Advance payments for a possible future construction site

Hello everyone,

the topic of house building has been on my mind since my childhood and fortunately there is a nice plot of land owned by my parents. Since house building has practically become a hobby over the past few months (low-cost architecture, home automation, heating technology, etc.), I am considering whether and to what extent it makes sense to start planning already. Due to my professional situation, I am currently not close to my parents' house/the plot (about 1 hour drive), but I really imagine it would be nice to return and stay in the coming years (time horizon 4-5 years). The question is whether it makes sense to get involved in advance and start planning a house?

About the plot:
- approx. 7000 sqm undeveloped land with a south-facing slope, but I would only receive a part of it (1000 - 1500 sqm).
- to the south and east there are residential areas, to the west a swimming pool and to the north practically a land consolidation path and beyond that farmland
- the municipality has already been asked and would not object to building here (an older sister had the idea 2 years ago but gave it up again)

I was thinking, for example, about property surveying (also due to the elevation profile) and a soil survey. But the usefulness has to be clarified here. If I were to invest money here, it should be either small amounts or something that can be used in a future building project. Is the property survey usable for the building application if the subdivision of the plot has not yet taken place, and do this and a soil survey have a sufficiently long validity? If an official site plan makes no sense, is there an affordable alternative for a property survey with an elevation profile that an architect would accept as a planning basis (initially I mainly want to experiment with it)? If I should build a house, I would probably do it with an architect in individual contracts with a large share of own work. Or does it simply make no sense at this stage because there is no validity, the situation is still too uncertain, or other reasons?

Regards
Sahitaz

Hello,

Why should a soil survey, for example, lose its validity? Where there is rock, there is no loam four years later.

If I were you, I would start. You can also spend one year or longer on planning. Then, especially with own work, you can spend over one year on building the house. And three years would be up already.

Why should a soil survey, for example, lose its validity?

I once heard something about cellar construction companies only accepting soil surveys for a limited time due to loads, etc?!? But that's hearsay and not well-founded ... On the other hand, I am quite sure who will do the soil excavation and who will pour the foundation slab (both good family friends), so that probably plays a subordinate role. It's about planning security for the foundation and possibly the option of whether the soil would be suitable for a brine heat pump.

You can spend 1 year or longer on planning. Then, especially with own work, you can spend over 1 year on house construction

That is basically my thought as well, but let's calculate 2 years for planning :D

Due to my professional situation, I am currently not near my parents' house/the property (about a 1-hour drive), but I really imagine it to be nice to return and stay in the coming years (time horizon 4-5 years). The question is whether it makes sense to take the initiative in advance and start planning a house?

The shortage of craftsmen isn't quite that bad that you would have to book the construction workers for a build in five years already now. You have already found your property, even if you still have to mark it out, but that will be done quickly. However: the fact that you can afford to move your residence just like that by an entire hour's drive suggests that you are single. I would wait to see what a future bride will say about that, also regarding the number of children's rooms...

The shortage of skilled workers isn’t that bad after all

That’s not really what I’m worried about :D
I’m actually not very afraid of the shortage of skilled workers.

You’ve already found your plot, even if you still have to mark it out, but that should be quick.

That’s more like a point. As I said, the plot is actually huge, but due to the slope with quite different gradients, it might not be that easy to build on. If I already had the survey of the plot, I could play with different scenarios and experiment (Does a residential basement work or is the slope too steep/shallow, what external dimensions are possible, where can the house be placed most sensibly, etc.)

speaks for a single person

You interpreted that well and correctly. And with your following sentence, you are of course also completely right. It’s less about building a house single-handedly for me, but rather about showing up at the architect someday with a fully loaded bag and saying: “These are my ideas, this is my plot, these are example scenarios, these are my habits, … and here are already all the necessary documents prepared.”

As I said, I have really enjoyed dealing intensively with the topic, whether it’s this forum, one podcast or another, or the thick specialist book about smart home, heating design, or whatever.
Basically, despite your ‘headwind’, I am very inclined to go into advance performance here. But then I want to tackle it sensibly. So either spending relatively small amounts but generating data that is sufficient for planning) or later obtaining reliable documents.

An official site plan won’t be valid anymore if the plot is later subdivided, right? What range would surveys from engineering offices or similar fall into? Can that be roughly estimated?

Not to build a house on my own, but rather to show up at the architect at some point with a fully packed bag and say: "These are my ideas, this is my plot, these are example scenarios, these are my habits, ... and here are all the necessary documents already prepared"

Maybe I should write it like this :rolleyes:: It's less about building a house on my own, and more about showing up at the architect at some point with a fully packed bag and saying: "These are our ideas, this is the plot, these are example scenarios, these are our habits, ... and here are all the necessary documents already prepared" I have basically prepared this bag and it can then be finalized in a much shorter form with the 'future bride'. :D