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.
M
Myrna_Loy16 Jan 2022 16:42First of all, this is not an overhead line that makes noise like a high-voltage power line. These are the typical power lines found in villages in Rhineland-Palatinate, which are gradually being replaced by underground cables.
I think this property is a real gem for the region. It has great potential to be turned into something truly beautiful. Demolishing it would be a shame. But – even if I sound like a broken record – bring in a renovation expert with experience. We paid over 2,000 euros for replacing a single 3.80-meter (12.5-foot) long beam two years ago. Energy consultants are just that: energy consultants. They are not structural engineers or renovation specialists. If we had listened only to the energy consultant, we would have caused significant construction damage.
Outside of major urban areas, where prices for dilapidated houses are paid without inspection, it is also possible to arrange with real estate agents to have a specialist come in for a second inspection.
I think this property is a real gem for the region. It has great potential to be turned into something truly beautiful. Demolishing it would be a shame. But – even if I sound like a broken record – bring in a renovation expert with experience. We paid over 2,000 euros for replacing a single 3.80-meter (12.5-foot) long beam two years ago. Energy consultants are just that: energy consultants. They are not structural engineers or renovation specialists. If we had listened only to the energy consultant, we would have caused significant construction damage.
Outside of major urban areas, where prices for dilapidated houses are paid without inspection, it is also possible to arrange with real estate agents to have a specialist come in for a second inspection.
kati1337 schrieb:
"square, practical, good" – Gable roof house with 150m² (1600 sq ft), no basement, and a carport. Do you need more? The basement will be an old building basement, which is accepted if you appreciate older buildings.
Hausbautraum20 schrieb:
How can someone seriously move from such a beautiful new build into such a "fixer-upper" and see that as an improvement? It does have its charm…
kati1337 schrieb:
… that we want to move to this area for very personal reasons, and unfortunately, we cannot take our beautiful new house with us. … although I recall that you especially appreciate the newness of your house.
JoachimG. schrieb:
But I have looked at the listing. Where can it be found below?
Myrna_Loy schrieb:
First of all, this is not an overhead line that makes noise like a high-voltage power line. These are the common electrical lines in villages in Rhineland-Palatinate, which are gradually being replaced by underground cables.
I think the property is a real gem for the region. It has great potential to be something really beautiful. Demolishing it would be awful. But – even if I sound like a broken record – bring in a renovation expert who has experience. Just for replacing a 3.80 meter (12.5 feet) long beam two years ago, we paid over 2,000 euros. Energy consultants are just that: energy consultants. They are not structural engineers or renovation experts. If we had followed the energy consultant’s advice alone, we would have caused serious building damage.
Outside of metropolitan areas, where every broken-down property is bought sight unseen at any price, it’s also possible to coordinate with real estate agents to arrange a second visit with an expert. Do you have a recommendation for the area on who is suitable for something like this? Specifically for old building renovations?
I suppose I should also consult an architect if I want to make some changes?
We don’t want to change too much though. On the upper floor, a doorway opening and a new wall.
In the basement, to extend one corner a bit if structurally possible, and in the annex to remove two non-load-bearing walls.
ypg schrieb:
Where can you find it below?I can send it to you via private message. I would ask you not to post publicly where exactly it is located. If we end up buying it, anyone here could link my online username to my real address, which I would prefer to avoid. :/
To be honest, I wouldn’t have posted any pictures if I had known someone would find the listing from that.
M
Myrna_Loy16 Jan 2022 17:10kati1337 schrieb:
Do you have any recommendations for the region on who is good for this kind of work? Specifically for renovating older buildings?
I assume I should also consult an architect if I want to make some changes?
We don’t want to change too much. On the upper floor, a doorway opening and adding a wall.
In the basement, extending one corner a bit if structurally possible, and removing two non-load-bearing walls in the extension. You will need an architect and most likely a structural engineer’s report. Especially because with older buildings the structural integrity often isn’t as straightforward as with new construction. This is especially important if the roof is going to be redone. Is it solid masonry or timber framing plastered on the upper floor?
kati1337 schrieb:
I assume I should also consult an architect if I want to make some changes?
We don’t want to change too much. On the upper floor, we want to create a doorway and add a wall. This is clearly a project for an architect. Those who specialize in renovations also handle smaller projects.
kati1337 schrieb:
I can gladly send it to you via private message. I would ask that you don’t post publicly where exactly it is located. Please send it to me as well, preferably by email.
kati1337 schrieb:
If we end up buying it, anyone could link my online username to my real address, which I’d rather avoid. :/
To be honest, I wouldn’t have posted any pictures if I had known someone would find the listing through them. Be grateful for every helpful expert around here—you can never provide them with too much basic information.
By the way, I don’t think you live at Thirty-seven Thirteen Street ;-)
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