ᐅ Building a new house vs. buying and converting an existing warehouse: what makes more sense?

Hello everyone,

Nice forum that I just discovered here.

I plan to move into my own place within the next few months and have already started looking into this topic. However, I have the following problem: I find typical houses boring! I don’t want to spend a lot of money on something that wouldn’t really make me happy. For me, only lofts, studios, or artist spaces are an option.

My dream idea would be a small hall where I could build a kind of balcony for the bedroom. The rest would be a completely open living area. It is clear, though, that such a building wouldn’t be very energy efficient and would definitely need renovation. Also, I’d like to have skylights (I’m a big fan of plants and wouldn’t mind having a large tree right in the middle of the room).

Would it therefore be more practical to build a house and just leave out all the interior walls? Of course, with the appropriate ceiling height. Would such a house be cheaper? After all, it would lack a lot of interior materials.

How realistic is it to find such a small hall in Karlsruhe at all? (Only if someone here knows the situation in that city).

Hello milamber,

If you want to buy a hall to convert it for residential use, there are a few important things to consider.

Since halls are usually located in commercial or even industrial areas, it is not simply possible to use them entirely as a residential building.

If you find a suitable hall within a commercial zone, you should first register a business. It is possible to set up a manager's or caretaker's apartment within a commercial hall, but the commercial space must still be predominant.
Additionally, an application for change of use must be submitted alongside a building permit / planning permission application, if required.
Your post doesn’t sound like these are your expectations. Unfortunately, reality can sometimes be quite different.

I’m not familiar with the situation in Karlsruhe, but sometimes, with a bit of luck, an old commercial site can be found in an older residential area, often close to the city center, usually in a backyard. Such a building can often be converted into a very interesting residential property. In these cases, local building authorities are generally more cooperative and helpful, as they often want to relocate commercial operations out of city centers.

Certainly, there is also the option to build a residential house in a kind of hall form.
However, you should carefully check the zoning plan for the intended building area to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Removing all interior walls will probably not be feasible. Or do you want the bathroom / toilet to be openly visible from the living room? (Just a little joke)
To roughly estimate construction costs, an initial planning phase is necessary.
Keep in mind that surprises can always occur during conversions, so you should plan a certain financial buffer.

I hope this helps a little.

Thank you for your reply.

Yes, I was aware of the change of use issue. Of course, that always needs to be clarified in advance. As far as I understand, it is usually a minor problem as long as the building is not located in an industrial zone.

Honestly, I have no idea where to start looking. The usual online listings offer nothing at all, and I simply have no idea how to find a suitable property.

Hello milamber,

If you have a rough idea of the area or neighborhood you are interested in, try using Google Earth. You might discover a building or plot of land that could be suitable. This is how I sometimes look for infill sites for clients.

If you find one, simply ask the neighbors politely if they know who owns the property. They usually do and often even have the phone number. Calling and asking is usually low cost.

Good luck

A friend of mine was recently also looking for a commercial property (which, however, was supposed to be used commercially for more than 50%). He found one through a professional commercial real estate provider.
So much for existing warehouses. However, whether it is allowed to convert these warehouses according to your wishes is another matter.

Not only would the previously mentioned change of use be an issue, but I also find the possibilities of making the space truly residential quite challenging, although having so much space does allow for fulfilling quite a few wishes (like your tree, for example).

I would just suggest making an inquiry! Building something completely new will certainly exceed any renovation costs for a warehouse! Your planned option would likely be much cheaper, I suppose.

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Hello,

I have removed the link, please follow the forum rules. Thank you.

Regards, Bauexperte
Bauexperte

only if anyone here is familiar with the situation in this city

I know Karlsruhe quite well. After all, I’ve spent 15 years searching for apartments, finding one, and moving there.

In the Oststadt district, an old factory building was converted into loft apartments in recent years. However, the price is closer to that of a nice detached house. Maybe something like that could be an option for you?

Otherwise, you’ll only find such industrial halls in so-called mixed-use zones, where both commercial and residential use are permitted. These areas are always outside the restricted zone in Karlsruhe. This means you’ll have to accept neighbors like saunas, strip clubs, and similar businesses nearby. In the Weststadt district, there is such an area, and KA-News reported last year that the living conditions there have become impossible due to sex tourism right on people’s doorsteps.

So, you’ll have a hard time finding something directly in Karlsruhe. I’m not sure about the situation further outside the city.

Also, if you plan to renovate, you’ll have to comply with the Energy Saving Ordinance. This regulation imposes requirements that will likely make the project quite expensive.