LBS information service building and financing
Berlin (ots)
Many a city dweller dreams of a cottage in the country. Not in one of the commuter belts around the city, but in a small village outside in the countryside. The advantages and disadvantages of such a move must be carefully considered. Lower real estate prices and lower cost of living alone should not be the deciding factors.
People in Germany have discovered the quality of life in rural areas for themselves – and the corona pandemic has further strengthened this trend. More and more people want to live in the country. The current idea from urban planning and politics that we should all live more modestly and in less space does not fit with these dreams of living. The Federal Statistical Office confirms that the average living space per capita increased by 3.5 percent between 2011 and 2021 – to 47.7 square meters today – and that fewer people live in an apartment. Not only are plots of land for a new building sought and desired, but also used houses. When it comes to the renovation that is usually necessary, people are happy to do the work themselves. In this way, sustainable and climate-friendly living can also be implemented in the countryside.
Where you can still afford to build
Anyone who wants their own property is often looking for a detached house, as the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development determined in a study on home ownership and living space consumption at the end of 2022. Preferably with a garden and enough space to live and work, for the children or for hobbies. Only very few in the city can realize and pay for this. Things often look better in many peripheral rural areas. If you find a place. Because even in smaller communities, not as much new building land has been designated as was the case a few years ago. Anyone who is also looking for an existing property here is well advised. Because there are – and there are more. However, these houses almost always have to be renovated and energetically brought into shape.
Die Renaissance des Landlebens
Cheaper real estate prices, lower housing costs and more social ties are the main reasons, especially for young families, to prefer village life to the city. Out of anonymity, into everyone-knows-everyone. The children can play outside without being afraid. The neighbors are happy to have a chat, tomatoes or apples are harvested in the garden, it is quieter and clearer.
Infrastructure and Internet: Nothing works without a connection
For a life in the country you have to make a conscious decision and also accept the resulting downside. Above all, the distances are often longer, whether to go shopping, to school, to the doctor or to the cinema at the weekend. A bus may only run a few times a day. This means that little is possible without at least one car, especially not spontaneously. If you have to commute, you need time and nerves. If home office is possible, it requires a good internet connection, which is still not a matter of course in rural areas. Ideally, for people with a classic office job and a good digital infrastructure, it doesn’t matter where you live and work on the go.
Find cheap houses in stock: Young buys old
Building land is rare – even in the countryside. If you don’t necessarily have to build a new one, you might find your dream house in the city center instead of in the countryside. The potential is there. “Young buys old” is the name of the initiative that has been catching on in smaller towns nationwide for a number of years. Vacant houses in the town centers are often an attractive alternative. Such houses with charm and history are more sustainable and are part of an established infrastructure. Local support is usually guaranteed, since in many rural communities there is a great interest in keeping the village center alive. Young families in particular are happy to receive additional financial support. The best way to find out whether there is such a program in the desired community is to ask the local administration directly.
Press contact:
LBS state building societies
Verena Quast
Telephone: +49 (0)6131-13-4052
Fax: +49 (0)6131-13-434052
E-Mail: [email protected]
Original content from: LBS Infodienst Bauen und Finanzen, transmitted by news aktuell
