Hello everyone,
We would like to build a house but have not yet found a suitable plot of land. Therefore, my parents suggested building a house on their property, as they would prefer a somewhat smaller garden anyway. Before we submit an inquiry to the building authority to see if the local development plan allows this, we would like to know if the idea is feasible at all.
My parents own a 1950s house in a 1930s residential zone with a relatively large south-facing garden. An extension is rather unlikely since we don’t know if the old building will remain standing for the next 50 years.
I have attached a drawing made with the help of Google Maps (Image 1), where the property is marked with a red outline. There is a garage and a garden shed on the property (yellow outlines). The front door faces the street side (north) in the center. I added a scale (10 meters (33 feet)) in red to give a sense of the size of the plot.
Do you have any inspiring ideas on how we could theoretically implement this project in the best way?
Our initial thought was to build a house in the lower-right (southeast) part of the plot and leave a continuous strip along the right property boundary as an access driveway to a carport. That way, the existing garage and garden shed of my parents could remain, and there would be separate entrances, as well as a nice south-west orientation of our garden. The front door could then face east, and the living room would face south towards the garden, so my parents and we would each have some privacy. I tried to sketch this once (Image 2).
What about the setback regulations (in North Rhine-Westphalia)? Is it true that we must keep a 3-meter (10 feet) distance from the neighboring property? Probably only a single-story house with a converted attic would be possible, right? A basement would then be necessary to have enough living space. We are planning for two children, and there is also the possibility that the second time we might have twins 🙂
What do you think of the plan, and do you have any suggestions or ideas? Thank you very much in advance! 🙂
Best regards,
Frank
We would like to build a house but have not yet found a suitable plot of land. Therefore, my parents suggested building a house on their property, as they would prefer a somewhat smaller garden anyway. Before we submit an inquiry to the building authority to see if the local development plan allows this, we would like to know if the idea is feasible at all.
My parents own a 1950s house in a 1930s residential zone with a relatively large south-facing garden. An extension is rather unlikely since we don’t know if the old building will remain standing for the next 50 years.
I have attached a drawing made with the help of Google Maps (Image 1), where the property is marked with a red outline. There is a garage and a garden shed on the property (yellow outlines). The front door faces the street side (north) in the center. I added a scale (10 meters (33 feet)) in red to give a sense of the size of the plot.
Do you have any inspiring ideas on how we could theoretically implement this project in the best way?
Our initial thought was to build a house in the lower-right (southeast) part of the plot and leave a continuous strip along the right property boundary as an access driveway to a carport. That way, the existing garage and garden shed of my parents could remain, and there would be separate entrances, as well as a nice south-west orientation of our garden. The front door could then face east, and the living room would face south towards the garden, so my parents and we would each have some privacy. I tried to sketch this once (Image 2).
What about the setback regulations (in North Rhine-Westphalia)? Is it true that we must keep a 3-meter (10 feet) distance from the neighboring property? Probably only a single-story house with a converted attic would be possible, right? A basement would then be necessary to have enough living space. We are planning for two children, and there is also the possibility that the second time we might have twins 🙂
What do you think of the plan, and do you have any suggestions or ideas? Thank you very much in advance! 🙂
Best regards,
Frank
H
Hausbautraum2012 Feb 2021 20:41What are the dimensions of the house shown in the drawing? It doesn’t look like a family could live in there :-(
Snowy36 schrieb:
Friends of mine have just realized it exactly as you describedThey built a house where the plot only had enough space for a garden shed???Snowy36 schrieb:
I would first ask the local authoritiesThe aerial photo gives no reason to suspect there is potential to increase the density of the building area behind the first row. This looks more like a residential development area built about forty years ago, which is generally not the typical candidate for such development, and the neighboring plots also do not seem to have enough depth for a second family home “in the garden.”https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
The street section looks like the building area is already well utilized and seems to end roughly in the middle. In other words, construction in the second row is initially not allowed.
It appears that there is a zoning plan in place.
The neighbor to the east on the corner seems to have made significant upgrades. If they had been permitted, something would likely have expanded on the property instead of adding two additional extensions/gables running across.
An extension seems more feasible.
The zoning plan and the building authority can provide more details. I think a phone call should be sufficient.
It appears that there is a zoning plan in place.
The neighbor to the east on the corner seems to have made significant upgrades. If they had been permitted, something would likely have expanded on the property instead of adding two additional extensions/gables running across.
An extension seems more feasible.
The zoning plan and the building authority can provide more details. I think a phone call should be sufficient.
I would first contact the building authority. Send them an email and attach the pictures you posted here. Provide them with the parcel number. I think they can quickly tell you whether it would even be possible to get approval.
If they say it’s impossible, then any further consideration would just be a waste of time.
What are the dimensions of the house you marked, and how much distance do you have from the parents’ house?
If they say it’s impossible, then any further consideration would just be a waste of time.
What are the dimensions of the house you marked, and how much distance do you have from the parents’ house?
We built on our parents’ plot, which is just over 700 sqm (7,535 sq ft). However, we had the option to build at the far end of the property and, through an agreement regarding building rights, were allowed to use a footpath to access the driveway.
We constructed a semi-detached house as a detached home. A 3-meter (10 feet) distance had to be maintained. Only 1.5 meters (5 feet) to the footpath, as half of it was counted toward the setback area. On this side of the street, we are the only house with rear development that is not an extension.
Legally, it was allowed. Would we do it again? Definitely not. It’s far too close to the parents/in-laws. We still have ongoing conflicts because it still feels like their property. Changes we make are difficult, and changes they make on our property are not discussed with us. I would like to have a fence, but that would lead to serious disagreement. It just doesn’t feel like owning something of our own. This might not be the case for you, but it’s something to consider.
It’s also frustrating that they are constantly standing on the terrace, no matter what time of day...
We constructed a semi-detached house as a detached home. A 3-meter (10 feet) distance had to be maintained. Only 1.5 meters (5 feet) to the footpath, as half of it was counted toward the setback area. On this side of the street, we are the only house with rear development that is not an extension.
Legally, it was allowed. Would we do it again? Definitely not. It’s far too close to the parents/in-laws. We still have ongoing conflicts because it still feels like their property. Changes we make are difficult, and changes they make on our property are not discussed with us. I would like to have a fence, but that would lead to serious disagreement. It just doesn’t feel like owning something of our own. This might not be the case for you, but it’s something to consider.
It’s also frustrating that they are constantly standing on the terrace, no matter what time of day...
P
pagoni202013 Feb 2021 18:07shenja schrieb:
It’s also annoying that they are constantly standing on the terrace. No matter the time of day... As is often the case, this can be both a blessing and a curse.
I think it’s very important to agree on clear and honest arrangements beforehand, and maybe even write them down on paper, even if that might initially feel awkward. But... times change, and so do people (including yourself). This should also include allowing everyone to do what they want in their own space, from setting boundaries to having complete privacy, strictly following the idea: it’s better to address difficult issues right from the start. The problem is that you then also have to stick to things that were previously convenient for you.
In the end, whether this works depends on the people involved.
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