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
Entrance Area (Vestibule/Foyer)
Dining/Living Room
Kitchen
Master Suite
Children’s Rooms
Fitness Room
Office
Guest WC
Terrace
Heating/Utility Room
Special Requests
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)
C
chand198610 Jan 2018 09:03Or let's ask it differently: What will you do with the house – assuming your lifestyle remains unchanged(!?) – how will you use all the square meters?
A house, especially in that size, IS a lifestyle change in itself. Maybe you mean that your personality won’t change?
A house, especially in that size, IS a lifestyle change in itself. Maybe you mean that your personality won’t change?
ypg schrieb:
@Biber0815 asked whether a modest-sized house with some features might better suit their lifestyle
I’m interested in that too It sounds like you’ve been living within your means and saving up, and now you want to build a big house. On one hand, I totally understand that. If you’ve been saving, it’s only natural to want to treat yourself.
I just hope you won’t be disappointed when the huge house is finished. You might find that you only actually use 4 or 5 rooms in the large house. The rest ends up being more or less dead space, costing energy and maintenance.
I would really think carefully about what you actually need and what will still feel comfortable.
S
Spritti12310 Jan 2018 09:14I don’t find the house as oversized as everyone here is making it out to be in terms of size.
- Dining/living room maybe 50-60sqm (540-650 sq ft), slightly larger than standard
- Kitchen with a small dining table, nothing unusual
- Master area with a walk-in closet and bathroom— all of our friends have this in their city villas, and they built theirs for much less. No, I don’t want it just because everyone else has it. Otherwise, I would want an open kitchen, but I don’t.
- Two children’s rooms about 16sqm (170 sq ft) each, not unusually large either
- Office 14sqm (150 sq ft), also not particularly large
- Fitness room 30sqm (320 sq ft), okay, not everyone has that
- Sure, an extra bathroom for the kids and a guest toilet, but other than that, it’s not a huge palace.
How do people come up with 4-5 rooms that I don’t use? Every room is needed.
- Dining/living room maybe 50-60sqm (540-650 sq ft), slightly larger than standard
- Kitchen with a small dining table, nothing unusual
- Master area with a walk-in closet and bathroom— all of our friends have this in their city villas, and they built theirs for much less. No, I don’t want it just because everyone else has it. Otherwise, I would want an open kitchen, but I don’t.
- Two children’s rooms about 16sqm (170 sq ft) each, not unusually large either
- Office 14sqm (150 sq ft), also not particularly large
- Fitness room 30sqm (320 sq ft), okay, not everyone has that
- Sure, an extra bathroom for the kids and a guest toilet, but other than that, it’s not a huge palace.
How do people come up with 4-5 rooms that I don’t use? Every room is needed.
C
chand198610 Jan 2018 09:20If you add all that up, including the building services and storage room, does it come to 250 - 300 sqm (2690 - 3230 sq ft)?
I would have estimated 200 - 225 sqm (2150 - 2420 sq ft). That’s quite a difference.
I would have estimated 200 - 225 sqm (2150 - 2420 sq ft). That’s quite a difference.
S
Spritti12310 Jan 2018 09:22By 250-300, I mean all rooms including storage rooms, hallways, boiler room, etc.
Spritti123 schrieb:
By 250-300 I mean all rooms including storage rooms, hallways, utility room, etc. That's what everyone else means too, or are you suggesting that in a 140 m² (1507 sq ft) house, hallways and utility rooms are not counted?
I already find it annoying to clean up after our child in 140 m² (1507 sq ft)... I wonder how it would be in 230 m² (2476 sq ft)...
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