ᐅ Purchase of a vacant farmhouse in a rural area outside the built-up zone
Created on: 15 Sep 2018 13:08
I
Ilef123
Hello 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!
ateliersiegel schrieb:
Does visible screed mean that you can see it? Nothing else is applied on top? I wanted the same for our underfloor heating, but my wife preferred wood. Now we have thin, dark oak, which looks great and feels good.Exactly, a trowel-smoothed and then PU-sealed living concrete floor with very few visible joints throughout probably the entire house. It was very difficult to find a good contractor for this, and I am really looking forward to the result.
ateliersiegel schrieb:
Ah ... and how are the corners done? Tongue and groove "is not an option" either?Which corners are you referring to exactly?
ateliersiegel5 Mar 2023 12:01What I always appreciate is when the material used in construction is actually visible. There is something “honest” about that, and it helps (at least in my experience) to better understand the world.
In the case of exposed screed, the most important aspect seems to be how the surface actually looks, because painting over it is definitely NOT an option right now. There are quite a few possibilities for that.
(When it comes to cement, I usually refer to Sven Backstein and his "Mörtelshop" (with oe). He knows his stuff well and provides detailed and quick answers.)
In the case of exposed screed, the most important aspect seems to be how the surface actually looks, because painting over it is definitely NOT an option right now. There are quite a few possibilities for that.
(When it comes to cement, I usually refer to Sven Backstein and his "Mörtelshop" (with oe). He knows his stuff well and provides detailed and quick answers.)
ateliersiegel5 Mar 2023 12:05For example, here is the corner between the window and the wall.
ateliersiegel schrieb:
oh ... and how are the corners done?
Tongue and groove “isn’t really an option” either? Tongue and groove could have been done for a much higher cost. We’ve seen it with other builders as well. I find our cladding much more authentic—especially because it’s not so perfect. It was supposed to become a farmhouse-style house. For the external corners, I’m using strips made from the same wood. Some are already in place.
ateliersiegel5 Mar 2023 12:12Ilef123 schrieb:
Tongue and groove could have been an option for much more money.If it’s not technically necessary, then it’s not needed. Tongue and groove is generally more stable overall (it warps less because the boards support each other), less air passes through the gaps, and if the air is dry and the gaps are therefore wider, you can’t see through the cracks.
But your solution seems stable enough anyway, and there will probably be little wind whistling behind the boards either. 😉