Braunschweig Living: Rent or Buy? A Freelance Photographer’s Guide to Not Dying Broke
alright, let’s get into this. i’ve been bouncing between apartments in braunschweig for years like a cheap hostel bed, but now i’m eyeing the market to buy. big mistake? maybe. stay tuned.
*renting: ‘i feel rent is like a streaming service for people who can’t afford tv’
Okay, real talk. Rent here’s brutal. €7.50/sqm for a shitbox in Altstadt? Nope. €9? Welcome to your ‘home.’ just finished an apartment hunt where i saw three identical musty places asking €850/month. why? because they’ve got WiFi and a loo that flushes. on the plus side, renting’s the only way to stay legal if you’re me. freelancer, no contract, no credit score. landlords here act like they’re running a mafia protection racket. ‘nice dog, here’s €300 non-refundable deposit.’
local drunk advice: overheard in the post bar. old guy muttering, ‘rent here’s like communism-everyone shares the same leaky pipe. but at least it’s not the burger king tax.’
data: average rent for a 1-bedroom? €520/month. average mortgage? €820/month after 10% tax on property gains. source: braunschweig living stats (yeah, i googled it).
buying: ‘the american dream? maybe, but first afford a downpayment’
Houses in brag? 3.5k/sqm on ave. flat like pornhub lighting. i saw a 90s apartment for €200k. 30 sqm. sold to a guy who’ll never throw a party. mortgages here bite like a vegan zookeeper. 10-year fix at 3.99%? sounds chill. until you remember property tax, insurance, and that €2,000/year gardening guy braunschweig demands. (seriously. i swear they’re tactics to keep people indoors, staring at the gloomy sky.)
overheard rumor #2: younger dude at the marking was like, ‘bought in brag? next thing you know, neighbors are grilling bratwurst at 3am, and you’ll start drinking schnapps by accident.’
weather is terrifying: sunny days? sure. but guess what? the cloud cover’s 64% this month. keep those vitamin d pills handy. neighbors? mostly retirees who smoke in designated patios. zero chance of friendship, all chances of hearing accordions. (yes, there are players here. cebu tourist spot’s lie. it’s like brag’s a budget harbor city.)
the matrix: rent vs. buy tablecost type rent (1 bdrm) buy (90s apt) break-even year monthly payment €520 €820 15 emergency fund €1,500 €25,000 wut? landlord drama 100% 0%
satire. no one’s explaining the stars.
sub-heading rant: housing market here’s like a sauna. you can steam in rent, sweat out buying, or fry your braincells trying to understand why a 30sqm shoebox costs €290k.
safety boogie: crimes? lowish. burglaries averaged 4% below national last year. but hey, even if you get robbed, at least the apartments are too small to store much loot.
neighbors: dresden’s a hour away. berlin? two hours. both have better nightlife. but brag’s ‘exciting’ fast-food is still a gamble. i ate a döner that screamed during my first dumpster dive. waste not, want not?
final boss: if you’re freelance, rent. if you’re a boring adult with a pension, buy. but honestly? move to kite chain’s vegan burgers prejudice. truth.
deep breath. i still hate this city.
links:* braunschweig housing subreddit local cafes yelp&category=-1) germany expat forum dresden vs brag weather unsplash church birds map iframe code