ᐅ Plot Selection in a New Residential Development for a Single-Family Home – Prioritization
Created on: 15 Apr 2025 21:22
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-Malte-
Hello everyone,
After a long wait, our city (North Rhine-Westphalia) has finally started marketing a new residential development area on the outskirts. As part of the application process, plots for single-family homes and semi-detached houses are allocated according to a certain distribution logic. We expect to have the opportunity to purchase and will then need to choose quickly from the remaining available plots. The exact timing of when it will be our turn is unclear, so as a preparation, we would like to establish our personal ranking of all the plots.
What are our requirements?
As a family of four (38, 35, 5, 2), we want to build a single-family house (~150-160m² (1600-1720 sq ft) preferably without a basement, with a pitched roof) including a carport/garage. Basically, no special requirements that would directly affect the choice of the plot.
Regarding the plot, we primarily want a location for a single-family home that is as quiet as possible within the development area (noise/through traffic) (priority 1 requirement). Of course, orientation and overall size are also important, but come after the first factor.
What does the development plan specify?
Here are what I consider the most important details from the development plan, which apply equally to all offered plots:
Since linking is not allowed here: the full development plan can be quickly found online by searching “Bocholt Bebauungsplan 8-23 Loikumer Weg”.
Which plots are for sale?
There are 21 plots for single-family homes and 7 plots for semi-detached houses on sale. The price is uniform at €220/m² (€220 per sq m) including development costs. The plots are currently farmland and completely flat. I have attached an aerial photo, an excerpt from the development plan, and a non-binding building concept (only the numbered plots are available for sale).
For more information, the full brochure can also be found online by searching “Bocholt Wohnbaugrundstücke Mussum - Loikumer Weg”.
The development area will be a mixed-use zone: alongside single-family and semi-detached homes, there will be a daycare center, apartment buildings, and a playground. To the west of the development is a federal road, so the western section will be built as continuous development (noise protection facing the road; exact design still unknown). There are three larger apartment buildings to the north. Given the apartment buildings in the north and west, I expect increased through traffic and activity within the development — it will not be a purely quiet single-family home neighborhood. Therefore, when selecting plots, our main focus will be on achieving as much quietness as possible.
Questions for you?
We have been considering which plots have which advantages and even have a few favorites. I’m deliberately not naming them yet to get as unbiased feedback as possible. What would be your favorites, and what aspects would you focus on to best meet our requirements?
Best regards,
Malte
After a long wait, our city (North Rhine-Westphalia) has finally started marketing a new residential development area on the outskirts. As part of the application process, plots for single-family homes and semi-detached houses are allocated according to a certain distribution logic. We expect to have the opportunity to purchase and will then need to choose quickly from the remaining available plots. The exact timing of when it will be our turn is unclear, so as a preparation, we would like to establish our personal ranking of all the plots.
What are our requirements?
As a family of four (38, 35, 5, 2), we want to build a single-family house (~150-160m² (1600-1720 sq ft) preferably without a basement, with a pitched roof) including a carport/garage. Basically, no special requirements that would directly affect the choice of the plot.
Regarding the plot, we primarily want a location for a single-family home that is as quiet as possible within the development area (noise/through traffic) (priority 1 requirement). Of course, orientation and overall size are also important, but come after the first factor.
What does the development plan specify?
Here are what I consider the most important details from the development plan, which apply equally to all offered plots:
- 2 full stories with floor area ratio of 0.4 and total floor space ratio of 0.8
- Base height max. 0.5m (1.5 ft), eaves height max. 6.5m (21 ft), ridge height max. 11.0m (36 ft)
- Roof type:
- If two full stories:
- Flat roof or shed roof with pitch between 22° and 30°.
- Alternatively, stepped stories with flat roof or low-pitched roof up to 16°.
- If one full story: no specification regarding roof type or pitch
- Dormers, roof extensions, and loggias are not allowed
- Garages, carports & outbuildings only within the building zone or adjacent to the side boundary. A 5m (16 ft) clearance must be maintained before garage driveways (excluding carports). Exceeding the garden-side building line is permitted up to a depth of 2m (6.5 ft).
Since linking is not allowed here: the full development plan can be quickly found online by searching “Bocholt Bebauungsplan 8-23 Loikumer Weg”.
Which plots are for sale?
There are 21 plots for single-family homes and 7 plots for semi-detached houses on sale. The price is uniform at €220/m² (€220 per sq m) including development costs. The plots are currently farmland and completely flat. I have attached an aerial photo, an excerpt from the development plan, and a non-binding building concept (only the numbered plots are available for sale).
For more information, the full brochure can also be found online by searching “Bocholt Wohnbaugrundstücke Mussum - Loikumer Weg”.
The development area will be a mixed-use zone: alongside single-family and semi-detached homes, there will be a daycare center, apartment buildings, and a playground. To the west of the development is a federal road, so the western section will be built as continuous development (noise protection facing the road; exact design still unknown). There are three larger apartment buildings to the north. Given the apartment buildings in the north and west, I expect increased through traffic and activity within the development — it will not be a purely quiet single-family home neighborhood. Therefore, when selecting plots, our main focus will be on achieving as much quietness as possible.
