ᐅ The Dilemma of Choice – Which Building Plot to Choose?

Hello everyone,
my husband and I (soon with 3 children) want to apply for a plot of land in a new residential area in the center of SH. Out of 40 plots, 30 will be allocated based on a points system, so with 3 children, we think our chances are relatively good.
Some information about the development: The area is divided by several hedgerows, which partly belong entirely to the plots and generally may not be used, additionally with a 3m (10 feet) wide hedge protection strip. This means many plots have a significantly smaller net area than indicated. On the western edge, there is only a 3m (10 feet) wide embankment without an additional protection strip.
Furthermore, the area is divided into single-story building zones (blue) and two-story building zones (purple). These plots also differ in purchase price: 150€/m2 (150€/m2) for blue, 170€/m2 (170€/m2) for purple. There are also a few plots designed as flagpole-shaped lots. Here, the flagpole part must be purchased at the regular plot price, while other plots share a rear access driveway that is sold to neighboring residents at a very low price (25€/m2 (25€/m2), proportionally).

Our criteria for a plot are as follows:
- Preferably large, ideally over 700m2 (7500 square feet) net area, but there are only a few plots with that net size
- Not directly bordering the street (though it is a low-traffic residential street, we would prefer it quieter, especially as we have a dog and our current garden faces the street, which we want to avoid with the new house)

Additional info on the plots: Single-story homes generally allow a wall height of 4m (13 feet) and a ridge height of 8m (26 feet). So only relatively normal single-family houses with a small knee wall can be built here.
The 10 plots marked with an L will be allocated by lottery.

We are allowed to apply for 3 plots through the points-based system and for 3 plots through the lottery.
Currently, our favorites are:
- 18 (clear first choice, comparatively large, existing hedge without protection strip, meadow behind that likely won’t be built on for the next few years. Open and quiet)
- 17, 9 (unfortunately out, as acquaintances we met on site are also applying for these and have higher points)
- 26 (very large, but from the 919m2 (9900 sq ft) only about 730m2 (7850 sq ft) net remain; downside: flagpole, resulting in significantly higher costs for the plot)
- 19 (one of the larger ones, somewhat unusual shape, the house can be oriented parallel to the street with a private, secluded garden behind)

For the lottery, we chose plots 12, 13, and 25 (but we don’t expect much chance there).

Right now, we find it difficult to decide between 19 and 26. The difference in total costs including property transfer tax, development fees, etc., is around €70,000 (about $75,000). Is plot 26 worth the extra cost? It has about 100m2 (1075 sq ft) more net area and allows freer building because 2 full stories are permitted.

Which ones would be your favorites? Are we overlooking anything? Could one choice improve our chances?

Oh, and for orientation: to the south, there is a somewhat busier main road; to the north and east, quiet residential areas; to the west, meadowland.

Best regards,
EinHausfür5

I wouldn’t choose a plot with only single-story construction allowed if you have three children. You would need a large footprint to get properly usable rooms in the attic with a 100cm (39 inch) knee wall.

EinHausfür5 schrieb:

19 (one of the larger, somewhat unusual shapes, the house can be oriented parallel to the street and then has a private garden area behind it)

Plot 19 is very irregularly shaped, which causes additional issues. For example, I don’t see any adequate and sheltered garden space there. I can’t understand at all why you would favor this one with such a prominent front position?!
Try sketching your idea yourself,…
24, 28, 34… I hope I remembered the numbers correctly… (the legend is missing for WA 8)

Thank you for your feedback. Yes, you're right, the knee wall isn’t very high. We definitely want to build with a basement and are planning to include at least one dormer on the upper floor.

I have already marked the most interesting plots to get a rough idea of how to position the house. We initially estimated the house to be about 9x12 meters (30x40 feet), which should allow for reasonably sized children’s rooms. We currently live in a semi-detached house, and the children’s rooms here are about 10m² (108ft²). If we end up with around 14m² (150ft²), that would be more than enough for us.

Plot 19 is oddly shaped, yes, but I am hopeful that means we will have fewer competitors. I’ve attached the sketch for plot 19 – wouldn’t it roughly work like this? I actually quite like the idea: driveway in the northeast, space for a garden in the west.

For plot 24, for example, you have to subtract the strip on the west side, leaving only about 550m² (5920ft²). That’s almost too small for me...
We also considered plot 10.
We had also thought about plot 28, but plot 34 is out of the question since there’s a stormwater retention basin underneath it and then directly the noisy main road...
It’s difficult to choose just three plots.

EinHausfür5 schrieb:

We initially estimated the house at 9x12 meters (approximately 30x40 feet), which should allow for reasonably sized children's bedrooms. Currently, we have a semi-detached house, where the kids’ rooms are about 10 m² (108 sq ft). If we end up with around 14 m² (150 sq ft), that would be perfectly sufficient for us.

9 x 12 meters (30 x 40 feet) roughly equals 90 m² (970 sq ft) of living space on the ground floor, with three-quarters of that usable due to the single-story design, so about 67 m² (720 sq ft).
If you add a dormer, for example for the middle child’s bedroom, the roof pitch will need to be adjusted because of the height limit of 8 meters (26 feet).
The bedroom and bathroom ceilings would need to be lowered (knocked down/dropped ceiling) to allow space for a bed and toilet/bathtub.
...
About 12 m² (130 sq ft) of real floor space per child’s room is estimated, resulting in roughly 14 m² (150 sq ft) total floor area. That leaves 31 m² (330 sq ft) for the staircase, hallway, bathroom, and master bedroom, which I consider too tight. So, this is all very approximate.
Basically, you need to define the room program and then fit everything in accordingly. With an 8-meter (26 feet) height limit and a width of only 9 meters (30 feet), finishing a usable attic would not even be possible. That’s simply too little space.
With a two-story design, the upper floor would offer the same area as the ground floor. Since you plan to build with a basement, the ground floor loses some floor area due to the utility room, which you effectively need to compensate for in the attic, especially for the third child’s room.
Therefore, you should seriously reconsider whether 9 x 12 meters (30 x 40 feet) will really be sufficient.
The way you are doing it is definitely the right approach: drawing plans on graph paper and using templates. This way, you can immediately spot shortcomings and correct them.
P.S. I sketched this out roughly for myself but ended up sliding towards an 11-meter (36 feet) length in my mind, so my estimate might be a bit off. 😉

Personally, I wouldn’t be interested in plots that come with a private road as access. In this housing development, there are 1 to 5 co-owners who must always agree on maintenance effort and repair costs.

Thank you for your input. So far, we have only roughly noted down what we want. Upstairs: 3 children’s rooms + bedroom + bathroom, possibly an additional children’s bathroom. On the ground floor, an office. Utility room, another office, etc., then in the basement.

Naively, I had thought that roughly 9 x 12 meters (30 x 39 feet) would be sufficient. We planned to go to an architect once we secure a plot of land. But for now, we will create a small feasibility sketch for ourselves. So far, I haven’t found any standard house plan that includes the required rooms on the upper floor without a high knee wall.