Hello Forum!
After my grandmother’s life estate ended, we now have an unoccupied semi-detached house and face the big question: should we demolish and build new or do a (major) renovation?
What we know:
Not visible in the photo are two garages on the right, which are still in use and could remain untouched for now. How the house looks beneath the facade is unknown.
What we don’t know:
We would be very grateful for any kind of suggestions. For example, do you need a basement? Should you build an additional rental unit as a form of retirement planning, or the opposite – could you omit a floor to reduce costs, and so on…
There are two of us, around 35 years old, without children or pets, though that could change in five years. Unfortunately, the lottery win hasn’t come through yet, so we can’t replace this house with a castle. Ideally, we would like to come in under the architect’s estimated budget.
So, who has an idea, an opinion, a suggestion, or a question?
After my grandmother’s life estate ended, we now have an unoccupied semi-detached house and face the big question: should we demolish and build new or do a (major) renovation?
What we know:
- The house is 90 years old.
- There is a damp rubble stone basement.
- We consulted an architect who pointed out what might be wrong. For example, he picked at a piece of steel beam from the basement ceiling/wall with his fingers, which as a complete layperson I find extremely concerning. However, the houses in the neighborhood are all roughly the same age, none have been demolished so far, and none have collapsed. I am not sure how to evaluate this “the steel beams will eventually become flaky” information. He advised against a minor renovation, calling it a bottomless pit, and said it would ultimately cost much more than planned if something unexpected happens. He threw out the figure of 300,000€ (euros) for both a full renovation, a new build, or a sale. The latter is not an option for now.
- Electrical, plumbing, and heating systems would all need to be replaced.
- A call to the building authority revealed there is no zoning plan. So, basically, anything is possible at this stage.
Not visible in the photo are two garages on the right, which are still in use and could remain untouched for now. How the house looks beneath the facade is unknown.
What we don’t know:
- What we actually want.
- How we should proceed.
- Who to turn to for advice.
We would be very grateful for any kind of suggestions. For example, do you need a basement? Should you build an additional rental unit as a form of retirement planning, or the opposite – could you omit a floor to reduce costs, and so on…
There are two of us, around 35 years old, without children or pets, though that could change in five years. Unfortunately, the lottery win hasn’t come through yet, so we can’t replace this house with a castle. Ideally, we would like to come in under the architect’s estimated budget.
So, who has an idea, an opinion, a suggestion, or a question?
B
Bauexperte28 Sep 2015 23:01@ W. Pickartz
The language used in forums – including the HBF – is informal ("you" in the singular form). Using the formal "you" makes me feel older than my skin already suggests.
Best regards, Bauexperte
Bauexperte
The language used in forums – including the HBF – is informal ("you" in the singular form). Using the formal "you" makes me feel older than my skin already suggests.
Best regards, Bauexperte
Bauexperte
A
allerdings2 Oct 2015 15:53Okay. I keep thinking about the following idea: is it possible to split the plot in half, sell one half including the house, and build a new house on the other half? The entire area is about 650 sqm (7000 sq ft). On the left side of the picture is the street, which is roughly 22 m (72 feet) wide. Just some numbers to work with.
Is this allowed? Does it make sense? Is it permitted? You get rid of the house and the buyer can renovate it completely, but you still own a small piece of land. And you get more money.
Would that be too small? Or is this all nonsense?
I will probably go to the local authority next week with this idea. Unless someone here can talk me out of it.
Is this allowed? Does it make sense? Is it permitted? You get rid of the house and the buyer can renovate it completely, but you still own a small piece of land. And you get more money.
Would that be too small? Or is this all nonsense?
I will probably go to the local authority next week with this idea. Unless someone here can talk me out of it.
allerdings schrieb:
Is that allowed?That depends on the local development plan. What does the floor area ratio (FAR) say, which limits the built-up area of the lot?
Is there a building setback at the rear? Could the land at the back be designated only as garden space?
Is the plot part of a continuous development? (only allowing semi-detached/terraced houses)
How large (or small) is the minimum lot size permitted? Is a second dwelling unit allowed?
These questions came to mind immediately. Most answers can be found in the development plan or by consulting the building authority.
Best regards, Yvonne
Edit:
Used properties are often sold because the garden is unique.
Houses in need of renovation are generally not very attractive on the market, unless they are old, well-preserved farmhouses or country houses. For an unattractive semi-detached house, the plot itself has to be a selling point. I don’t think it will be, if a new building is constructed there. Also, a new build is usually not cheaper...
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allerdings9 Oct 2015 11:52allerdings schrieb:
Is it possible to divide the plot, sell one half including the house, and build your own small house on the other half? Now I know, that’s not allowed.
I ran into zoning law §34 for the first time, which really surprised me.
The only reason it’s not possible is this: all the neighboring lots are large. Period. So you are not allowed to reduce the size of a plot. However, I could probably build two houses on a single plot (not that I want to, but I likely could), just not split the plot and put one house on each half. That’s not allowed.
Too bad.
allerdings schrieb:
Now I know, that’s not possible.Hello @allerdings,
please get in touch with me on Monday. I would like to understand the statement better, as in my opinion it is not entirely accurate or valid. However, it might depend on the federal state, so it needs to be examined in detail.
Contact me via my profile.
Best regards,
Dirk Grafe
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allerdings9 Oct 2015 15:39ypg schrieb:
A new build is not getting any cheaper either...No. But there is more money available for construction, and the ongoing costs are lower due to a smaller plot. Insurance, property taxes, and other related expenses.
Dirk Grafe schrieb:
Contact via my profile.Gladly, thank you very much.
The official also mentioned—aside from the fact that §34 prohibits subdivision and development—that the new house would be too narrow even if all setback distances were observed. We had measured something different. However, I only spoke with him by phone. Should one appear in person at the office? Basically, with every fixed idea, so that the person on the other side spends more than four seconds considering the question?
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