ᐅ Purchasing Land – Request for Your Advice on Choosing the Right Plot
Created on: 18 Aug 2014 00:10
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xycrazy
Hello everyone,
We are planning to apply for a plot of land in a newly developed residential area. It is slightly sloped, and the building regulations state that cisterns are mandatory. The plot is serviced with utilities. Just as a side note.
We are specifically interested in two plots and are a bit unsure about the pros and cons.
The plots in question are numbers 9 and 29. Plot 9 is, in our opinion, the dream plot, as it guarantees a perfect view without having a neighbor’s house directly in sight. There are also no immediate houses in front, behind, or to the right of us. There is only one neighbor to the left. As you can see on the other plan, the house on plot 9 can be built slightly offset, which ensures a beautiful view past the houses.
Furthermore, we could build two garages here. At least, that’s how we understand the plan.
The disadvantage is that it is quite expensive for our budget.
Plot 29 has the advantage that it also offers a direct view, but this view could be lost in a few years if the trees that are currently missing due to storm damage grow back. This would mean looking at a forest. But with the benefit of not facing a neighbor’s wall, which would be the worst for us.
Details from the development plan:
Max eaves height 4m (13 feet)
Max ridge height 8.25m (27 feet)
Since we’re a bit unsure at the moment which plot to prefer (regardless of budget), we would like to hear your opinions.
Photos of the plots are also attached.
Oh yes, can anyone roughly estimate how much more expensive building on a sloped site typically is compared to a flat plot, due to construction requirements (e.g., leveling)?
Thanks in advance 🙂
Best regards,
Stefan
We are planning to apply for a plot of land in a newly developed residential area. It is slightly sloped, and the building regulations state that cisterns are mandatory. The plot is serviced with utilities. Just as a side note.
We are specifically interested in two plots and are a bit unsure about the pros and cons.
The plots in question are numbers 9 and 29. Plot 9 is, in our opinion, the dream plot, as it guarantees a perfect view without having a neighbor’s house directly in sight. There are also no immediate houses in front, behind, or to the right of us. There is only one neighbor to the left. As you can see on the other plan, the house on plot 9 can be built slightly offset, which ensures a beautiful view past the houses.
Furthermore, we could build two garages here. At least, that’s how we understand the plan.
The disadvantage is that it is quite expensive for our budget.
Plot 29 has the advantage that it also offers a direct view, but this view could be lost in a few years if the trees that are currently missing due to storm damage grow back. This would mean looking at a forest. But with the benefit of not facing a neighbor’s wall, which would be the worst for us.
Details from the development plan:
Max eaves height 4m (13 feet)
Max ridge height 8.25m (27 feet)
Since we’re a bit unsure at the moment which plot to prefer (regardless of budget), we would like to hear your opinions.
Photos of the plots are also attached.
Oh yes, can anyone roughly estimate how much more expensive building on a sloped site typically is compared to a flat plot, due to construction requirements (e.g., leveling)?
Thanks in advance 🙂
Best regards,
Stefan
baumann2013 schrieb:
Plot number 9 is absolutely not an option for me for the reasons already mentioned, especially since it is very exposed (driveway to many eastern neighboring plots). Plots numbered 24 to 33 seem quite small to me. What about plots 11 to 15? Nice and straight, southwest facing, a bit larger, and you basically overlook the southern neighbor into the landscape. Would an additional southern neighbor bother you?So plot number 9 is definitely out as well. The plots you mentioned, numbers 24 to 33, are also out because we are actually bothered by the neighbor to the south. On top of that, they are about €10 per m² (approximately $10 per sq ft) more expensive, and we don’t want our garden to face a house wall. So realistically, only the plots at the bottom (25 to 31) and the row just above (23 to 18) are still options.
The other question I keep asking myself is: how much land area do we really need? It’s hard to estimate. We have always thought of 500 m² (5382 sq ft) as our target. Now I’m wondering whether 419 m² (4513 sq ft) might be a bit too small. Especially since we plan to build around 180 m² (1937 sq ft) of living space. With the allowed floor area ratio (FAR) of 0.35, it should still work out.
What I don’t understand and am worried about is how to make the best decision about the plot’s buildability based on the plan. This is my first time reading such a plan and unfortunately we don’t have a friend who is an architect. We need to submit our application by the end of the week.
Do you have any tips on choosing a plot in general and especially regarding this situation? Thanks in advance.
D
Doc.Schnaggls25 Aug 2014 15:01Hello Stefan,
We only know the exact elevation differences since our surveyor was there for the first time – we are building on a plot in an older residential area that hadn't been surveyed for a long time.
Of course, for you it’s not really an option to have all potential plots surveyed first.
If I were you, I’d check with the local municipality or city whether the green dashed lines on the colorful site plan are indeed contour lines and what elevation difference each line represents. That would at least give you a rough idea.
Since this is a new development area, the elevation differences were certainly recorded during the surveying process.
Best regards,
Dirk
We only know the exact elevation differences since our surveyor was there for the first time – we are building on a plot in an older residential area that hadn't been surveyed for a long time.
Of course, for you it’s not really an option to have all potential plots surveyed first.
If I were you, I’d check with the local municipality or city whether the green dashed lines on the colorful site plan are indeed contour lines and what elevation difference each line represents. That would at least give you a rough idea.
Since this is a new development area, the elevation differences were certainly recorded during the surveying process.
Best regards,
Dirk
D
Doc.Schnaggls25 Aug 2014 15:05xycrazy schrieb:
The question I’m also wondering about is: how much land area do we actually need... it’s hard for me to estimate. We’ve always assumed 500 m² (5,382 sq ft) as our target. Now I’m starting to think that 419 m² (4,512 sq ft) might be a bit small. Especially since we plan to build around 180 m² (1,938 sq ft) of living space. With the permitted floor area ratio of 0.35, it should still work out. Just as a reference: our plot is “only” 369 m² (3,973 sq ft). Still, we managed to fit about 190 m² (2,045 sq ft) of living space, two garages, and a nice terrace on it. Well, there isn’t much garden left, but that wasn’t really a priority for us anyway since we also have a separate garden property.
Best regards,
Dirk
B
baumann201325 Aug 2014 20:10xycrazy schrieb:
The question I’m also considering is: how many square meters of land do we actually need... it’s hard for me to estimate. We have always aimed for 500m² (about 5,380 sq ft) as our target. Now I’m wondering if 419m² (about 4,510 sq ft) might be a bit too small. Especially since we plan to build around 180m² (about 1,940 sq ft) of living space. With the allowed floor area ratio of 0.35, it should still work.Ask 10 people and you’ll get 10 different answers. Ultimately, everyone has to decide for themselves based on their preferences. If, besides space for the house, garage/carport, and driveway, you only need a terrace and maybe a small flower bed, then a small plot will probably be sufficient. However, if you also want, for example, some green space (children love to have room to run and play), space for a greenhouse, and/or a garden shed (which is useful if you’re building without a basement), then 419m² (about 4,510 sq ft) might already be tight.
Just sketch different plot sizes on a sheet of paper and draw the house with terrace, carport/garage, possibly a parking space, and any other features to scale (note: building boundaries/setbacks must be observed). That way, you’ll at least know how much “free area” remains and can consider whether that will be enough.
At some point, you definitely need to make a decision. It’s possible that plot number 9 and number 29 are already reserved for others, so you might not be able to get them anymore. This can happen faster than you think. Keep in mind, you’re not the only ones who want to build 😉
Therefore, you shouldn’t expect to be 100% set on a property, as almost every plot has its pros and cons.
Therefore, you shouldn’t expect to be 100% set on a property, as almost every plot has its pros and cons.
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