ᐅ Preliminary Planning for House and Garage BEFORE Purchasing the Land
Created on: 14 Jul 2020 10:12
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gni.w777
Hello dear forum,
Until now, I have only been a silent reader here, but now it’s our turn to plan our house construction.
I have been researching the topic for several weeks, watching various tutorials, talking to acquaintances who have already built homes, and I believe I have understood the basics well enough to start with rough planning.
We have now found a plot of land that we like in terms of location, but we are still unsure whether our plans can be realized there. The plot (860 sqm (9,255 sq ft)) is nice but has a slight slope (1-2 meters (3-6.5 feet)) and unfortunately a somewhat awkward shape including building boundary lines.
We are now asking ourselves how and from whom we can get a qualified preliminary plan for
a) the arrangement of the house and garage and
b) the external design of the house (building height, bay windows, roof angles, etc.) while respecting the local development plan / zoning requirements.
Since the purchase of the land depends on this, we would like to have it evaluated in advance.
Do architects offer such services beforehand (possibly for a planning fee)? Or would we have to sign an architectural contract covering all project phases right away? Does it have to be an architect, or are there other professionals to contact? Or is it generally common to buy plots "blind" and then figure out the detailed possibilities afterward?
We would be very grateful for opinions and experiences regarding a sensible approach.
Best regards
Until now, I have only been a silent reader here, but now it’s our turn to plan our house construction.
I have been researching the topic for several weeks, watching various tutorials, talking to acquaintances who have already built homes, and I believe I have understood the basics well enough to start with rough planning.
We have now found a plot of land that we like in terms of location, but we are still unsure whether our plans can be realized there. The plot (860 sqm (9,255 sq ft)) is nice but has a slight slope (1-2 meters (3-6.5 feet)) and unfortunately a somewhat awkward shape including building boundary lines.
We are now asking ourselves how and from whom we can get a qualified preliminary plan for
a) the arrangement of the house and garage and
b) the external design of the house (building height, bay windows, roof angles, etc.) while respecting the local development plan / zoning requirements.
Since the purchase of the land depends on this, we would like to have it evaluated in advance.
Do architects offer such services beforehand (possibly for a planning fee)? Or would we have to sign an architectural contract covering all project phases right away? Does it have to be an architect, or are there other professionals to contact? Or is it generally common to buy plots "blind" and then figure out the detailed possibilities afterward?
We would be very grateful for opinions and experiences regarding a sensible approach.
Best regards
A
Alessandro15 Jul 2020 08:18I don’t see any special issues apart from the usual limitations. If you like it, go for it!
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Octrineddy15 Jul 2020 10:0211ant schrieb:
What about parcel 831, which I interpret on the drawing as being located between the road and the driveway you suspect is planned?
It should be allowed to be crossed to access your property. To me, it looks like road land that should be publicly dedicated. In that case, there wouldn’t be any issues with the driveway. (At least that’s how I would have handled it, and yes, this is my professional field.)
Wow, first of all, thank you very much for the feedback and @RomeoZwo, thank you for the effort you put into this – truly outstanding!
Here are a few pieces of information:
After consulting with the city, it is assumed that this is due to some historical reasons. At least it belongs to the city and is designated as a street/traffic area. The authorities see no problem with placing the driveway there.
That wouldn’t be a problem since we are not planning a city villa. We would like a house with a gable roof and bay windows that extend up to the top (see photo). Can someone estimate, depending on the development plan, whether this would be permitted here? For the roof, a good balance between pitch and knee wall height would be desirable so that the upper floor can be used as effectively as possible.
Yes, we want a basement for a sauna, utility room, and possibly a party and guest room. Does a walk-out basement mean in this context that the basement is exposed on the downhill side?
Doesn’t the development plan specify the roof ridge direction? So far, I have assumed that this would not be allowed. Is there a sensible arrangement of the house and (double) garage while complying with the ridge direction?
Yes, the west-facing side offers a nice view over the Weser Uplands, but mostly from the upper end of the property (or from the upper floor), as the row of houses across the street slightly blocks the view.
Here are a few pieces of information:
What about plot 831, which I interpret on the drawing as being located between the road and the access driveway you suspect is planned?
After consulting with the city, it is assumed that this is due to some historical reasons. At least it belongs to the city and is designated as a street/traffic area. The authorities see no problem with placing the driveway there.
