Hello everyone,
I have already taken over the construction cost thread quite a bit with this potential project. I'll show you a few things and hope for your input because we are still unsure whether we want to buy the property or not.
About the property: The house comes with a 2500 m² (27,000 sq ft) plot made up of 3 parcels. It is located in an area with poor infrastructure (but that’s where my family lives, and I grew up there, so we want to move there) in Rheinland-Pfalz. Boris says building plots in the area go for around 50€ per m² (approx. $5 per sq ft). The land consists of 3 parcels and is partly in a residential zone and partly adjoining garden land. There are also many older fruit trees on the garden areas, which we like.
The house on the plot was built in 1928, with an extension from the 1960s. The total living area was given by our realtor as 207 m² (2,230 sq ft), although I don’t fully trust the calculation. The expert who showed us around said that the attic should not be counted because the ceiling height is below 2.30 m (7.5 ft). The house has a basement.
What we like about the property is the large living area, the possibility to renovate the floor plan to a relatively modern standard (ground floor), the huge plot with good distance from neighbors, and the existing old trees. What we don’t like is the current layout on the upper floor (little hallway, extension only accessible through room 7).
What we want to change (structurally possible according to the initial impression of our expert):
- Ground floor: Dining area will become the kitchen, the door between dining (which will be kitchen) and living room should be widened, possibly with a sliding door, the old kitchen will become a pantry.
- Bathroom on the upper floor, either room 5 or 7 would be suitable.
- Door breakthrough in the hallway upstairs next to the stairs leading to the extension.
- Old bathroom in the basement: This will be my husband’s home gym. The bathroom will be removed completely except for the shower so that one can shower downstairs after working out (or after coming in dirty from the garden).
We would probably use the attic for “less frequently used” rooms because of the low ceiling height. Maybe for storage and a nice guest room.
On the upper floor, there should be space for a bathroom, bedroom, two children’s rooms, and a utility room for washing and drying.
On the ground floor, living, dining, kitchen + pantry, office, and possibly a shower-gym area should fit.
Heating should go in the basement (energy consultant recommends pellet heating). I’m not sure how good that is; we currently have the THZ504 air-to-water heat pump with ventilation and really like it. I would like to have the same again but don’t know if it is suitable to heat a house that probably won’t get better than KfW 85 standard.
I have already taken over the construction cost thread quite a bit with this potential project. I'll show you a few things and hope for your input because we are still unsure whether we want to buy the property or not.
About the property: The house comes with a 2500 m² (27,000 sq ft) plot made up of 3 parcels. It is located in an area with poor infrastructure (but that’s where my family lives, and I grew up there, so we want to move there) in Rheinland-Pfalz. Boris says building plots in the area go for around 50€ per m² (approx. $5 per sq ft). The land consists of 3 parcels and is partly in a residential zone and partly adjoining garden land. There are also many older fruit trees on the garden areas, which we like.
The house on the plot was built in 1928, with an extension from the 1960s. The total living area was given by our realtor as 207 m² (2,230 sq ft), although I don’t fully trust the calculation. The expert who showed us around said that the attic should not be counted because the ceiling height is below 2.30 m (7.5 ft). The house has a basement.
What we like about the property is the large living area, the possibility to renovate the floor plan to a relatively modern standard (ground floor), the huge plot with good distance from neighbors, and the existing old trees. What we don’t like is the current layout on the upper floor (little hallway, extension only accessible through room 7).
What we want to change (structurally possible according to the initial impression of our expert):
- Ground floor: Dining area will become the kitchen, the door between dining (which will be kitchen) and living room should be widened, possibly with a sliding door, the old kitchen will become a pantry.
- Bathroom on the upper floor, either room 5 or 7 would be suitable.
- Door breakthrough in the hallway upstairs next to the stairs leading to the extension.
- Old bathroom in the basement: This will be my husband’s home gym. The bathroom will be removed completely except for the shower so that one can shower downstairs after working out (or after coming in dirty from the garden).
We would probably use the attic for “less frequently used” rooms because of the low ceiling height. Maybe for storage and a nice guest room.
On the upper floor, there should be space for a bathroom, bedroom, two children’s rooms, and a utility room for washing and drying.
On the ground floor, living, dining, kitchen + pantry, office, and possibly a shower-gym area should fit.
Heating should go in the basement (energy consultant recommends pellet heating). I’m not sure how good that is; we currently have the THZ504 air-to-water heat pump with ventilation and really like it. I would like to have the same again but don’t know if it is suitable to heat a house that probably won’t get better than KfW 85 standard.
kati1337 schrieb:
tear down and rebuild. However, that would be quite expensive.kati1337 schrieb:
Build new on the plot. But I find that a bit too expensive in terms of price,Repeating it won’t make us any smarter. 🙄
To get back to the topic:
I’ve made some changes to the ground floor layout.
Marked in red: The wall would be removed to enlarge the office. The door leading outside would be removed as well.
Marked in green: I would extend the wall/corner slightly. The built-in wardrobe would be rotated as shown, and the door to the living area would be removed.
I don’t have a clear idea yet for the confusing arrangement of doors at the back right. We would probably remove that corner in the bathroom at least. If anyone has a good suggestion, feel free to share.
I’ve made some changes to the ground floor layout.
