How different are semi-detached houses allowed to be?

Hello everyone,

I have reserved a plot of land and am now starting with the planning.

Although I will surely get answers to these questions from my architect, whom I will also involve (he is a friend of mine), I would like to start thinking about it already.

A semi-detached house may be built on the plot, the other semi-detached house does not yet exist either.

How free am I with my planning: The building permit says that I may build the ground floor, upper floor, and attic. Can I still build only the ground floor and attic and the neighbor later maybe build ground floor, upper floor, and attic?

And what about shutters, do they have to be installed on both halves or can only one neighbor do them? I actually prefer shutters to roller blinds.

Thanks a lot in advance
insgruene

Hello,

A semi-detached house may be built on the property; the other semi-detached house does not exist yet either. How free am I with my planning: The development plan says that I may build a ground floor, upper floor and attic. Can I still build only the ground floor and attic and the neighbor maybe later build ground floor, upper floor and attic? And how is it with shutters, do they have to be on both halves or can only one neighbor have them? I actually prefer shutters to roller shutters.

You need to look at your development plan, or the textual provisions for the property. In general: "he who comes first sets the pace" – provided he stays within the framework of the specifications. For example, if the development plan shows a Roman numeral 2 without a circle, then a maximum of two full stories _are allowed_; if the Roman numeral 2 is enclosed by a circle, then two full stories _must_ be planned. In general, you can assume that the municipalities aim to ensure that the semi-detached houses do not differ externally from each other, for example regarding gable roofs, hip roofs, dormers, roof tiles or house color. Whether you may install roller shutters or shutters is determined by your responsible caseworker at the building planning office.

Kind regards

I can say something about that

My neighbor was allowed to set the tone, fixed 1 1/2 stories, now she is not building further (bankrupt) and I have her specifications. For that, we were allowed to do dwarf gables, which she did not have. But as the building expert already writes, look at the development plan, your buddy will probably be able to explain everything quite well to you.

Thanks to you both. As it looks, I will probably be the first, but despite the missing development plan I have to adhere to the neighboring buildings, which are mostly ground floor, first floor, and attic.

What are your experiences with doing work yourself: can you save something if you take the trouble to compare providers, or are the services of the house building company already cheap because they purchase much larger quantities?

Would it be worthwhile to have the heating system, for example in my case possibly a groundwater heat pump + drilling of the wells, done by someone else? Or can another provider not compete at all?

For me, it will be Town & Country, as it looks.

Many thanks
insgruene

Hello Insgrune,

often there are clear specifications in the development plan regarding how tall a building has to be, etc. You can easily find this out with a short visit to the building authority. Usually, they are very helpful, and you can clarify any questions directly.

In principle, semi-detached houses do not have to be identical. Here is something extreme:


The disadvantages of such development are obvious...

Do you already know who owns (or will own) the neighboring property? Maybe they want to build soon as well, and if you approach the planning together from the start, you will definitely have fewer problems later!

Regarding your questions about self-performed work: that's what it was originally developed for... But honestly... If you are a roofer, then you can roof your house by yourself. Better leave everything else to others unless you know 120% what you are doing. For interior work, e.g. floor tiles, wallpapers, etc., you can save a bit, but hardly any construction company wants to do that anyway. But it's just like your next question – it depends.

Best regards