existing real estate assets to the maximum for your private life and then no longer live in 25 sqm but really as you like, then maybe the flight from the house to other countries will decrease a bit and if there is also a nice kitchen there, you might prefer to cook yourself rather than ordering a lukewarm pizza and other stuff for expensive money. Maybe it doesn't have to be a house, but in any case, you should get to the point of creating a nice home for YOURSELF. Then, eventually, any real estate collections will become secondary.

[QUOTE] I'll put it this way. If you make the most of your apparently existing real estate assets for your private life and then no longer live on 25 square meters, but really in a way that you like, then perhaps the urge to flee to other countries will also diminish a bit and if there is a nice kitchen there as well, you might prefer to cook yourself rather than ordering a lukewarm pizza or something else expensive.
I also think that many things then come all on their own. I also ordered a lot during my studies, and at some point you really get fed up with it. Since then I have really come to love cooking.
And as soon as you can create nice moments at home on the terrace or inside the house, you also prefer to be at home much more and don’t want to go away so often anymore. That is simply not feasible on 25 square meters.
But the limit of 500,000 € is already reasonable. 600k are certainly still doable with 300k equity. Maybe you can get a few kilometers out of Stuttgart, you have two cars after all.