ᐅ Building a house on a narrow lot? There is already a three-family house on the property.
Created on: 30 Jun 2016 22:50
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bentek
Hello,
I own a property, a three-family house, and I now want to build a house for myself on the quite large plot of land. The width of the plot is only 9.5 meters (31 feet), but the length is over 70 meters (230 feet). The regulation states that there must be at least 3 meters (10 feet) between the new building and the property boundary, but when I look at the existing houses, none of them comply with the 3-meter (10 feet) rule at all. Could there be special regulations?
Regards
I own a property, a three-family house, and I now want to build a house for myself on the quite large plot of land. The width of the plot is only 9.5 meters (31 feet), but the length is over 70 meters (230 feet). The regulation states that there must be at least 3 meters (10 feet) between the new building and the property boundary, but when I look at the existing houses, none of them comply with the 3-meter (10 feet) rule at all. Could there be special regulations?
Regards
That certainly depends somewhat on the basic conditions. Do you own the land? Do you want to live there (stay)? Alternatives would be selling or just mortgaging the property and building elsewhere. There are definitely options to build narrow houses. Dirk’s suggestion is, of course, the better idea—if possible.
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Che.guevara1 Jul 2016 10:59What do one of your two neighbors say?
Is there a possibility to swap areas? That way, two nice houses can be built.
Maybe you could share the driveway?
Is there a possibility to swap areas? That way, two nice houses can be built.
Maybe you could share the driveway?
I also like Dirk’s idea, but it will be difficult since I only purchased the three-family house 10 months ago. The neighbors next door are long-established and older. They are not very flexible. I will politely bring up the matter with them again, but I fear we won’t reach an agreement.
And yes, I want to live in the property myself. Originally, I wanted a bungalow, but a two-story house with half of the upper floor serving as a roof terrace is also conceivable. The house has a really nice view to the back (looking down onto a lot of greenery). Therefore, I would prefer to build at the back of the lot, so that none of the houses in front would be affected.
Do you think it’s not possible to build a decent house with only 4.5 m (15 feet) width and about 16–17 m (52–56 feet) length? The total living area would be up to 130 sqm (1,400 sq ft) plus a full basement and a large roof terrace (40–50 sqm / 430–540 sq ft).
And yes, I want to live in the property myself. Originally, I wanted a bungalow, but a two-story house with half of the upper floor serving as a roof terrace is also conceivable. The house has a really nice view to the back (looking down onto a lot of greenery). Therefore, I would prefer to build at the back of the lot, so that none of the houses in front would be affected.
Do you think it’s not possible to build a decent house with only 4.5 m (15 feet) width and about 16–17 m (52–56 feet) length? The total living area would be up to 130 sqm (1,400 sq ft) plus a full basement and a large roof terrace (40–50 sqm / 430–540 sq ft).
Of course, it’s possible to achieve something there, but you will naturally face certain limitations and have to make some compromises. I would recommend finding an independent architect. It is, of course, more challenging than a plot measuring 25 m x 25 m (82 feet x 82 feet).
You mentioned that the plot gets wider towards the back – you could consider building a wedge-shaped structure there.
You mentioned that the plot gets wider towards the back – you could consider building a wedge-shaped structure there.
No, it is wider towards the front, meaning at the entrance of the existing house. At the back, the 9.50 meters (31 feet) remain, but I have some ideas.
It's a pity that the kitchen and living room cannot be as wide as desired because of this. The bedrooms, however, would not be a problem.
Do you have specific ideas for these dimensions?
It's a pity that the kitchen and living room cannot be as wide as desired because of this. The bedrooms, however, would not be a problem.
Do you have specific ideas for these dimensions?
There is definitely potential here, but 9.5 meters (31 feet) is quite tight.
Assuming you can’t get either of the neighbors on board regarding easements, you have to maintain at least 3 meters (10 feet) of living space clearance on both sides. That leaves you with 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) of building width remaining.
Optimistically, with a wall thickness of 0.30 meters (12 inches), your rough room width is down to 2.9 meters (9.5 feet). That’s really quite narrow. It’s clear that a large open-plan kitchen-living-dining area of 50 square meters (540 square feet) or more would be difficult under these conditions.
However, I can imagine a house with clearly defined zones and generous glazing along the long sides working well here.
A good architect can definitely create something great from this.
I find this very interesting, but I would really recommend consulting with an architect. Under these conditions, I don’t think you’ll get very far without professional advice.
Assuming you can’t get either of the neighbors on board regarding easements, you have to maintain at least 3 meters (10 feet) of living space clearance on both sides. That leaves you with 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) of building width remaining.
Optimistically, with a wall thickness of 0.30 meters (12 inches), your rough room width is down to 2.9 meters (9.5 feet). That’s really quite narrow. It’s clear that a large open-plan kitchen-living-dining area of 50 square meters (540 square feet) or more would be difficult under these conditions.
However, I can imagine a house with clearly defined zones and generous glazing along the long sides working well here.
A good architect can definitely create something great from this.
I find this very interesting, but I would really recommend consulting with an architect. Under these conditions, I don’t think you’ll get very far without professional advice.
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