Enlarge windows in the ground floor retrospectively

Hello!

I have a maybe stupid question that is really bothering me right now.

For cost reasons, we have now decided against a lift-and-slide door to the terrace.
Besides the costs, it was also about the fact that otherwise the passage to the terrace would be smaller than with a door that can be opened on both sides.

But as it often happens during house construction, doubts come up afterwards/during the process.
Now we have thought about what if one day it would really bother someone and one had enough money through inheritance or whatever.
If you wanted to widen the window front afterwards or install a completely new terrace door on another side, that would probably be quite elaborate (or even not possible?).
Now finally to my silly question: Such a complex process probably takes longer than one day, right?
How would you secure the house during this time? You can’t just leave the ground floor open for a week while you’re actually already living in the house.

Has anyone ever done something like this or do such window enlargements usually only concern old buildings that are still unoccupied?

Many thanks for your advice :-)
Unfortunately, we find it really difficult to balance budget and wishes against each other. On the one hand afraid of driving ourselves into financial ruin, but on the other hand also afraid of totally regretting something later. That’s probably why these thoughts are tormenting us all the time...

If you now wanted to widen the window front afterwards or install a completely new patio door on another side, that would probably be quite complicated (or even impossible?)

Not complicated, but very complicated. A structural engineer is needed, everything must be dismantled and chipped out (the expensive existing window must also be disposed of), supports must be installed and a lintel inserted for the breakthrough. Similar for widening, if applicable. The floor may need to be partially renewed. Electrical wiring must be adjusted (because of electric shutters for the new window/door or possibly repositioned when expanding). A lot of dirt and dust. Replastering. The work takes several days depending on what exactly needs to be done. P.S. In a few years you won’t do it. By then, the thousands of euros you spent on the current state + several thousand euros again for the desired state will simply be too expensive for you.

Not in the next few years for sure. But if one of us were to inherit in 10 to 20 years, then maybe it would still be worth a few renovations that we have held back now. I don't know. Of course, it also depends on whether a lot of effort means 10k or 30k.... Thanks for your assessment!

Hi,
in 20 years you might do something like this earlier, since some windows might need to be replaced anyway. However, changing the format is of course a completely different matter than simply replacing them. Especially with floor-to-ceiling windows and changing the system, it might also be necessary to open up the floor. Then it becomes the whole operation, in the worst case with screed and underfloor heating renewed...
Regarding the lift-and-slide door: I can’t understand why anyone would install something like that. My parents’ house had one, and later my mother lived for 25 more years in an apartment with such a door. I always found it really impractical because you always have to move a huge, heavy door when you go through.
We actually never had it fully open, at most to carry the Christmas tree in and out. Especially in a modern house, you leave all doors and windows nicely closed in summer; otherwise, it’s immediately 30 degrees inside.
Some of our neighbors and friends also have sliding doors, and they mostly keep them closed or just open a small gap. So apparently, I’m not the only one with this opinion...

A tip on the side: During the construction phase, you think endlessly about this and that, and some details seem really important. Once you’re living there, all that suddenly doesn’t matter anymore and you don’t even notice if you installed tile abc or XYZ....

Best regards,

Andreas

Thank you also for your opinion!
So we also don't think a sliding door is the only ultimate solution. The advantage would have been going out without a threshold.
But we have actually planned significantly fewer windows than the entire new development.
We really notice that now since the house is standing.
The plots are actually quite small and we have 10m to the next semi-detached house in the south, less than 10 meters to the east, and less than 10m to the street in the west. Somehow we just never thought of installing huge window fronts there.
All others somehow still have at least large or even gigantic window fronts facing the street.
That unsettles us now.
What if it bothers us in the long run?
At least no one is living in it yet and construction work would be possible.

That is very time-consuming. It affects the structural integrity, then the electrical system may need to be changed, interior plaster, exterior insulation and plaster and paint. A lot of dirt and work. Honestly, I think people don’t usually do something like that later on, at least not if they live in it. Normally, such work is done during an ownership change, when a major renovation would be necessary anyway. It would definitely be cheaper to deal with it now.