Hello dear forum members,
I’m planning to buy a Nurdach house in northern Germany and wanted to get your opinion on whether there are any important considerations I might have overlooked.
Situation:
I am 36 years old and essentially an early retiree. I currently live in a small but well-maintained 42 sqm (452 sq ft) condominium in a suburb of Munich. Due to price increases, the apartment is now worth around 100,000 EUR (approximately 108,000 USD) and should be easy to sell since the supply of condos is quite limited in the Munich real estate market. However, since I don’t want to live permanently in a multi-family building and I don’t need to work, I’m starting to think it doesn’t make sense to stay in this small apartment when I could buy a small house in northern Germany for the same money. I’m not tied to any jobs or family obligations. I actually prefer a rural lifestyle over city life because I mainly want peace and quiet and am happy to give up short shopping distances and similar conveniences.
The plan:
I intend to buy a Nurdach house with about 80 sqm (860 sq ft) of living space and a small plot of land (freehold property). I was thinking of spending around 50,000 to 60,000 EUR (54,000 to 65,000 USD) on it. These houses start at around 35,000 EUR (38,000 USD) including land, but for 50,000 to 60,000 EUR you should be able to get something reasonably decent, based on what I’ve seen on real estate platforms like Immoscout. I don’t have any additional capital besides the apartment, so the rest of my funds would be invested and used for necessary renovations, ideally generating enough interest to sustain themselves. I have a steady monthly income of about 900 EUR (970 USD) and am used to living modestly. I have no children or any endless expenses. By the way, I’m quite knowledgeable about roofs and confident that I can completely reroof and insulate a Nurdach house myself (physically fit). I plan to heat mainly with a wood stove (wood delivered and chopped by myself).
Financials:
I understand that my budget could be more solid, but I think these Nurdach houses are simple enough that you can do a lot of the work yourself (especially the roof, which practically makes up the entire house). Due to their small size, I also don’t expect many additional costs beyond the roof. After deducting fees such as notary costs, I expect to have about 30,000 EUR (32,000 USD) left and I plan to set aside at least 100 EUR (108 USD) a month as additional reserves. I’m aware of the approximate monthly costs for property tax, wastewater, garbage collection, etc.
My questions for you:
Do you think the budget is generally feasible if I do much of the work myself? Are there any special things to watch out for with these Nurdach houses? I’m aware that they’re often poorly insulated since they are mostly used as holiday or weekend homes during summer months. I also understand that the sloped walls provide limited space for furniture. I would, of course, check beforehand whether it’s allowed to use the house as a primary residence (usually it is). Does anyone have experience with noise levels in the holiday parks where these houses are typically located? Should I expect noisy weekend parties, for example?
One more thought:
Do you think it’s worth paying a bit more for these houses (e.g., 50,000 to 60,000 EUR) to get one in good renovation condition, or would it be better to buy cheaply (starting around 35,000 EUR) and do most of the renovations myself?
Thanks in advance for any advice! Please ask if I forgot to mention anything important.
Best regards,
Bertel
I’m planning to buy a Nurdach house in northern Germany and wanted to get your opinion on whether there are any important considerations I might have overlooked.
Situation:
I am 36 years old and essentially an early retiree. I currently live in a small but well-maintained 42 sqm (452 sq ft) condominium in a suburb of Munich. Due to price increases, the apartment is now worth around 100,000 EUR (approximately 108,000 USD) and should be easy to sell since the supply of condos is quite limited in the Munich real estate market. However, since I don’t want to live permanently in a multi-family building and I don’t need to work, I’m starting to think it doesn’t make sense to stay in this small apartment when I could buy a small house in northern Germany for the same money. I’m not tied to any jobs or family obligations. I actually prefer a rural lifestyle over city life because I mainly want peace and quiet and am happy to give up short shopping distances and similar conveniences.
