Renovation of the old building

Hello first of all, ;)

I am completely new here and would like to have a problem :D

We, meaning my partner and I, want to renovate an old building or carry out an interior conversion of my old parental home.
That means 250m² spread over the ground floor, 1st floor, and attic or 2nd floor!
Floors, ceilings, walls, heating, and electricity need to be redone.
Walls have to be broken through, meaning old doors reopened!
The kitchen window facing the courtyard is supposed to become our front door later on!
Where there used to be stairs, wooden ceilings were inserted in the 70s, and now there should be stairs again.
New windows have to be installed.
The bathroom should be under the roof, meaning all the pipes have to go from the ground floor to the 2nd floor.

Now to my questions :confused:
- Do I have to get something like this approved or registered at the building authority?
- Do I absolutely need an architect or would it be better to have one?
- An interior architect or ?

I am grateful for any feedback.

Best regards
Holly

Hello Holly68,

as long as the type of use of the building and the external dimensions do not change due to the conversion measure, it does not have to be reported to the building authority and no building application has to be submitted.
An exception to this can be windows, however, if they are additionally planned as new in a closed external wall and this wall falls below the prescribed minimum distance of 3.00 m to the boundary. Such a case should be examined more closely with regard to its permissibility.

For such a construction measure, an architect is not necessarily required if the client really trusts themselves to plan the conversion and manage such a construction site.
I would nevertheless advise involving such a professional (architect or structural engineer). They can give the client valuable tips during the planning phase, professionally put the jointly developed ideas on paper, and estimate the costs of the conversion. They also know the sequence of the later construction site with all its trades in the correct order.

With the involvement of such a professional, I am already at the next point. For the changes you have planned to the house, I would in any case involve a structural engineer (statics expert) who can overview where potentially necessary structural verifications must be carried out.
If you want, they can certainly also take over the conversion planning and construction management.

I would involve an interior designer in your place if you yourself do not have enough ideas for the interior design.

I hope I have been able to help you a little with this.

Best regards from the Osnabrück region

Hello Holly68,

Congratulations on your project. I can only advise everyone to take things into their own hands. You develop a completely different relationship with your property and, moreover, it’s really fun (mostly). I have just renovated a house myself (an old factory). From underfloor heating to drywall and electrical work, I did everything myself. The important thing is to involve a professional in the right places. For example, residual current testing and wiring of the fuse box for electrical work, a structural engineer for the openings, in short: for all trades that could potentially cause fires, involve gas, or have structural relevance. That doesn’t mean you can’t do it yourself, but it should be checked by a professional before commissioning; that’s a few hundred euros well spent.

Best regards Matthias

Hello Holly, Danton has already said almost everything, I just want to add that if you involve an architect, you also have someone who is liable for any planning errors. I would strongly recommend an architect for a construction project of this size, especially for stair installation.