ᐅ Keep the basement? Demolition and rebuilding of a single-family house

Dear experts,

I came across this forum by chance and decided to give it a try, as I have no expertise in this area.

The question is whether the cellar shown below can be preserved for the construction of a new single-family house (probably a prefabricated house, due to the building costs) when the existing property is planned to be demolished, or if it should rather be filled in and a slab foundation built above it.

Here are some relevant details about the house and the cellar:

• Detached single-family house, built in 1962, building plans from 1955
• Two stories plus attic
• Serious settlement cracks throughout the upper floor on exterior and interior walls and ceilings, in some places more than 0.5cm (0.2 inches) wide (photos attached)
• Cellar access from outside
• Cellar is damp, with no insulation or waterproofing
• Uneven clay floor throughout the cellar level
• Ceiling height in the cellar approximately 2.20m (7.2 feet)

Due to the mentioned settlement cracks and also the fact that the floor in the first upper story feels unstable when walking on it, I assume that the basic structure of the building is compromised and that the foundation, therefore the cellar, is unstable.

Photos of the largest settlement cracks:

Photos of the cellar:

As a layperson, I suspect that the cellar is not suitable as a base for a new building. If the experts have a different opinion, how could the cellar be safely filled in? Or would it be better to remove it entirely given the background?

Thank you in advance!

Best regards

Filling cracks does not eliminate their underlying cause.

JonnyMcFly schrieb:

Probably a prefab house, judging by the construction costs

I can’t follow that train of thought; there is no causal connection.

Overall, I will limit myself to a brief summary here, as I do not want to examine the property in detail. I dare to say that the basement does not suggest any preservation value, and a more detailed investigation is not worthwhile. Therefore, I advocate for a complete demolition, meaning the clearing of the site from the building in its entirety.

I also hope the property has not been purchased yet, especially if the plans for the new development are as unclear as the description of the existing building. Clarify the buildability of the plot the same way as you would for an undeveloped field, and outline the future home as precisely as possible. Check the zoning plan (if available) and use the questionnaire as a guide: https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/grundriss-planung-unbedingt-vor-beitrag-erstellung-lesen.11714/

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