ᐅ Consultation and Opinions on the Building Site

Hello dear homebuilders,

I am currently moving from my old building to a new one. The plan is to have something larger, as prices for existing properties are extremely high; I assume it’s similar outside of Hesse where you are.

I might have one or two plots in sight and would like to ask for your advice, opinions, and possibly experiences.

The place of residence should remain in Hesse. I am looking within a radius of about 40-50 kilometers (25-31 miles) from Frankfurt am Main.

At the moment, I live in a mid-terrace house with around 90 sqm (970 sq ft) of living space and a 221 sqm (2,380 sq ft) plot of land.

I am looking for a plot that provides a minimum of 600 sqm (6,460 sq ft) and a new build of roughly 150-220 sqm (1,615-2,370 sq ft) of living space.

Here are some questions I have for you:

1. Would you rather build or buy an existing house? The budget is between 450,000 and 650,000 maximum, including real estate agent fees, property transfer tax, notary, etc.
2. Would you prefer a “typical” house, meaning a detached house? Positioned at the front directly on the street? Or would you be fine with a semi-detached house, a back house with its own 3-4 meter (10-13 feet) wide driveway, or even terraced houses? And most importantly, why?
3. Would a quiet location be more important to you, or would you prefer to be centrally located in the city?
4. Is internet connectivity (fast internet) important to you? Good public transport access is of course very important but usually more expensive.

Attached is a picture of a sample plot in case it is about a back house. Example of a 3 meter (10 feet) wide driveway without passage rights for the front house, which is solely owned by the back house. The plot is 800 sqm (8,610 sq ft) for the back house.

Thank you very much for participating!

A newly built house is not necessarily cheaper than a used property. You can only build more affordably if you are willing to compromise on the location of the land.

I had a used house before and now a new build. It just has to fit the situation. I would never reject any option. Almost every location has its appeal, whether urban or rural.
It also doesn’t have to be a detached house.
My dream home would be a large chain bungalow with an interior courtyard, which I would completely renovate.
The pipe style would be the only no-go [emoji4]

Why should a connection to public transport be a given? Only if you need it daily. For weekly use, a bit more distance is perfectly fine [emoji6]

ypg schrieb:
A new build isn’t cheaper than a used property. You can only build more affordably if you compromise on the location of the plot.
I’ve owned a used house and now a new build. It really depends on the situation. I would never dismiss either option. Almost every location has its charm, whether urban or rural.
It also doesn’t have to be a detached house.
My dream home would be a large ranch-style bungalow with a courtyard, which I would completely renovate.
Victorian style would be the only no-go [emoji4]

Why would highway access be a must? Only if you need it daily. Weekly use can definitely allow for a bit more distance [emoji6]

Of course, the highway access doesn’t apply to everyone. A townhouse also has its advantages, but I’d like to have the privilege that I currently don’t have—even as a homeowner, you don’t quite have that full “freedom,” if you know what I mean.

A bungalow might be a great option in older age or as a third home. For now, the current house is for my immediate family and my parents on the ground floor. Possibly also a basement apartment and an attic apartment to rent out, so the property pays off faster.

How important the orientation of the house will be for me, I still have to find out. It’s certainly very important for my wife and mother—they’re hobby gardeners after all.

Regarding used properties, they are unfortunately very expensive here in Hesse. Especially due to the low interest rates. It’s quite overpriced overall— a house worth only around 200,000€ is sold for 350,000€. Pure madness...

Stivikivi schrieb:


1. Would you rather build a house or buy an existing one?
2. Would you prefer to own a "typical" house, …
3. Is a quiet location more important to you, or being centrally located in the city?
4. Is internet connectivity (fast internet) important to you? Highway access is obviously important too, but that also tends to be much more expensive.

Sure, I could answer that, but I wonder: how would knowing what I like really help YOU?
1. We are building because we couldn’t find anything locally that a) we truly liked and b) would have been available at a reasonable price including all the changes we wanted.
2. A semi-detached house is perfectly fine here. If we had ended up further out in the countryside, with more space, that would not have been acceptable. I would only take a terraced house (row house) as a gift, just to resell it.
3. QUIETNESS
4. Fast internet is a must nowadays, highway access less so, but the place shouldn’t be too far from work. For me, 50km (31 miles) is too far.

So, did that help you at all with your decision?

I would never want to live under the same roof as relatives, nor have anyone living above me. Having strangers on the other side of the house is fine.
With a typical terraced house, you have neighbors you can hear and sometimes see. I’ve been through that.
Now I have a detached house where I can walk all around the property. I can see the neighbors (the hedge isn’t dense enough), and I can hear them too. By the way, 90% of my neighbors can’t walk all the way around their detached houses. But I understand where you’re coming from.
My linked bungalow, by the way, would be from the spacious 1960s...

Müllerin schrieb:
Sure, I could answer that, but I wonder: how does it help YOU if you know what I like?
1. We are building because we couldn’t find anything locally that a) we really liked and b) that was available at a reasonable price including all the changes we wanted.
2. A semi-detached house is completely fine here. If we had ended up further out in the countryside with more space, it wouldn’t be okay anymore. I would only consider a terraced house if it was a gift, just to sell it.
3. PEACE AND QUIET
4. Fast internet is a must nowadays, the highway less so, but the workplace shouldn’t be too far. For me, 50 km (31 miles) is too far.

So, has this helped you in any way with your decisions?

Hi Müllerin!

Thank you so much for your input! Yes, it really helps me a lot; I’m happy to exchange ideas, especially when I can learn from others’ experiences and perspectives. My commuting distance is 50 km (31 miles) in total. My actual work commute is 34 km (21 miles), about 10–14 km (6–9 miles) of that on country roads. I think that’s okay. Regarding point 1, we have the same problem. We’ve been searching for about two years now, and either the room layouts are very awkward and would require remodeling, a new roof, this and that, which then doesn’t make financial sense, or the plots are poorly shaped. Usually, they’re rectangular with a long depth, which means the house would have to be positioned sideways (not our style).

I think as long as you get the plot at a good price and don’t cut corners on construction, you can get more value for your money.