Hello everyone,
Some time ago, we discovered a property in our town with a house that had been vacant for several years and really appealed to us. Without much hope of success, we sent a letter back then. At first, the current owners were reluctant to sell. We agreed to stay in loose contact. Now, after a break, it seems likely that we will buy the property within the next few weeks or months. The plot currently has a larger bungalow (with a basement) on it. Heating is provided by gas.
My wife and I agreed that we want to seize this opportunity but plan to build on the property in 1 to 2 years. We simply won’t have the capacity next year. In this context, we’re wondering how to keep the “operating costs” as low as possible. It is already clear that the house will almost certainly be demolished. We can take care of snow removal and garden maintenance ourselves, as we live not far away. Apart from that, does anyone have experience or suggestions about what makes sense in this context? The information I found online was quite sparse—perhaps because I didn’t search very thoroughly. My ideas so far are:
I’d appreciate your input—maybe there will be a project thread in the near future! 😀
PS: I couldn’t find a subforum where I really felt at home with this topic, so I’m posting it here in the building planning forum. For me, this somehow belongs to the planning stage.
Some time ago, we discovered a property in our town with a house that had been vacant for several years and really appealed to us. Without much hope of success, we sent a letter back then. At first, the current owners were reluctant to sell. We agreed to stay in loose contact. Now, after a break, it seems likely that we will buy the property within the next few weeks or months. The plot currently has a larger bungalow (with a basement) on it. Heating is provided by gas.
My wife and I agreed that we want to seize this opportunity but plan to build on the property in 1 to 2 years. We simply won’t have the capacity next year. In this context, we’re wondering how to keep the “operating costs” as low as possible. It is already clear that the house will almost certainly be demolished. We can take care of snow removal and garden maintenance ourselves, as we live not far away. Apart from that, does anyone have experience or suggestions about what makes sense in this context? The information I found online was quite sparse—perhaps because I didn’t search very thoroughly. My ideas so far are:
- De-register garbage containers (except for a small residual waste bin)
- Turn off the heating
- Shut off the water supply
- Drain water pipes during the winter months
- De-register the gas connection and meter
I’d appreciate your input—maybe there will be a project thread in the near future! 😀
PS: I couldn’t find a subforum where I really felt at home with this topic, so I’m posting it here in the building planning forum. For me, this somehow belongs to the planning stage.
Congratulations on your plan, and best of luck.
I would use the house as a weekend and holiday home.
Getting to know the neighbors, observing the sun’s path, shading, quiet zones, preserving plants in a corner, and so on would be my priorities.
At the same time, plan the new house, familiarizing yourself with the zoning plan and requirements.
I would use the house as a weekend and holiday home.
Getting to know the neighbors, observing the sun’s path, shading, quiet zones, preserving plants in a corner, and so on would be my priorities.
At the same time, plan the new house, familiarizing yourself with the zoning plan and requirements.
SumsumBiene6 Dec 2022 18:10If it is still habitable, you could also rent it out to the municipality on a temporary basis.
schubert796 Dec 2022 18:43Offer to the city or municipality as temporary accommodation. They are in urgent demand!
Hello everyone,
First of all, thank you very much for your feedback – even though some of the answers didn’t quite address my question.
Thank you! The tips are helpful! We already know most of the neighbors well. We live a few streets away and have had several interactions. We are also very familiar with the development plan – the parents built in the same planning area a few years ago. Actually, it’s not too restrictive, so we don’t have to worry too much about how to align the zoning requirements with our ideas.
There’s nothing left in the house that would be worth selling.
It would probably require a significant investment to bring it into a rentable condition. We don’t want to do that given the planned demolition. We could offer it; however, the municipality is actually quite well equipped in terms of accommodation.
First of all, thank you very much for your feedback – even though some of the answers didn’t quite address my question.
Nida35a schrieb:
Congratulations on the plan, and good luck.
I would use the house as a weekend and holiday home.
Getting to know the neighbors, observing the sun path, shading, quiet zones, saving plants in one corner, etc. – those would be my main considerations.
At the same time, plan the new house and deal with the development plan and requirements.
Thank you! The tips are helpful! We already know most of the neighbors well. We live a few streets away and have had several interactions. We are also very familiar with the development plan – the parents built in the same planning area a few years ago. Actually, it’s not too restrictive, so we don’t have to worry too much about how to align the zoning requirements with our ideas.
i_b_n_a_n schrieb:
And maybe try to sell the house "in parts" on common classifieds platforms?
There’s nothing left in the house that would be worth selling.
SumsumBiene schrieb:
If it’s still habitable, you could rent it out temporarily to the municipality.
schubert79 schrieb:
Offer it to the city or municipality as temporary accommodation. They are desperately looking for that!
It would probably require a significant investment to bring it into a rentable condition. We don’t want to do that given the planned demolition. We could offer it; however, the municipality is actually quite well equipped in terms of accommodation.