I admit upfront that I have practically no knowledge about house construction ;-)
My parents’ house is a semi-detached home from the 1980s, located in the center of a village in Bavaria, about 50 km (30 miles) from Munich. Nothing is supposed to happen to this property.
The other half of the semi-detached house belonged to my grandmother. I don’t know the exact year it was built, but I estimate it to be around 80-100 years old. The house has brick walls, no basement, low ceilings (one of which is starting to sag a bit, apparently made of wood?), an uninsulated roof structure, and the total height is about 1 meter (3 feet) lower than my parents’ house. It faces the street and practically has no garden.
The plot used to be a farm. There is still a large brick building on the site (about 40 cm (16 inches) wall thickness, presumably as old as my grandmother’s house, tall and large enough for a single-family home), which was used to store tractors and hay. This building is located relatively close to the neighbors’ properties and therefore probably does not meet current regulations. The floor is not concrete (foundation?). Behind this building there is still a fairly large garden.
My questions are:
1) Which of the two buildings (grandma’s house or the “hay barn,” or neither) would you convert into a residential building for rental purposes (to wealthy tenants from Munich ;-) ) according to current standards?
2) What is more practical: new construction or renovation? I think that the hay barn could not be built today with the same outer walls. With the proper distance from neighbors, space will be tight. One neighbor wouldn’t mind, but I can’t predict the other’s reaction.
3) How should I proceed?
4) I have read that there is government funding available for converting agricultural buildings into residential properties. Is this true?
5) I am not in a hurry, and there seems to be a shortage of skilled workers at the moment. Should I wait a bit longer?
Wishing you all a good start to the new year!
My parents’ house is a semi-detached home from the 1980s, located in the center of a village in Bavaria, about 50 km (30 miles) from Munich. Nothing is supposed to happen to this property.
The other half of the semi-detached house belonged to my grandmother. I don’t know the exact year it was built, but I estimate it to be around 80-100 years old. The house has brick walls, no basement, low ceilings (one of which is starting to sag a bit, apparently made of wood?), an uninsulated roof structure, and the total height is about 1 meter (3 feet) lower than my parents’ house. It faces the street and practically has no garden.
The plot used to be a farm. There is still a large brick building on the site (about 40 cm (16 inches) wall thickness, presumably as old as my grandmother’s house, tall and large enough for a single-family home), which was used to store tractors and hay. This building is located relatively close to the neighbors’ properties and therefore probably does not meet current regulations. The floor is not concrete (foundation?). Behind this building there is still a fairly large garden.
My questions are:
1) Which of the two buildings (grandma’s house or the “hay barn,” or neither) would you convert into a residential building for rental purposes (to wealthy tenants from Munich ;-) ) according to current standards?
2) What is more practical: new construction or renovation? I think that the hay barn could not be built today with the same outer walls. With the proper distance from neighbors, space will be tight. One neighbor wouldn’t mind, but I can’t predict the other’s reaction.
3) How should I proceed?
4) I have read that there is government funding available for converting agricultural buildings into residential properties. Is this true?
5) I am not in a hurry, and there seems to be a shortage of skilled workers at the moment. Should I wait a bit longer?
Wishing you all a good start to the new year!
Thomas1112 schrieb:
Do I probably need a power of attorney from my father (owner of everything)? I’m not familiar with the rules in Bavaria. In North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), no power of attorney is needed for construction consultations. There, you could theoretically submit a building permit / planning permission application for your neighbor’s property without them even knowing.
Thomas1112 schrieb:
However, I thought the foundation walls were still "good." Since you openly admit that you have no experience with house construction, you could consult an architect or another authorized building professional you trust after the construction consultation. In my experience, a full renovation is rarely worthwhile.
Thomas1112 schrieb:
I asked if I should wait because currently, due to the construction boom in Germany, companies are overloaded? I think this depends on the contract terms. Without deadlines and a clear description of the consequences of missing them, it can of course turn into a never-ending story. Whether the situation will improve soon or only in the distant future is something no one can say.
ypg schrieb:
I have the impression that you all see building an apartment as relatively simple, clever, and business-minded. At the moment, it seems that some people consider there to be a good climate for startups for those who want to "grow" the "crop" of housing as part-time farmers, so to speak. However, being an investor is still only worthwhile for those with a certain surplus of wealth or creditworthiness.
ypg schrieb:
I don’t know how high this funding is, but as a general rule, you don’t get anything for free from the state without conditions or investments. This mainly refers to funding aimed at maintaining rural population density. However,
Müllerin schrieb:
A 50km (31 miles) commute from Munich is normal for many people there... suggests that the location is within the catchment area of urban land seekers. Where the market has enough demand, such subsidies are not usually offered.
Thomas1112 schrieb:
Neither of the two buildings is a "loving gem." Then they won’t capture the romantic imaginations of city dwellers either.
Thomas1112 schrieb:
However, I thought the foundations were still "good." From a naive point of view, exterior walls appear to represent "almost half the house" because of their significant contribution to the building’s volume, meaning they might seem like something valuable to leverage.
But firstly, even when newly built, exterior walls only account for a fraction of the shell construction costs. Secondly, the walls (aside from installing openings) would first need to be brought up to contemporary standards. Starting from a single-layer solid brick wall probably 38cm (15 inches) thick, that’s a long way to go. It’s better to consider the walls not as an asset but merely as a recyclable material.
Thomas1112 schrieb:
I’ll probably need a power of attorney from my father (owner of everything)? I wouldn’t base the generational transfer of property assets on the property’s current condition, as that might only increase the later inheritance tax burden on any added value.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
T
Thomas11121 Jan 2018 19:28Thanks for all the responses, even though some of them were a bit sobering ;-)
What I take away is that building a new house is probably the better option in both cases, and the "good" foundations (and the uninsulated roof) don’t really help.
Also, only the site of Grandma’s house is definitely buildable; the local building authority will provide information about the barn (which has a larger footprint plus an adjacent garden), but I’m rather pessimistic about that.
By the way, I’m not looking to make a big profit, just to put unused buildings and capital to good use. At some point in the future, our son (currently a toddler) might move into the house after the tenants, but it’s hard to make reliable plans that far ahead...
What I take away is that building a new house is probably the better option in both cases, and the "good" foundations (and the uninsulated roof) don’t really help.
Also, only the site of Grandma’s house is definitely buildable; the local building authority will provide information about the barn (which has a larger footprint plus an adjacent garden), but I’m rather pessimistic about that.
By the way, I’m not looking to make a big profit, just to put unused buildings and capital to good use. At some point in the future, our son (currently a toddler) might move into the house after the tenants, but it’s hard to make reliable plans that far ahead...
Thomas1112 schrieb:
Also, only the site of the granny flat is guaranteed to be buildable, How do you come to that conclusion? – considering
Thomas1112 schrieb:
It is located on the street and practically has no garden. I have a big question mark about that.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Thomas1112 schrieb:
[...] convert for rental (to wealthy Munich residents ;-) according to the new standard? [...]There is somehow a misconception. Wealthy residents of Munich would never choose to live 50km (31 miles) away from their city and their employer. 😀
SeeeD schrieb:
There is somehow a misconception. Wealthy people from Munich would never live 50km (31 miles) away from their city and their employer. 😀I think Thomas 1112 was referring to a second home for “wealthy people from Munich” or to retirees who don’t have to commute daily.
For me, a second home would have to be located by a lake.
Maybe he will clarify for us.
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