Hello everyone,
I actually wanted to put some more detailed information into the first post after the questions, but I can't find any way to edit it. Is that basically not possible?
The fact that we are moving around within the specified search radius has, besides the fact that we both feel incredibly comfortable in the area, the reason that he works in Köpenick. Currently, he bikes to work all year round. That is, of course, a luxury you don’t want to give up for hours of commuting by car. That means we would have to stay roughly in the Berlin region.
I know it myself. Even though it runs quickly with public transport from the outskirts to the city center (where my office is), the whole thing is quite exhausting. And when something doesn’t run again and 1.5 hours quickly become 2.5, the day is basically ruined... And unlike him, I very rarely work overtime.
If you decide to move "further" away, in Beelitz-Heilstätten [...]
Just google Beelitz-Heilstätten Quartier.
We’ll at least take a look, thanks for the suggestion.
Welcome!
There is still such a thing as a timeline. At the moment, you will need a lot of luck to find a habitable property that fits your budget. Over time, income and opportunities develop, and you are pleasantly young.
At some point you have to be lucky as well, right? ;)
I think the easiest way is to increase income, i.e., change jobs soon. What’s stopping you from focusing a bit more on your jobs as a DINK couple? So in two years or so, looking again with well over 1000€ more net, entirely different opportunities suddenly arise. Meanwhile, equity also grows a bit.
Nothing speaks against that, no. But we don’t really feel comfortable in the apartment either, especially hobbies that involve “handicrafts” somehow fall by the wayside. But you can certainly arrange yourself, then you’re just less at home, go out more, do sports, etc.
Whether big jumps in salary are to be expected, I don’t know. If I can’t really develop further in my company, I probably have to look around, but I still hope it won’t come to that. I would really be very sad if I had to change.
I definitely find the available equity very positive despite the modest salaries.
I rather thought our equity is too low? At least that’s how it was explained to us in the financing consultation, that broker fees (and other incidental purchase costs) will break our necks because certain banks are immediately out that do not offer 100% financing. Of course, we would like to save more. But by our standards, we already live quite "simply." Not stingy, the calculations in the first post, for example, include a summer holiday, but also not lavishly. Gasoline costs hit me quite hard, as does the car, which actually wouldn’t be necessary without my hobbies (+ possibly vacation and family visits).
As a software developer in Berlin, I would aim for 5000€ net per month at the end of my twenties in 2 years and systematically see which skills I need to learn for that. Then there is still plenty of room for upward movement.
You are right, and it is a high value to do what you want.
My industry knowledge tempted me too much to jump on that encouragingly, sorry. I will not say anything publicly about it now.
This is not meant as an accusation but as a friendly and sincere hint. Because regional underpayment has to do directly with whether/if you can afford something in the region.
That was not taken as an accusation, but I just didn’t want to discuss for pages how others made their careers as software developers. That won’t buy us anything either, otherwise we would already be homeowners :D I almost think it’s also a matter of personality? Not that there’s no drive to do good work (on the contrary, of the two of us I am definitely the person who “knows” less or “brings less naturally”), but not everyone is a career person.
And since you already suspected the situation, we are just confirming your fear. If you have relatives in the wider region, then the chances are greatest there to get something through connections before it hits the open market with the exaggerated but unfortunately realistic price offers.
So my recommendation would be to reorient yourself there; maybe you can kill two birds with one stone.
The area you are currently focusing on will only get worse with Tesla...
But we are not really well connected in other areas either. Apart from the fact that jobs don’t just fall from the sky in such areas, even if we would like to move there (which is not the case)?
From my point of view, this "sharpens" the favorable position of not having to adjust a home purchase to how much space you want or need at forty. But rather to find an intermediate house in which you can "get by well" for a manageable number of years, collect diligence points as a good credit payer, and then move on to the next rung of the property ladder. A "mei Home isch mei Käschtle," newly built without marble whirlpool, turbo kitchen, and gold-edged curtains, or even used with "who cares about architecture" single garage, as a cozy savings pot and springboard. Relaxed waiting for the next salary increases, and after three of them, "tsjakka!" you go further. Just a few more rounds of "Pareto 80" and then take the next hurdles a little easier, instead of striving for a forever optimum so young: then the tenor of the fellow discussants will also work out :)
As entertaining as this post is (thanks for that!), I am not quite sure what you advise us? Buy a fixer-upper (possibly smaller, simpler than we want), make it nice, possibly sell later and upgrade to our dream house?
We found, reserved, and bought the plot at the October 2020 price in February 2021. The price now, almost a year later, is 130 € higher (from 200 € / m² to 330 € / m²).
That is really immense, but I fear the upward trend won’t flatten anytime soon.
Have you, I know, which is obvious, already considered and/or discarded Grünheide? Maybe send a speculative application to Tesla?
Regarding jobs, we have already looked, but what they do there in the plant doesn’t really need programmers. He is currently doing software for measuring devices. If the companies don’t have special requirements for their devices, but maybe just deliver them ready-made, no programmers are needed anymore. Grünheide would actually still be in the search radius.
It also seems that you don’t yet know exactly what types of housing you are. What you probably do know is that you don’t want to live in the city, rather you will commute.
Therefore, I would pay attention to all types of housing in your desired but larger radius, also condos, rental houses, etc. In the meantime, consider if you are garden people at all, or if a townhouse or ground-floor apartment can also or rather provide comfort.
How do you come to the conclusion that we are uncertain about what we want (I almost wrote "need," but that would be a bit dramatic considering what luxury problems we are talking about here)? Maybe I will formulate what kind of life we imagine instead of our dream houses? Sometimes it helps to take a step back and look anew at how (in due time) these goals can be fulfilled.
From the heart: We wish to settle down. To be for us, to do our thing. Space to be outside, for handicraft hobbies, for plants and garden. Freedom. Sociability when we want it, but no constant consideration for neighbors. Just to be undisturbed somehow. If I want to play music at 5 a.m., or my boyfriend wants to tinker until late at night, we do not want to disturb neighbors.
We are not the type to take expensive flights or want all-inclusive somewhere by the sea. We prefer hiking and get a holiday apartment or camp to be flexible. We don’t need a pool, sauna, or golden decorations anywhere, but I would like to have trees on the property and grow vegetables and bake cozy pizza and then eat it by the campfire.
Better smaller and finer
Sure, we don’t “need” 120m². 80 or 90 will definitely do (maybe even with the option to later expand under the roof or something similar). A bungalow can also offer everything we would like (except maybe individual retreat space), but then there is less yard. It doesn’t have to be all fixed and finished, I already wrote that we also want to pitch in ourselves; you just have to be realistic about what you can do and where a professional is needed. That’s why I’m here in the forum (well, I simply didn’t find a “house-buying forum.de”) to see if something is possible with our means or not. Or if it’s worth continuing to look, possibly really searching in the respective areas on site in spring through conversations, flyers,... Continuing to listen around with brokers/banks/private (if someone knows someone who knows someone whose grandma is moving out...) etc. I think I have already got pretty clear feedback. Now I have to see how we can proceed or what other options ("small but fine??") we have.