Purchase or construction in Berlin / surrounding areas, realistic?

As entertaining as this post is (thanks for that!), I’m not quite sure what you’re advising us?
Buy a house in need of renovation (possibly smaller, simpler than we wish) and spruce it up, possibly sell it later and upgrade to our dream house?

I advise you to go for an interim house (explained at Baulotse-Hoffmann), i.e. don’t postpone the step into the dream house, but divide it into two portions: build a house sized to what satisfies you today (without expansion reserves, with the panoramic fireplace postponed to the next house, etc.) or buy a used house (also without closing the full gap between current property and dream). Don’t let that stand in your way of building the "house we never want to leave again" right now.

You also keep coming across bidding procedures, but that really seems to be a complete pig in a poke?

I mean foreclosure auctions, of course.

I would steer clear of both. Don’t buy on the market, buy alongside or before it (sorry "to the group", my upcoming "collected" Barthel tips announced for this autumn still need a little while). Foreclosure auction properties are often a pig in a poke insofar as they regularly have not been inspected from the inside either. Fallen owners sometimes live just as wildly as tenant squatters. "Stripping" is still a euphemism for what a house with a stoner hoarder needs to become habitable again.

But well, the vacation days always remain anyway, so you could also go to a few auctions to get a feeling for it.

Even then it’s a waste of time. Better stroll through desired locations on the prowl for worthwhile properties that are not yet on the market.

We live in an area you requested,
if someone here mentions selling something, it’s gone immediately, nothing appears on online portals.
Who works in IT under minimum wage,
unbelievable. The boss looked where you came from and offered EE salary

Understandable. I would like to be one of those who are there when someone thinks about selling.
I don’t understand the thing about minimum wage. Provocation? Minimum wage is currently somewhere below €10 (gross!).
By the way, we are not from EE, just have family there.

I advise you to get an interim house (explained at Baulotse-Hoffmann), i.e. not to postpone the step into the dream house, but to divide it into two portions: build a house based on what satisfies you today (without expansion reserves, with the panoramic fireplace moved to the next house, etc.) or buy a used house (also without closing the full delta between existing and dream). Don’t stand in your own way by building now the “house we never want to leave again.”

I would stay away from both. Don’t buy on the market, buy next to it or before it (sorry “round about,” my “collected” Barthel tips announced for this fall still need a little time). Foreclosure properties are often a pig in a poke in the sense that they have regularly not been inspected from the inside. Owners who have crashed sometimes live just as wildly as rental nomads. “Gutting” is still a euphemism for what a house needs after a stoner animal hoarder to become habitable again.

Even then it remains a waste of time. Rather stroll through the desired places on the prowl for worthwhile objects that are not yet on the market.

Good tips here, thank you very much.
Does anyone have concrete strategies regarding the prowl for properties before they come on the market? Strolling through the desired places is no problem, but you can’t tell by the houses whether the residents are thinking about selling. So far, we have informed friends and acquaintances (who live in the areas and partly have family there, sometimes you do get wind of something) and are out and about a lot. I can only imagine directly asking the residents if you see someone outside sometimes, but I guess that might rather have a deterrent effect.

Does anyone have concrete strategies regarding stalking objects before they are on the market.

As mentioned, the "revised summary" will still take a little while. But with the search term "11ant Barthel" you can also gather the scattered tips here yourself if you cannot or do not want to wait. I believe there are about thirty-five references (which is why I have often been asked for a summary, and now I still have to find time with the publisher).

Walking through the desired locations is not a problem, but you can’t tell from the houses that the residents are thinking about selling.

You can sharpen your eye. And you are not supposed to focus on the objects where the seller already knows that he wants to sell ;-)

I don't understand what the deal with the minimum wage is supposed to be. Provocation? Minimum wage is currently somewhere under €10 (gross!).

I don't see it as provocation; with 40 hours and about €2700-2800 gross, your husband earns around €15 per hour, which is simply insane for THAT profession plus a big city. Even if you don't want to hear it or at least relativize it, the key to your problem lies precisely there (or in moving out to the countryside).

Adults are also human beings. (With certain wishes and ideas) I don't understand why children should be relevant. The question about children only arises when it comes to the number of necessary rooms.

The topic of children was extremely relevant to me in every conversation with private sellers. It was important to the owners that families with children move in. Childless or elderly couples were immediately sorted out. Recently, my neighbor sold. Despite an insanely high price, only families with children were invited to viewings. And of course it then went to a family with 2 small children. Perhaps it is somewhat different with small properties up to max. 100m² if the floor plan does not provide space for families. If you don’t have children, or if the seller doesn’t care about that, then the selling price is maximized:

I would like to be one of those standing there when someone thinks about selling.

For that, you have to announce everywhere that you want to buy. And that you can buy. Private sellers have no desire for a long back and forth with potential buyers who then can’t afford it after all. Here we are unfortunately back at the topic of income :(

I do not perceive it as a provocation, with 40 hours and about 2700-2800 gross your husband earns about 15 euros per hour, with THAT profession plus big city that is simply madness. Even if you don't want to hear it or at least relativize it, right there (or by moving out to the countryside) lies the key to your problem.

You have already read that they have only been in the profession for 3 years? Not everyone starts in a corporation with 60k or at Microsoft/Apple/Facebook with 100k. There is another world outside the bubble.