It won't be too long before a tiny house settlement should stand in Unterammergau.
But because of Corona, the project is currently rather sluggish.
Unterammergau
- you can hardly save yourself from inquiries.
The planned tiny house settlement in Unterammergau already has numerous interested parties.
"We notice that the demand is crazy, young people are desperately looking for it," says Manuela Schädle.
With their mini houses, she and her partner Bernd Klöpper would like to offer the possibility of owning a home - also for people in the lower age groups.
But construction progress has now been delayed by half a year.
The first houses should be up and running at the beginning of March 2022.
Tiny house settlement in Unterammergau: Couple can hardly save themselves from inquiries
For some time now, both have been planning an extraordinary project that is unique in the district.
The municipal council approved the ambitious plans last year.
The pilot project has already started on Hofstadelstrasse in Unterammergau.
Tiny houses in Garmisch-Partenkirchen: completion is delayed due to Corona
The floor plan for the community building is already in place.
The future places of the tiny houses are indicated.
The current status: It is progressing, but slowly.
Construction deliveries are immensely delayed due to the pandemic.
The quarter should actually be finished and the residents have already moved into their homes.
“Construction was postponed for half a year,” says Schädle.
However, the materials should be ready at the beginning of January.
"Moving in is then planned for the beginning of March."
+
Looking forward to the completion: Bernd Klöpper (left) and Manuela Schädle in front of one of the future tiny houses.
© Laetitia Foerster
Nevertheless, the clients are not discouraged: “We work with great companies.” Regionality is the key to success.
The local carpentry Gaida takes over the exterior construction, the joinery Huber designs the interior.
The houses are designed to be 6.7 meters long, three meters wide and around three and a half meters high.
75 cubic meters to live on - perfectly sufficient for many, as the great demand from Schädle shows.
Six private homes plus a communal building that is used equally by all are being built on around 1,000 square meters.
“Everyone has their storage room there and there is a washing machine,” explains Schädle.
In the middle of the site: “A fireplace framed by raised beds.” The Unterammergau resident leases the land to the future owners.
The cliché of the hippie in the tiny house?
Nothing.
"They are middle-class people."
Tiny houses in Bavaria: The first interested parties come from the classic middle class
A policeman, a media designer and a nurse are just a few of the professional groups who want to fulfill their dream of having their own little four walls.
Even a couple who want to have children dares to go to the mini house and place two copies next to each other in order to create a little more space for their offspring.
“With just under 50 square meters, the model then has more than many an apartment,” says Schädle.
+
Everything your heart desires on 17 square meters.
The mini houses are in demand in all walks of life.
© Laetitia Foerster
A house costs around 70,000 to 80,000 euros.
"The banks finance this with almost no equity," reports Klöpper.
The banks are open to investing in a tiny house.
"We're not selling a property, we're selling a mobile."
However, the builders struggled a little with the bureaucracy.
“The building regulations have become cumbersome,” says Klöpper.
“Relief from the building authorities would be great,” adds his partner.
The couple would like the authorities to simplify things.
“We only build small houses, no ideologies,” says Klöpper.
Nevertheless, the district office campaigned for the construction.
"The tiny houses are very well received, the local council was also very open and supported us."
Because rents are too expensive: Huge demand for tiny houses - "Looking for an apartment is devastating"
The small houses are not only popular in the town hall, but also with the residents.
The need is huge: "People are unhappy," asserts Klöpper.
Many see no more possibility of living in the district.
Too expensive rents, too few affordable offers - and a lot of competition.
"The search for an apartment is devastating," states the Unterammergau resident.
A rented apartment is also not always satisfactory.
And building it yourself costs.
"The real estate prices are blatant," says Schädle.
Nobody wants to get into debt anymore.
“Justified by the economic situation,” notes Klöpper.
The social component is missing.
People often have no options.
He who does not inherit does not build.
Klöpper also sees another sticking point in the local models, which, according to the craftsman, do not work as they should: expensive peripheral areas, sometimes close together - precisely where people rarely want to move.
“With our pilot project, we want to contact other communities, be it in our own district or across the board,” explains Schädle.
To let people live the way they want to live.
“Nothing should really speak against it,” says Klöpper.
If you are interested in your own mini home, Arthur Böhme is available in Oberammergau on 0162/8538893.
Landowners who want to lease to people with tiny houses can also contact Böhme.
Read more news from the Garmisch-Partenkirchen region here.
By the way: Everything from the region is also available in our regular GAP newsletter.
