The first step has been taken today

Well, everyone has to decide that for themselves. If you finance 300,000 and pay off as much as possible and after 10 years there is still a remaining debt of 150,000, the game gets really risky if the interest rate climbs to 7-9%. Then, with your current monthly burden, you can no longer even pay the interest. I can only repeat myself: it is clear that security costs money, but what are 500,000 euros in 30 years? And then we are talking about a repayment without special repayments, which are currently easily granted at 10% p.a. of the loan amount. I have given my opinion; everyone has to decide for themselves.... ;-)

Sure, it's also okay if you chose the financing that way, but general statements like "all loans with residual debt are not acceptable at all" are simply not correct. Everyone should and must choose their financing in the way that suits them best. I think not everyone would have chosen our financing like this, but we are satisfied with it and that's the most important thing.

@maeam

That's why we signed for 20 years :) Long-term security, and if interest rates unexpectedly drop again, it will be terminated after 10 years. Of course, you have to think about 30 years – I could imagine that it makes more sense to use the saved interest payments (at 20 years) for special repayments. May I ask how high your effective interest rate is?

@ Der Da: Where exactly did all the costs come from - if you can say that so precisely. Then I would now try to build in a larger buffer.

is allowed: 3.6% effective interest with a 30-year fixed interest period, 10% special repayment p.a.

And what interest rate would it have been for 20 years?

Where did the costs come from:
15000 came from the change in the floor plan in the house and the additional costs due to a room-air independent chimney.
7000 came from a residential ventilation system.
12000 came because our house was 40 cm below the target height (gravel filling).
3000 more are the earthworks costing more than planned (originally 5000).
7000 came as "unexpected" development costs.
7500 for the most necessary exterior work, since you don’t want to walk through the ceiling for years.
2000 costs our chimney sweep for this ridiculous ladder.
2000 costs the disposal of the excavated soil extra.
3000 costs the garage more than planned (planned was 8000).
750 the soil analysis was more expensive.
700 costs a good lawnmower that mows our 600 sqm meadow.

and and and.... I could go on forever.

Sampling and floors we haven’t even chosen yet... so the end is not reached yet :D
Terrace we will probably have to dream about for at least another year :)
New furniture is also far down the list... we will have it nicely empty in the new house since we will move with hardly any furniture... :)

But all in all, it will come together over time. We deliberately kept the loan small so as not to overshoot completely.
Everything just has to come gradually. But it is also nice when you can always look forward to something new in the coming year :D