Hello dear members of the homebuilding forum,
We have finally found a plot of land! I’m very excited to become active here from now on and hope to gain a lot of collective and practical knowledge. We are still at the very beginning. We plan to build a semi-detached house with a larger side for us (about 11x8m (36x26 feet)) and a smaller side (about 7x8m (23x26 feet)). Now we need to decide which side of the plot we should take. Does anyone have any tips?
It is a corner plot, and I have attached a sketch. The small black square at the top is the neighbor’s garden shed, and the large corner on the right is the neighboring house. The street to the west has a sidewalk, and the plots along that street generally have lower fences or hedges. I’m not sure if there are any regulations (such as a maximum height of 1.5m (5 feet)) regarding this. Opposite this street is just a pasture (farm). The street to the south has no sidewalk, and the plots there are very overgrown with tall hedges – usually there is a carport, a wooden gate to the property, and tall hedges along the street.
The corner plot itself is not perfectly rectangular; to the southwest there is a small public parking area (3 parking spaces). We would, of course, like to have as much of a “single-family house character” as possible. We would have the largest garden and more “quiet” if we position our side of the house to the north. However, this means for access either a very long, narrow driveway past the smaller house side (starting at the sidewalk) or a southern driveway, which I don’t really like because I don’t want the mail carrier to be able to look onto the terrace. If we choose our house side to the west, our garden is restricted by the public parking and possibly more overlooked (even upstairs), but this would allow a normal parking space and a normal front yard, and we would have neighbors on only one side, which can also be an advantage. What would you do?
We have finally found a plot of land! I’m very excited to become active here from now on and hope to gain a lot of collective and practical knowledge. We are still at the very beginning. We plan to build a semi-detached house with a larger side for us (about 11x8m (36x26 feet)) and a smaller side (about 7x8m (23x26 feet)). Now we need to decide which side of the plot we should take. Does anyone have any tips?
It is a corner plot, and I have attached a sketch. The small black square at the top is the neighbor’s garden shed, and the large corner on the right is the neighboring house. The street to the west has a sidewalk, and the plots along that street generally have lower fences or hedges. I’m not sure if there are any regulations (such as a maximum height of 1.5m (5 feet)) regarding this. Opposite this street is just a pasture (farm). The street to the south has no sidewalk, and the plots there are very overgrown with tall hedges – usually there is a carport, a wooden gate to the property, and tall hedges along the street.
The corner plot itself is not perfectly rectangular; to the southwest there is a small public parking area (3 parking spaces). We would, of course, like to have as much of a “single-family house character” as possible. We would have the largest garden and more “quiet” if we position our side of the house to the north. However, this means for access either a very long, narrow driveway past the smaller house side (starting at the sidewalk) or a southern driveway, which I don’t really like because I don’t want the mail carrier to be able to look onto the terrace. If we choose our house side to the west, our garden is restricted by the public parking and possibly more overlooked (even upstairs), but this would allow a normal parking space and a normal front yard, and we would have neighbors on only one side, which can also be an advantage. What would you do?
Maybe as a brief addition: We don’t yet know which house number will be assigned to us; there has been little information from the local authority so far.
It would, of course, be ideal to clearly separate the two halves of the house. I believe this would significantly increase the resale value of the smaller half, if that situation arises. I would prefer to avoid a shared parking area with footpaths and easements or similar arrangements.
It would, of course, be ideal to clearly separate the two halves of the house. I believe this would significantly increase the resale value of the smaller half, if that situation arises. I would prefer to avoid a shared parking area with footpaths and easements or similar arrangements.
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nordanney3 Feb 2026 11:49jolovyn schrieb:
Of course, it would be ideal to clearly and distinctly separate the two halves of the house, This only works if two separate plots are created. In other words, a real division of the property. Otherwise, you can only sell a condominium unit (and you will need the corresponding declaration of division with all the necessary documentation).
jolovyn schrieb:
The development plan is for Lower Saxony: one full story, 0.4 floor area ratio (FAR), 0.6 total floor space index (FSI), only single-family or semi-detached houses allowed. According to my research, we need 3 parking spaces for a semi-detached house, but I haven’t found any official information on this yet. We are planning a large half of a duplex for our family (2 adults, 2 children) and a classic narrow semi-detached half for rental. 700 m² (8,400 sq ft) multiplied by a floor area ratio of 0.4 results in 280 m² (3,014 sq ft) (which would be well above 18 x 8 m = 144 m² (194 sq ft)), and 700 m² (8,400 sq ft) multiplied by a total floor space index of 0.6 results in 420 m² (4,520 sq ft). You don’t mention a height restriction, so with only one full story, a stepped floor tower would at least be possible – although the question remains: do you want this for yourself, and would anyone rent it out?
