Reduction of living space due to knee wall height

Hello,

we are building with a property developer. So far, we haven’t had any really bad experiences with them. But we are still at the beginning of the construction. :) Our knee wall height on the first floor has now been reduced from 100cm to 70cm. We found out about this by chance on a new floor plan sketch. However, we want to keep the 100cm, that’s what we signed for. Unfortunately, we are not getting any response from the developer, because one of the people responsible is always on vacation. Has anyone had similar experiences and can tell me if we have to accept the 70cm now?

Have you already signed a contract? Would you accept it if the roof simply disappears ;-)

we are building with a developer.

You cannot build with a developer. You can only buy from a developer (often even before construction begins). I rather suspect you have a general contractor (who builds a house on a plot of land that you own). That makes a huge difference: Case A: Developer, you have not bought yet. Solution: quite simple, do not buy it. Case B: Developer, you have already bought: then they cannot simply build a different house than the one they sold. Case C, General contractor: they also cannot unilaterally change the construction description.

The question is first of all, why is he doing that? I don't believe this is about saving a row of bricks (and if it is, you have the wrong [GU]). I rather fear that the development plan requires the 70cm or that otherwise specified heights are exceeded.

I rather fear that the development plan prescribes the 70cm or that otherwise specified heights are exceeded.

In the case of a general contractor, it would be at least unrefined to respond to this without consulting the client (i.e., to discuss alternatives), and a subcontractor would not be justified in simply quietly building a different building than the one he sold.

Even if that is the case, the entrepreneur should actively address it instead of being unreachable for inquiries. Regardless of the reasons, this reduction saves stones and must be compensated.