Plot size: 13m (43 feet) wide, 40m (131 feet) deep (neighbor has the same), building allowed up to 2.5 stories, no flat roofs, building envelope: semi-detached house: 10x14m (33x46 feet), detached house: 7m (23 feet) wide x minimum 14m (46 feet) deep. The goal is to achieve 200sqm (2,153 sq ft) of living space plus a basement.
With a 7m (23 feet) wide detached house, can you achieve a good floor plan, or does it feel more like a townhouse? Would you recommend choosing the semi-detached option?
Considering 2.5 stories, space should not be an issue.
Thank you very much for your insights!
With a 7m (23 feet) wide detached house, can you achieve a good floor plan, or does it feel more like a townhouse? Would you recommend choosing the semi-detached option?
Considering 2.5 stories, space should not be an issue.
Thank you very much for your insights!
It’s best if you upload a section of the site plan so we can get a clearer picture.
With a 13 m (43 ft) plot width, the mentioned widths practically result automatically (13 minus 1 × 3 = 10 or 13 minus 2 × 3 = 7). A 7 m (23 ft) wide and 14 m (46 ft) deep plot with each building a detached house would look like a terraced mid-terrace unit has been removed. While this allows windows on both long sides, the typical narrow floorplan disadvantages of terraced “towel-shaped” plots remain: it’s hard to come up with practical layouts featuring a straight, one-flight staircase. So it tends to become a typical terraced house, just with end-terrace style windows on both sides.
If the roof ridge runs along the long axis, and if allowed, this still wouldn’t be good: the attic would essentially be the peak of a narrow rectangular shape. Two terraced houses with a narrow gap between them also look quite unappealing.
So I see this ending up as semi-detached units. And if they are not planned in coordination—actually, even if they are but not classic mirror twins—then hopefully at least some offset in depth is possible. But even then, it can look awful visually if one is plastered and the other is brick-faced.
Semi-detached plots are usually the domain of developers. Individual builders should in my opinion team up here and, even if they don’t want mirror twins, hire a common architect. Everyone building individually and annoying their neighbor is a textbook start of a (ideally inherited) garden fence conflict.
From my perspective, you have clearly caught a semi-detached plot here—even if a detached house would be permitted. A panda will never be a Ferrari, not even on the Nürburgring.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
With a 13 m (43 ft) plot width, the mentioned widths practically result automatically (13 minus 1 × 3 = 10 or 13 minus 2 × 3 = 7). A 7 m (23 ft) wide and 14 m (46 ft) deep plot with each building a detached house would look like a terraced mid-terrace unit has been removed. While this allows windows on both long sides, the typical narrow floorplan disadvantages of terraced “towel-shaped” plots remain: it’s hard to come up with practical layouts featuring a straight, one-flight staircase. So it tends to become a typical terraced house, just with end-terrace style windows on both sides.
If the roof ridge runs along the long axis, and if allowed, this still wouldn’t be good: the attic would essentially be the peak of a narrow rectangular shape. Two terraced houses with a narrow gap between them also look quite unappealing.
So I see this ending up as semi-detached units. And if they are not planned in coordination—actually, even if they are but not classic mirror twins—then hopefully at least some offset in depth is possible. But even then, it can look awful visually if one is plastered and the other is brick-faced.
Semi-detached plots are usually the domain of developers. Individual builders should in my opinion team up here and, even if they don’t want mirror twins, hire a common architect. Everyone building individually and annoying their neighbor is a textbook start of a (ideally inherited) garden fence conflict.
From my perspective, you have clearly caught a semi-detached plot here—even if a detached house would be permitted. A panda will never be a Ferrari, not even on the Nürburgring.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
There is no formal development plan; the building should be in keeping with the neighboring properties. Only the two plots in question will be newly developed; the surrounding areas are gardens of other properties that have been built on for a long time.
My idea for a single-family house was to have more options when choosing an architect and builder because I’m concerned there might be problems if two different companies handle the construction. Or does that actually work? The other party has already decided on a builder but is flexible regarding the house design, brickwork, etc.
Also, I thought a single-family house might have a higher value than a semi-detached house, but do you see it differently?
Additionally, with a 3m (10 feet) garage plus 10m (33 feet) house width, I would only be able to access the garden through the garage or the house. How would I get to things like bicycles—would I have to move the car every time?
For the semi-detached house, I was also considering a staggered layout…
My idea for a single-family house was to have more options when choosing an architect and builder because I’m concerned there might be problems if two different companies handle the construction. Or does that actually work? The other party has already decided on a builder but is flexible regarding the house design, brickwork, etc.
