Half-timbered with a future – listed townhouse with a granny flat in the old town

Key facts

Purchase price & costs

About this house

A house with history: Right in the middle of Quakenbrück’s old town stands this gable-fronted half-timbered house from the first half of the 19th century, and it still shapes the streetscape today. Brick infill, clay wattle, the twice slightly projecting street gable—this is craftsmanship that is no longer built in this form. The Lower Monument Protection Authority of the District of Osnabrück lists the building as an individual monument under Section 3 (2) of the Lower Saxony Monument Protection Act (NDSchG); there is a public interest in its preservation for urban-planning and architectural-historical reasons.

Those who enter will not find a museum-like shell, but a house that is lived in and on which work continues. The main apartment extends over two levels and offers around 162 m² of living space: On the ground floor, a generous hall welcomes you, from which the kitchen and a spacious living area open up; a guest WC and a separate utility room complete the level. On the upper floor, beneath the gabled roof, are the parents’ bedroom, two further rooms, and the bathroom, quiet and secluded.

A real special feature is the self-contained granny flat of around 73 m² on the ground floor. With its own vestibule, kitchen, bathroom, living room, and bedroom, it is suitable for relatives, as an office in your own home, or for rental, which noticeably helps cover the ongoing costs. The plot measures 206 m²—compact and easy to maintain, as is typical of a townhouse in an established old-town location. The heating system dates from 2023.

What monument protection means in concrete terms.
We asked the Lower Monument Protection Authority of the District of Osnabrück for information in advance so that you know what you are taking on. Protection generally extends to the entire property, including the interior. Contemporary use of the interior spaces is possible, but every intervention is reviewed in advance and requires approval under Section 10 of the NDSchG. Insulation may be installed from the inside; windows and doors must be made of wood and follow the historic models. Which measures are acceptable in detail is clarified at an on-site meeting with the authority—we are happy to arrange the contact.

Taxes and funding.
For eligible measures after acquisition, the Income Tax Act provides for increased depreciation allowances: for rental use under Section 7i of the EStG (eight years at up to 9% each, and a further four years at up to 7% each), and for owner-occupation under Section 10f of the EStG (ten years at up to 9% each); maintenance expenses can be spread under Section 11b of the EStG over two to five years distribute. The correct procedure is decisive: the measures must be coordinated with the Lower Monument Protection Authority before work begins; the certificate is applied for there after completion and submitted to the tax office, which independently reviews the tax requirements. Grants should be inquired about from the Office for Regional Land Development and the Lower Saxony State Office for Monument Preservation; the district itself currently provides no funding. Please discuss the tax details with your tax advisor. For architectural monuments, the obligation to submit an energy performance certificate also does not apply.

A home for everyone who wishes not only to live in a house, but to preserve it.

Location