The plan:
I intend to buy a Nurdach house with about 80 sqm (860 sq ft) of living space and a small plot of land (freehold property). I was thinking of spending around 50,000 to 60,000 EUR (54,000 to 65,000 USD) on it. These houses start at around 35,000 EUR (38,000 USD) including land, but for 50,000 to 60,000 EUR you should be able to get something reasonably decent, based on what I’ve seen on real estate platforms like Immoscout. I don’t have any additional capital besides the apartment, so the rest of my funds would be invested and used for necessary renovations, ideally generating enough interest to sustain themselves. I have a steady monthly income of about 900 EUR (970 USD) and am used to living modestly. I have no children or any endless expenses. By the way, I’m quite knowledgeable about roofs and confident that I can completely reroof and insulate a Nurdach house myself (physically fit). I plan to heat mainly with a wood stove (wood delivered and chopped by myself).
Financials:
I understand that my budget could be more solid, but I think these Nurdach houses are simple enough that you can do a lot of the work yourself (especially the roof, which practically makes up the entire house). Due to their small size, I also don’t expect many additional costs beyond the roof. After deducting fees such as notary costs, I expect to have about 30,000 EUR (32,000 USD) left and I plan to set aside at least 100 EUR (108 USD) a month as additional reserves. I’m aware of the approximate monthly costs for property tax, wastewater, garbage collection, etc.
My questions for you:
Do you think the budget is generally feasible if I do much of the work myself? Are there any special things to watch out for with these Nurdach houses? I’m aware that they’re often poorly insulated since they are mostly used as holiday or weekend homes during summer months. I also understand that the sloped walls provide limited space for furniture. I would, of course, check beforehand whether it’s allowed to use the house as a primary residence (usually it is). Does anyone have experience with noise levels in the holiday parks where these houses are typically located? Should I expect noisy weekend parties, for example?
One more thought:
Do you think it’s worth paying a bit more for these houses (e.g., 50,000 to 60,000 EUR) to get one in good renovation condition, or would it be better to buy cheaply (starting around 35,000 EUR) and do most of the renovations myself?
Thanks in advance for any advice! Please ask if I forgot to mention anything important.
Best regards,
Bertel
What you are referring to are pitched-roof vacation homes, so the question relates to a holiday house.
There are also pitched-roof houses that are regular single-family homes, with standard insulation, finishing, and living quality, typically over 100cm (39 inches) in size. Naturally, you won’t get these for such a small amount of money.
The question then is whether you mean specifically a pitched-roof vacation home or a wooden house in general (which are common in forested areas here and suitable for year-round living). These houses sometimes offer good living value if you prefer something simple and are able to do renovations yourself. Many already have heating and finished interiors, while others are very basic. They are more suited for someone looking for peace and quiet.
There are also pitched-roof houses that are regular single-family homes, with standard insulation, finishing, and living quality, typically over 100cm (39 inches) in size. Naturally, you won’t get these for such a small amount of money.
The question then is whether you mean specifically a pitched-roof vacation home or a wooden house in general (which are common in forested areas here and suitable for year-round living). These houses sometimes offer good living value if you prefer something simple and are able to do renovations yourself. Many already have heating and finished interiors, while others are very basic. They are more suited for someone looking for peace and quiet.
Yes, I’m definitely referring to a "Nurdach holiday home." By the way, I’m also open to standard wooden houses. I’ve looked into those as well, but these Nurdach houses always seemed to offer the best value for money. If anyone has insights on other construction methods, I would appreciate hearing about them too. In theory, I would consider building new, but from what I’ve seen so far, even fairly simple construction wouldn’t fit my budget. At least then, I wouldn’t have any savings left, and that’s absolutely out of the question. With my low monthly income, I would have to save for many years to build up a reasonable financial cushion again.
And yes, I’m basically a minimalist at heart who gets by with very little, as long as I have my peace and quiet.
And yes, I’m basically a minimalist at heart who gets by with very little, as long as I have my peace and quiet.
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