Rent a house or buy/build? How did you decide?

PS: I'm out. Keep stuffing your pockets with "we'll save so much rent later by staying in the house"... blah blah blah

Regarding the topic of the OP, we have acquired property but made sure that the house does not become too expensive. Usually, the house is larger and more comfortable, etc., than one would rent. Theoretically, renting should be more expensive because the landlord’s profit is included. However, this is often not the case, since the rental and purchase/construction property are rarely identical here. This naturally increases not only the price for the luxury component but also the interest burden. Additionally, no one can predict future rent development. Will it continue to rise as it has in recent years or will it eventually fall because the population is shrinking.

Depends on the situation for me. Our plot is one of 30 in a prime location that could only be obtained through a lottery system. The demand exceeded the supply by a factor of 10, if you believe the municipality. When we received the positive result, it was clear that building a house couldn't be so wrong economically either. In addition, we built with a good price-performance ratio, I could sell my house immediately at a profit (including incidental costs).

Before that, we rented a single-family house with 200 m², which was also totally fine. Although the floor plan doesn't fit, etc., you remain flexible.

That is nonsense. Our alternative to "building a house" would be "renting a house," not "renting an apartment." Whoever likes to live in an apartment (or at least finds it tolerable) can rent one or buy a condominium. The question of which type of housing is desired is completely independent of the question "buy or rent" – at least in most areas. Sometimes not every combination is actually available on the market, but that is a different issue altogether. The luxury is not to be an owner, the luxury is to live in a single-family house.

Building a house currently costs us more per month than renting our apartment (But that is only a poor comparison). If I were to look at rentable single-family houses comparable to our bunker, we would probably end up with similar costs. Renting a house (between 140 and 180 sqm) cold costs at least €1400 here. I pay the same amount. BUT in no more than 24 years, my time will come, when I can turn up my nose at all tenants, because for my dream house I will only pay monthly for additional costs and maintenance. When I can afford a big vacation three times a year, while others are still trying to scrape together their rent.

You have to add the maintenance costs to your repayment, which would otherwise be borne by a landlord. A new heating system after 24 years is, for example, realistic. The long face is significantly shortened by such things.