Preserving and increasing the value of existing real estate, what is important?

Or how would the next level be financed from your point of view?

So, I understand it as you wanting to reorient yourselves once the child is grown and out of the house.
Until then, you live in a house that suits you and is actually nice – except for the staircase.
And you are now considering what you can already do for potential buyers...

My answer is that you really can’t do anything. If you live in a house that suits you, an attic conversion is useless unless you want that attic space yourself.
You don’t even know what will happen in 10-15 years. Maybe there will be a completely new regulation, different types of heating, etc.
If you promise yourself that having an additional room will give you a larger target group, then point to expansion potential. Everything you don’t do for yourself now is wasted money, except for repairs.

And on the topic of _value_ preservation: personally, I see it this way – our lives are way too short for some things. This means that I make the best out of the present time of my life that I can influence. For me. For my loved ones. So that I feel comfortable and implement my wishes. And if I want to change the staircase, then I do it, as long as it is feasible and affordable. I would never think about those who might buy the house later. That is _worth it_ to me. And our _appreciation_ of value when something new can enter the house, whether it’s a piece of furniture, a new floor covering, or treating yourself to a painter now and then.
I don’t believe in postponing life to later, to in 15 years. Later is far away. Then there are different needs. Probably then you give up on so much because you tell yourself you don’t need what you had given up on for the last 20 years.

If I had an automatic recipe for that, I wouldn’t have to splash around in the swimming pool – then my nearest Nassau wouldn’t be on the Lahn, but in the Bahamas.
So I can only advise you: don’t tie yourself financially to the current house, so that you can also set off on the way to the next one.

My husband wants to postpone almost all living dreams until later,

and "we’re waiting for the next house."

My husband wants to postpone almost all housing dreams to later,

I would be more inclined, to stay with the example, to replace the stairs.

But he doesn’t even know yet if he’ll have any (dreams) later on? If he’s still alive, healthy, if you’re still together, etc… I’m not saying you should change your housing situation now, you apparently really like living in this house.

… But this isn’t about the idea of reorienting later, it’s about the current implementation of beautification elements like tiles, stairs, and such. Changing orientation is due to changing needs, many people experience that, and if you can afford it, then you implement it for yourself. What I don’t understand is the question here, where you exclude your needs for the next 15 years, as if you want to somehow punish yourself. I don’t even know if you can just replace a staircase like that, it’s, as far as I know, a static element. But individual parts can certainly be changed somewhat.

Ultimately, in reference to the title, the quality of life should be increased and not only thought of as a material existing object. Home… not house. The home has to be right!

What dreams? And why not now? That’s 10-15 years in which so much can happen. What if the finances are bad in 15 years, you’re divorced, one of you is seriously ill, or or or. Does your husband only buy new clothes or other things in 10 years? No need for that now either…

With all due respect, but your husband should also think about living in the “now.” I don’t mean making completely excessive expenses. But I also don’t see a decent semi-detached house with a large plot of land as a classic transitional home. I strongly disagree with there. That’s a property (assuming location and quality) that has always had a good market and will continue to have one later.

Insofar, I absolutely agree with . Create quality of life. And if it really depends on the staircase, then do it before you annoy yourself about it for the next 15 years.

Then just take a photo of the staircase.