immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Haushalt

  • Majority do not want to reduce living space

    Majority do not want to reduce living space

    The study ” Living space utilisation from an individual perspective ” conducted by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences(ZHAW) revealed that 70 percent of those surveyed are not prepared to downsize their living space. Among those living in so-called empty nests, i.e. with empty rooms of fledged children, only 26 per cent feel that their home is too big. An excess of two rooms, i.e. two more rooms than the number of people living in the household, is considered ideal by the respondents, according to a statement from the ZHAW. According to the study, only 42 per cent of respondents willing to move are prepared to reduce the number of rooms. 32 per cent do not want to deviate from their expectations regarding housing costs.

    “It turns out that the combination of moving and downsizing – i.e. two drastic changes at the same time – is particularly challenging,” Selina Lehner, co-head of the study, is quoted as saying. “If there is also a lack of important incentives, this decision is often postponed.” Only one in three people surveyed believe that older couples or single people in flats that are too large should give up their living space for younger families. According to the ZHAW, the fact that the new rent for smaller flats is often more expensive than the existing rent in the larger flat plays a role here.

    The home office is gaining in importance. 61 per cent of those surveyed stated that they wanted to set up a home office in the future. This is because “an external office, for example, is not as attractive as an office within your own four walls,” says study co-leader Holger Hohgardt.

    A total of 1097 people in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland took part in the study in spring 2024. The ZHAW conducted the survey in collaboration with the Federal Office for Housing, the Fédération Romande Immobilière, the Swiss Homeowners’ Association and Raiffeisen Switzerland.

  • Revolution in descaling technology

    Revolution in descaling technology

    The build-up of limescale in appliances that work with hot water is a challenge that should not be underestimated, both in households and in thermal power stations. The conventional removal of limescale deposits is often laborious and, in the case of large systems such as power plants, involves considerable costs and energy losses. Researchers at ETH Zurich have now presented a pioneering technology that has the potential to provide a comprehensive solution to this problem.

    The scientists have developed an innovative limescale-repellent hydrogel coating that uses a microscopic ribbed structure to prevent the adhesion of limescale. This structure, modelled on shark scales, reduces the direct contact of limescale crystals with the surface, making it more difficult for them to deposit. Tests have shown that up to 98 per cent of limescale deposits on a surface treated in this way can be avoided.

    This breakthrough in material technology is not only able to increase the efficiency of heat exchangers in power plants, but also to extend the service life and functionality of household appliances. In addition, the environmentally friendly hydrogel offers a biocompatible and chemical-free approach to limescale prevention.

    The developers have deliberately chosen not to patent and have made their findings public, encouraging the application of this pioneering technology in the property sector and beyond. This openness could significantly improve the efficiency of building operation and management by providing a simple and sustainable solution to a widespread problem.

  • Future developments in the Swiss property market

    Future developments in the Swiss property market

    Switzerland’s permanent resident population will break the 9 million barrier in the first half of 2024. The “magic” 10 million mark should then be reached by the mid-2030s. This additional million is likely to set new records: Never before has the resident population increased so quickly. Never before has a million-strong increase been driven so strongly by international migration and at the same time accompanied by so little construction activity.

    The creation of more than enough living space and a massive expansion of the transport infrastructure have been responsible for the fact that rents have risen significantly less than wages since Switzerland’s 5 million population in 1955. What has been true over the last 70 years – falling housing costs, greater consumption of space per person and more comfortable living – is now likely to be a thing of the past. This is because the cumulative shortfall of at least 150,000 flats by 2034 due to the slowdown in construction activity is likely to keep the consumption of living space stable.

    Prices and rents outpace wage growth
    Rents are therefore likely to rise faster than incomes in the coming years. Rents on offer could increase by a total of 25 to 30 per cent in real terms by the mid-2030s – comparable to the trend between 2002 and 2012. In contrast to the last 70 years, rents in city centres are also likely to rise more strongly than in the periphery due to the high level of immigration.

    Residential property prices – both for owner-occupied homes and apartment blocks – are also expected to rise faster than incomes, with interest rates remaining moderate overall. On the one hand, prime locations will remain in disproportionately high demand as a result of growth. On the other hand, the “suburbs” of the major centres will increasingly expand into the previously extended agglomerations, which will also increase the willingness to pay there. Residential property therefore has the potential to match or even exceed past increases in value.

    Golden age with reservations
    However, dreams of high increases in value due to rising rents could quickly turn out to be an illusion. If the housing situation of many households deteriorates, politicians could burden the market with additional regulations. In such a scenario, construction activity could fall even further and households would have to move even closer together. The long-term losers would also be the building fabric and sustainability due to a lack of incentives for comprehensive and energy-efficient renovations.

  • Nüssli puts a large photovoltaic system into operation

    Nüssli puts a large photovoltaic system into operation

    Nüssli has put its photovoltaic system into operation. With its 8000 square meters, this is the fourth largest solar system in the canton of Thurgau. It is operated by the electricity company of the canton of Schaffhausen (EKS). According to a media release , this was also the impetus for the construction of this plant. The 1.5 megawatt hours of solar power produced annually by the approximately 4,100 modules are fed into the network of the Hüttwilen power station .

    This is two and a half times what the plant needs to be fully self-sufficient. The surplus is available to more than 300 four-person households in the area.

    "We realize sustainable or even self-sufficient buildings for our customers," Nüssli CEO Andy Böckli is quoted as saying. “With the new system, we are now taking on even more responsibility on our premises. We are happy to go one step further towards a sustainable future together with EKS and to be able to supply ourselves with electricity.”