ᐅ Purchase of a vacant farmhouse in a rural area outside the built-up zone
Created on: 15 Sep 2018 13:08
I
Ilef123Hello everyone,
I am new here and urgently need some advice. We have fallen in love with an old farmhouse located in a district of our municipality (in Brandenburg). One reason we like the property so much is that it lies on the edge of several fields, with the nearest neighboring house approximately 50–200m (55–220 yards) away. Visually, the property is clearly distinct from the nearby settlement.
A few days ago, we learned that the current owner is willing to sell the farmhouse to us. We immediately started researching and arranged an appointment with the building authority, which will take place soon. During our research, we came across the topics of “outlying area” zoning and “scattered settlement,” which at first felt like a big setback, as we are generally only interested in properties like this. The farmhouse has probably been unoccupied for many years and apparently is not currently habitable (we have yet to do an interior inspection; there is significant damage to several roofs, though most exterior walls appear to be in acceptable condition).
We really want to buy this property and are willing to fight for it if there is a chance of success. Even just the land alone is worth the effort to us, so the poor condition of the buildings doesn’t discourage us much. We both have building experience, but as we are now realizing, not the legal or planning expertise. Our initial idea was, of course, to demolish at will and build a new, custom-designed house (construction would start no earlier than 2020). However, since we have read that the best we might achieve is to restore the existing residential buildings in the same form and in the same place, we would accept that too (although we don’t yet know exactly what counts as living space there, and we are tempted by the idea of turning one of the barns into a living room).
We feel quite overwhelmed and desperate and only have a few days to decide, as there are other interested parties. Could someone advise us on the best approach, what we should absolutely avoid, and what we need to be careful about? Is there a realistic chance of success? We know this probably isn’t a reasonable idea and that it will be a difficult path, but we want to give it a try.
Thanks in advance!
I am new here and urgently need some advice. We have fallen in love with an old farmhouse located in a district of our municipality (in Brandenburg). One reason we like the property so much is that it lies on the edge of several fields, with the nearest neighboring house approximately 50–200m (55–220 yards) away. Visually, the property is clearly distinct from the nearby settlement.
A few days ago, we learned that the current owner is willing to sell the farmhouse to us. We immediately started researching and arranged an appointment with the building authority, which will take place soon. During our research, we came across the topics of “outlying area” zoning and “scattered settlement,” which at first felt like a big setback, as we are generally only interested in properties like this. The farmhouse has probably been unoccupied for many years and apparently is not currently habitable (we have yet to do an interior inspection; there is significant damage to several roofs, though most exterior walls appear to be in acceptable condition).
We really want to buy this property and are willing to fight for it if there is a chance of success. Even just the land alone is worth the effort to us, so the poor condition of the buildings doesn’t discourage us much. We both have building experience, but as we are now realizing, not the legal or planning expertise. Our initial idea was, of course, to demolish at will and build a new, custom-designed house (construction would start no earlier than 2020). However, since we have read that the best we might achieve is to restore the existing residential buildings in the same form and in the same place, we would accept that too (although we don’t yet know exactly what counts as living space there, and we are tempted by the idea of turning one of the barns into a living room).
We feel quite overwhelmed and desperate and only have a few days to decide, as there are other interested parties. Could someone advise us on the best approach, what we should absolutely avoid, and what we need to be careful about? Is there a realistic chance of success? We know this probably isn’t a reasonable idea and that it will be a difficult path, but we want to give it a try.
Thanks in advance!
H
HilfeHilfe15 Sep 2018 13:17How about the finances? It sounds like buying a fixer-upper and building new with many restrictions. Brandenburg, rural area, and a property for enthusiasts. No bank will be lining up to finance this.
C
Caspar202015 Sep 2018 13:25Are you or do you want to become a farmer, forester, horse breeder, or start a horticultural business? Otherwise, the chances are quite slim.
In some areas, exceptions can be granted, but these are rather rare.
Demolition and new construction will also be difficult because the same building permit / planning permission is required. The same applies to major renovations.
As @HilfeHilfe already mentioned, banks are not eager to finance such properties either.
Or do you have a lot of equity?
In some areas, exceptions can be granted, but these are rather rare.
Demolition and new construction will also be difficult because the same building permit / planning permission is required. The same applies to major renovations.
As @HilfeHilfe already mentioned, banks are not eager to finance such properties either.
Or do you have a lot of equity?
Hello HilfeHilfe, hello Caspar2020,
thank you for your replies. Honestly, we are less concerned about the financing since we have above-average equity and, compared to the region, a relatively high income.
However, we do not intend to pursue any of the activities mentioned above. For the appointment at the building authority, I am rather looking for arguments against parcel fragmentation. If in three directions around the property there are only agricultural areas spanning hundreds of meters, could one argue that it is very unlikely these will be converted into building land? On one side of the plot, there are several adjacent gardens from other farms, which are not located in an open countryside area. Of course, someone might get the idea to build a house there. We are admittedly still inexperienced and have only briefly looked into this matter so far.
thank you for your replies. Honestly, we are less concerned about the financing since we have above-average equity and, compared to the region, a relatively high income.
However, we do not intend to pursue any of the activities mentioned above. For the appointment at the building authority, I am rather looking for arguments against parcel fragmentation. If in three directions around the property there are only agricultural areas spanning hundreds of meters, could one argue that it is very unlikely these will be converted into building land? On one side of the plot, there are several adjacent gardens from other farms, which are not located in an open countryside area. Of course, someone might get the idea to build a house there. We are admittedly still inexperienced and have only briefly looked into this matter so far.
H
HilfeHilfe15 Sep 2018 17:36This is a timing dilemma. What I don’t understand is that this property has been empty for a long time, and suddenly there are two interested parties. I wouldn’t let myself be pressured if you’re not clear yet.
Building in rural areas is generally not permitted from a planning law perspective. Therefore, all provisions of Section 35 of the Building Code should be understood as exceptions. Since you do not belong to a privileged professional group and do not intend to in the future, in my opinion, you can only refer to Section 35 (4) 4. None of the other points apply to you. The building authority will not be concerned about the development of a scattered settlement. They can simply state that the structures are not worth preserving, and your application will be rejected.
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