kfW: 2 residential units for a single-family house

Hello you hardworking forum writers,

we are planning a single-family house in Lower Saxony on a slope with about 140sqm (ground floor/upper floor) and about 50sqm basement. For the financing, we would like to provide for two residential units so that we can receive funding through the KfW for both residential units. The basement is to have a granny flat (for the parents later). For now, we would probably want to set it up for ourselves.

On the KfW website, I can only find very superficially described what they understand by a residential unit. Our basement will have a separate entrance and a bathroom as well as the possibility to set up a kitchen. However, we would like to be able to enter the granny flat from the ground floor, as this would also be important later for possible care.

Is "separate residential unit" to be understood as meaning that access from one residential unit to the other is not possible at all? That is, that we could only reach the granny flat from outside (sep. entrance)?
Can fire doors (or other types of doors) be used as separation?
Or is a wall with a special door between the ground floor and the granny flat absolutely necessary?
Separate could also mean that doors are present as access from the ground floor, but these cannot be used (e.g. two different locks) if rented out.
Must access to the technical room be possible from both residential units?

I look forward to your answers. Many thanks in advance and have a sunny weekend!

The simplest way to provide two separate residential units is a shared staircase that does not belong to any apartment.

I would also ask your financing partner regarding this. He (hopefully) is familiar with the KfW programs.

Hiho everyone,

I'm also wondering about the housing units.

I am currently in the preliminary planning phase for a renovation and want to use KfW 151. I have attached the plans for the upper floor and attic. Would this count as 2 housing units? There is a separate staircase, but there is one door in the attic through which you can access the unit on the upper floor, but you could lock that door, right? ? What is meant by "Kochgelegenheit," meaning directly specially provided; there is nothing like that in the attic, but well, you could put a hotplate anywhere...

Of course, the energy consultant will come into play soon, and they can surely answer that for me, but until then I want to already start thinking about the financing components.

Cheers
Olli

Good evening,

the simplest solution has already been described by Tox. A separate apartment entrance door must be installed for each unit; a normal interior door is not sufficient.

We would like to be able to enter the granny flat from the ground floor, as this could later be important for possible care.

That is not possible; it means "closed off" in the sense of separate.

Is it to be understood under "closed-off residential unit" that access from the other residential unit is not possible at all? So that we could only get into the granny flat from outside (separate entrance)?

Correct.

Can fire doors (or other types of doors) be used as a separation? Or is a wall with a special door between the ground floor and the granny flat absolutely necessary?

Separate residential units must be formed "from each other."

Closed off could also mean that although doors are present as access from the ground floor, they cannot be used (e.g., two different locks), if renting is done.

Great – just imagine having to live in the scenario you described... separated is probably something else.

Does access to the utility room have to be possible from both residential units?

Yes.

Rheinische regards

Good evening Olli,

Would this pass as 2 residential units? There is a separate staircase, but there is that one door in the attic through which you get to the unit on the upper floor, but that could be locked, right?

Attic and upper floor each one residential unit? Hardly, there is no kitchen in either the attic or the upper floor. If this is drawn and there is one apartment entrance door per floor, it should work. There must be 2 independent and fully functional apartments!

What, by the way, is located on the ground floor? Also a complete apartment?

What is meant by "cooking facility"?

Cold/hot water and high-voltage connection for the stove. At least a single kitchen unit must be able to be connected without problems.

Rhenish greetings