Marked in red: The wall would be removed to enlarge the office. The door leading outside would be removed as well.
Marked in green: I would extend the wall/corner slightly. The built-in wardrobe would be rotated as shown, and the door to the living area would be removed.
I don’t have a clear idea yet for the confusing arrangement of doors at the back right. We would probably remove that corner in the bathroom at least. If anyone has a good suggestion, feel free to share.
driver55 schrieb:
Repeating something over and over won’t make us any smarter. 🙄I can’t help that in #5 it says “I didn’t read it but did you consider demolishing,” even though that was already mentioned in the original post. Instead of repeating myself, I could have also said, “then just read it instead of commenting that you didn’t read it.”H
Hausbautraum2016 Jan 2022 13:15kati1337 schrieb:
I’m not responsible for the fact that in #5 it says "I haven’t read it but have you thought about tearing it down," even though that’s already mentioned in the opening post. Instead of repeating myself, I could have just written "then read it instead of commenting that you haven’t read it."It’s not in the OPENING post, I read it carefully ;-)
J
JoachimG.16 Jan 2022 13:16When it comes to renovating old buildings, I tend to be cautious. However, I have reviewed the listing and would like to share my opinion based on experience with houses from this construction period.
For the price: Buy!
Don’t do a full renovation. Instead, selectively renovate certain rooms, keep the existing floors, and update the wiring only where necessary and feasible.
If the condition shown in the photos reflects reality, the renovation should not be as extensive as I initially expected from the descriptions. I like the property immediately.
The only part I find tasteless and overly complicated is the extension – I might consider replacing it depending on space requirements.
I also checked out the area using GIS, noise maps, and Google.
Keep in mind, especially because of noise, you should consider:
- There is a bakery opposite the property that opens at 6 a.m., and production and delivery traffic may start even earlier.
- Right next to the house is a transformer station for the overhead power lines. Depending on the load and season, it can emit a noticeable hum.
- The sloping street in front of the house has a stop sign and leads to agricultural plateaus. Expect large and usually noisy vehicles to pass regularly.
- The village lies directly under the western approach corridor of Ramstein Airbase, about 20 km (12 miles) in a straight line. I recommend asking neighbors how they perceive the aircraft noise.
That’s the first feedback I wanted to share.
For the price: Buy!
Don’t do a full renovation. Instead, selectively renovate certain rooms, keep the existing floors, and update the wiring only where necessary and feasible.
If the condition shown in the photos reflects reality, the renovation should not be as extensive as I initially expected from the descriptions. I like the property immediately.
The only part I find tasteless and overly complicated is the extension – I might consider replacing it depending on space requirements.
I also checked out the area using GIS, noise maps, and Google.
Keep in mind, especially because of noise, you should consider:
- There is a bakery opposite the property that opens at 6 a.m., and production and delivery traffic may start even earlier.
- Right next to the house is a transformer station for the overhead power lines. Depending on the load and season, it can emit a noticeable hum.
- The sloping street in front of the house has a stop sign and leads to agricultural plateaus. Expect large and usually noisy vehicles to pass regularly.
- The village lies directly under the western approach corridor of Ramstein Airbase, about 20 km (12 miles) in a straight line. I recommend asking neighbors how they perceive the aircraft noise.
That’s the first feedback I wanted to share.
Thank you, Joachim!
Since I grew up very close to that area, I’m familiar with the noise from the airbase from my childhood and teenage years. It’s quite limited / I hardly notice it.
The road noise is noticeable, which I also noticed during the viewing. I’m still thinking about it, but it’s a very rural area and traffic is quite low. It used to bother me when I lived in Oldenburg on a main road. However, the windows there weren’t very well sealed, and it was a city. Here, I’m a few meters further from the road, and it’s a small village after all.
I’m also familiar with tractor traffic and such from before; it’s manageable and not something that bothers me. I’m more sensitive to music and party noise, not so much everyday sounds.
Unfortunately, the bakery opposite is no longer there, but hopefully one will open again. 😀
My husband was concerned about the nearby bus stop and noise, but my sister said, “There’s only a bus twice a day.” 😀
Edit: By the way, the extension doesn’t look as bad in real life as in the pictures. The only issue is the roof, which is really ugly, and the expert mentioned that given the year it was built, asbestos is likely present.
Since I grew up very close to that area, I’m familiar with the noise from the airbase from my childhood and teenage years. It’s quite limited / I hardly notice it.
The road noise is noticeable, which I also noticed during the viewing. I’m still thinking about it, but it’s a very rural area and traffic is quite low. It used to bother me when I lived in Oldenburg on a main road. However, the windows there weren’t very well sealed, and it was a city. Here, I’m a few meters further from the road, and it’s a small village after all.
I’m also familiar with tractor traffic and such from before; it’s manageable and not something that bothers me. I’m more sensitive to music and party noise, not so much everyday sounds.
Unfortunately, the bakery opposite is no longer there, but hopefully one will open again. 😀
My husband was concerned about the nearby bus stop and noise, but my sister said, “There’s only a bus twice a day.” 😀
Edit: By the way, the extension doesn’t look as bad in real life as in the pictures. The only issue is the roof, which is really ugly, and the expert mentioned that given the year it was built, asbestos is likely present.
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