In end a few surprises have been added. Already on weekend, union and SPD had announced ir agreement in negotiations on housing, but omitted some interesting points which are now in final version of coalition agreement. And yet, if you look at whole package that possible new government is doing for living and building, one has to note: Unfortunately too little!

Let's start with positive. The grand coalition wants to spend a lot of money on housing, including tax-exempting private construction investors and advancing social housing with at least two billion euros. It would like to make it easier for municipalities and countries to prove new land, addressing core of crisis. After all, too few apartaments are still being created than currently needed.

New additions since weekend and also as a success are two initiatives that should make it easier for normal earners to buy a property in order to live in it. The coalition agreement now talks for first time about a guarantee programme of state-owned KFW bank. The aim of this program is to allow real estate buyers to raise less equity in order to obtain financing from bank. According to draft, KFW is in favour of fail-safe for part of loan, which is to be valid for 20 years. So, for example, if 70,000 euros were needed before a bank grants a loan over 300,000, it will now be significantly less.

Why should seller not pay?

The second nice surprise in coalition agreement also means a relief for private house buyers – this time tax-like. However, formulation is far more vague. It merely "checks" wher an allowance for real estate tax is introduced when a family buys a property for first time. Currently, real estate buyers have to pay up to 6.5 percent tax on purchase price depending on state. This could now be replaced by a progressive tariff that increases with amount of price.

© Andreas Prost Zacharias Zacharakis Editor in Department of Politics, Economy and society, time online to authors page

Toger with Baukindergeld, which is also to come, se projects in any case make it easier for ordinary earners to buy a property. And that was urgently needed, after all, rate of homeowners is declining especially among young people in recent years, because prices for real estate are rising so strongly. In this case, own property is considered to be an important component for building up assets and pensions: those who do not have to pay rent as pensioners usually have lower costs.

But even here, more could have been possible without causing great pain in union or SPD. Even conservative economists now advocate that not buyer of a property pays broker, but seller. Because BEAUTRAGT usually also broker. If coalition were to reverse principle, it could very easily reduce incidental costs of buying a property. Finally, depending on state alone, almost 30,000 euros are payable for brokerage fees if purchase price is on order of magnitude by 400,000 euro. And that is still conservatively expected, prices in German metropolitan areas are based.

A juicy order money

The improvements for tenants also fall less than is possible. The SPD can certainly be successful in fact that rental price brake is now to be tightened. In future, landlords must disclose how much an apartment has previously cost when it is new to market. This is intended to create more transparency. Neverless, tenant must continue to act civilly against his own landlord if he considers that landlord is in breach of rental price brake. However, most people shy away from this, not least because of legal costs.

The German Tenants ' association has been demanding that re should be a penalty for landlords if y do not adhere to rental price brake. And that is imperative. Closing light remains law so far almost ineffective, hardly a landlord abides by restrictions, rents in cities continue to rise rapidly. A juicy order money in event of a breach of rental price brake is likely to persuade most landlords to comply better with rules.

Unfortunately, re is nothing in coalition agreement eir. One can only hope that Government will continue to make se improvements in legislative period. The responsibility for this is likely to lie largely with Horst Seehofer, whose new home ministry should also take care of building and living in addition to internal security. But it is already fixed: It takes more courage than before to solve housing crisis in Germany.

Date Of Update: 08 February 2018, 12:03