My girlfriend (soon to be my wife, and yes, she knows about this ) and I are both employed in the public sector. So far, we don’t have children, but looking ahead, we are thinking about having two, maybe even three. Of course, a little bit depends on the budget, so it’s closely linked to the house itself, aside from the number of rooms... but let’s start from the beginning.
We have already purchased a plot of land. It is located in Fredersdorf (15370), near Berlin (about 30–45 minutes to the city center). The size is 840 sqm (around 9,042 sq ft), and the floor area ratio is supposed to be 0.25... "supposed to be," because looking at nearby properties makes us a bit uncertain. As far as we know, it’s a plot within an established residential area, not a pure building site. The plot is developer-free. The purchase price was €85,000, although the official land value is €70 per sqm (about 6.50 per sq ft). Accordingly, the financing looks like this: a €59,000 mortgage, €1,000 personal capital, and a €25,000 private loan with the option of early repayment. Please don't start with any parental advice right now. We know what we’re doing. That’s why I’m mentioning the "early repayment option.” Also, the price was high in our opinion but justified and, most importantly, affordable. The plot was previously used as a weekend retreat. On it stands a well-maintained bungalow of 30 sqm (about 323 sq ft) with a partial basement and another 30 sqm... a closed porch? Conservatory? Hallway-like addition with the character of a conservatory??? It’s hard to describe. In any case, it’s dry, wind-protected, uninsulated, locked, and tiled. The bungalow itself is insulated and has double-glazed windows. Definitely not a standard East German bungalow in my view. The bungalow is located in the front third of the plot. Wastewater is connected at the bungalow, and the drinking water connection is currently in the commissioning phase. Electricity and telephone are, of course, already available. Gas is only connected at the street side.
Regarding the plot itself, it is diverse in terms of plants and well maintained. Fence, hedges, pond... the whole package is present. The plot dimensions are roughly 18 m x 47 m (59 ft x 154 ft).
Now to the main point. I’d like to know how you assess where our project might be headed and whether it matches our (desired) expectations. Wishes in such matters are often a negative indicator, so I believe that the opinion of uninvolved third parties with experience can help.
I’m trying to give as much insight as possible. Please don’t complain immediately if I forget something; I will add it later if I can.
We are both securely employed in the public service (no, not civil servants, just regular employees). Our combined net income is €3,700 (about $4,000) monthly. In the short term, we expect this to increase to €4,000 (about $4,300). Currently, we pay €400 (about $430) monthly for the land – we aim to repay this as quickly as possible. Each of us can currently set aside €600–700 (about $650–750) monthly. The planned monthly payment later should be around €1,000–1,200 (about $1,075–1,290) plus additional costs.
Regarding the house and our preferences: We want to build a townhouse-style villa with 120–130 sqm (about 1,290–1,400 sq ft). The buildable footprint CAN be up to 10 x 10 meters (33 x 33 feet), adhering to the boundary building regulations. I will upload a sketch later when it’s technically possible. We want to build with masonry, preferably sand-lime bricks. Our wishes include underfloor heating, a kitchen island, smart home technology, a fireplace, and a walk-in wardrobe, plus a basement. A basement and kitchen island are not absolutely necessary. For self-performed work, possible tasks include basement waterproofing, gas and water installation, electrical work, flooring, and painting, which could be done by family members with relevant skills. Additional costs related to connecting existing utilities on the plot should be manageable. For example, the plan is to take the drinking water connection, currently routed in the bungalow’s basement, back outside behind the water meter and lay it frost-proof at 1.30 m (4 ft 3 in) depth in the rear part of the plot.
Questions:
1. Are there any missing details needed to answer the following questions?
2. Is our project realistic so far, or are we being overly optimistic?
3. What would be a sensible approach to further technical planning?
4. What might be a rough timeline, and what should we generally expect?
Sorry if this sounds a bit choppy at the end; the way I had to write this in stages under the current circumstances is to blame.
We have already purchased a plot of land. It is located in Fredersdorf (15370), near Berlin (about 30–45 minutes to the city center). The size is 840 sqm (around 9,042 sq ft), and the floor area ratio is supposed to be 0.25... "supposed to be," because looking at nearby properties makes us a bit uncertain. As far as we know, it’s a plot within an established residential area, not a pure building site. The plot is developer-free. The purchase price was €85,000, although the official land value is €70 per sqm (about 6.50 per sq ft). Accordingly, the financing looks like this: a €59,000 mortgage, €1,000 personal capital, and a €25,000 private loan with the option of early repayment. Please don't start with any parental advice right now. We know what we’re doing. That’s why I’m mentioning the "early repayment option.” Also, the price was high in our opinion but justified and, most importantly, affordable. The plot was previously used as a weekend retreat. On it stands a well-maintained bungalow of 30 sqm (about 323 sq ft) with a partial basement and another 30 sqm... a closed porch? Conservatory? Hallway-like addition with the character of a conservatory??? It’s hard to describe. In any case, it’s dry, wind-protected, uninsulated, locked, and tiled. The bungalow itself is insulated and has double-glazed windows. Definitely not a standard East German bungalow in my view. The bungalow is located in the front third of the plot. Wastewater is connected at the bungalow, and the drinking water connection is currently in the commissioning phase. Electricity and telephone are, of course, already available. Gas is only connected at the street side.
