Something that puzzled a lot of my friends was why I decided to settle down in France despite working in Germany. Germany is a bigger market with more jobs and, arguably, more predictability. For personal reasons, I still settled down in France; but here’s my take on Germany’s property market: its quirks, benefits, and downsides from a resident’s point of view. The introduction When I first moved to Germany, what stood out was how practical everything tries to be. The stereotype of perfect efficiency isn’t always true: trains aren’t always on time, the internet can be patchy, and the paperwork is real. But if you do your homework, there’s usually a workable process. Germany is famously a renter’s country. More than half of the population lives in rented homes – the highest share in the EU, so renting isn’t just a phase; it’s a default for many households. That culture shapes pricing and policy....