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)
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Bieber081510 Jan 2018 10:33Spritti123 schrieb:
I am 29 and frugal.You have to earn very well to save up 200,000 to 250,000 euros in such a short time if you only save. Maybe you should write a short book about it (self-marketing as an ebook) ... Then you really wouldn’t need a loan anymore.Spritti123 schrieb:
I don’t think the house is as oversized as everyone here makes it out to be in terms of size.Then take a look at real existing single-family houses. Yes, there are also large/great/luxurious ones, but the majority are *by far* more modest than your wishlist suggests. You can also see this in the cost discussion in the other thread. Very few build on this scale.
Egon12 schrieb:
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)...And even more so with 300 m² (3229 sq ft)!Apparently, houses are generally being built larger and larger. In my home building magazine, the trends for 2018 are shown. Hardly any house under 220m² (2,368 sq ft). There are some really impressive designs. Just google Rensch-Haus and San Diego. A fantastic design, in my opinion. 326m² (3,511 sq ft), and you don’t get the feeling that it’s too big. At least not on paper. But I wouldn’t want to have to clean it.
kaho674 schrieb:
Apparently, houses are generally being built larger and larger. In my homebuilding magazine, the trends for 2018 are shown. Hardly any homes under 220m² (2,368 sq ft). There are some really nice ones as well. Just google Rensch-Haus and San Diego. A great design, in my opinion. 326m² (3,511 sq ft) and you don’t feel like it’s too big. At least not on paper. But I wouldn’t want to have to clean it. I just had a look [emoji2]
Some areas are a bit too big for my taste: a living room with 30m² (323 sq ft) would feel too spacious and less cozy, the office is fine at 18m² (194 sq ft).
The whole path from the entrance to the utility room seems very long to me.
Guest toilet also feels a bit uncomfortable.
Upstairs, the children’s bedrooms are oversized in my opinion. Even a bathroom doesn’t necessarily benefit from the increased square footage.
However, I would admit to using more space for a gallery or open area.
The shoe cabinet upstairs only makes sense to me if I compare such rooms with certain home TV series, and I suppose it targets a specific customer group. Some women would probably do a lot for their husband just to get this room or this house.
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Bieber081510 Jan 2018 13:46ypg schrieb:
Some women might do a lot for their husband just to get that room or house If you tweeted something like that, you’d probably face a wave of outrage :P
kaho674 schrieb:
My homebuilding magazine shows the trends for 2018. In my opinion, magazines like that are not representative. People buy them mainly to dream ... Most real-life houses look different.