Vacant lot vs. new development area - how to decide?

Our house fits well into the existing houses.

I also find it an interesting idea how one wants to integrate. A town villa in the existing buildings might be equally unusual. However, it should not be a priority. As some have already written, here too, one can occasionally see a new building or extension on one of the very old huge plots or houses that are being demolished because a young family is building anew.
A change among the neighbors can happen in both cases. Not every family necessarily stays in a new development area until retirement. We know a few cases as well (house too small/large, financially overburdened, divorce, job change).

Location for trips to shops, café, or school, e.g. on foot/by bike, could also be taken into account in the decision if it is a relevant difference. Or classic criteria like train tracks or roads.

One point we find very positive about the building gap: The neighboring houses are already there! The houses, garages, etc. are already standing. Of course, the older the area, the more likely changes could occur – the older residents pass away and young people move in.
But basically, you can already see whether a tall house casts a shadow on the plot or where the neighbor's garage and terrace are.
In a new development area, of course you can try to make contact with the new neighbors early on, but there is a higher risk that the neighbor will put a garage in front of the floor-to-ceiling kitchen windows (we have already experienced this with family members as well -.-).

We would also prefer the southeast orientation more, but that is a matter of taste.

Good luck with your decision!!

Village is not just village. Here, children from 1st grade onwards are relatively on their own. Main street is not without danger – the rest is okay. There are hardly any newcomers, and if there are, they can integrate no matter where they live. The boys in the town center, who are now coming up, are middle class. Workers, doctors, salespeople, craftsmen. Who knows if the pharmacy will still exist in 30 or 40 years. Maybe there will be delivery service from the supermarket. I wouldn't worry about that.

I would always prefer "in the village." You are then in the midst of things, in life.

The new development area is good for the children. One would think! In our area, there are hardly any children from different households playing together. The parents are all clingy, overprotective, and do not let their children play with others on the street. A sad spectacle. And annoying neighbors are mostly the snobbish younger ones, not the older ones.

paar Bedenken, dass die älteren Häuser (schätzungsweise 20er/30er-Jahre-Bauten) drumherum bei einem späteren Eigentümerwechsel ein gewisses Klientel anziehen könnten,

Kinder sollten m. E. andere Kinder in der Umgebung haben. Momentan sieht es da im Ortskern eher mau aus und die ältere Generation dominiert das Bild

Have you ever thought that your children* might become better people if they experience everyday life with people from other groups as normal? They automatically make friends in daycare and school.
*and from you

But I can also not blame you if you choose the new development area.

What kind of clientele do 90/100 year old houses attract in your opinion?

Well, what I have often observed: either the "lowest price" crowd buys such old houses here in the countryside or those who spend Saturday afternoons washing their car in sweatpants and undershirt with a loud radio playing, have a fondness for listed dogs, and light up the smoky charcoal grill at every single ray of sunshine, if you know what I mean. Of course, one never really knows who might move in eventually, but the risk is certainly higher with such inexpensive houses in the neighborhood than with new-build city villas.

Have you ever thought that your children* could become better people if they experience everyday life with people from different groups than what is considered normal? They automatically make friends in daycare and school.
*and from you

But I can’t blame you if you choose the new development area.

We just want to avoid the famous mistake, that’s all. I don’t really want to participate in the new development area challenge "Who has the most amazing kitchen and who serves the finest whiskey after the barbecue?"
I’d prefer a neighbor who is a bit more glamorous but straightforward.

From the perspective of a family with child(ren), I would currently tend to choose the new development area. However, I will live in the house much longer than the kids and will have to face the longer ways to the center later on...
Unfortunately, a heavily traveled main road during the day cuts through our village, so I’d have concerns about letting my child go off alone too early to play and school friends. If later they all live down in the village and we live up here on the other side, that would be kind of awkward... difficult, difficult, it’s all difficult... I hope such worries are normal!?

Whoever has the choice, has the agony
I think you already address the most important points in my opinion: you live longer in the house vs. environment for the children.

Dealing with traffic can be taught. Although we live far away from any metropolitan area, it is not a small backwater. Here, children are independent from about 1st grade. Parents sometimes have to look for where the kids are hanging out in the evening. Many children still grow up here like in the 80s. The nightmare of my brother-in-law and my sister. Neighbor children are sometimes not even in the same class, maybe only at the same elementary school. They first see each other in after-school care or on the street.
Look around and find out how it is where you live.

I would decide based on
- Where is my dream house allowed Par. 34 or B’Plan
- Orientation
- Start of construction
- Price
- Size