The dream of owning your own four walls is becoming increasingly unlikely.
(Photo: IMAGO/blickwinkel)
The home ownership rate, i.e. the relationship between owners and tenants, has never been good in Germany. Compared to other European countries, the Germans are lagging behind in the bottom third. Most live in this country for rent.
The reasons are quickly identified. Politicians and currently the coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP in particular are doing everything they can to spoil the dreams of the citizens of their own house or condominium.
Here are a few recent examples: Not a good word has been said about the property tax return, and rightly so. It is not just an example of excessive bureaucracy. For many, the property tax is likely to be much more expensive than promised by the federal government.
Politicians always say that everything should be revenue-neutral. In Berlin, it is already assumed that the tax burden will triple. Not to forget the real estate transfer tax, which, depending on the federal state, accounts for up to 6.5 percent of the purchase price. And recently, the allowances in the case of inheritance have been drastically reduced.
Anyone who has not yet lost the desire to go into debt at a young age and then dutifully pay off their property for 20 to 30 years should, following the most recent decisions from Brussels and Berlin on compulsory renovation and the end of oil and gas heating systems vanish forever.
The younger ones capitulate, the older ones are on the verge of a nervous breakdown
There was a time when employees assumed that after retirement they would sit in a debt-free home and enjoy the old age with an average pension of 1500 euros and some savings.
>> Read here: The heat transition: Ministry expects nine billion costs for new heating systems
But the farewell to home ownership is unstoppable. While young families are not only giving up because of rising interest rates and higher material costs, the traffic light coalition and Brussels are now driving the older ones to the brink of nervous breakdowns.
If the EU Commission gets through with its plans for dividing buildings into energy efficiency classes, then the forced renovation will be really expensive for many homeowners. And the federal government can think of nothing better in this mixed situation than to maltreat pensioners up to the age of 79 (!) with the end of oil and gas heating.
But what actually drives the parties? For climate protection reasons, the Greens have been fighting against home ownership for a long time. The SPD is the tenants’ party. But why the FDP, as a party of property, is involved is really disappointing for everyone who has built something up.
The Liberals must be careful not to be punished for attacking property in the next federal election.
More: Ban on oil and gas heating: Owners have these options