Newly built massive semi-detached house - Things to consider when a neighbor plans a prefab house

Hello,

I am planning to build a semi-detached house on a plot. The neighboring plot has not been sold yet, it may still take a while.

Currently, I am planning a solid house with a basement.
Assuming the future neighbor wants to build a prefab house/wooden structure as a semi-detached house - are there any things to consider based on experience?

Best regards,
Jürgen

I am planning to build a semi-detached house on a plot. The neighboring plot has not yet been sold, it could still take a while. [...] are there, from experience, things to watch out for?

You have already been extensively informed about this basic issue, not only by me:

Everything. Sorry, the New Year's walk is calling, so I have to keep it short now. But I have already written a lot about this, just enter "11ant Doppelhaus" in the search here. Or google "Ein Doppelhaus hat ZWEI Hälften".

I would have preferred to discuss the special aspect

I am currently planning a solid house with a basement. Assuming the future neighbor wants to build a prefab house/wooden structure as a semi-detached house

rather than continuing your original thread. First of all, it is positive that you, as the one building the basement, will build first; but we do not yet know whether your neighbor might also build with a basement, but deeper. Then the problem for you that he will have to support your house becomes relevant again. If he builds without a basement, after you, then I do not see many worries for you. From the materially different construction method I see no specific problem beyond the general issues arising from an uncoordinated semi-detached house. Properly executed, the two halves are not connected to each other and are separated by a sufficient gap. Different expansion or settlement behavior should therefore not have to worry you in this respect. If he also built "solid," the (acoustic) "risk" for you would be higher: then the famous lump of mortar could get between the houses. Have you by now progressed from "not knowing what the neighbor is building" to "knowing that he is building differently"? It is definitely clear that he can only build one half of a semi-detached house as well: for E/D plots, the first building application sort of determines the "type" (E or D) of both plots.

Hello, Thank you for the info. My original thread was about the difference basement/not basement. In the new thread, it is more about the construction method and its consequences/risks. I have two offers, one for a prefabricated house and one for a solid house. So you don't see any difficulty at first if one half is constructed solidly and the other then added in timber construction. That also makes sense to me. Thanks for the info!

You don’t initially see any difficulty if one half is built massively and the other then added in timber construction. That’s also understandable to me. Thanks for the info!

Gladly. The Achilles heel of a semi-detached house are the "shared" sides of the two halves, each from the base plate to the ridge. To tightly seal potentially differing house profiles at the top requires thorough detailed planning and execution; likewise, any underground construction at this point is advisable to carry out delicately with the watchmaker’s godfather ;-)