ᐅ Plot Selection in a New Residential Development for a Single-Family Home – Prioritization
Created on: 15 Apr 2025 21:22
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-Malte-
Hello everyone,
After a long wait, our city (North Rhine-Westphalia) has finally started marketing a new residential development area on the outskirts. As part of the application process, plots for single-family homes and semi-detached houses are allocated according to a certain distribution logic. We expect to have the opportunity to purchase and will then need to choose quickly from the remaining available plots. The exact timing of when it will be our turn is unclear, so as a preparation, we would like to establish our personal ranking of all the plots.
What are our requirements?
As a family of four (38, 35, 5, 2), we want to build a single-family house (~150-160m² (1600-1720 sq ft) preferably without a basement, with a pitched roof) including a carport/garage. Basically, no special requirements that would directly affect the choice of the plot.
Regarding the plot, we primarily want a location for a single-family home that is as quiet as possible within the development area (noise/through traffic) (priority 1 requirement). Of course, orientation and overall size are also important, but come after the first factor.
What does the development plan specify?
Here are what I consider the most important details from the development plan, which apply equally to all offered plots:
Since linking is not allowed here: the full development plan can be quickly found online by searching “Bocholt Bebauungsplan 8-23 Loikumer Weg”.
Which plots are for sale?
There are 21 plots for single-family homes and 7 plots for semi-detached houses on sale. The price is uniform at €220/m² (€220 per sq m) including development costs. The plots are currently farmland and completely flat. I have attached an aerial photo, an excerpt from the development plan, and a non-binding building concept (only the numbered plots are available for sale).
For more information, the full brochure can also be found online by searching “Bocholt Wohnbaugrundstücke Mussum - Loikumer Weg”.
The development area will be a mixed-use zone: alongside single-family and semi-detached homes, there will be a daycare center, apartment buildings, and a playground. To the west of the development is a federal road, so the western section will be built as continuous development (noise protection facing the road; exact design still unknown). There are three larger apartment buildings to the north. Given the apartment buildings in the north and west, I expect increased through traffic and activity within the development — it will not be a purely quiet single-family home neighborhood. Therefore, when selecting plots, our main focus will be on achieving as much quietness as possible.
Questions for you?
We have been considering which plots have which advantages and even have a few favorites. I’m deliberately not naming them yet to get as unbiased feedback as possible. What would be your favorites, and what aspects would you focus on to best meet our requirements?
Best regards,
Malte
After a long wait, our city (North Rhine-Westphalia) has finally started marketing a new residential development area on the outskirts. As part of the application process, plots for single-family homes and semi-detached houses are allocated according to a certain distribution logic. We expect to have the opportunity to purchase and will then need to choose quickly from the remaining available plots. The exact timing of when it will be our turn is unclear, so as a preparation, we would like to establish our personal ranking of all the plots.
What are our requirements?
As a family of four (38, 35, 5, 2), we want to build a single-family house (~150-160m² (1600-1720 sq ft) preferably without a basement, with a pitched roof) including a carport/garage. Basically, no special requirements that would directly affect the choice of the plot.
Regarding the plot, we primarily want a location for a single-family home that is as quiet as possible within the development area (noise/through traffic) (priority 1 requirement). Of course, orientation and overall size are also important, but come after the first factor.
What does the development plan specify?
Here are what I consider the most important details from the development plan, which apply equally to all offered plots:
- 2 full stories with floor area ratio of 0.4 and total floor space ratio of 0.8
- Base height max. 0.5m (1.5 ft), eaves height max. 6.5m (21 ft), ridge height max. 11.0m (36 ft)
- Roof type:
- If two full stories:
- Flat roof or shed roof with pitch between 22° and 30°.
- Alternatively, stepped stories with flat roof or low-pitched roof up to 16°.
- If one full story: no specification regarding roof type or pitch
- Dormers, roof extensions, and loggias are not allowed
- Garages, carports & outbuildings only within the building zone or adjacent to the side boundary. A 5m (16 ft) clearance must be maintained before garage driveways (excluding carports). Exceeding the garden-side building line is permitted up to a depth of 2m (6.5 ft).