Also, I thought a single-family house might have a higher value than a semi-detached house, but do you see it differently?
Additionally, with a 3m (10 feet) garage plus 10m (33 feet) house width, I would only be able to access the garden through the garage or the house. How would I get to things like bicycles—would I have to move the car every time?
For the semi-detached house, I was also considering a staggered layout…
Two misconceptions on your part:
If you build a 7-meter-wide (23 feet) house on a 14-meter-wide (46 feet) plot, you don’t gain any advantage compared to a duplex, because you are misusing the land.
Who decides that your duplex must be 10 meters (33 feet) wide?
And the third misconception: no one says you have to place your garage right next to your house; there are certainly alternatives, even if they are limited.
-> It’s best if you spend some time getting to know the plot better. That way, you’ll get a true sense of the area.
Best regards, Yvonne
If you build a 7-meter-wide (23 feet) house on a 14-meter-wide (46 feet) plot, you don’t gain any advantage compared to a duplex, because you are misusing the land.
Who decides that your duplex must be 10 meters (33 feet) wide?
And the third misconception: no one says you have to place your garage right next to your house; there are certainly alternatives, even if they are limited.
-> It’s best if you spend some time getting to know the plot better. That way, you’ll get a true sense of the area.
Best regards, Yvonne
If semi-detached or detached houses are allowed, the one who builds first sets the terms for the other: waiving the setback at the property boundary is a matter of mutual agreement. The municipality must have been crazy to allow this without both properties belonging to the same owner. Semi-detached houses themselves are not problematic, but allowing the choice between semi-detached and detached houses to be made separately causes issues. The first builder interferes with the freedom of the other, making a legal dispute almost inevitable. Experienced council members would never come up with such an idea.
The choice of house type has the least influence on which architect or contractor you choose. Likewise, no specific house type is generally worth more or less. Your smartest move to enhance your property’s value is to make the best of the situation:
Accept that the decision for a semi-detached house half is made, and take a good look at the contractor chosen by your neighbor. This provides a good basis for an agreement that lets you have priority in selecting the facade. Alea acta est – carpe diem!
Yvonne is right in the sense that you don’t have to use the full width: if you build your house only eight and a half meters wide, you will have one and a quarter meters between the house and the three and a quarter meter-wide garage.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
The choice of house type has the least influence on which architect or contractor you choose. Likewise, no specific house type is generally worth more or less. Your smartest move to enhance your property’s value is to make the best of the situation:
Accept that the decision for a semi-detached house half is made, and take a good look at the contractor chosen by your neighbor. This provides a good basis for an agreement that lets you have priority in selecting the facade. Alea acta est – carpe diem!
Yvonne is right in the sense that you don’t have to use the full width: if you build your house only eight and a half meters wide, you will have one and a quarter meters between the house and the three and a quarter meter-wide garage.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Thank you for the helpful insights. I will likely plan for a semi-detached house! The builder chosen by my neighbor is also the land seller, a small business owner (civil engineer/architect) who offers fixed-price turnkey construction. He builds very high-quality and custom homes. Although I also want to build to a high standard, I find his initial price indications quite high: for a 2.5-story house, approximately 200 sqm (2,150 sq ft) of living space including the basement and everything (i.e., exterior works, garage, floors, etc.), he estimates well over €500,000 (without land or development costs). A building specification he provided for another project shows some rather high prices, for example: front door €5,000, interior doors €500, flooring material €100 per sqm (9.3 sq ft); the garage is masonry (if you choose a cheaper option, he adjusts the price accordingly)...
What is the best way to assess whether a fixed price he quotes is reasonable? He would probably offer to do an initial design based on my ideas free of charge and then provide a price offer.
I was thinking about having a similar plan made by another home builder, possibly upgrading their building specification with special requests, in order to have a comparison. Or do they typically not plan individual semi-detached houses? Are there other good ways to evaluate whether a price offer for building a house is reasonable?
What is the best way to assess whether a fixed price he quotes is reasonable? He would probably offer to do an initial design based on my ideas free of charge and then provide a price offer.
I was thinking about having a similar plan made by another home builder, possibly upgrading their building specification with special requests, in order to have a comparison. Or do they typically not plan individual semi-detached houses? Are there other good ways to evaluate whether a price offer for building a house is reasonable?
Bau_dus schrieb:
The home builder chosen by my neighbor is also the land seller, a small business owner (civil engineer/architect) who builds turnkey homes at a fixed price.A brief side note.
Be cautious with arrangements like this. It can make the entire house liable for property transfer tax. If the builder does not act as a developer, you might have to pay both sales tax and property transfer tax on the house.
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