ᐅ Concept Development – Orientation of the House

Created on: 31 May 2015 11:58
G
Guskeroni
Hello everyone,

After following the discussions here for a while, I’d like to share an update on our own building project. We currently have a plot of land reserved in the Osnabrück district.

We are still in an early phase of planning. At the moment, we are mainly considering the possible positioning of the house on the plot. We are still figuring out the most practical way to place our house.

A site plan is attached. The building limits (a 3m (10 feet) boundary all around) have already been marked.

At the moment, it seems most practical for us to position the garage (about 4x9m (13x30 feet)) on the east side right on the property boundary, with the house next to it (possibly placed “diagonally” parallel to the northern property line). However, this would mean that from the terrace (located in the southwest), we would look directly onto the neighbor’s garage to the south.

Our potential neighbors have already built. The neighbor to the south has a bungalow, which we like because it doesn’t block much sunlight for us :-)

Maybe you have some tips or suggestions on the best way to position the house.

Here are a few details:


Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 590 m² (6,350 sq ft)
Corner plot (traffic-calmed street to the left and above the plot)
Slope: slight incline downward to the south (about 0.5m (1.6 feet) from the northern to the southern property boundary)
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 0.6
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: 3m (10 feet) all around (marked on the plan)
Number of storeys: 1.5 storeys (maximum ridge height 8.5m (28 feet))
Roof type: gable roof
Architectural style: no specific requirements

[U]Client Requirements[/U]
Architectural style, roof type, building type: gable roof (with gable facing the garden)
Basement, number of floors: 1.5 storeys, no basement
Room requirements on ground floor and upper floor: total about 150–160 m² (1,615–1,720 sq ft)
Garage, carport: single garage with storage room
Terrace accessible from kitchen and living/dining room. Floor-to-ceiling windows facing the garden/terrace


Thanks in advance and best regards

Lageplan eines Grundstücks mit Grenzlinien und Gebäudestrukturen im Maßstab 1:500
F
FrankH
1 Jun 2015 09:04
Just a brief comment on the following statement:
Guskeroni schrieb:
Then on the terrace (in the southwest) we directly face the neighbor’s garage to the south.
This should not be a major issue. I would simply plant something in front of it that will sufficiently cover the garage wall later on, so you’ll be looking at greenery instead. Especially since the neighbor has already planted cypresses along the boundary. However, I would recommend checking the distance of the already planted cypresses from the property line, as there are regulations on how tall they can grow. As far as I know, the permitted height depends on the distance of the plants from the boundary. If the allowed height is exceeded and no action is taken, you may eventually (I think you have a 5-year period here) lose the right to object and will have to accept the shade caused. My neighbor has a similar problem with another neighbor (their house is rented out and the garden is rarely maintained) and apparently cannot do anything about it anymore.
In our wider neighborhood, there is a property with thujas at least 5-6m (16-20 feet) tall close to the boundary. The affected neighbor there might not mind because they are mainly to the north, but for you, it would be on the south side, which is the main sunny side.

PS: Where exactly in the Osnabrück region are you considering your plot?
G
Guskeroni
1 Jun 2015 14:11
FrankH schrieb:
And if the allowed height is ever exceeded and no action is taken, you won’t be able to contest it later (I believe we have 5 years here) and will have to accept the resulting shadow

Hello Frank,
thanks for the tip, that hadn’t crossed my mind yet :-)

PS: The plot is in Bramsche – Hemke III
Y
ypg
1 Jun 2015 14:23
FrankH schrieb:
The neighbors affected there might not be bothered much because they are located more to the north, but for you, it would be the south side, which is the main sunny side.

...especially on the south side, this is acceptable since the sun is highest there and shines over the hedge planting. In this case, the hedge would actually be in the shade of the house. 😉
Y
ypg
1 Jun 2015 14:36
FrankH schrieb:
There are regulations regarding the maximum allowed height. As far as I know, this depends on the distance of the plants from the property boundary.

Lower Saxony Neighbor Law §27 Enclosure Act, not to be confused with §50 (distance regulations for individual planting)
In this case, a shared planting directly on the property boundary would be regulated. I would personally just set aside the laws for this case 😉

The permitted heights of enclosures are usually specified in the local development plan.
G
Guskeroni
1 Jun 2015 20:12
I'm not surprised that there is a law for something like this in Germany. :-)
However, the development plan doesn't specify anything about fencing. I'm quite relaxed about it myself. I think it's definitely possible to coordinate with the neighbors to ensure the planting is acceptable for both sides.
F
FrankH
2 Jun 2015 01:10
I assume that one can hopefully reach an agreement with the neighbor. However, it is still necessary to be familiar with the legal situation.