Demolish the house: The most important things in a nutshell.
- Demolishing a house costs between € 20,000 and € 30,000 on average.
- The costs for demolition work are included in the ancillary construction costs. So you can be co-financed with a building loan . The interest rates are then cheaper than with a normal installment loan.
- Before demolishing the house, check whether you are allowed to build your dream property on the property according to the development plans.
- You don’t need a permit to leave a house. It is often enough if you inform the building authority in good time.
- Whoever wants to demolish buildings with a total volume of less than 300 m³ does not usually have to inform the building authority.
- Always ask the building authority to be on the safe side, as the regulations differ from state to state.
- If you want to renovate an old house, you can consult an appraiser or expert. In this way, interested parties can get an idea of the costs and possible renovation measures.
- There are low-interest KfW programs for energy-efficient renovations .
Demolish and rebuild the house: when is it worth buying a built-up plot of land?
Whether it is worth buying a built-up plot of land in order to build a new building after it has been demolished can be seen from a simple calculation: If an undeveloped plot of land is more expensive than the built-up plot, including demolition, it’s worth it.
When thinking about it, also pay attention to the development plans. Sometimes these have changed and your own new building cannot simply be implemented as planned.
For example, if the demolition house has 2.5 floors and 200 m² of living space, this does not automatically mean that the new building may have the same dimensions. If the current development plan specifies a maximum of 2 floors and 150 m² of living space, the new building would be significantly smaller than the existing property to be renovated.
If there is no development plan for the property on which the house is to be demolished, Section 34 of the Building Code must be observed. This states that the new property must adapt to the surrounding buildings.
- Often visited
What does it cost to demolish a house?
The costs for demolishing a house amount to at least € 150 to € 200 per m². Depending on the size and location of the house, the total costs can add up to € 20,000 to € 30,000. The cost of demolition depends on several factors. This includes:
- Demolition method
- Accessibility and location of the property
- Construction of the object
- Existing materials or pollutants
- Safeguards for the surrounding neighborhood
- Possible blocking of the street
- lawful disposal of the rubble
- Remove rubbish and remove lines and cables
- Disposal of garbage and hazardous waste
- Eventual backfilling of the earth on the property
Interested parties should consider that a new foundation is necessary for a new building according to current standards. In addition, lines must be re-laid after a break in accordance with the prescribed DIN standard. The specialists at Dr. Klein therefore recommend setting aside € 40,000 to € 50,000 as a buffer for emergencies for the demolition.
If you want to reduce costs a little, you can, for example, clear out and clear out the house yourself before it is demolished.
Banks usually consider demolition costs to be ancillary construction costs. This means that you can cover the costs for this through mortgage lending . This will save you money. The interest on a mortgage is lower than that of a conventional installment loan.
How long does it take to demolish a house?
Demolishing a house takes several days or up to a week, depending on the size.
Before a house can be demolished, various requirements must be met in advance. In Hamburg, for example, proof of the freedom from explosive ordnance is first required. The ordnance disposal service uses old aerial photographs to check whether there is any suspicion of aerial bombs from World War II. Depending on the speed of the authorities, the process can take several weeks or months.
In the case of a new building, the money is often paid out piece by piece as construction progresses . If the schedule is not adhered to, the bank will charge commitment interest on the parts of the loan that have not yet been drawn. Most banks, however, grant an interest-free period. Duration and interest rate can vary depending on the provider. Finding a good combination of both can save money.
Is it possible to demolish a house yourself?
As a rule, special demolition companies take care of removing the property properly. In principle, you can demolish a house or parts of it on your own if you have the necessary experience and tools and take certain protective measures.
- Before starting the demolition, remove the house from the electricity, water and gas networks at the utility company.
- Take out private accident insurance.
Depending on the size and condition of the house, demolishing it yourself can also be too dangerous for private builders. These include the following dangers:
- The tons of heavy rubble can be a danger to life and limb if a house is demolished.
- Laypeople do not always recognize potential hazardous substances such as toxic paint or asbestos immediately and are therefore exposed to a risk.
- If you sort and dispose of hazardous materials incorrectly, because you do not recognize them, you can be liable to prosecution.
In addition to the necessary experience, demolition companies also have all works and vehicles as well as appropriate insurance coverage. This prevents mistakes when demolishing the house. And if it does happen, at least you as the client are not responsible for it.
Do you need a permit to demolish a house?
In most cases, you don’t need a demolition permit to demolish a house. All you have to do is inform the responsible building authority in good time before the start of the demolition. The building authority will then confirm the demolition work.
As a rule, you do not need a demolition permit for houses with a total volume of up to 300 m³. This volume corresponds roughly to a total living area of 120 square meters with a ceiling height of 2.5 m.
On the other hand, it is not that easy if the house you want to demolish is a listed building. A proper demolition permit is always required here. Sometimes a demolition is even impossible.
The state building regulations, which also regulate demolitions, differ from state to state. This means that the effort, duration and regulations to demolish a house vary depending on the location. Therefore, it is essential to find out more about the respective requirements from your local building authority.
Demolish or renovate an old house?
In the case of many plots with old stock, the property is in a very poor condition. Then there is no way around tearing the house down. But there can also be other reasons when it pays to demolish an existing property on a piece of land instead of renovating it.
- The renovation costs are far too high.
- Major modernization work is pending, for example in the energy sector.
- The room layout and size of the property do not meet your own requirements.
- The house is to be redesigned to be barrier-free.
But demolishing a house does not always have to be the first option. Sometimes an old house can also be refurbished. This can apply in the following cases:
- The renovation effort is limited.
- The building has a special charm.
- The basic structure is appealing.
- There is an emotional connection to the house and demolition is therefore out of the question.
An appraiser or expert can tell you roughly how expensive a renovation is after an inspection. An appraiser can also tell you whether the renovation measures you want can be implemented at all or whether demolishing the house makes more sense.
Refurbishment with low-interest KfW loans
For the (energetic) renovation of an old house, you can also apply for a low-interest KfW loan to support your construction financing . KfW also offers special financing options with one-off grants for houses that are under monument protection. Homeowners have up to € 150,000 per residential unit at their disposal – with a repayment allowance that does not have to be repaid.
