SW037 The Return - Part 1

One Reply to “SW037 The Return - Part 1”

1. About the house discussion:
   I’ve just move in a new apartment with my girlfriend.
   We plan on buying a house in the next 4-5 years,
   after my she finishes her masters degree and has a more or less stable job.

   There are a couple of factors why want our own place:
   We have yet to meet a landlord, that actually cares about the state of the their building.
   So we basically moved from unmaintained apartment to a not really well maintained apartment and I can’t imagine doing that for the rest of my life.
   Sure there are better places for rent around here, but they also cost twice as much.

   Also I’m not sure that german retirement system, will still function once I’m 70 or how ever old I will have to get so that I can finally retire.
   So I’m fully expecting having to live of money I saved up somehow, once I stop working.
   If we buy a house, at least we will have a place to live that reasonably cheap and if everything else fails, we can sell it.

   Secondly I can buy an old house and fix it up myself.
   I’ve spent a lot of time helping family and friends renovate their places. (I worked regularly on 3 different houses in my free time over the last 2 years.)
   Electricity, drywall, water, tiles, wallpaper … I’ve done all of that at some point.
   And for the stuff I’m not qualified or comfortable with, I usually know someone who might do me favour, or at least help me for a reasonable price.

   We both want to live in one of the small villages in Rhineland-Palatinate, and depending on where you look you can get cheap houses there. (That are not to far of the grid and have a decent internet connection.)
   Cheap enough that I can borrow the money to buy the place from my bank, and the monthly rate that I have to pay back is just a little bit more than what I currently pay as rent and I will have payed back all of it in 15-20 years.
   There is some risk involved in that, but I’m fairly certain
   that’s doable for us.

   Lastly I really would like to have my own garden where we can have grill parties with friends. Grow stuff. Put my hamradio antennas.
   Also just in general: Living in a place that we can just change however we like it, without having to negotiate with landlords first.

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