ᐅ Buying Land – Which Plot Makes More Sense for Building? Tips

Hello everyone,

I am facing the big decision of buying a plot of land and urgently need your help and advice, as I have little experience in this area. It concerns two plots, both with their pros and cons, and I am unsure which one is best suited. Additionally, there are restrictions on the building footprint when constructing on a plot smaller than 500 m² (5400 sq ft).

Plot 4 (516 m² / 5555 sq ft):

At first glance, it offers more space, which naturally sounds attractive. However, it has a rather narrow driveway, which worries me. I wonder if this could cause problems during construction or day-to-day life later on—whether for deliveries, the building process itself, or simply access. Could this limit the usability of the plot?

Plot 5 (461 m² / 4960 sq ft):

This plot is a bit smaller but has a significantly wider driveway. Overall, it seems more practical, especially regarding access and driveways. However, the smaller size concerns me somewhat, as I fear it might limit flexibility in building.

Important building regulations for Plots 4 and 5:

Building footprint and floor area:
Main building: Max. 150 m² (1615 sq ft) footprint (for plots of 500 m² / 5400 sq ft and larger).
Floor area: Max. 375 m² (4036 sq ft), with 2 full stories.
Additional terraces and ancillary areas: Up to 50 m² (540 sq ft) allowed.

Roof types and heights:
Permitted: Gable roof, shed roof, flat roof (flat roofs must be at least 80% greened).
Max. wall height: 6.8 m (22 ft), max. total height: 9.0 m (30 ft).

Distances:
Terraces: At least 1.5 m (5 ft) from the property boundary.
Outbuildings (e.g., garden shed): Max. 10 m² (108 sq ft), at least 3 m (10 ft) from the street.
Garages/parking spaces: Garage doors must be at least 5 m (16 ft) from the street.

Parking spaces:
2 parking spaces per dwelling are required. One of these may be a garage.

I am an absolute beginner in this area and would very much appreciate your opinions and experiences:

• What should I especially consider when making this decision?
• Has anyone had experience with narrow driveways?
• Does the size of the plots really make such a big difference, or is practical usability what counts in the end?

Thank you very much in advance for your advice!

The driveway width wouldn’t be a concern for me. What is located outside the area to be developed?

wiltshire schrieb:
The driveway width wouldn’t worry me. What is located outside of the area to be developed?

On the north side, there is also a residential area with multi-family houses and detached houses. To the west, there are fields behind the trees.

Both plots are subject to nearly identical regulatory frameworks, but the buildable area increases by 50 square meters (about 540 square feet) once the lot size crosses the 500 square meter (approximately 5,380 square feet) threshold. Due to the visitor parking spaces opposite and the curved road layout, both driveway situations are similarly moderate (but not bad). It is not automatically granted that you can use the entire street boundary as a driveway, and the driveway for plot 5 is actually more convenient. If you can afford the slightly larger plot size, you will have significantly more freedom to build on plot 5. Plot 5 borders only the adjacent neighbors 4 and 6, while plot 4, as a corner lot, borders plot 5 and existing development. Regarding the required planting strip, neither plot disadvantages the other. The terrain appears to be fairly level from north to south and slopes noticeably toward the west.

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https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/

P.S.: This is roughly how it probably looks there at the moment:

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https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/

11ant schrieb:

Both plots are subject to practically the same regulatory framework, but the buildable area jumps by 50 square meters (about 540 square feet) once you cross the “500 sqm (5400 sq ft) plot size” threshold. Due to the visitor parking spaces opposite and the curved layout of the street, both driveway situations are similarly moderate (but not bad). It is not automatically granted that you can use the entire street frontage as a driveway, and the one on plot 5 is actually more convenient. If you can afford the larger plot size, building on plot 5 offers significantly more freedom. Plot 5 only borders the adjacent neighbors 4 and 6, while plot 4, as a corner plot, borders plot 5 and existing buildings. Regarding the mandatory planting strip, they cancel each other out. The terrain seems fairly level north-south and noticeably slopes downward to the west.

I can’t really picture a house on plot number 4 yet, at least not visually.

11ant schrieb:

P.S. This is approximately what it currently looks like there:

In fact, it’s already finished; only the plots are still undeveloped. It is fully serviced, etc.
I can only roughly imagine building on the corner like this.

The tree that was supposed to be on plot 5 has been cut down, but the municipality would plant a new one and you could choose which type.