As of: February 28, 2024, 5:38 a.m
By: Cefina Gomez
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Do you already live or are you still looking?
For many people the latter applies.
A current TV report shows how precarious the situation on the German housing market really is.
Munich – Affordable living space in metropolitan areas is in short supply.
But how catastrophic the search for an apartment really is - even for people who have an above-average salary - was shown in the report
“Wahnsinn Wohnungssuche”
on the
ZDF
TV program “37 Grad”.
It became clear that not only large cities like Hamburg and Munich are affected, but also other German cities.
How much the housing market is getting worse is also evident among students.
At the start of the semester, some in Munich appeared completely desperate - and full of gallows humor only saw the options "sleep under the bridge" or "exmatriculation".
Housing shortage in Germany: “Someone who doesn’t earn that well has it much harder”
If an apartment matches your criteria, it is important to respond to the offer as quickly as possible.
Within three minutes, “otherwise you’re just too late,” Jacqueline Zimmermann tells
ZDF
about her experiences.
She has been looking for an apartment in Leipzig for nine months.
Finding a suitable apartment is difficult for many people in Germany.
Even with good salaries.
© Imago
The 31-year-old would like to move in with her partner; she is a research assistant and her partner is an architect.
“Good jobs, with actually quite good income,” says Zimmermann.
But despite a budget of 1,100 euros, there is no guarantee of an affordable place to stay.
“Conversely, this means that someone who doesn’t earn very well has a much harder time or can’t find anything at all.” Zimmermann reports on how the search for an apartment determines their everyday life.
“Tradesmen were approached here and there – when it was obvious that they were renovating an apartment.”
Christian Jungblut, young, single and executive in the IT industry, is also struggling to find an apartment in Berlin.
“After 15 months of looking for an apartment, I actually invested more time in looking for an apartment than in my two master’s theses,” reports Jungblut.
He has even “approached tradesmen here and there – when it was obvious that they were renovating an apartment.”
That hasn't helped yet.
According to statistics in his apartment search app, he has now sent 400 applications - and received around five percent of feedback.
“It’s difficult not to lose hope with numbers like that,” admits the IT specialist.
Alternative search: How to increase your chances of getting an apartment
However, the search for suitable living space is likely to become increasingly more difficult and the forecast for the future is sobering.
According to the
Tagesschau
, real estate experts assume that rents in the eight largest cities in Germany will rise by 8.4 percent per quarter in 2024 compared to the same period last year.
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In order to find an affordable roof over their heads, those affected should therefore pull out all the stops; real estate agents give valuable tips to make the apartment search more successful.
In addition, according to research by
Handelsblatt,
searchers should not only rely on conventional sites like Immoscout.
Self-reporting, joining the waiting list of a housing association or municipal housing association could increase your chances.
Those affected should also inquire about employee apartments at their own company or use contacts in their circle of friends or acquaintances.
The real estate industry is under great pressure as more living space is urgently needed in the foreseeable future.
(cg)