For 2 full stories (keyword city villa) that will be tight, or you would have to accept a low ceiling height (estimated about 2.40–2.50m (7 ft 10 in–8 ft 2 in))
That wouldn’t be a problem since we are not planning a city villa. We would like a house with a gable roof and bay windows that extend up to the top (see photo). Can someone estimate, depending on the development plan, whether this would be permitted here? For the roof, a good balance between pitch and knee wall height would be desirable so that the upper floor can be used as effectively as possible.
Do you want to build with a basement? I don’t see a walk-out basement at first glance, since the slope is mainly on the inclined part of the plot.
Yes, we want a basement for a sauna, utility room, and possibly a party and guest room. Does a walk-out basement mean in this context that the basement is exposed on the downhill side?
Due to the shape of the plot, I would orient the gable perpendicular to the slope, even if the immediate neighbors don’t have that.
Doesn’t the development plan specify the roof ridge direction? So far, I have assumed that this would not be allowed. Is there a sensible arrangement of the house and (double) garage while complying with the ridge direction?
Is there a view in one direction that you want to take advantage of?
Yes, the west-facing side offers a nice view over the Weser Uplands, but mostly from the upper end of the property (or from the upper floor), as the row of houses across the street slightly blocks the view.
gni.w777 schrieb:
Can someone estimate, based on the zoning plan, whether this would be allowed?No, I can’t: firstly due to the contradictions—section II states roof structures are not permitted, while section III 2.1 allows roof structures on the uphill side up to one third of the eave length; secondly because I cannot clearly assign the plot within the zoning plan, which also hardly specifies ridge direction requirements—however, from the mentioned restriction of no on the valley side and partial allowance on the uphill side, such a thing might possibly be inferred.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
gni.w777 schrieb:
Can anyone estimate based on the zoning plan whether this would be permitted? Yes. The photo shows a cross gable that is less than half the width of the building. It would be allowed on the uphill side, but not on the downhill side.
gni.w777 schrieb:
For the roof, a good proportion between pitch and knee wall height would be desirable so that the upper floor can be used as efficiently as possible. No problem with two permitted full storeys and an eaves height of 6m (20 feet).
gni.w777 schrieb:
Does residential basement in this context mean that the cellar is exposed on the slope side? Yes, but in my opinion, the height difference of the site does not allow for that.
gni.w777 schrieb:
Doesn’t the zoning plan specify the ridge direction? Yes. It’s hardly visible because the contour line runs exactly over the ridge line.
gni.w777 schrieb:
Until now I assumed that this is not permitted. Agreed.
11ant schrieb:
Section II states roof extensions are not permitted. Those were the regulations of the original plan from 1978.
11ant schrieb:
Section III 2.1 states roof extensions are allowed on the uphill side up to one third of the eaves length. That was the now obsolete regulation of the first amendment. Also, these are excerpts from the justification. The legally binding regulations are those on the zoning plan certificate of the second amendment (4_b_plan_9_11b_2ae_noerdlich_der_allenbergstrasse_2ae_planzeichnung_sp.jpg).
11ant schrieb:
because I can’t clearly assign the parcel in the zoning plan. gni.w777 schrieb:
I attached the zoning plan including all revisions. Unfortunately not. Mixing plan drawings, textual regulations, and justifications from different versions causes more confusion than help. The first amendment appears to be completely overridden and is therefore irrelevant.
Escroda schrieb:
Yes. The photo shows a cross gable that is less than half the width of the building. It would be possible on the uphill side, but not on the downhill side. In the neighborhood, there are a few houses that also seem to have some kind of structure on the downhill side. I would check that out on site. There might still be a small chance if one of the neighbors already has it?
Escroda schrieb:
No problem with two allowed full stories and 6m (20 feet) eaves height. As I understand it, the eaves height here is defined as the intersection between the exterior wall and the roof covering — not the height of the rain gutter.
I did some sketches to see what might be possible here. What do you think of this suggestion?
On one hand, I like the terrace facing southwest because of the view and the evening sun. On the other hand, that side faces the street and might be quite visible — so the hedge around it. Garage with an area for trash bins and garden tools. Maybe a door leading into the house could be built here as well. What do you think?
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