Since linking is not allowed here: the full development plan can be quickly found online by searching “Bocholt Bebauungsplan 8-23 Loikumer Weg”.
Which plots are for sale?
There are 21 plots for single-family homes and 7 plots for semi-detached houses on sale. The price is uniform at €220/m² (€220 per sq m) including development costs. The plots are currently farmland and completely flat. I have attached an aerial photo, an excerpt from the development plan, and a non-binding building concept (only the numbered plots are available for sale).
For more information, the full brochure can also be found online by searching “Bocholt Wohnbaugrundstücke Mussum - Loikumer Weg”.
The development area will be a mixed-use zone: alongside single-family and semi-detached homes, there will be a daycare center, apartment buildings, and a playground. To the west of the development is a federal road, so the western section will be built as continuous development (noise protection facing the road; exact design still unknown). There are three larger apartment buildings to the north. Given the apartment buildings in the north and west, I expect increased through traffic and activity within the development — it will not be a purely quiet single-family home neighborhood. Therefore, when selecting plots, our main focus will be on achieving as much quietness as possible.
Questions for you?
We have been considering which plots have which advantages and even have a few favorites. I’m deliberately not naming them yet to get as unbiased feedback as possible. What would be your favorites, and what aspects would you focus on to best meet our requirements?
Best regards,
Malte
If noise reduction is the top priority, I would avoid options 20, 21, and 27: I expect the large corner space to become a street football area and later a gathering place for noisy mopeds. It is not clear to me where the residents of the apartment buildings are supposed to park: no parking spaces are marked along the street, and I also do not see an underground garage entrance. For the daycare center (which probably will not only serve the housing area’s own needs), I expect parents arriving by car and do not see any traffic management planned to handle the resulting flow. Without the basin, I would have assumed that the subdivision plan might be quite outdated. Overall, the area is planned in a very old-fashioned way; traffic-wise, I would say it feels like it’s from the 1980s. But now, it seems the only choice is what is drawn here. The concept of lay community councils also has its drawbacks.
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M
MachsSelbst16 Apr 2025 13:01Oh, that
Yes, that would be true if it were 1985. In 2025, something like that in a new housing development is about as realistic as expecting to get along well with 3 to 4 neighbors in the long term...
11ant schrieb:
If noise reduction is the top priority, I would avoid numbers 20, 21, and 27: I expect the large corner spot to become a street soccer pitch and later a gathering place for noisy mopeds.
Yes, that would be true if it were 1985. In 2025, something like that in a new housing development is about as realistic as expecting to get along well with 3 to 4 neighbors in the long term...
-Malte- schrieb:
Basically, due to the multi-family houses in the north and west, I expect increased through traffic and activity in the development area -Has it been communicated that refugees will be accommodated in the apartment buildings? If so, fewer parking spaces might be planned for that reason. Otherwise, I don’t expect continuous building, which might be what the building boundary suggests. There will likely still be enough parking space created between the houses and in front of them, as is common everywhere. 11ant schrieb:
Regarding the daycare center (which probably won’t only serve the local demand), I expect many parents dropping off their kids by car, and I don’t see any traffic management planned to handle that flow.Do you have building plans? I see ample space for stopping and turning outside the building boundaries everywhere. A childcare child doesn’t need a parking space. In front of the daycare, it could even be four lanes.
ypg schrieb:
Has it been communicated that refugees will be housed in the apartment building? That might explain why fewer parking spaces are planned. Otherwise, I don’t expect continuous development, which might suggest the building line. There will still be enough parking space created between the buildings and also in front, as usual. Such a facility would be marked as a special area in pink on the development plan, similar to the daycare center. The apartment block is clearly labeled as "g." No public parking spaces are shown anywhere in the entire planning area.
ypg schrieb:
Do you have building plans? I see sufficient stopping and turning areas everywhere outside the building lines. A daycare child doesn’t need a parking space.
In front of the daycare center, there could be four lanes of traffic. Four lanes caused by parent taxis parked in a second row on both sides is indeed the reality, but here an 8m (26 ft) wide roadway is shown (likely without sidewalks and allowing two-way traffic).
