ᐅ Plan the house first and buy the land afterwards?

My girlfriend and I want to start building within the next 1-4 years. We already have a clear idea of our house. We know exactly that we want to build in the town where we already live. However, I think our house might not fit on the plots in the new development area. The largest plots are 680 square meters (7309 square feet) and have a maximum ridge height of 9.5 meters (31 feet). I also don’t want the house to feel cramped on the lot. So I was wondering if it would make more sense to first discuss our wishes with an architect, who could then look for a suitable plot where the house would actually fit. Or am I completely on the wrong track, and is this approach very unusual?

Here are our ideas for the house. I just added one thing from another discussion here on the forum. My girlfriend is really into steel trims for window decoration. Can an architect work with a requirement like that?

Plot/House General

• Number of floors does not matter – maximum 4 if the attic is developed
• Attic, if not developed, used as storage
• Basement, if included, with windows
• No sloped ceilings in any rooms except for a developed attic or on the 4th floor
• Roof shape does not matter, just no flat roof
• Brick facade
• Terrace not too close to neighboring plot, minimum 5 meters (16 feet) distance
• Large double garage
• 2 outdoor parking spaces for cars

Entrance Area (Vestibule/Foyer)

• Entrance area with wardrobe
• Stairs not in the entrance area but in the hallway leading to the living area
• Access to the garage from the entrance area

Dining/Living Room

• Only dining and living room open plan – kitchen in a separate room
• Dining table for minimum 10 people; chairs or corner bench possible
• Living room space for 2 large functional sofas (3-seat) and side tables
• Fireplace visible from the sofas
• Large media wall with TV

Kitchen

• Lots of storage – small dining table for 4 people
• Doors to the hallway and dining area

Master Suite

• Bedroom
• Walk-in closet
• Bathroom with tub, large shower, double sink
• Separate toilet

Children’s Rooms

• 2 rooms at least 16 square meters (172 square feet) each
• Separate bathroom for children with tub and shower

Fitness Room

• At least 30 square meters (323 square feet)

Office

• At least 14 square meters (150 square feet)

Guest WC

• Without shower or tub

Terrace

• Partially covered (without glass)
• Dining table for 10 people
• Outdoor kitchen (grill/sink/fridge/work surface)
• Terrace large enough to also fit 6 beer garden-style benches with backrests
• Terrace must be open on only 2 sides
• Transparent protective roller shutters on the terrace
• Terrace accessible from the living/dining area and level with no steps

Heating/Utility Room

• Large, also suitable for washing and drying clothes – possibly a separate room for washing and drying on the sleeping level

Special Requests

• Large separate room for bicycles/trash bins/car tires/lawnmower/garden tools etc.
• Storage closet on each floor
• Central vacuum system
• Fireplace in the living room connected to the heating system
• Central ventilation/alarm system/underfloor heating/shutters/lights – electronically controlled via units in ground floor hallway and master bedroom
• Steel trims embedded in plaster in the window lintels, wallpapered over. Window decorations freely positionable on magnetic hooks
• Lots of indirect lighting
• Visible beams (rustic modern), can also be fake
• Alarm system securing lower windows and doors
• Laundry chute (omit if there is a separate laundry room on the sleeping level)
• Solar system
• Attic, if present, accessible via regular stairs
• Accessible for disabled – doors and corridors wide enough – enough space for stairlift
• Many electrical outlets
• LAN cables in office and children’s rooms
• Finished ceiling height slightly higher because of visible (fake) beams or suspended ceilings (indirect lighting)

If you live in an area where land is abundant, this can certainly be done. The general situation is likely that you should be grateful to find any land at all, and then you have to make the best of it.

Is it actually allowed to build three basement levels?

I don’t think so, I need to ask just in case.

Lumpi_LE schrieb:
If you live somewhere where land is plentiful, that’s certainly doable.
The general rule is that you should be happy just to find any land at all, and then make the best of it.

correct

Land is only plentiful in rural areas and in the east, and even then it’s very cheap.

Well, I wouldn’t exactly call it rural. The A66 highway is right outside the doorstep, just 1km (0.6 miles) to the on-ramp. There is a train station, shopping facilities, school, kindergarten, doctor, dentist, and restaurants—all available. The location is between Fulda and Frankfurt. So it’s not exactly in the middle of nowhere.