Hanging house in the Southwest Palatinate - Our House Construction 2.0

Would you perhaps have a picture of it? I find the idea quite great in my imagination :)

Thank you very much!

Cutting back the slope was also what our builder proposed. We have plenty of space for the garden, I wouldn’t mind losing the terrain to the back too much. However, a certain steepness remains if you consider the terrace is about 4 meters deep.
Therefore, he currently suggested two slope terraces, which so far have withstood every heavy rain (and we’ve had a few apocalyptic downpours this year). But they aren’t easily manageable as they are. You would at least have to plan a staircase and some borders so you can move between the plants.

Doing it ourselves is again a competence issue for us.

Shallow cutting was also what our builder suggested. We have plenty of space for the garden, and it wouldn’t bother me too much to lose the terrain at the back. However, there remains a certain steepness, considering the terrace is about 4 meters deep. Therefore, he has currently proposed two hillside terraces to us, which have so far withstood every heavy rain (and we already had a few apocalyptic rainfalls this year). But they are not really manageable as they are. At least a staircase and some edging would need to be planned so you can move between the plants.

At the moment, you can still get past everything beside the house. Between the end of the house and the boundary point, it’s about 12 meters, and it slopes downward at an angle but not too steeply. Initially, we might even just leave it like that and sow grass over it. The side of the property won’t receive any money for improvements for at least a few years. This is what it looks like next to the house, only currently it’s a bit smoother and less muddy (the picture is older):


DIY is a competence problem for us again. We did a bit ourselves with the first house. What we are good at is creating beds and planting things. I also made a bed edging with buried clinker bricks that I was quite proud of. Our self-sown lawn turned out rather mediocre but it was green — that would be enough for me here at first as well. Where it really stops quickly is anything where you have to get things straight, like with a plumb line and chalk line, or when it comes to concreting. Last time I did some reading on it but then didn’t dare and had someone come to do it. That involved a fence, more precisely the posts. I’d like to try building a small wall, but maybe initially just for a raised bed or something. I’ve never done it before. I wouldn’t trust my first attempts at masonry to secure a hillside. So, all in all: DIY looks rather sparse since we don’t know much. :) To the lack of experience also comes a good portion of clumsiness. After we moved here, I tried to set up our bed. 12 screws, and after the third one I managed to hit my forehead with the cordless drill’s battery pack and got a laceration on my forehead, the scar is still visible. Since then, I've become a bit more cautious about what I trust myself to do.

Has landscape construction stuff, and he said he doesn’t want to make promises to people and then have no time for them forever. For me, it would be more important to put a few more bucks into photovoltaics and a wallbox, so the outdoor area is once again being neglected. :/ Since I know what our outdoor facility on the slope cost, I can very well understand that your general contractor is doing gardening and landscaping for you again. With the probable order volume, I couldn’t say no either. With two terrace steps, a staircase, and the street front, you’re probably quickly in the six-figure range. I don’t know how I would find an e-car wallbox and photovoltaics before a new build with a long unfinished outdoor area. I would probably be surprised about the prioritization; an unfinished outdoor area over a longer period clearly shows the neighbors that the money is now gone....

We are currently in Valais; there is practically only hillside, and in this house, the slope towards the street was cut at 40-45 degrees. It has held for 50 years, but there is still a lot of wasted space, as we are talking about a height difference of over 4m at the peak. Maintenance is a pain due to the steepness; the hammock directly above the edge is a great thing.

I would like to encourage you to be a bit braver, but with supports significantly over one meter high, I’m also only conditionally comfortable. However, you could also take a two-track approach here: cut the slope so it holds and then, for example, install these wooden beams as a DIY project. You can read up on the necessary knowledge. If it fails at the fence foundations, it’s less a question of skill and more one of willingness to learn.