Hello Forum!
After my grandmother’s life estate ended, we now have an unoccupied semi-detached house and face the big question: should we demolish and build new or do a (major) renovation?
What we know:
Not visible in the photo are two garages on the right, which are still in use and could remain untouched for now. How the house looks beneath the facade is unknown.
What we don’t know:
We would be very grateful for any kind of suggestions. For example, do you need a basement? Should you build an additional rental unit as a form of retirement planning, or the opposite – could you omit a floor to reduce costs, and so on…
There are two of us, around 35 years old, without children or pets, though that could change in five years. Unfortunately, the lottery win hasn’t come through yet, so we can’t replace this house with a castle. Ideally, we would like to come in under the architect’s estimated budget.
So, who has an idea, an opinion, a suggestion, or a question?
After my grandmother’s life estate ended, we now have an unoccupied semi-detached house and face the big question: should we demolish and build new or do a (major) renovation?
What we know:
- The house is 90 years old.
- There is a damp rubble stone basement.
- We consulted an architect who pointed out what might be wrong. For example, he picked at a piece of steel beam from the basement ceiling/wall with his fingers, which as a complete layperson I find extremely concerning. However, the houses in the neighborhood are all roughly the same age, none have been demolished so far, and none have collapsed. I am not sure how to evaluate this “the steel beams will eventually become flaky” information. He advised against a minor renovation, calling it a bottomless pit, and said it would ultimately cost much more than planned if something unexpected happens. He threw out the figure of 300,000€ (euros) for both a full renovation, a new build, or a sale. The latter is not an option for now.
- Electrical, plumbing, and heating systems would all need to be replaced.
- A call to the building authority revealed there is no zoning plan. So, basically, anything is possible at this stage.
Not visible in the photo are two garages on the right, which are still in use and could remain untouched for now. How the house looks beneath the facade is unknown.
What we don’t know:
- What we actually want.
- How we should proceed.
- Who to turn to for advice.
We would be very grateful for any kind of suggestions. For example, do you need a basement? Should you build an additional rental unit as a form of retirement planning, or the opposite – could you omit a floor to reduce costs, and so on…
There are two of us, around 35 years old, without children or pets, though that could change in five years. Unfortunately, the lottery win hasn’t come through yet, so we can’t replace this house with a castle. Ideally, we would like to come in under the architect’s estimated budget.
So, who has an idea, an opinion, a suggestion, or a question?
B
Bauexperte26 Sep 2015 12:47allerdings schrieb:
Yes, potential buyers just show up even when the property hasn’t been officially listed for sale... Depends on the neighborhood in Essen; asking doesn’t cost anything.
Best regards, Bauexperte
For your renovation considerations, the following approach is standard for a realistic and reliable renovation plan by an independent design office: building condition analysis (assessment of the building structure, identification of damages, mostly moisture-related issues), building survey including the creation of current as-built drawings, determination of the renovation and repair effort with cost estimation, possibly a preliminary design for conversion, extension, and change of use projects proposed by the client, clarification of the building and planning law situation for these projects, planning and implementation of the construction project based on HOAI (Fee Structure for Architects and Engineers), including tendering and construction supervision. Renovation measures should be planned and carried out in the context of the entire building (damage repair, energy-efficient renovation, modernization, renewal of building services, etc.).
In your case, a detailed building survey is a basic prerequisite for the most realistic cost estimate and financial planning possible. If no development plan exists, as in your case, §34 of the Building Code applies: a preliminary building inquiry must be submitted. The planned construction measure must be coordinated with the type and extent of development typical for the surrounding area. For the renovation and construction measures, you need an independent planner/architect. It is definitely not advisable to carry out a renovation as an uncoordinated collection of individual tradesman’s tasks, designed by the executing companies themselves.
In your case, a detailed building survey is a basic prerequisite for the most realistic cost estimate and financial planning possible. If no development plan exists, as in your case, §34 of the Building Code applies: a preliminary building inquiry must be submitted. The planned construction measure must be coordinated with the type and extent of development typical for the surrounding area. For the renovation and construction measures, you need an independent planner/architect. It is definitely not advisable to carry out a renovation as an uncoordinated collection of individual tradesman’s tasks, designed by the executing companies themselves.
