ᐅ Preliminary floor plan design for a 220 m² single-family house
Created on: 20 Jun 2017 22:41
R
R.Hotzenplotz
Hello!
We have already gone through several plans with our architect and I think we are almost there, about to start the detailed planning phase. Before that, I’m looking forward to getting feedback from other users.
Development plan/restrictions: §34 – two full stories
Plot size: 1,085m² (1,1679 yd²)
Basement, floors – 2 full stories plus partial basement
Number of people, ages – 3 people (37, 34, 1, second child planned)
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor – the requirement was that bedrooms and the study should be about 17m² (183 ft²) each; the entire house should be approximately 220m² (2,368 ft²)
Office: family use
Guests per year: 1
Open or closed architecture: closed
Traditional or modern design: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island – no open kitchen, but yes to a kitchen island
Number of dining seats – 6
Fireplace – yes
Music/stereo wall – TV wall
Balcony, roof terrace – balcony
Garage, carport – large garage
Additional wishes/special features/daily routines, preferably with reasons why certain things should or should not be included – everyone should be able to sleep as undisturbed as possible in their bedrooms, even if other family members are awake. The husband is sometimes up as early as 4 a.m. Otherwise, watching TV in the evening should be possible without disturbing those sleeping upstairs.
House design
Who created the design:
- Architect (freelancer for a general contractor)
What do you like most? Why?
The upper floor with well-sized rooms and the location of the rooms exactly where they should be (only the washroom area we would still like to move to the outer right corner so that you don’t have to pass it every time you use the toilet). On the ground floor, the access through an airlock, the kitchen, and the dining area with the study next to it are especially liked.
Also appreciated is that after adjustments, the study now faces the garden instead of the street.
What don’t you like? Why?
We originally wanted the distance from wall to wall where the sofa and TV stand is to be about 6.40m (21 ft) (large screen & surround system), but so far only 5.69m (19 ft) has been realized.
Laundry room as described.
Kitchen larger in square meters than needed; the approx. 3m² (32 ft²) could theoretically be used well in the living area.
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
720,000 euros (including construction incidentals)
Personal price limit for the house, including equipment:
800,000 euros
Preferred heating technology:
Gas
If you have to give up on something, which details/features can you do without?
- Can do without:
Technical systems like controlled residential ventilation
- Cannot do without:
Space (except for the kitchen)
Why is the design the way it is now? For example:
Is this a standard design from the planner?
The architect has largely implemented our wishes; the only issue is the living room situation.
What makes it particularly good or bad in your opinion?
Patient, quick to implement, has already gotten to know us well.
No negative points.
Do you notice any other points that might not fit or that we should consider, which we might have overlooked?
In the basement, the room currently labeled as home cinema might possibly be used as one medium- to long-term. For the foreseeable future, it will be a storage room.
We have already gone through several plans with our architect and I think we are almost there, about to start the detailed planning phase. Before that, I’m looking forward to getting feedback from other users.
Development plan/restrictions: §34 – two full stories
Plot size: 1,085m² (1,1679 yd²)
Basement, floors – 2 full stories plus partial basement
Number of people, ages – 3 people (37, 34, 1, second child planned)
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor – the requirement was that bedrooms and the study should be about 17m² (183 ft²) each; the entire house should be approximately 220m² (2,368 ft²)
Office: family use
Guests per year: 1
Open or closed architecture: closed
Traditional or modern design: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island – no open kitchen, but yes to a kitchen island
Number of dining seats – 6
Fireplace – yes
Music/stereo wall – TV wall
Balcony, roof terrace – balcony
Garage, carport – large garage
Additional wishes/special features/daily routines, preferably with reasons why certain things should or should not be included – everyone should be able to sleep as undisturbed as possible in their bedrooms, even if other family members are awake. The husband is sometimes up as early as 4 a.m. Otherwise, watching TV in the evening should be possible without disturbing those sleeping upstairs.
House design
Who created the design:
- Architect (freelancer for a general contractor)
What do you like most? Why?
The upper floor with well-sized rooms and the location of the rooms exactly where they should be (only the washroom area we would still like to move to the outer right corner so that you don’t have to pass it every time you use the toilet). On the ground floor, the access through an airlock, the kitchen, and the dining area with the study next to it are especially liked.
Also appreciated is that after adjustments, the study now faces the garden instead of the street.
What don’t you like? Why?
We originally wanted the distance from wall to wall where the sofa and TV stand is to be about 6.40m (21 ft) (large screen & surround system), but so far only 5.69m (19 ft) has been realized.
Laundry room as described.
Kitchen larger in square meters than needed; the approx. 3m² (32 ft²) could theoretically be used well in the living area.
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
720,000 euros (including construction incidentals)
Personal price limit for the house, including equipment:
800,000 euros
Preferred heating technology:
Gas
If you have to give up on something, which details/features can you do without?
- Can do without:
Technical systems like controlled residential ventilation
- Cannot do without:
Space (except for the kitchen)
Why is the design the way it is now? For example:
Is this a standard design from the planner?
The architect has largely implemented our wishes; the only issue is the living room situation.
What makes it particularly good or bad in your opinion?
Patient, quick to implement, has already gotten to know us well.
No negative points.
Do you notice any other points that might not fit or that we should consider, which we might have overlooked?
In the basement, the room currently labeled as home cinema might possibly be used as one medium- to long-term. For the foreseeable future, it will be a storage room.
This means the budget would be fully exhausted without any contingency, and now the planned elements have to be cut back to make room for the unplanned ones?
I could have told you that right away—you started from incorrect assumptions: you didn’t mentally include the non-living area square meters (garage, basement, partially counted terrace areas), and also didn’t consider that even without complicated beams, a cubic meter of sculptural space costs more than a cubic meter of box-shaped space with the same tiles and outlets.
