Tips for a successful property search
Many people dream of moving into a tiny house, but finding a suitable plot of land often proves challenging. This paper presents various strategies and solutions to help with the search for a plot of land.
Even though the term is often used, there are no special ‘tiny house plots’ or areas that meet certain requirements. From a building law perspective, tiny houses are neither caravans nor vehicle trailers, but explicitly buildings – and that's how you should communicate your own building project.
Because the right language and presentation will not only help you in your search for a property, but also in convincing those around you of your building project. When it comes to planning permission and the development of your building plot, the same rights apply as for an ordinary detached house.
The German Federal Building Code
As soon as a small house is to become a main residence or is connected to the local utility network, the provisions of the German Federal Building Code, the state building regulations of the respective federal state, the land use plan and the development plan with its local design statutes apply.
In Bavaria, for example, a simplified approval process allows for the construction of buildings up to 75 cubic metres. Ultimately, the authorities will check whether the house meets the requirements and whether the property has been approved for development.
Tip number 1: Don't talk about ‘tiny houses’ when dealing with authorities
Although smaller houses have to meet essentially the same standards as conventional houses, they are often not recognised as traditional forms of housing by the local building authorities. One reason for this is that the authorities do not have time to familiarise themselves with a new subject area, opinions differ widely and each manufacturer uses different wall structures and materials.
On the other hand, the term ‘tiny house’ has no clear legal definition and is often equated with mobile homes. However, in Europe, depending on the weight limit, material and trailer selection, these often only allow for a smaller wall structure and do not always meet the criteria required for the construction of a main system. Smaller houses, for example in modular or prefabricated construction, can be implemented in the planning without complications in terms of building law.
In addition, smaller forms of living are still relatively new and often confronted with prejudices. The lack of information about the different implementation options contributes to the fact that many inquiries are rejected more quickly without dealing more intensively with the topic, the ideology and the construction method in detail. Therefore, it is advisable to describe the exact building type and to take a closer look at your own construction plans.
Avoid misunderstandings
Before contacting the authorities, you should already have a concrete idea of the house. You are on the safe side if you can answer all questions about your building project to avoid misunderstandings and ensure that your building project complies with local building regulations.
This text appeared in the Kleiner-Wohnen-Magazin (issue 2024/2025). The author is Anika Falke, founder of falke.design. Interested parties can find the entire article and the whole issue of the magazine HERE. Tips 2, 3 and 4 can be found in the text.
