Make an old, long-uninhabited house livable

Hello, we are new here. Thank you for accepting us!
We have been offered an old little house from the 1870s. The location and neighborhood are dreamily beautiful and quiet. The condition is quite good from our layman’s perspective. It was uninhabited for about 50 years, but the owners have kept an eye on it a little. It has electricity, but no water, sewer, gas, or telephone connection. However, all the pipes run in the street. Of course, there is no heating either. Also, it seems not to have a proper floor, because at least in one room the bare earth is visible.
What is the best way to proceed here? How do you find a professional who could estimate what needs to be done? We can help ourselves with manual work, but would need some guidance because we are not construction experts. Thanks for tips!
Yours, Holzaugen

House 150 years old and unoccupied for 50 years = demolition and new construction. Everything else is probably sentimental value, as new construction is likely cheaper than renovation.

Good evening,

We were offered an old little house from the 1870s ... From our layman’s perspective, the substance is quite good.

I would be cautious with this assumption.

It was unoccupied for about 50 years, but the owners kept an eye on it a little. It has electricity, but no water, sewer, gas, or telephone connection. However, all the pipes run in the street. Of course, no heating either. It also seems to have no proper floor, because at least in one room, bare earth is visible.
How do you proceed best in such a case? How do you find a specialist who could estimate what all needs to be done?

It’s best to look for an expert with a focus on existing buildings and particularly very old masonry. You can find such a person, for example, through the Bund der freien Sachverständigen e.V.; sorted by specialty and location. It is also important to clarify whether monument protection has a say here. I would clarify that beforehand in your place as well.

We can help ourselves with the craftsmanship but need some guidance because we are not from the construction field.

If the expert comes to the conclusion that a complete renovation is worthwhile – here nordanney is not wrong, a new build will be cheaper for you (the renovation costs are about the same as a new build, but there will certainly be special requirements imposed on you. If monument protection also comes into play, it will be even more expensive) – and you can also manage it financially, you will need an architect to accompany the conversion measures anyway. With him, you can also clarify in what form your own work – also under guidance – is possible.

Rhineland greetings

Actually, I wouldn't want to do too much to it, it would be a holiday home:
- Fix the floor in one room, the others have very nice wooden floorboards
- Lay connections from the street into the house
- Water and drainage on one wall (one side kitchen, the other side bathroom)
- Install shower, toilet
- Possibly new windows
- A gas heating system for 4 small rooms (can you actually heat a house with 30 cm thick [Felsenstein] stone walls?)
- And a few repairs: one gutter, the others are like new, a few tiles, doors, whitewash walls...
How much does such an expert cost?

What do I need to consider there?

Observe the Energy Saving Ordinance

For holiday homes?