ᐅ Demolition of Old House – Basement Remains – Building a New House on Top?
Created on: 26 Apr 2025 23:33
F
Flo1990
Hello community,
I would like to ask for your opinions and experiences once again.
There are no available building plots in our area, and the houses on the market are overpriced.
We could now buy a house from 1955 with about 100 m2 (1,076 sq ft) of living space.
The location is unique for us. The plot is 720 m2 (7,750 sq ft). However, the condition of the house is poor.
If we were to renovate, we would need to add an extension or raise the roof.
Everything else would require a complete gut renovation, as nothing has been done since 1955.
We estimate costs of at least 400,000€.
We would then demolish this house. Does it make sense to keep the basement during demolition? Currently, the basement is about 75 m2 (807 sq ft). The basement also needs a full renovation but is dry. The ground floor of the new building would cover around 110–120 m2 (1,184–1,292 sq ft), while the 35–45 m2 (377–484 sq ft) without a basement would have new floor slabs. Could this save costs?
Is it possible to build a new solid or prefabricated house on the old basement ceiling/floor slab?
For the new construction, we are planning a house with approximately 180 m2 (1,938 sq ft) of living space. What costs should we currently expect for this?
Thanks for all your tips, experiences, and cost estimates.
I would like to ask for your opinions and experiences once again.
There are no available building plots in our area, and the houses on the market are overpriced.
We could now buy a house from 1955 with about 100 m2 (1,076 sq ft) of living space.
The location is unique for us. The plot is 720 m2 (7,750 sq ft). However, the condition of the house is poor.
If we were to renovate, we would need to add an extension or raise the roof.
Everything else would require a complete gut renovation, as nothing has been done since 1955.
We estimate costs of at least 400,000€.
We would then demolish this house. Does it make sense to keep the basement during demolition? Currently, the basement is about 75 m2 (807 sq ft). The basement also needs a full renovation but is dry. The ground floor of the new building would cover around 110–120 m2 (1,184–1,292 sq ft), while the 35–45 m2 (377–484 sq ft) without a basement would have new floor slabs. Could this save costs?
Is it possible to build a new solid or prefabricated house on the old basement ceiling/floor slab?
For the new construction, we are planning a house with approximately 180 m2 (1,938 sq ft) of living space. What costs should we currently expect for this?
Thanks for all your tips, experiences, and cost estimates.
Flo1990 schrieb:
In our area there are....... and only overpriced houses. This is the often-mentioned market situation, and if everything seems overpriced, maybe your expectations are below reality, meaning they fall within what is, understandably, a desired price range.
Flo1990 schrieb:
I’m also afraid of ending up with an overpriced new build. Here, I would like to look at the term "overpriced" from several angles; from your point of view, when exactly is something overpriced or how do you determine this assessment if it’s clearly not based on usual market prices? It’s not that I like high prices as a buyer, but it is what it is. Always hoping that things will finally be the way you like or not seem overpriced doesn’t seem to be the solution either, since this has already led to a 6-year waiting period during which your life went on and house prices rose significantly.
Flo1990 schrieb:
The location is unique for us. You can change many things about the house, even repeatedly, but never the location. Please explain why this location is "unique" here so that it can be understood. And if it really is "unique," this could have an impact on the feeling that the price is overpriced.
We used to call it convoluted nonsense. Let’s be honest: basement renovations don’t come cheap. Building a basement on a slab foundation is no simple task. Add to that the constraints of the old basement’s dimensions and structural requirements, and all of that adds extra costs. I haven’t even considered the energy efficiency aspects yet. Eventually, it becomes a break-even situation, or with that volume, a few extra dollars don’t make much difference anymore. The options are either to fill it in or build a completely new basement. However, you really need to reconsider the overall size. Just as I question the blanket figure of 180 sq m (1940 sq ft) when you need to save on costs...
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nordanney27 Apr 2025 10:21Flo1990 schrieb:
We are planning a new build with a house of about 180m2 (1,940 sq ft) of living space. What costs should we currently expect approximately?Note: 180m2 (1,940 sq ft) is more than enough for parents and four children. If you don’t have a large family, it helps to lower your expectations to an affordable standard size. That way, houses won’t be too expensive. Especially with new builds, a 150m2 (1,615 sq ft) house can be about 100,000 less costly.Flo1990 schrieb:
The plot is 1400 m2 (15,070 sq ft).
You can’t find it online anymore because we are going to buy it 😉 Flo1990 schrieb:
We could now buy a house from 1955 with about 100 m2 (1,080 sq ft) of living space. Did the purchase of the 1966 house in February fall through?
Unfortunately, I don’t have any advice regarding the basement. However, it might be worth knowing that what seems consistently overpriced to you might actually be quite normal average costs when viewed more generally.
No progress has been made yet with the house from February 1966.
We visited the property again with an architect and a renovation company. For the extension and full renovation, we estimated costs around €550,000 (about $590,000). We were advised to demolish the house and build a new one instead. However, the house itself was just too expensive at €515,000 (about $550,000) for that option.
Over the past few years, our purchases and renovations have always exceeded €1 million (about $1.07 million).
Still, these were always with compromises and never exactly how we would have built new ourselves.
This property could potentially be the first one to come in under €1 million (about $1.07 million) for the purchase, demolition, and new construction combined.
I am, of course, aware that costs are higher in major cities.
We live in a rural area with decent infrastructure. We were both born here and definitely want to stay in this location.
We visited the property again with an architect and a renovation company. For the extension and full renovation, we estimated costs around €550,000 (about $590,000). We were advised to demolish the house and build a new one instead. However, the house itself was just too expensive at €515,000 (about $550,000) for that option.
Over the past few years, our purchases and renovations have always exceeded €1 million (about $1.07 million).
Still, these were always with compromises and never exactly how we would have built new ourselves.
This property could potentially be the first one to come in under €1 million (about $1.07 million) for the purchase, demolition, and new construction combined.
I am, of course, aware that costs are higher in major cities.
We live in a rural area with decent infrastructure. We were both born here and definitely want to stay in this location.
Flo1990 schrieb:
No progress has been made yet on the house from February 1966. And not on the one from 1986 either.
When I read the old posts, I see mentions of a new double garage, a walk-in closet, a children’s bathroom... Surely, there also needs to be a pantry on the ground floor, a room intended for use in old age, a shower bathroom on the ground floor... Overall, quite a high standard.
Those who renovate an old house usually don’t try to force their new-build wishes into it but rather work with what the house already offers, accepting compromises and sometimes going without certain features.
I assume the price of a nearly new house, which wouldn’t require much renovation, is deterring you, but you would be willing to spend more if you had to renovate an older, more affordable house since you would have free rein to include everything you want?
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