Building a house or buying

I would choose the new building. Otherwise, you have two houses with two kitchens and bathrooms, etc., which means extensive renovation work not only on the outside (connecting the two houses) but also inside, since you basically have to hollow everything out completely and redo it according to your needs...

Would you think about the inheritance? I would like to leave my children something material, a 40-year-old house is surely better than a 100-year-old one. ...

Think and immediately dismiss it. The house can later become a point of contention between siblings who have become enemies in the meantime. Therefore: Always think of yourself, the children can take care of themselves later :)

On the topic: I personally like old houses, they have charm and a mature garden, usually also a better and more integrated location in the village than a new development. Also, I like unconventional renovations, which an architect in a new building can never achieve.

If you are torn back and forth, I would at least ask the building authority how the connection of two terraced houses is handled.

Otherwise, in your place, I would weigh up: old versus new... what do you have with the terraced house, what with the new building (infrastructure, location, sun, garden, old trees, ambiance, courtyard, garage, cellar, built-in wardrobes versus walk-in shower, and so on) and what do you value? Existing property or modernity? The fact is that new construction with carport, storage, garden landscaping, kitchen and other extras like new furniture costs considerably more than planned :)

Hello Chrischan,

The choice is between:
- Linked terraced house, 350m² plot, 140m² living space, 80m² basement from 1957 in a well-known and very nice location
- New single-family house on 560m² plot, 125m² living space, no basement in a nice suburban community.

The new build would be about 50 TEUR more expensive, but the burden would remain roughly the same due to more expensive loans (would probably have to keep the old financing running).

When was the terraced house built? What is 50 TEUR more expensive in relation to?

Is it 'economically sensible' to keep the old house? We feel very comfortable there. Or would it perhaps be more future-proof to take the new build, especially since we have already decided to move into the neighboring community.

This can only be answered rationally if you know the costs incurred by merging the two houses.

There is also the option to keep the façades and create one house inside from two according to the latest techniques...

Either way: first clarify your financial possibilities with the bank. Then find an expert for existing properties and inspect both houses with him; then an architect who can do more than "just" fill out paperwork. Once you have reached this point, look for a builder who is capable of carrying out such a conversion. Only when the bare numbers are on the table – you also have to move out during the renovation; that costs money as well – can you decide economically where the journey should go.

As I said, the decision depends on many factors and no one here will or should take it from us, but I would be interested from a future perspective whether you consider the old house or the new house, therefore outside the environment, more sensible.

On the emotional level, you have already long since answered your own question :D

If the question is silly, it can of course be deleted.

There are only silly answers ;)

Rhenish greetings

Good morning,

thank you for the numerous and good answers. :) As expected, there is simply no clear decision. That’s why we have now settled on a 1a and a 1b solution and just let our gut and heart decide. We will follow Epi’s suggestion and now have an architect examine the financing and construction effort of combining the terraced houses. If this fails due to costs, feasibility, or whatever, we would continue to pursue the house construction with a clear conscience.

Auf der emotionalen Schiene hast Du Dir Deine Frage schon längst selbst beantwortet :D

;)

Many thanks to everyone, if there is a renovation, I will certainly "bother" you again with the floor plan planning. :)

Hello, Chrischan,

a little addendum from me: I believe that, as a rule, one should listen to oneself to see whether one is more the new-build type or rather the renovation type. We ourselves bought an old house, but with few renovation measures. The advantage of an existing property is, for example, that you have 30-year-old trees in the garden from day one, everything is finished, everything fenced in, local amenities are available, etc., etc.

In the residential development, you may have construction noise for 10 years, eventually the street will be done, and by the time you have shade in the garden, you are old. ;) I usually don’t like the locations and the appearance of pure new-build areas either; that wouldn’t be for me because I want to have amenities around me for living.

Furthermore, from a professional point of view, I believe that the value retention or value development in some residential areas/new-build areas will not develop in the interest of the owners. Therefore, it is quite possible that a well-maintained semi-detached terraced house may still be worth more in 30 or 50 years than a 30 or 50-year-old house in a new development area where no one wants to live anymore.

Best regards
Dirk Grafe