Questions for you?
We have been considering which plots have which advantages and even have a few favorites. I’m deliberately not naming them yet to get as unbiased feedback as possible. What would be your favorites, and what aspects would you focus on to best meet our requirements?
Best regards,
Malte
-Malte- schrieb:
Of the plots in the south, unfortunately only number 31 is available on the market, and it has the disadvantage of a small size (372m², approx. 15m by 25m (49ft by 82ft)). It would also be possible to build a semi-detached house ("E/D"), meaning only one half of a duplex, if the neighbor wants to build the other half.
-Malte- schrieb:
Yes, the three multi-family houses in the north (not the closed development in the west) are planned for housing refugees. The exact design of these buildings is not yet known. Refugee housing in multi-family buildings is currently often designed for follow-up use by (social) long-term tenants. That means “normal families” who can rent publicly subsidized housing without paying a misallocation penalty.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
11ant schrieb:
It would also be possible to develop the plot as a duplex (semi-detached house), but only if the neighbor also wants a duplex. That is correct, but you can’t necessarily assume that. For some reason, the property was temporarily withdrawn just before the marketing started. It’s unclear whether it was sold privately to someone else or being held as a reserve for the future.
ypg schrieb:
Would having a duplex or more neighbors be a problem? One neighbor can be more troublesome than three neighbors. We do not categorically exclude a duplex, but generally, we would prefer a single-family house. Especially in this situation, where you are “paired up” with an unknown building partner and have to agree on a joint design, there is potential for conflict (I recall the Goalkeeper build here in the forum). There have also been several issues with this setup here in the city. As long as it can be avoided, we would prefer to proceed independently.
Having more neighbors is not a problem in itself. It simply increases the potential for disagreements and coordination. Regarding this particular listing, for example, plot number 17 with only one immediate neighbor is potentially very different from plot number 21 with six immediate neighbors.
-Malte- schrieb:
We are not completely ruling out a semi-detached house, but we would generally prefer a single-family house. The situation here, where you are paired with an unknown building partner and then have to agree on a shared plan, inherently carries potential for conflict (I recall the Goalkeeper build in this forum).Exactly, that's why I gave my warning.-Malte- schrieb:
Correct, but you can’t necessarily assume that. For some reason, the plot was removed shortly before marketing started. Whether it was sold to someone else or held back as a reserve for the future is unclear.There are many possible reasons. And you should very likely assume that whoever is favored, however that happened, and who would be your neighbor, will beat you to it. Whoever picks an E/D plot from the draw has effectively decided for themselves (and therefore also for you) whether they want to build E or D. The person who files their building application first effectively holds the buyer of the other half of the plot hostage. In the worst case, if they want to build D, you will also have to build D, a normally sized semi-detached house. In an even worse case, if they want to build E, you will also have to build E, which then ends up as a very narrow "towel house."-Malte- schrieb:
There have already been several problems in this city with these kinds of scenarios. So as long as it can be avoided, we would prefer to proceed independently.The problem also threatens here, as you can already see, because the B half of the plot is not excluded from the draw. If the municipality were aware of the problem, it would only allow "team applications" for all E/D plots. Unfortunately, the responsible parties regularly pay too little attention to game theory and prefer to follow the market in a “lean” and liberal way.There are three types of plots facing three types of applicants, but unfortunately they do not perfectly "match." Plots of type "E only" are unproblematic because they are neutral to neighbors’ preferences. Plots of type "E/D" are practically only suitable as "D or towel house," if they are too narrow for detached houses. In this development area, there are both “real E/D” plots (1 to 3, 18 to 30) and plots labeled "E/D" but actually only suitable for D or towel houses (4 to 11, 31/32).
Applicants with a clear preference for E have it relatively easy, as only the "E" type plots make sense for them to place their bets. Applicants with limited budgets also have it relatively easy, since all plots of the "E" type are out of reach for them. Applicants with the attitude “better a semi-detached plot than nothing” would be better served by a two-stage draw, which unfortunately is not offered here either. If you can afford an "E" plot, don’t play the hostage risk game, but only apply for that category.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
@11ant, an interesting point I hadn’t considered before. You’re right that according to the development plan, semi-detached houses (duplexes) are allowed on some plots. However, in the marketing materials, a clear distinction is made between plots for detached single-family homes and those for semi-detached houses. On plots designated only for semi-detached houses, there simply isn’t enough space to build a detached single-family home. The opposite applies to plots for single-family homes with semi-detached options.
I will check with the local authorities to see if there is a contractual requirement that a detached single-family home must be built on these plots. If it were true that a neighbor could theoretically be the first to obtain a building permit / planning permission for a semi-detached house and thus set a precedent, that would be quite unreasonable. The more I think about it, the more I assume such a scenario would be contractually excluded. But let’s wait for the official response.
I will check with the local authorities to see if there is a contractual requirement that a detached single-family home must be built on these plots. If it were true that a neighbor could theoretically be the first to obtain a building permit / planning permission for a semi-detached house and thus set a precedent, that would be quite unreasonable. The more I think about it, the more I assume such a scenario would be contractually excluded. But let’s wait for the official response.
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