The smaller garage is a valuable saving, and so is the kitchen bay window, but a cheaper oven is probably the wrong place to cut costs. And you will regret omitting the brick slips (brick veneer), or by substituting them with painted surfaces, you will end up achieving the similarity with a typical cookie-cutter house that you wanted to avoid.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
I hadn’t expected it this way either, otherwise I would have already put the brakes on somewhere earlier.
I could have told you that right away—you started from incorrect assumptions: you didn’t mentally include the non-living area square meters (garage, basement, partially counted terrace areas), and also didn’t consider that even without complicated beams, a cubic meter of sculptural space costs more than a cubic meter of box-shaped space with the same tiles and outlets.
The smaller garage is a valuable saving, and so is the kitchen bay window, but a cheaper oven is probably the wrong place to cut costs. And you will regret omitting the brick slips (brick veneer), or by substituting them with painted surfaces, you will end up achieving the similarity with a typical cookie-cutter house that you wanted to avoid.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
R
R.Hotzenplotz25 Aug 2017 13:38kaho674 schrieb:
Nicer tiles – done, more outlets – done, more lighting – done. Every time, you need more than the standard.For the flooring, we specifically calculated for 125m² (1350 sq ft). That’s the budget, and we have to stick to it. Period.
For the outlets, we only need a few extras compared to the scope of work. We don’t have high demands there. Currently, €10,000 is budgeted for the electrician. That’s a tight budget. I haven’t done detailed planning yet, since it doesn’t make sense before the final floor plan is 100% confirmed.
kaho674 schrieb:
Have you thought about curtains, lamps, furniture, rugs or similar?We don’t want curtains. I will get a quote for lamps, especially ceiling spotlights. We’ll bring our own furniture and possibly add a few pieces over time. We won’t have rugs; that’s not our style.
I want to keep around €50,000 as a buffer for these possible extras. And except for the €10,000 for electrical work, this budget should cover everything well. Higher-quality interior doors, upgraded security features for windows and doors, and other items are already planned for… clearly, some things may be added, but some may also be left out.
kaho674 schrieb:
Sorry, please don’t take this the wrong way, but I always get the impression that you don’t fully grasp the situation because you haven’t seriously engaged with it.I spend days and nights dealing with the whole project. But I lack routine and confidence, so I want to have a construction supervisor by my side. I wouldn’t call it delegating; it’s more like doing their homework. I don’t think I’m neglecting it, but it’s true that I lose overview when I have to manage a thousand things at once…
R
R.Hotzenplotz25 Aug 2017 13:4711ant schrieb:
So, the budget would be fully used up without a reserve, and now the planned work needs to be cut back to make room for the unplanned?There is still a 20,000 EUR (about 21,500 USD) reserve left. Otherwise, it is fully used up.
However, we knew that the costs were somewhat uncertain and included the kitchen bay window only as an optional item. It can be quickly removed, saving approximately 10,000 EUR (about 10,700 USD).
Other potential savings:
- Basement flooring was calculated at 75 EUR (about 80 USD) per square meter (m²) (about 10.8 square feet). My parents have simple concrete floors in their otherwise nice house’s storage rooms.
- The desired high-quality interior doors were also included for the basement; that doesn’t make sense.
- We may install the water softening system later or skip it entirely; it is not a must-have.
- We should also reconsider whether we really need flooring at 125 EUR (about 135 USD) per m² (about 10.8 square feet) for the ground floor and upper floor.
- Security systems for windows in parts of the upper floor might not be necessary; mainly for burglars who might use a ladder.
- The 55,000 EUR (about 59,000 USD) budgeted for exterior landscaping might not need to be fully spent right away; some outdoor features can be added later. This is, for example, a point worth discussing with a building consultant.
Leaving out items initially that can be added later should not be a problem. We expect an extra cash flow of about 20,000 EUR (about 21,500 USD) per year that we can invest in the house.
R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
the desired high-quality interior doors have also been planned for the basement; that doesn’t make senseIf it is purely a utility basement, I agree; but if it is an extension of the living space, I would keep the doors.R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
My parents also have just concrete floors in their otherwise nice house’s storage rooms.There are also affordable tiles that should be sufficient for these rooms and are probably better than concrete.R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
You also have to consider if you really need 125 € / m² for the floor covering on the ground floor and upper floorIs the 125 € price only for the material or does it include installation?R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
The security technology for windows in some parts of the upper floor might not be necessary—only for burglars climbing a ladderI agree with you; RC1 resistance class is usually sufficient for the upper floor.R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
The €55,000 estimated for landscaping work around the house might not need to be spent all at oncePatio, driveway, and walkways to the house can quickly use up a lot of money even before a single shrub is planted.R
R.Hotzenplotz25 Aug 2017 17:57RobsonMKK schrieb:
Is the 125 € just for materials or does it include installation?It includes installation.
I spent two hours with the building consultant. He estimates that you can easily add another 70,000 to 80,000 euros to the stated price. That would be too expensive.
He advised against commissioning a design with so little financial buffer. I had a similar view, although I expected the difference to be more around 40,000 €.
T
Traumfaenger25 Aug 2017 22:37R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
I want to have about €50,000 of buffer for the mentioned contingencies. You should plan for significantly more contingency. With such a large area and building volume, 5% for contingencies (after deducting the expected higher costs for electrical work) is very tight. You are just at the very beginning and still operating at a high-level overview. That €50k can disappear like snow in the sun.
You don’t have any concrete quotes yet, and the workload for construction companies and tradespeople around Cologne is still extremely high. Out of 10 inquiries, 8 don’t even get answered because their order books are fully booked for at least six months... And the quotes you do receive come with exorbitant prices. You will have to search thoroughly to find a fair price-performance balance.
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