Pohl, Albert

Diploma Thesis:
2097

Topic:
New Build vs. Renovation in Residential Construction – A Systematic Analysis of Decision-Making Factors

Editor:
Albert Pohl

University Professor Responsible:
Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dipl.-Wirt.-Ing. Katharina Kleinschrot

Supervisor:
University Supervisor: Dipl.-Ing. Aline Gruner

Editing Period:
23.04.2026 until 11.09.2026

Abstract: 
This study examines the decision between new construction and renovation in the German housing sector based on economic, political-legal, and social factors. The goal is to identify their significance and weight in practical decision-making. To this end, both construction approaches are compared theoretically, and the findings are supplemented by expert interviews. The study shows that economic viability is the decisive factor in decision-making and that the primary advantage of new construction lies, in particular, in its greater cost and planning certainty. At the same time, the continued use of existing building stock can offer significant economic advantages for renovation. Subsidy structures further influence the relative advantages of each approach without fundamentally favoring either form of construction. In the future, the further development of the existing building stock will gain in importance. Digitalization and serial prefabrication offer the potential to transfer key process advantages of new construction to renovation projects.