New standards in new construction and their impact on us

Why doesn't Vonovia just build smaller and without KNX?

You have to completely disconnect or separate owner-occupied housing from rental housing construction. Owner-occupied homes only have to be affordable. Rental housing must be profitable. And with the large housing companies, like Vonovia or LEG, which are currently focusing on affordable housing and offering average rents of 6-7€ as affordable, you cannot build as cheaply as necessary in their core markets, such as the Ruhr area. Even in social housing (in terms of quality), you have to reckon with nearly 3,000€/sqm pure construction costs. But for these apartments to even be affordable, you usually need rents well above 10€ – it’s just nonsense when only clientele who can afford 3.8€ to 4.95€ live in Duisburg Marxloh. The decision there is digital – do it or leave it. I had new buildings from a housing company in Cologne on the table. To finance them and still get a return (we’re talking about returns of just over 3% after all costs and financing, so you don’t get rich from it), the rent MUST be 15€/sqm. For the homeowner, a return doesn’t matter. They build their house for T€ 750, for which they would get 2,000€ rent per month. That’s 3.2% return BEFORE taxes, management, maintenance, rent loss, etc. The homeowner can do that; it’s for themselves and you can’t calculate quality of life with returns. Vonovia and others cannot do that – they would rather need 5,000€ rent or more, which no one can afford. That’s where the problem comes from. It doesn’t matter whether I offer 40sqm apartments at 15€/sqm or 200sqm apartments at 15€/sqm. Nobody simply rents those. You can compare this a bit with e-cars. Which ordinary person can and wants to buy a "green" car for 80k? The market is lacking.

No one simply rents them. You can somewhat compare it with e-cars. Which ordinary person can and wants to buy a "green" car for 80k. The market is missing.

But e-cars are actually becoming cheaper. Will living space ever be produced (much) cheaper again? And if the answer is "no," how do you solve the problem?

Will living space ever be produced (much) cheaper again?

And that brings us back to the beginning of the thread...

For example, thickness of the concrete ceiling (sound insulation), number of sockets, lowering the temperature in the bathroom from 24 to 20 degrees (savings on wall radiators), wooden floor ceilings also possible without screed, and other points. Deviation from aRdT is not directly a construction defect. These are the major areas.

Besides that, there is the possibility of serial building (there are already various model homes). However, acceptance for this is extremely poor, as everyone immediately thinks of prefabricated slab buildings. The answer is therefore: Yes, if... and then mainly in multi-family residential construction. Normal single-family homes will not become significantly cheaper.

Besides, there is also the possibility of serial construction (there are already various type houses). However, the acceptance of this is extremely poor, as everyone immediately thinks of prefabricated buildings.

Well, the concept of prefabricated buildings in the GDR was not that bad. The apartments had layouts that were good and not inferior to today's standards, a balcony, and were space-saving as well as very cheap to build. Regarding the plot of land.

Infill development in inner cities in prefabricated building style existed just as well as freestanding so-called cube houses. 6 floors with 4 apartments each on less than 200 sqm of land.

The problem was only the thermal insulation and the relatively thin wall thicknesses.

Unfortunately, even today, especially large apartment blocks are still being massively demolished with state demolition grants instead of being renovated.

They could also have dismantled the houses and rebuilt them where there is a housing shortage. Insulation and new windows would not be a problem by now.

I am currently renting out for 4.50 - 5.50 per square meter. However, the state regulations are making it increasingly difficult for me to maintain this price. I cannot avoid massive rent increases.

The requirements of the authorities must also be taken into account. They only pay capped heating costs as well as limited rents. So it is becoming increasingly difficult for socially disadvantaged people to find affordable housing.

It will be exciting when the German welfare state collapses under its own burden. It will not be possible to permanently support millions of refugees and citizens receiving social benefits to such an extent with a shrinking economy and declining tax revenues.

Well, the concept of Plattenbau in the GDR wasn’t that bad after all.

Nowadays, nobody wants to live in Plattenbauten. Acceptance vs. quality.

However, the state regulations make it increasingly difficult for me to keep this price.

What regulations have you received?

I can’t avoid massive rent increases.

Well. But you must not increase massively.

Well. But you must not raise it massively.

Why not? In my opinion, a 20 percent increase is already massive.

Nowadays, no one wants to live in prefabricated slab buildings. Acceptance vs. quality.

I do have a solidly built rental property, but with a prefabricated slab building floor plan. Highly sought after and fully rented. Not the most beautiful building visually, but with a great view, balconies facing south. There are still fans of that.