Building vs. buying and converting a hall. What is more sensible?

  • Erstellt am 2009-05-17 20:15:03

milamber

2009-05-17 20:15:03
  • #1
hello everyone,

nice forum that I just discovered here.

I plan to move into my own four walls in the next few months and have already started dealing with this topic. However, I have the following problem: I find normal houses boring! I don't want to spend a bunch of money on something that wouldn't really make me happy. For me, only lofts, studios, or ateliers come into question.

My dream idea would be a small hall in which I would build a kind of balcony for the bedroom. The rest would be a completely open living space. It is clear, however, that such a building would not be very energy-efficient and would scream for renovation. In addition, I would like windows in the roof (I am a big plant lover and wouldn't mind a big tree in the middle of the room).

So would it be more sensible to build a house and simply leave out all the interior walls? Of course with an appropriate ceiling height. Would such a house be cheaper? After all, there is a lot of material missing inside.

How realistic is it at all to find such a small hall in Karlsruhe? (only if someone here is familiar with the situation in this city).
 

Danton

2009-05-18 13:09:04
  • #2
Hello milamber,

if you want to buy a hall to convert it for residential purposes, there are some things that need to be considered.

Since halls are usually located in commercial or even industrial areas, it is not so easy to use them completely as a residential building.

If a suitable hall within a commercial area is found, one should first register a business. It is possible to set up a manager's or caretaker's apartment in a commercial hall, but the commercial area must predominate.
In addition, a so-called "Antrag auf Nutzungsänderung" must be submitted in addition to an application for building permission, which may have to be submitted anyway.
Your post does not sound like these are your desires. Unfortunately, reality sometimes looks a little different.

Although I am not familiar with the situation in Karlsruhe, sometimes, with a lot of luck, an old commercial operation can be found in an older residential area, usually near the city center, in a backyard. Such a commercial building can often be converted into a very interesting residential building. With such a property, the local building authorities/town offices are generally very cooperative and helpful, as they want to remove commercial operations from downtown areas.

Certainly, there is also the possibility of constructing a residential building in a hall-like form.
However, one should examine the development plan for the intended building area very carefully to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Removing all interior walls will hardly work. Or should the bathroom/WC, if applicable, be openly visible from the living room? (Just a little joke)
To be able to roughly estimate the construction costs, a preliminary plan is first necessary.
It should also be considered that there can always be surprises during conversions, for which a certain financial buffer should be planned.

I hope this helps a little.
 

milamber

2009-05-18 16:02:50
  • #3
thank you for the answer.

yes, I was aware of the change of use. Of course, you always have to clarify that in advance. But as far as I understood, it is more of a minor problem as long as the building is not located in an industrial area.

oh, I really have no idea where to look. The usual offers on the internet give absolutely nothing, and I simply have no idea how I could come across a suitable property.
 

Danton

2009-05-18 16:44:52
  • #4
Hello milamber,

if you roughly know which area/neighborhood might be suitable for you, just try using Google Earth. Maybe you'll discover a building or plot that could be an option. That's how I sometimes look for building gaps for clients. If you find one, just kindly ask the neighbors if they know who owns the property. They usually do and often also know the phone number. Calling and asking costs almost nothing.

Good luck
 

stephan86

2013-09-09 11:58:44
  • #5
A friend of mine was recently also looking for a commercial property (which, however, was to be used commercially for more than 50%). He found one with a professional provider of commercial real estate. So much for already existing halls. Whether it is allowed, however, to convert these halls according to your wishes is another question.

Not only the aforementioned change of use would be a problem, but I also find the possibilities of really making it feel like home there difficult, although so much space does allow for many wishes to be fulfilled (such as your tree).

I would just make an inquiry! Because building something completely new certainly exceeds all conversion costs of a hall! Your planned option would then be significantly cheaper, I would guess.

------------------------

Hello,

I have removed the link, please observe the forum rules. Thank you.

Rhenish regards Bauexperte
 

Der Da

2013-09-09 12:18:41
  • #6
I know Karlsruhe quite well. After all, I searched, found, and moved on the housing market there for 15 years.

In the Oststadt, an old factory building has been converted into loft apartments in recent years. But rather at the price of a fancy single-family house. Maybe something like that is an alternative for you?

Otherwise, you only find such halls in so-called mixed-use areas where commercial and residential use is allowed. But these are always outside the restricted zone in Karlsruhe. That means you will have to put up with sauna clubs, brothels, and similar businesses in the neighborhood. In the Weststadt there is such an area where KA-News reported last year that the housing situation has become impossible—sex tourism right on the doorstep.

So directly in Karlsruhe you will have difficulties. I don’t know what it looks like further outside.

In addition, if you do a conversion, you will also have to comply with the Energy Saving Ordinance. This imposes requirements etc., which will probably make the thing quite expensive.
 

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