G
Gugelhupf20 Mar 2019 11:15Hello everyone!
Although we are from Austria and building here, we have been following various posts in this forum for some time. There are many creative minds here, and I really appreciate your advice in the other discussions.
We ourselves have been in the house planning phase for quite a while. We recently purchased a plot of land south of Vienna and plan to start construction in 2020. We want to build with solid construction methods, but we are still deciding between brick (which is very common here) and aerated concrete blocks (we really like the kit house concept from Ytong based on what we’ve heard so far, although it is quite rare in our area).
Efficiency in the use of living space is very important to us (no unnecessary features, no long hallways, no balconies or bay windows), as well as in the building services (heat pump, controlled mechanical ventilation system, etc.).
I assume there isn’t much experience here with Austrian building regulations, so I will try to answer any questions that come up as quickly and competently as possible.
Here is the completed questionnaire:
Zoning Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 604 m² (6500 ft² approx.)
Slope: No, completely flat
Site coverage ratio: (not applicable here) - 32% buildable area
Floor area ratio: (not applicable here)
Building setback lines and boundaries: front setback 3 m (10 ft), side setback 3 m (10 ft) or half the eave height of the adjoining façade – whichever is greater, rear setback 3 m (10 ft)
Edge building restrictions: within the setback zone up to a maximum height of 3 m (10 ft)
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: not specified in the zoning plan
Roof shape: no restriction according to zoning plan
Architectural style: no restriction
Orientation: no restriction
Maximum height/limits: max. building height 6.8 m (22 ft) (eave height)
Other requirements: none
Client Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: classic rectangular shape, gable roof or staggered shed roof, simple building form without bay windows or dormers, no balconies!
Basement, floors: basement (gym, workshop, laundry, mainly storage), ground floor (living areas + guest room), upper floor (bedrooms)
Number of occupants, ages: male 28, female 34, child 0.5 years, child 11 years (every second weekend + school holidays)
Space requirements ground floor, upper floor: ground floor (shower bathroom, guest room/home office/play/multi-purpose room, living room, kitchen, pantry), upper floor (bedroom including walk-in closet, 2 children’s rooms, bathroom), basement (gym, laundry, storage, workshop)
Office: family use or home office?: 80% family use as playroom, 10% home office, 10% guest room
Overnight guests per year: approximately 5, mainly relatives visiting for various celebrations from afar
Open or closed layout: open plan
Conservative or modern construction: rather conservative but open to “unconventional ideas”
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen with breakfast bar
Number of dining seats: permanently 6, at family celebrations minimum 12 temporarily, >16 long term
Fireplace: no
Music/speaker wall: no – but large TV frequently used
Balcony, roof terrace: definitely no!
Garage, carport: carport within the setback zone (on the north side?)
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: definitely yes! Gardening is a big wish and the main reason for the whole project
Other wishes/special features/daily routines, explanations if desired: The house should be as efficient as possible (during construction and especially in operation), therefore no awkward bay windows etc. (ratio of surface to volume)
Additional requests: controlled mechanical ventilation system, laundry chute, non-load-bearing partition wall between the children’s rooms so it can be removed in a few years if the older child no longer lives at home. The most important thing is a large garden, so that’s why the basement is desired to minimize the building footprint. The kitchen must be large enough for at least two people to cook at the same time – this is currently a problem in our apartment.
House Design
Designed by: DIY with a lot of input from planners
What do you like? Why?: almost all wishes implemented
What do you dislike? Why?: pantry is quite small, upper floor still not quite perfect, niche in the corridor as storage replacement for vacuum cleaner etc.
Price estimate according to architect/planner: €430,000 turnkey, €350,000 “turnkey with owner involvement”
Personal price limit for house, including fixtures and fittings: €350,000 in shell and core condition is the goal, with a comfortable buffer, but that would be our ideal
Preferred heating technology: heat pump with ground source collector (trench collector)
Note: We are not under time pressure for planning or construction. We are very willing and able to do much of the work on the house ourselves. Providing appropriate “self-performance proof” for the bank is not a problem either. This helps keep construction costs low.
