Hello, dear forum community,
I have been reading along for some time and have already learned a lot, so thank you very much for that!
My husband and I have been searching for a home for ourselves and our two young children for 10 months. Currently, I am interested in a semi-detached house listed as having 4 rooms. However, these are not fully separate rooms. I have two questions about this:
1) One of the four rooms is a converted attic that is open to the stairwell (with a small gallery overlooking the staircase) â so it is not a fully enclosed room. How much would it typically cost to replace the gallery on the top floor with a drywall partition to create a fully separated room from the rest of the house?
2) According to the listing, one of the two fully enclosed rooms on the first floor can be "easily divided." In my opinion, it would only be possible to add a drywall partition through the room (which has two windows), but this would inevitably make one half a walkthrough room since it wouldnât be possible to fit a second door. Additionally, there is only one radiator in this room. Is it feasible to install a second radiator "with minimal effort"?
Otherwise, the semi-detached house meets our requirements quite well: built in 2017, gas condensing boiler, and photovoltaic system, with no renovation backlog. The location and number of rooms represent a compromise we are willing to accept for financial reasons (yes, I know there are forum members who advise against any compromise, but after extensive searching and many disappointments, I no longer share that view. Therefore, it makes little sense to advise us to simply keep looking for five fully separate rooms in the desired area, as these cost more than 750,000 euros and such offers are very rare at our current place of residence).
Thank you in advance for your answers! Warm regards!
I have been reading along for some time and have already learned a lot, so thank you very much for that!
My husband and I have been searching for a home for ourselves and our two young children for 10 months. Currently, I am interested in a semi-detached house listed as having 4 rooms. However, these are not fully separate rooms. I have two questions about this:
1) One of the four rooms is a converted attic that is open to the stairwell (with a small gallery overlooking the staircase) â so it is not a fully enclosed room. How much would it typically cost to replace the gallery on the top floor with a drywall partition to create a fully separated room from the rest of the house?
2) According to the listing, one of the two fully enclosed rooms on the first floor can be "easily divided." In my opinion, it would only be possible to add a drywall partition through the room (which has two windows), but this would inevitably make one half a walkthrough room since it wouldnât be possible to fit a second door. Additionally, there is only one radiator in this room. Is it feasible to install a second radiator "with minimal effort"?
Otherwise, the semi-detached house meets our requirements quite well: built in 2017, gas condensing boiler, and photovoltaic system, with no renovation backlog. The location and number of rooms represent a compromise we are willing to accept for financial reasons (yes, I know there are forum members who advise against any compromise, but after extensive searching and many disappointments, I no longer share that view. Therefore, it makes little sense to advise us to simply keep looking for five fully separate rooms in the desired area, as these cost more than 750,000 euros and such offers are very rare at our current place of residence).
Thank you in advance for your answers! Warm regards!
Ask the local authority in advance whether there will be any additional road construction fees. Even if a road appears to be finished, it might not be completed or finalized financially. As an entitled party, you can request the relevant certificates from the city to verify this. You donât want any outstanding fee notices to come up unexpectedly.
K
Kensington6 Sep 2021 20:26Hello Shenja,
That's a good tip, I will do that!
That's a good tip, I will do that!
K
Kensington6 Sep 2021 20:28Dear readers,
We received the go-ahead today :-)
I will share the contract details with you as soon as they are finalized.
Best regards!
We received the go-ahead today :-)
I will share the contract details with you as soon as they are finalized.
Best regards!
K
Kensington24 Sep 2021 16:32Dear readers,
A brief update from me, also as a report for home buyers or sellers who have a similar contract model (pay first / get paid first, handover much later).
Our contract draft states that we will pay the full purchase price at the end of the year. A fixed move-out date for the sellers is specified in the contract, and it also states that in case of non-compliance with this move-out date, foreclosure procedures will be initiated. (Contrary to my concerns, the sellers no longer have young children.) In the period between payment of the purchase price and the move-out, we receive a monthly âuse compensationâ from the sellers (which explicitly is not rent and does not create a tenancy, but grants a right of use until move-out).
The individually variable additional costs, such as gas, electricity, hot water, as well as waste disposal, are paid by the sellers until move-out. Building insurance and property tax are already paid by us from the purchase price payment date.
This seems to us to be a fair model for all parties involved.
Currently, we are only waiting for the financier on the sellersâ side to approve the purchase contract; then (if all goes well) the notary appointment will follow.
By the way, following a note here in the thread about possible street repairs / outstanding payments for them, I contacted the building authority and also inquired about any soil contamination or similar issues.
A very pleasant phone call. (There were no outstanding invoices or contamination.) Later, when our bank requested the site measurement from the building files, I received it quite informally and quickly, as I already had a foot in the door with the person responsible for building matters 🙂
Coming from a big city, I am used to a Kafkaesque experience where all officials seem like royalty, are unreachable by phone, but grant occasional audiences, during which, after checking several payment machines, photo booths, at least two other offices, and an additional wait of two more months, you might finally get the desired form. Or not ;-)
Thanks a lot for your tips! To be continued.
A brief update from me, also as a report for home buyers or sellers who have a similar contract model (pay first / get paid first, handover much later).
Our contract draft states that we will pay the full purchase price at the end of the year. A fixed move-out date for the sellers is specified in the contract, and it also states that in case of non-compliance with this move-out date, foreclosure procedures will be initiated. (Contrary to my concerns, the sellers no longer have young children.) In the period between payment of the purchase price and the move-out, we receive a monthly âuse compensationâ from the sellers (which explicitly is not rent and does not create a tenancy, but grants a right of use until move-out).
The individually variable additional costs, such as gas, electricity, hot water, as well as waste disposal, are paid by the sellers until move-out. Building insurance and property tax are already paid by us from the purchase price payment date.
This seems to us to be a fair model for all parties involved.
Currently, we are only waiting for the financier on the sellersâ side to approve the purchase contract; then (if all goes well) the notary appointment will follow.
By the way, following a note here in the thread about possible street repairs / outstanding payments for them, I contacted the building authority and also inquired about any soil contamination or similar issues.
A very pleasant phone call. (There were no outstanding invoices or contamination.) Later, when our bank requested the site measurement from the building files, I received it quite informally and quickly, as I already had a foot in the door with the person responsible for building matters 🙂
Coming from a big city, I am used to a Kafkaesque experience where all officials seem like royalty, are unreachable by phone, but grant occasional audiences, during which, after checking several payment machines, photo booths, at least two other offices, and an additional wait of two more months, you might finally get the desired form. Or not ;-)
Thanks a lot for your tips! To be continued.
Just to be sure: Have you really listed and divided all the fees by name? Waste disposal fees are also charges, just like sewage fees or the water maintenance fee from the regional public authority (if it applies). This was not regulated like that in our case and accordingly led to discussions.
Otherwise: Why does the sellerâs financier have to approve anything? They get their money, and thatâs that.
Otherwise: Why does the sellerâs financier have to approve anything? They get their money, and thatâs that.