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
F
Frank_Schuster16 Feb 2021 08:45Thank you for the new input! Yes, we are aware that we will lose some living space due to the walls. The 5.7 m (18.7 feet) probably isn't the absolute maximum that would work there; as mentioned, it was just a simple drawing to see where the house could be placed on the plot and where the driveway could go.
The tiny house idea is interesting, but it doesn't seem very cost-effective in terms of price per square meter (square foot) ;-)
From everything I've read here so far, most opinions lean towards the idea that having a second house on this property doesn’t make much sense. We will likely continue searching for our own plot or a completed house for now 🙂
The tiny house idea is interesting, but it doesn't seem very cost-effective in terms of price per square meter (square foot) ;-)
From everything I've read here so far, most opinions lean towards the idea that having a second house on this property doesn’t make much sense. We will likely continue searching for our own plot or a completed house for now 🙂
Frank_Schuster schrieb:
that building a second house on this plot doesn’t make much senseWrong. Not allowed according to the zoning plan / development plan 😉F
Frank_Schuster17 Feb 2021 08:24ypg schrieb:
Incorrect. Not possible according to the zoning plan 😉Well, that's why it's not wrong to say that it doesn't make much sense either. One does not exclude the other. 😉
F
Frank_Schuster18 Feb 2021 11:13ypg schrieb:
It would make sense... but it’s pointless to consider whether it does if it’s not allowed anyway.
But before guessing about what makes sense or not:
What did the building authority say on the phone?I haven’t called the building authority yet. We will continue to look for our own plot of land or house first. Thank you very much for all the information, tips, and ideas. 🙂
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