ᐅ The front-facing windows are suboptimal and need to be improved.

verwirrt schrieb:

@WilderSueden sorry, I expressed myself incorrectly. The windows are already there; only the ones I wanted to change were not ordered. So we’re supposed to do that only after the final inspection…

If the windows are already there, then it’s no longer possible to change plans cheaply. If I were you, I would really look at how the house appears once finished and then possibly work with paint or cladding. It doesn’t matter at all to have doubts about certain things during the process—I feel the same. But in the end, you have put some thought into it, and things have turned out this way for certain reasons.

The Berlin regulation referenced by [USER=52679]@WilderSueden explicitly includes openings as well. However, exempt from the formal procedure does not mean you can do whatever you like. You still need to notify the authorities about the change, but in theory, you do not have to wait for official approval. The question is, if it later turns out that the change is not allowed, are you then required to restore the original state?

In your case, only windows are mentioned, with particular emphasis on their design. Strictly interpreted, you could replace your windows with white frames with ones in light gray, but in my opinion, this does not imply that you can simply enlarge the windows or install new windows where there were none before. That said, you might still be allowed to do that, but based on my understanding of German regulations, it is not evident from this excerpt.

In case of doubt, consult a specialist...

I knew you had already started a thread before, but that was about the "poor floor plan," which actually wasn’t that bad. I would also initially favor the visual option, especially if you can only make changes after final inspection anyway. Just wait and see how everything looks in reality.

Try to relax, even if it’s difficult. Your house is not a total botch job.

kati1337 schrieb:

Maybe something like this? Sorry for the poor editing in Paint. The idea is to move away from the many different window sizes toward symmetrical windows. However, that would be well over the $4,000 budget, especially if done after final inspection. You’d have to reopen everything and redo the facade, or am I mistaken?

No more floor-to-ceiling windows on the upper floor in the utility room. Okay on the lower floor but not upstairs.

@Ysop*** The floor plan was also my main concern. Through this thread, we decided to reposition the garage and add two windows on the right side. According to the building regulations, we are allowed to move the garage forward as long as there is a 5m (16 feet) setback from the street.
I just received a call from the builder saying they will order the windows for me. They won’t install them, but ordering them is at least a step forward. Initially, they didn’t want to do anything, but after a month of pressure, they are starting to cooperate. Before moving ahead with ordering the windows, I’d like to wait for a few more comments—maybe there will be additional suggestions.

@Offtopic would you place the upper floor-to-ceiling window in the office below? Why never floor-to-ceiling again—did you have a bad experience?