D
Doc.Schnaggls28 Sep 2015 10:56W. Pickartz schrieb:
. If no local development plan exists, as in your case, §34 of the Building Code applies: a preliminary building inquiry must be submitted. The planned construction must be adapted to the type and scope of development customary in the surrounding area.Interesting statement..
What is the basis for the requirement to submit a preliminary building inquiry?
Last year, we also demolished an older house and rebuilt the property. Apart from a "regular" building permit, no other official inquiries were required.
Before submitting the building application, we had an extensive conversation with the head of the building authority, where we explained our plans for the new building and received many valuable tips for our project.
In our case, §34 also applied, which gave us significantly more design flexibility than in most new development areas.
A formal (and fee-based) preliminary building inquiry was never required.
W. Pickartz schrieb:
For renovation and construction measures, you need an independent planner/architect. It is definitely not advisable to carry out a renovation as an uncoordinated collection of individual tradespeople’s work, designed by the contractors themselves.I fully agree with this statement.
Regards,
Dirk
Tenants in your own house? That can work well, but it doesn’t have to.
For this, there should be two separate entrances or a shared hallway.
Renovations can be very expensive. Some things can be postponed, while others should definitely be done immediately.
If you have enough time and the right help, you can do a lot of work yourself. This takes a lot of effort and patience but saves quite a bit of money. However, you still need to buy the materials and the necessary tools.
If I were you, I would simply get quotes for both options to get a sense of the prices. They don’t have to be detailed estimates at first, just rough approximations.
For this, there should be two separate entrances or a shared hallway.
Renovations can be very expensive. Some things can be postponed, while others should definitely be done immediately.
If you have enough time and the right help, you can do a lot of work yourself. This takes a lot of effort and patience but saves quite a bit of money. However, you still need to buy the materials and the necessary tools.
If I were you, I would simply get quotes for both options to get a sense of the prices. They don’t have to be detailed estimates at first, just rough approximations.
B
backbone2328 Sep 2015 11:18The neighbor’s dormer is partially located on your roof?! This could become relevant in cases of demolition, sale, etc. .
B
Bauexperte28 Sep 2015 11:47Hello,
The property is a two-story semi-detached house; the basement is probably raised? The key question first is what your desired living space is. Only after that can a decision for or against a separate dwelling unit be made. Another point is how many dwelling units are allowed. In that context: how large is the current footprint of the semi-detached house? x-width × x-depth?
In contrast to the architect in this discussion, I do not see a formal building approval document; close coordination with the building authority should suffice. However, in your place, I would clarify whether the neighbor has built over the dormer in the attic; from the photos, it certainly looks that way. If so, and if you want to rebuild, this could become a challenging issue to resolve.
Otherwise, "W. Pickard" is right regarding a possible renovation—and the interim process until then—as is your architect about the costs. However, I think 300,000 euros is still an optimistic estimate for a new build; it might be more realistic for a renovation.
From what you have described so far, I would recommend demolition and sale. Even if you have the property professionally renovated, the building structure remains old.
Regards, Bauexperte
allerdings schrieb:
We would be very grateful for any kind of suggestions. For example, do you need a basement, should you build an additional rentable apartment as retirement provision, or—on the contrary—can you leave out a floor because it would be cheaper, …
Oh, did I forget to mention that? We want to live there ourselves!
The property is a two-story semi-detached house; the basement is probably raised? The key question first is what your desired living space is. Only after that can a decision for or against a separate dwelling unit be made. Another point is how many dwelling units are allowed. In that context: how large is the current footprint of the semi-detached house? x-width × x-depth?
In contrast to the architect in this discussion, I do not see a formal building approval document; close coordination with the building authority should suffice. However, in your place, I would clarify whether the neighbor has built over the dormer in the attic; from the photos, it certainly looks that way. If so, and if you want to rebuild, this could become a challenging issue to resolve.
Otherwise, "W. Pickard" is right regarding a possible renovation—and the interim process until then—as is your architect about the costs. However, I think 300,000 euros is still an optimistic estimate for a new build; it might be more realistic for a renovation.
From what you have described so far, I would recommend demolition and sale. Even if you have the property professionally renovated, the building structure remains old.
Regards, Bauexperte