You mention a large half for yourselves (11 x 8 m = 88 m² (947 sq ft) footprint, with a floor space potential of about 106 m² (1,142 sq ft), assuming one and a half stories) and a smaller half for tenants (7 x 8 m = 56 m² (603 sq ft) footprint, with a potential of around 68 m² (732 sq ft)); and that you want to avoid condominium ownership and want a real division instead. In that case, we’re not talking about 3 parking spaces (2 units x 1.5), but rather 2 + 2 = 4 parking spaces.
Besides that, a 68 m² (732 sq ft) maisonette apartment (even with a ground floor level and garden access) has a rather narrow market. Popular semi-detached houses tend to have a footprint of 78–80 m² (840–860 sq ft) and two and a half stories with 140–145 m² (1,507–1,561 sq ft) total living space, or one and a half stories with around 120–125 m² (1,292–1,345 sq ft) living area (whether physically or legally divided), which generally have comparable demand and are readily rented out as such. What you are planning here is therefore not a market-oriented offer and will probably only make sense if you already have a specific initial occupant in mind.
If you don’t have that, I would rather consider a classic two-family house with floors, but not elongated in proportion. The options for a major and minor unit would also be quite flexible in that case. I would place the tenant apartment on the ground floor, the owner-occupied unit as a maisonette also partially on the ground floor, and your storage rooms in the attic.
By the way, where do the approximate measurements come from – are they based on an actual schematic plan?
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Thank you for your assessment. We are excluding a two-family house (with a granny flat). The approximate dimensions are based on the draft plan (see cadastral plot measurements plus required setback distances) combined with our own space requirements – which leaves less room for the rented unit.
According to the zoning plan, a full story is allowed, and the ridge height limit is 9 m (29.5 ft) since the plot is level. In Lower Saxony, a full story is defined as having more than two-thirds of the floor area with a ceiling height above 2.20 m (7.2 ft). We therefore expect the total area of the rented unit to be about 105–110 sqm (1130–1184 sq ft), with the upper floor featuring a knee wall at 1.20 m (3.9 ft) height and sloping ceilings. We live in a highly sought-after area and are not concerned that a small semi-detached house would be difficult to rent out. Couples or families with one child would be ideal tenants.
I currently cannot quite follow how you arrived at the small square meter figures or the term maisonette. The zoning plan states a full story, but that still means a second floor with a knee wall and often a converted attic. This is also the case with all the neighboring houses and provides suitable living space for families. Our half of the house is planned to have 150 sqm (1615 sq ft), with the rented unit around 105 sqm (1130 sq ft). I have only done rough calculations so far regarding the sloped ceilings, but it will not be as small as you suggested.
According to the zoning plan, a full story is allowed, and the ridge height limit is 9 m (29.5 ft) since the plot is level. In Lower Saxony, a full story is defined as having more than two-thirds of the floor area with a ceiling height above 2.20 m (7.2 ft). We therefore expect the total area of the rented unit to be about 105–110 sqm (1130–1184 sq ft), with the upper floor featuring a knee wall at 1.20 m (3.9 ft) height and sloping ceilings. We live in a highly sought-after area and are not concerned that a small semi-detached house would be difficult to rent out. Couples or families with one child would be ideal tenants.
I currently cannot quite follow how you arrived at the small square meter figures or the term maisonette. The zoning plan states a full story, but that still means a second floor with a knee wall and often a converted attic. This is also the case with all the neighboring houses and provides suitable living space for families. Our half of the house is planned to have 150 sqm (1615 sq ft), with the rented unit around 105 sqm (1130 sq ft). I have only done rough calculations so far regarding the sloped ceilings, but it will not be as small as you suggested.
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