Installation of floor-to-ceiling window & French balcony, old building, 4th floor

Dear Florists,

I have received financing today for the purchase of a condominium on the 4th floor of an old building from 1910 (i.e. the exterior walls are probably very thick) and hope to complete the purchase in the next few weeks. I would like to have a floor-to-ceiling window, or more precisely a double balcony door with a French balcony, installed in one room. On the 5th floor directly above, there is exactly such a window installed, so it should be possible.

Is it possible to do this without scaffolding (which would probably be very expensive), i.e. entirely from inside the apartment? Does anyone have an approximate estimate of what this would cost? Possibly also with scaffolding, if it cannot be done otherwise.

Many thanks,
Simon

Hello, I have no experience with the conversion of a condominium but with our floor-to-ceiling windows on the upper floor the company did not need scaffolding. They installed it normally from the inside.

Are you even allowed to change the window? To my knowledge, windows belong to the common property and require the consent of everyone to determine whether something may be changed.

On the 5th floor, a window exactly like that is installed directly above, so it should be possible.

Aha, then just ask there (?)

Today I got the financing for the purchase of a condo on the 4th floor of an old building from 1910 (i.e. exterior walls probably very thick)

Year of construction 1910 likely means 25 cm wall thickness on the 4th floor. With Gründerzeit and French balcony, you have to be lucky if there’s no historic preservation involved. Is it possibly less problematic on the 5th floor because that is already an attic?

I agree with the assessment that the owners’ meeting should be asked.

Thanks Niri for the info, that already helps me. How much did the installation cost you?

Of course, I will discuss the conversion with the other owners; if I read the declaration of division correctly, normally even the property manager has the decision-making authority for all construction measures affecting the common property.

Regarding the topic of monument protection: from which document should it be evident whether the building is listed? The apartment above is actually in the attic, but the relevant wall there is also a normal exterior wall, not a sloping roof or similar.

In Bavaria, for example, there is a database with all monuments at the [Landesamt für Denkmalpflege]. I could imagine that this exists in every federal state.