If you have to give up something, which details/finishes
- could you give up: almost everything except the pantry and open kitchen
- could you not give up: pantry, open kitchen, and preferably not the controlled ventilation
Why is the design the way it is now?
A mix of many examples from model home parks, magazines, and many discussions with planners/architects etc.
What do you think makes it particularly good or bad?
All the rooms we imagined are present, relatively short circulation routes, hardly any wasted space
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
What do you think of the design? Where do you see potential for improvement? Placement of laundry chute?
I look forward to your opinions and comments!
Best regards,
your Gugelhupf
Although we are from Austria and building here, we have been following various posts in this forum for some time. There are many creative minds here, and I really appreciate your advice in the other discussions.
We ourselves have been in the house planning phase for quite a while. We recently purchased a plot of land south of Vienna and plan to start construction in 2020. We want to build with solid construction methods, but we are still deciding between brick (which is very common here) and aerated concrete blocks (we really like the kit house concept from Ytong based on what we’ve heard so far, although it is quite rare in our area).
Efficiency in the use of living space is very important to us (no unnecessary features, no long hallways, no balconies or bay windows), as well as in the building services (heat pump, controlled mechanical ventilation system, etc.).
I assume there isn’t much experience here with Austrian building regulations, so I will try to answer any questions that come up as quickly and competently as possible.
Here is the completed questionnaire:
Zoning Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 604 m² (6500 ft² approx.)
Slope: No, completely flat
Site coverage ratio: (not applicable here) - 32% buildable area
Floor area ratio: (not applicable here)
Building setback lines and boundaries: front setback 3 m (10 ft), side setback 3 m (10 ft) or half the eave height of the adjoining façade – whichever is greater, rear setback 3 m (10 ft)
Edge building restrictions: within the setback zone up to a maximum height of 3 m (10 ft)
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: not specified in the zoning plan
Roof shape: no restriction according to zoning plan
Architectural style: no restriction
Orientation: no restriction
Maximum height/limits: max. building height 6.8 m (22 ft) (eave height)
Other requirements: none
Client Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: classic rectangular shape, gable roof or staggered shed roof, simple building form without bay windows or dormers, no balconies!
Basement, floors: basement (gym, workshop, laundry, mainly storage), ground floor (living areas + guest room), upper floor (bedrooms)
Number of occupants, ages: male 28, female 34, child 0.5 years, child 11 years (every second weekend + school holidays)
Space requirements ground floor, upper floor: ground floor (shower bathroom, guest room/home office/play/multi-purpose room, living room, kitchen, pantry), upper floor (bedroom including walk-in closet, 2 children’s rooms, bathroom), basement (gym, laundry, storage, workshop)
Office: family use or home office?: 80% family use as playroom, 10% home office, 10% guest room
Overnight guests per year: approximately 5, mainly relatives visiting for various celebrations from afar
Open or closed layout: open plan
Conservative or modern construction: rather conservative but open to “unconventional ideas”
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen with breakfast bar
Number of dining seats: permanently 6, at family celebrations minimum 12 temporarily, >16 long term
Fireplace: no
Music/speaker wall: no – but large TV frequently used
Balcony, roof terrace: definitely no!
Garage, carport: carport within the setback zone (on the north side?)
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: definitely yes! Gardening is a big wish and the main reason for the whole project
Other wishes/special features/daily routines, explanations if desired: The house should be as efficient as possible (during construction and especially in operation), therefore no awkward bay windows etc. (ratio of surface to volume)
Additional requests: controlled mechanical ventilation system, laundry chute, non-load-bearing partition wall between the children’s rooms so it can be removed in a few years if the older child no longer lives at home. The most important thing is a large garden, so that’s why the basement is desired to minimize the building footprint. The kitchen must be large enough for at least two people to cook at the same time – this is currently a problem in our apartment.
