Hello everyone, we are Ina and Philipp. We both want to take the next step and build our own home.
We are intentionally moving away from the big city back to the countryside (Ina comes from a rural area). Perhaps some of you remember we have posted here before and shared some bad experiences with looking for land. Thanks to your advice, we quickly figured out what to watch out for. We want to actively share our journey toward homeownership here and are grateful for any tips and tricks.
What is the current status?
We are currently in contact with an owner (over 70 years old) of a plot of land who is willing to sell us 1,400 square meters (15,070 square feet) for 50,000 euros. All utility connections except for gas are already available at the site. The land is currently farmed as agricultural land. The plot is located next to a low-traffic federal road.
Yesterday, we spoke with potential neighbors. They also bought from this gentleman in 2011 and are still very satisfied with the quality of living and housing in the area. The neighbors were in the same situation back then—the land was also used as farmland.
Next Tuesday, we have an appointment with the bank. We will discuss whether to finance the land or possibly pay in cash. The advisor told us on the phone yesterday that we should generally consider paying for the land in cash rather than financing it.
If everything goes well, we will call the owner on Tuesday and hopefully tell him that we want to buy the land. He said yesterday he would then send us all the documents.
We have a specific idea we want to realize: a bungalow (the neighbor’s house is already a bungalow) modeled after a Swedish-style home.
Currently open questions:
Do you already have any advice on what we should pay attention to?
I (Philipp) have some doubts and would prefer to finance the land because the €50,000 should serve as equity/reserve for building the house.
There is a sewage access point right at the edge of the property. The owner said—if I understood correctly—that he would also talk to the water utility company to see if we would not have to buy that part of the land.
Thank you very much for reading this far. We wish you a nice weekend and will continue to report here openly and regularly. We appreciate any feedback or suggestions on things we can clarify early on.
We are intentionally moving away from the big city back to the countryside (Ina comes from a rural area). Perhaps some of you remember we have posted here before and shared some bad experiences with looking for land. Thanks to your advice, we quickly figured out what to watch out for. We want to actively share our journey toward homeownership here and are grateful for any tips and tricks.
What is the current status?
We are currently in contact with an owner (over 70 years old) of a plot of land who is willing to sell us 1,400 square meters (15,070 square feet) for 50,000 euros. All utility connections except for gas are already available at the site. The land is currently farmed as agricultural land. The plot is located next to a low-traffic federal road.
Yesterday, we spoke with potential neighbors. They also bought from this gentleman in 2011 and are still very satisfied with the quality of living and housing in the area. The neighbors were in the same situation back then—the land was also used as farmland.
Next Tuesday, we have an appointment with the bank. We will discuss whether to finance the land or possibly pay in cash. The advisor told us on the phone yesterday that we should generally consider paying for the land in cash rather than financing it.
If everything goes well, we will call the owner on Tuesday and hopefully tell him that we want to buy the land. He said yesterday he would then send us all the documents.
We have a specific idea we want to realize: a bungalow (the neighbor’s house is already a bungalow) modeled after a Swedish-style home.
Currently open questions:
Do you already have any advice on what we should pay attention to?
I (Philipp) have some doubts and would prefer to finance the land because the €50,000 should serve as equity/reserve for building the house.
There is a sewage access point right at the edge of the property. The owner said—if I understood correctly—that he would also talk to the water utility company to see if we would not have to buy that part of the land.
Thank you very much for reading this far. We wish you a nice weekend and will continue to report here openly and regularly. We appreciate any feedback or suggestions on things we can clarify early on.
I would not go below 140 sqm (1,507 sq ft) for 4 people.
And for ecological and economic reasons, I would no longer build a bungalow. Bungalows are great, but I have become very skeptical about them: sealing of surfaces, living space for animals, etc. Building a house with environmental responsibility is okay and should become important to oneself. Our selfishness is destroying the world.
And for ecological and economic reasons, I would no longer build a bungalow. Bungalows are great, but I have become very skeptical about them: sealing of surfaces, living space for animals, etc. Building a house with environmental responsibility is okay and should become important to oneself. Our selfishness is destroying the world.
ypg schrieb:
Our selfishness is destroying the world.Already happened. ops:kaho674 schrieb:
Already happened. ops:Yep. But we are still working on it, and that definitely needs to be stopped!
P
philipp199027 Aug 2019 22:25Tassimat schrieb:
Oh dear, 100m² (1,076 sq ft) without a basement for four people. That will be a very small home
@philipp1990 How about starting a new thread:
11ant schrieb:
Construction method: preferences should always be explained so other participants can understand the reasons and possibly suggest alternative approaches that might be more suitable or point out when motivations are understandable but based on incorrect assumptions.
House design: my clear recommendation is not to limit yourself, especially when the budget is not very generous. ypg schrieb:
I wouldn’t go below 140m² (1,507 sq ft) for four people.
Also, for ecological and economic reasons, I would no longer build a bungalow. Bungalows are nice, but I’m very skeptical nowadays: sealing of land, living space for animals, etc. Building a house responsibly with regard to the environment is okay and should become important for oneself. Our egoism is destroying the planet. kaho674 schrieb:
Already happened. oops: ypg schrieb:
Yep. But we are still doing it, and that should stop! Thank you all for your feedback.
We had a meeting today with Bien-Zenker where it seems possible that something might fit our budget. The budget is calculated very strictly without KfW funding or similar support. We are currently calculating the "worst case" scenario with the bank, not assuming that everything will go perfectly. Once all costs are clear, KfW funding will be factored in.
The reason for choosing a bungalow is simple. Due to illness, a family member can barely or only with great difficulty use stairs.
With one or more children, going up and down stairs is hard to imagine, especially since kids can sometimes be unkind and might exploit or weaponize a handicap in arguments.
We both think ecologically and want to build as sustainably as possible.
philipp1990 schrieb:
The reasons for choosing a bungalow are straightforward. Due to illness, a family member finds it difficult or almost impossible to use stairs. That is certainly a valid reason if you or your wife are unwell.
P
philipp199027 Aug 2019 22:29Yes, I would prefer not to discuss this further. We would avoid building a bungalow, but unfortunately, despite having a clear conscience, it is not possible for us.
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