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Hello everyone,
Thank you very much for the abundant feedback. I will try to address as many points as possible.
The pink area will be a daycare center. It is clear that the parking lot will be located on the northern part of the "daycare property." The drop-off and pick-up area will therefore be directly accessible from Loikumer Weg, leading onto the parking lot and out again from there.
Among the lots in the south, only number 31 is currently on the market, but it has the disadvantage of a small size (372m², about 15m by 25m (49ft by 82ft)).
The exact development for the long "rows" of attached buildings in the west is still unclear. These lots have been offered for sale to developers, who are then free to build anything permitted by the zoning plan. The three apartment buildings are also not yet finalized in terms of their design. I wrote a bit above about the daycare access.
I can't judge whether the zoning plan is indeed "outdated." It is explicitly planned as a mixed-use area and will be implemented accordingly. There is no real choice anyway since no new developments are planned in our city, and we have been waiting for many years.
Yes, the three apartment buildings in the north (not the attached buildings in the west) are planned for refugee accommodation. The exact design of these buildings is not known yet.
The lots in the lower curve of Backesstraße are therefore also our preferred choice. The downside, as mentioned above, is that some lots such as number 21 have many neighbors. The southern part of Straussstrassenring would basically be our favorite area, but mainly semi-detached house lots are found there.
Best regards
Malte
Thank you very much for the abundant feedback. I will try to address as many points as possible.
ypg schrieb:
What will be pink? A public building? A daycare center?
The question is how parking will be arranged for the apartment building.
Personally, I would probably choose a lot in the south; with an extended green strip, the property visually seems larger.
(Note, I have not looked at the zoning plan.)
The pink area will be a daycare center. It is clear that the parking lot will be located on the northern part of the "daycare property." The drop-off and pick-up area will therefore be directly accessible from Loikumer Weg, leading onto the parking lot and out again from there.
Among the lots in the south, only number 31 is currently on the market, but it has the disadvantage of a small size (372m², about 15m by 25m (49ft by 82ft)).
11ant schrieb:
If noise reduction is priority number one, I would avoid lots 20, 21, and 27: I expect the large corner plot to be used as a street soccer field and later as a gathering place for noisy mopeds. It’s not clear to me where residents of the apartment buildings are supposed to park: no parking spaces are marked along the street, and I don’t see any underground garage access either. For the daycare center (which presumably will serve not just the neighborhood), I expect helicopters from parents driving their kids and also see no traffic solution for their departure. Without the basin, I would have assumed that this subdivision plan might be quite old. Overall, the area seems planned in an outdated way, traffic-wise I would say it’s “from the ’80s.” But now it seems the only option is what’s been drawn here. The concept of amateur local councils certainly has its downsides.
The exact development for the long "rows" of attached buildings in the west is still unclear. These lots have been offered for sale to developers, who are then free to build anything permitted by the zoning plan. The three apartment buildings are also not yet finalized in terms of their design. I wrote a bit above about the daycare access.
I can't judge whether the zoning plan is indeed "outdated." It is explicitly planned as a mixed-use area and will be implemented accordingly. There is no real choice anyway since no new developments are planned in our city, and we have been waiting for many years.
ypg schrieb:
Has it been communicated that refugees will be accommodated in the apartment buildings? That might explain why fewer parking spaces are planned. Otherwise, I would not expect continuous building, which might explain the build line. There will still be enough parking space between the buildings and in front, as usual.
Yes, the three apartment buildings in the north (not the attached buildings in the west) are planned for refugee accommodation. The exact design of these buildings is not known yet.
ypg schrieb:
Considering there will be no connection to Kreuzkamp, Backesstraße is suitable for quieter living. But the Straussstrassenring will also be used only by residents.
The lots in the lower curve of Backesstraße are therefore also our preferred choice. The downside, as mentioned above, is that some lots such as number 21 have many neighbors. The southern part of Straussstrassenring would basically be our favorite area, but mainly semi-detached house lots are found there.
Best regards
Malte
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