Regarding the plot itself, it is diverse in terms of plants and well maintained. Fence, hedges, pond... the whole package is present. The plot dimensions are roughly 18 m x 47 m (59 ft x 154 ft).
Now to the main point. I’d like to know how you assess where our project might be headed and whether it matches our (desired) expectations. Wishes in such matters are often a negative indicator, so I believe that the opinion of uninvolved third parties with experience can help.
I’m trying to give as much insight as possible. Please don’t complain immediately if I forget something; I will add it later if I can.
We are both securely employed in the public service (no, not civil servants, just regular employees). Our combined net income is €3,700 (about $4,000) monthly. In the short term, we expect this to increase to €4,000 (about $4,300). Currently, we pay €400 (about $430) monthly for the land – we aim to repay this as quickly as possible. Each of us can currently set aside €600–700 (about $650–750) monthly. The planned monthly payment later should be around €1,000–1,200 (about $1,075–1,290) plus additional costs.
Regarding the house and our preferences: We want to build a townhouse-style villa with 120–130 sqm (about 1,290–1,400 sq ft). The buildable footprint CAN be up to 10 x 10 meters (33 x 33 feet), adhering to the boundary building regulations. I will upload a sketch later when it’s technically possible. We want to build with masonry, preferably sand-lime bricks. Our wishes include underfloor heating, a kitchen island, smart home technology, a fireplace, and a walk-in wardrobe, plus a basement. A basement and kitchen island are not absolutely necessary. For self-performed work, possible tasks include basement waterproofing, gas and water installation, electrical work, flooring, and painting, which could be done by family members with relevant skills. Additional costs related to connecting existing utilities on the plot should be manageable. For example, the plan is to take the drinking water connection, currently routed in the bungalow’s basement, back outside behind the water meter and lay it frost-proof at 1.30 m (4 ft 3 in) depth in the rear part of the plot.
Questions:
1. Are there any missing details needed to answer the following questions?
2. Is our project realistic so far, or are we being overly optimistic?
3. What would be a sensible approach to further technical planning?
4. What might be a rough timeline, and what should we generally expect?
Sorry if this sounds a bit choppy at the end; the way I had to write this in stages under the current circumstances is to blame.
First, clarify the planning status of your plot. According to land use regulations, building a holiday home may indicate a classification as a small settlement area (§2) or a special area (§10). This can be inferred, for example, from the size of the bungalow of 30m2 (320 ft2).
If this is the case, it must be checked whether construction of a residential building is permitted. It is best to address this and other building and planning law questions in cooperation with an architect. As part of a so-called preliminary building inquiry, submitted before the actual building permit application, the architect confirms the fundamental feasibility of the project with the building authority and, if applicable, other authorities such as the local environmental or water management agencies. This preliminary inquiry is usually necessary when there is no development plan and the project’s permissibility must be determined according to §34 of the Building Code. The inquiry may also include an initial design of the house, including a cost estimate.
If this is the case, it must be checked whether construction of a residential building is permitted. It is best to address this and other building and planning law questions in cooperation with an architect. As part of a so-called preliminary building inquiry, submitted before the actual building permit application, the architect confirms the fundamental feasibility of the project with the building authority and, if applicable, other authorities such as the local environmental or water management agencies. This preliminary inquiry is usually necessary when there is no development plan and the project’s permissibility must be determined according to §34 of the Building Code. The inquiry may also include an initial design of the house, including a cost estimate.
BeHaElJa schrieb:
Are there many urban villas in the neighborhood with 30° hip roofs?Saying many is an exaggeration, but there are some here and there from time to time.
W. Pickartz schrieb:
First, clarify the planning status of your plot. The construction of a holiday home may, according to land use regulations, indicate classification as a small settlement area (§2) or as a special zone (§10). For example, the size of the bungalow—30m² (323 sq ft)—suggests this.
If that is the case, it remains to be verified whether building a residential house is allowed. You and others involved should best address this and other building and planning law questions by working with an architect. As part of a so-called building pre-approval inquiry (BVA), which takes place before the actual building permit application, the architect can clarify the general permissibility of the construction project with building authorities and, if necessary, other relevant authorities such as the lower landscape authority or the lower water authority. The BVA is usually required when there is no development plan and the permissibility of the construction project must be clarified in accordance with §34 of the Building Code. A preliminary draft of the house including a cost estimate can also be part of the pre-approval inquiry.Well, it’s no longer a small garden settlement area. But that idea would have been quite amusing. Before the reunification period, the area was mostly settled with weekend plots. Now, that’s become rare. I had already made a preliminary phone inquiry with the building department to see how things stand. In principle, it seems it wouldn’t be a problem to build a second-row building on this plot. I am aware, of course, of the limited reliability of information obtained over the phone. Nothing can be definitively confirmed based on that.
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