Jenny Eisenring and her boyfriend got hold of the most beautiful piece of land in the new building area: slightly elevated and with an unobstructed view of the village and valley.

The two grew up in Mandern, where their families live.

They founded one themselves a year ago.

They want to stay in Mandern.

Judith Lembke

Editor in the economy of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.

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Since the apartment was too small for the family of three, the two applied for the property in the new development a year ago - and were awarded the contract. The plot in the village of 900 people near Trier should cost 88 euros per square meter. Last autumn, the family obtained offers from prefabricated house providers. In total, their new home would have cost a maximum of 400,000 euros. “We could have done that,” says Eisenring. The dream home seemed safe.

But when the couple wanted to sign the contracts a few weeks ago, suddenly there was talk of completely different sums.

Because between the reservation of the property a year ago and the start of construction, the prices for building materials have exploded: wood, steel and insulation panels, everything has become more expensive, sometimes costs twice as much.

They would have had to pay more than half a million euros for the planned prefabricated house, but the forwarding agent on parental leave and the electrician cannot finance that.

After a long struggle, they returned their property.

"It's sad, but we don't want any sleepless nights," says Eisenring.

Owning a home is one of them

Now the family stays in the previous apartment for the time being, feeling bitterness.

"In contrast to those who were earlier, we can no longer build a house in our hometown," says Eisenring.

"Our dream has burst."

Another family will now build on the property.

A teacher couple from Trier who fled to the countryside from the high land prices in the city.

This is reported by the Mayor of Mandern, Tim Kohley.

Jenny Eisenring and her boyfriend are not the only ones from the village who have returned their property in the new development area because they can no longer afford a house on it due to the increased prices.

"In our rural areas, the incomes are not that abundant," says Kohley.

On the other hand, the triad of marriage, children and a home belong to most people's idea of ​​a fulfilled life.

“Dreams of young families are bursting right now,” says Kohley.

Families are frustrated

Anyone who can no longer build is frustrated. Kohley understands that. "These are people from here who are involved in the associations whose children go to kindergarten here." Politicians want to keep the young families in rural areas, and spacious living is part of that. Local politicians are annoyed that German timber is being exported to China and the USA, to the detriment of German builders and craftsmen. They would have their order books full, but meanwhile no more material to process the orders. Even with them, the frustration is huge, he reports from his region.

The same can be said for all of Germany. Since spring, the German trade and construction associations have been warning increasingly louder about the scarcity of building materials and the associated price increases. In the May survey by the Munich Ifo Institute, more than 40 percent of the construction companies surveyed said they had problems with material procurement. There is talk of an “unprecedented bottleneck”, something like this has not happened since reunification.