Königsbiene
2013-07-02 21:03:11
- #1
Without knowing more... but it could very well be that a large one-time amount is charged for road repairs. That was the case with my brother-in-law two years ago. The road was from the 70s and has now been redone. I think he had to pay around €10,000 just like that. The amount varied for all residents depending on house size, plot size, and number of driveways.
As a construction expert, I agree. We also have some craftsmen in our circle of friends and some who have used their help. In the end it was ALWAYS the case that both sides were annoyed with each other. Some can only help after work and on weekends (and also have other obligations or children and a wife who are more than annoyed by the constant absence), and the others just want it to be finished, do most of it themselves after the first instruction but never get finished – and in the end they aren’t all on good terms, yet the new owners moved into an unfinished house because time was pressing and then live for the next few years on a construction site... once moved in, most people’s enthusiasm is gone...
And to return to the costs of children. Not to demotivate you... but three years ago, before the birth of our first child, we were just as naive and almost ignored children in our consumption planning or at least assumed that the child benefit mostly covered it (after all, that’s €184 per month!). Pretty naive of us! And even if you have your parents in the house (mine live less than 4 minutes from here), you will very likely need childcare. Very few will cheerfully do 5 days a week at 6 or 7 hours a day for free over a longer period. I am glad I can use Grandma (my mother ;-)) when I still have a meeting in the afternoon or the children are sick (which, unfortunately, has happened very very often for us since starting daycare). Just as a reminder... per child, over the course of our lives, I think we will have to pay more than for a house (just the house without incidental costs) – and that also in the next 20 to 25 years during which we will also be paying for a mortgage (we don’t own property yet ;-)) – a great overlap and above all shows the HUGE need for financial resources in the coming years. When we were childless, we shook our heads at the projected needs for one child and said what nonsense. Now, with two children, we still shake our heads but say what nonsense, a child is much more expensive.
@DerDa: just plan the second child one year after the birth of the first – it’s stressful, but then you get the same parental allowance as with the first (because the full salary is still applied) plus sibling bonus, so even more than with the first child ;-)
As a construction expert, I agree. We also have some craftsmen in our circle of friends and some who have used their help. In the end it was ALWAYS the case that both sides were annoyed with each other. Some can only help after work and on weekends (and also have other obligations or children and a wife who are more than annoyed by the constant absence), and the others just want it to be finished, do most of it themselves after the first instruction but never get finished – and in the end they aren’t all on good terms, yet the new owners moved into an unfinished house because time was pressing and then live for the next few years on a construction site... once moved in, most people’s enthusiasm is gone...
And to return to the costs of children. Not to demotivate you... but three years ago, before the birth of our first child, we were just as naive and almost ignored children in our consumption planning or at least assumed that the child benefit mostly covered it (after all, that’s €184 per month!). Pretty naive of us! And even if you have your parents in the house (mine live less than 4 minutes from here), you will very likely need childcare. Very few will cheerfully do 5 days a week at 6 or 7 hours a day for free over a longer period. I am glad I can use Grandma (my mother ;-)) when I still have a meeting in the afternoon or the children are sick (which, unfortunately, has happened very very often for us since starting daycare). Just as a reminder... per child, over the course of our lives, I think we will have to pay more than for a house (just the house without incidental costs) – and that also in the next 20 to 25 years during which we will also be paying for a mortgage (we don’t own property yet ;-)) – a great overlap and above all shows the HUGE need for financial resources in the coming years. When we were childless, we shook our heads at the projected needs for one child and said what nonsense. Now, with two children, we still shake our heads but say what nonsense, a child is much more expensive.
@DerDa: just plan the second child one year after the birth of the first – it’s stressful, but then you get the same parental allowance as with the first (because the full salary is still applied) plus sibling bonus, so even more than with the first child ;-)