We are beginning to plan the construction of our house

At 8% interest (there were also double digits once), the repayment is higher - additionally, there were still subsidies/tax advantages back then, which one can only dream of today. And: It was cheaper to build - and easier! The comparison doesn’t just lag a little...

With 8% interest (there were also double digits once), the repayment was higher – in addition, there were still subsidies/tax advantages back then, which one can only dream of today. ...

How do you come to the conclusion that the repayment was higher back then with 8%+? And regarding the tax benefits: many built or bought a house solely on this basis. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been possible. When I bought my first house (end-terrace house, so-called starter property for beginners), there was the homeownership grant, additionally for each child. Couples would add significantly because of the grant. Unfortunately, this grant lasted only 8 years; in the ninth year, the woman then had to go to work additionally, and after the tenth year many had to sell the house.

Completely saved up by myself, not a cent from my parents.

Can you give instructions on how to save up €50,000 by the end of your studies without getting a cent from your parents (grandparents)? I didn’t manage it just by delivering newspapers and doing holiday jobs.

with most people, however, I think jealousy comes out because young people can/want to afford their lifelong dream of owning a house earlier than themselves.

Most people? In my extensive and young (25-30 years old) circle of friends, it’s most of them who

1. were very surprised when moving into their first apartment how much time is spent cooking, doing laundry, shopping, etc.

2. were very surprised at their first job after university how nice it is not to have to study after work, but how little free time is available after a 40-hour week (for example for tax returns, insurance, managing contracts, etc.)

3. want to enjoy their life (especially through intensive travel) and hardly want to deal with many (serious) life issues

4. found with their first child that free time is completely determined by the baby and that there is little time left for former hobbies and friends

It may be that it’s just a coincidence in my circle of friends (maybe it’s also because of the high proportion of academics), but maybe it is closer to the truth than you want to admit.

I don’t see why the surprise at building the first house about how expensive everything is, how complicated everything is, how intensively you have to deal with everything, how much can go wrong, shouldn’t also be extremely great.

Points 1 to 4 can be dealt with even if you had other expectations before. It becomes more difficult to cope with building a house if you have sold your soul to the bank and your name is signed under the building contract. The magnitude of a €200-300k loan can go as far as destroying your existence. These are levels of responsibility with which a young person can quickly become overwhelmed.

Yvonne, have a look at an annuity loan, then you'll know what I mean

Besides, you are generalizing a bit - it sounds as if everyone NEEDED it, but many/all just used it.

Yvonne, have a look at an annuity loan, then you'll know what I mean

Also, you're generalizing a bit - it sounds like everyone NEEDED it, but many/everyone just took advantage of it.

No, _many_ built based on that.
And of course not all children were conceived because of that or even for that reason.. we don't have a child because of it either.
If it came across that way: sorry, but with a small phone you/I don't always have an overview of all the lines written.
Regarding the annuity loan: for example, it was very rare for the generation of my parents, since loans were more likely tied to life insurances - you surely know the technical term?!
Those of us in the 90s with around 5% interest could barely repay 1%... I don't want to start a discussion here now, but the difference between a few or some percent regarding repayment, that I can

, I believe means that many people start living on credit early on and ultimately look down on others who live more down-to-earth. It has less to do with envy. Being down-to-earth is still considered a virtue nowadays.