Book: ‘From a Dream Home to a Ready-to-Move-In Home’: Finding a Plot (A Look at Chapter 5)
For many years, Chris & Caro have been talking about townhouses and more on their podcast ‘tinyon’. Now the pair have published their first book. Readers of the NEW-HOUSING website can read regular excerpts from the book.
“A SMALL PLOT ON THE EDGE OF THE WOODS. THERE MUST BE PLENTY OF THOSE AROUND!”
This way, you can quickly find the right plot for your project without any disappointment.
From the very first viewing of our plot, it was clear: this is the one! It really was love at first sight. The wonderful building plot with the guarantee that nothing around us would change in the foreseeable future. The breathtaking view of the Franconian Forest – old apple, cherry and plum trees – the plot seemed as though it were practically ‘ready to move into’ for our tiny house. When it came to the development, however, we were told that we would need to make a few adjustments to the plot here and there.
Changes only where necessary
We naturally took into account that people would always have the plot in the new development area and the manicured golf-course lawn in view, whereas we would not. Our aim was initially to alter the plot only where it was absolutely necessary. The extent of the essential work required on the sloping plot became clear to us when planning the layout of the sewage pipes. To avoid the need for a so-called sewage lifting system, we therefore decided to raise the ground level of the plot around the house towards the nearest sewer. This naturally created a plateau on the plot, which we wanted to put to practical use. The elevation actually helped us to make even better use of the view of the natural surroundings. [...]
[...] Although the term is often bandied about, there are no specific ‘tiny house’ plots. In principle, most of the standard requirements regarding building land also apply to your smaller house. However, it is often thought that smaller or awkwardly shaped plots are better suited to a tiny house than a conventional building project. Of course, you’ll find plenty of exciting offers on the usual property portals. It’s worth saving so-called ‘agents’ with your personal search criteria here, so you can be notified by email of suitable results. Traditional classifieds platforms, however, have the disadvantage that plots are thrown onto the market indiscriminately, some of which may not even be suitable for building on.
Land Exchange and Scout
We can therefore highly recommend the ‘Land Exchange’ initiated by the Tiny House Association, as well as ‘Tiny Scout’. As these platforms are run by experts from the tiny house world, a certain level of pre-qualification for small-scale housing is ensured. The association also organises events where land owners and interested parties are brought together. In these digital formats, land owners are even available directly to answer questions. Fortunately, there are now also specialised tiny house land exchanges where pre-qualified plots and developments are advertised.
As difficult as the search for a suitable plot for a tiny house may be, you can also use the flexibility and small size of the houses to your advantage when looking for a plot. In many regions of Germany, it is essential to be creative and also consider plots that are not directly advertised on the market.
The role the plot plays in your vision of a liberated life in a tiny house naturally has an impact on your ‘green space requirements’. To be honest, we didn’t ask ourselves this question until far too late. Consequently, whilst searching for a plot, we probably drove several thousand kilometres across the country for nothing, viewing plots that we could actually have ruled out from the outset. [...]
[...] We have developed a checklist to help you with the initial assessment of interesting plots for your Tiny House as a main residence. It allows you to identify potential pitfalls early on and make informed decisions:
- Is the plot designated as building land?
- Is the plot large enough for the footprint of the tiny house and any additional space that may be required?
- Is the access road to the plot suitable for heavy vehicles?
- Is it feasible to extend or alter the tiny house on the plot in the future?
- Is the plot already serviced? If not, how complex and costly would the servicing be?
- Does the plot have rights of way, access and utility lines without any obligation to remove them?
- How does the region where the plot is located rank in terms of wind, snow and earthquake zones?
- Has the soil been tested for its suitability for building?
- Are there any potential contaminated sites or contamination that must be taken into account before purchase?
- Is the plot’s orientation ideal for sunlight and thus also for energy generation?
- Is an increase or decrease in value foreseeable?
- What is the background to the sale and how does it affect the scope for negotiation regarding price or other terms?
- Have all relevant information and documents been gathered?
In Chapter 5 of 10, you’ll find out how to benefit from the property market with your tiny house needs, how to evaluate interesting plots sensibly, and a guide to setting up your own tiny house community. Fabian Müller, an expert in building land development and local government consultancy, enriches this chapter with practical tips and his expertise.
