ᐅ Build first, then demolish?!

Created on: 22 Jul 2016 08:38
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whitelaker
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whitelaker
22 Jul 2016 08:38
Hello dear community,

First, a bit of background: I own a plot of land that belonged to my grandmother. She has a life estate on it. The plot is 840 m² (9,042 sq ft) in size. My grandmother lives in a small house there.
We were thinking about building a house on the same plot. However, due to building regulations, it would have to be quite small. Now we are considering building a larger house with a granny flat (also known as an accessory dwelling unit), which would not meet the required minimum distances between the old and the new house. My question is: would this be possible if the planning authority knew that the old house would be demolished afterward? Demolishing the old house beforehand isn’t an option, because my grandmother obviously cannot be left homeless.

Best regards

Roger
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HilfeHilfe
22 Jul 2016 08:47
Letting grandma live together in the apartment
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daniels87
22 Jul 2016 08:59
Unfortunately, I’m not sure whether the house needs to be demolished before you can get the building permit / planning permission. If not, I would just start building first and then demolish it afterwards.
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whitelaker
22 Jul 2016 11:16
The answers are really great!!!! But if you can’t answer my question, then just leave it.....
MarcWen22 Jul 2016 11:34
whitelaker schrieb:
The answers are really great!!!! But if you can’t answer my question, then just don’t respond…..

These kinds of questions often come up when newcomers present issues that are difficult to assess from the outside.

There are certainly experts here who might have some relevant experience.

My first step would be to have an informal discussion with the local building authority to gauge the general outlook. I can also imagine that you will likely need an architect for this.

So, less confrontation, try to reach an amicable agreement. To be able to build properly right from the start, maybe consider temporarily relocating grandma elsewhere. How mobile is she? Does she have a care level?
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nordanney
22 Jul 2016 12:24
whitelaker schrieb:
My question is, would it be possible if the building authority knew that the old house would be demolished afterwards? Demolishing it first is not an option because my grandmother can’t be left without a home.

Why shouldn’t that be possible? You could get a building permit with the condition that the old house must be demolished by a specific date.

It might only be technically challenging if there is very little space available. Also, there are considerations regarding utility connections and drainage pipes. But those are details.

Talk to the building authority or submit a preliminary building inquiry – although I always prefer to talk directly first.