Report: Building a house as retirement provision? No way!

Our son is a social scientist with a focus on demography. He explains it as follows. The economy likes to form clusters. BW automotive industry, mechanical engineering, metal processing, this is evident throughout the entire federal state. Hamburg harbor, shipbuilding and repair, shipping companies, insurance, logistics, etc. pp. The coast tourism and everything connected to it. The vast land, the Iowa of Germany, is MVP and parts of SH and NI. Agriculture is the economy there and everything connected to it. An agricultural engineer can certainly find something to do in Pasewalk, a service company for agricultural technology as well. An event manager rather in Warnemünde, better than in Tuttlingen. Every region has its economy, and if it collapses like it did in the Ruhr area, coal and steel, something new must be found. And for every economy, there is a corresponding number of people. And they then live there.

I just wanted to put the terms house building and retirement provision into perspective a bit after watching this documentary. Anyone building now in MUC, DUS, or FRA can later sell everything if they can't manage anymore and pay for the retirement home with the money.

Everyone who thinks of setting something up out in the sticks will feel bad in 30-40 years when they want to go to a home but only get 60k€ for their hut.

And honestly, no one believes that if they now fill the house with special equipment, they will get the value of the special equipment back.

It will then be like selling a car. Nice that it's in there, but you won't want to pay much more for it. And if it's a diesel, even less so. *wink mit Lattenzaun*

Our son is a social scientist specializing in demography. He explains it as follows. The economy likes to form clusters. BW auto industry mechanical engineering metal processing, this is evident in the whole federal state. Hamburg port, shipbuilding and repair, shipowners, insurance, logistics, etc. pp The coast tourism and everything connected to it. The wide land, the Iowa of Germany, is MVP and parts of SH and NI. Agriculture is the economy there and everything connected to it. An agricultural engineer can certainly find work in Pasewalk, a service company for agricultural technology as well. An event manager rather in Warnemünde, better than in Tuttlingen. Every region has its economy, and when it collapses as in the Ruhr, coal steel, something new must be found. And for every economy there is a suitable number of people. And they live there.

I agree with you. Since when has it been like this here, for example in the region? I am only a newcomer but I suspect that the employees from the roughly 15 best-paying companies here have earned much more (estimated 20-30%) than the rest of the population for about 50 years.

Just read... is it about Bad Laasphe? It's basically around the corner from me and my grandparents just sold their little house there. In a nice location (right in the middle of the city but still quiet) but just a small, old half-timbered house without a garden. Still, they got the price they imagined. I have to watch the whole thing on YouTube later. But regarding Bad Laasphe, you have to say that (from my perspective) the whole situation is not very fortunate. The town lies right on the border of NRW and Hessen. But all Hessians orient themselves more towards Biedenkopf and Marburg, and the people from Siegen (same district as Laasphe) are not quite on good terms with the Wittgensteiners (which includes Laasphe), so the best relationships don't necessarily exist there. That leaves Laasphe a bit on the sidelines. But life there certainly isn't bad.

You say that now. In 30-40 years, rural areas will be even more left behind than they are now. Not that I think that’s a good thing, quite the opposite. You can see where this is headed, and it’s not back to the village.

I rather don’t believe that the working world of today will still be comparable to that in 20-30 years. Digitalization is in full swing and will upheave many things in the next years. You just have to look at how rapidly the number of remote workplaces has developed, and that will increase even more once the digital natives/Generation Y take over the reins in companies. A friend of mine (engineer), for example, is only in the office 2 days a week, works from home 3 days, and in the medium term it will come down to a ratio of 1 to 4. It’s logical that he built his home in the countryside and not in the city. Why else?

I rather don't believe that the working world of today will still be comparable to that in 20-30 years. Digitalization is in full swing and will upheave many things in the coming years. You only have to look at how rapidly the number of home offices has developed, and that will increase even more once the Digital Natives/Generation Y take over the reins in companies. A buddy of mine (engineer), for example, is only in the office 2 days a week, works from home 3 days, and in the medium term, it will shift to 1 to 4. Of course, he built in the countryside and not in the city. Why else?

Digital alone cannot make economic sectors function. Who knows what it will look like in 30-40 years. Maybe those in the city will have to grow potatoes on their towel-sized plots in the future if life is no longer sustainable because everything is going to the dogs. In times of war, the rural population lived best, and those in the cities went hungry.