House Design
Designed by: DIY with a lot of input from planners
What do you like? Why?: almost all wishes implemented
What do you dislike? Why?: pantry is quite small, upper floor still not quite perfect, niche in the corridor as storage replacement for vacuum cleaner etc.
Price estimate according to architect/planner: €430,000 turnkey, €350,000 “turnkey with owner involvement”
Personal price limit for house, including fixtures and fittings: €350,000 in shell and core condition is the goal, with a comfortable buffer, but that would be our ideal
Preferred heating technology: heat pump with ground source collector (trench collector)
Note: We are not under time pressure for planning or construction. We are very willing and able to do much of the work on the house ourselves. Providing appropriate “self-performance proof” for the bank is not a problem either. This helps keep construction costs low.
If you have to give up something, which details/finishes
- could you give up: almost everything except the pantry and open kitchen
- could you not give up: pantry, open kitchen, and preferably not the controlled ventilation
Why is the design the way it is now?
A mix of many examples from model home parks, magazines, and many discussions with planners/architects etc.
What do you think makes it particularly good or bad?
All the rooms we imagined are present, relatively short circulation routes, hardly any wasted space
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
What do you think of the design? Where do you see potential for improvement? Placement of laundry chute?
I look forward to your opinions and comments!
Best regards,
your Gugelhupf
W
WilhelmRo20 Mar 2019 11:38Hello,
1. Anyone going upstairs has to pass by the sofa. That would ruin the quiet living area.
2. Draw in the kitchen, preferably with original measurements.
3. Many dimensions are missing. For example, the upper floor bathroom. It looks like you couldn’t even fall off the toilet because you’re cramped in (but I’m not sure since dimensions are missing). There should be at least 1m (3.3 ft), preferably 1.1m (3.6 ft) here.
4. What is the clearance for exiting the shower? 0.65m (2.1 ft) is an absolute minimum.
5. How “small” is the bathtub exactly? And how much space is there between the bathtub and the sink?
6. Gable roof? Then add two height lines: 1.5m (5 ft) and 2m (6.6 ft). The shower currently looks like it could cause head injuries.
7. Stair dimensions: 3.2m x 2.2m (10.5 x 7.2 ft) for a stair with a landing.
8. Dining table at least 1.2m (4 ft) away from the wall, and please use accurate measurements. Google example: Ikea dining table 210 x 80cm (83 x 31 inches).
9. Consider whether the shower on the ground floor is really necessary.
10. An €80,000 “muscle mortgage”—please no! Not even with “yes, but my grandfather was a bricklayer” ... no, please no! Discussing over €15,000 (about $16,000) is possible.
Costs:
160 sqm (1,722 sq ft):
160 x 2000 = 320k
+ 50k additional construction costs = 370k
+ 60k cellar = 430k
+ 30k ceilings, floors, exterior buffer = 460k
+ 10k carport =
470,000 €
Plot: Available? Cost?
Please, no discussions like “it can be cheaper.” For that, please use the “search” function: “Why building a house always costs more than planned.”
Best regards
1. Anyone going upstairs has to pass by the sofa. That would ruin the quiet living area.
2. Draw in the kitchen, preferably with original measurements.
3. Many dimensions are missing. For example, the upper floor bathroom. It looks like you couldn’t even fall off the toilet because you’re cramped in (but I’m not sure since dimensions are missing). There should be at least 1m (3.3 ft), preferably 1.1m (3.6 ft) here.
4. What is the clearance for exiting the shower? 0.65m (2.1 ft) is an absolute minimum.
5. How “small” is the bathtub exactly? And how much space is there between the bathtub and the sink?
6. Gable roof? Then add two height lines: 1.5m (5 ft) and 2m (6.6 ft). The shower currently looks like it could cause head injuries.
7. Stair dimensions: 3.2m x 2.2m (10.5 x 7.2 ft) for a stair with a landing.
8. Dining table at least 1.2m (4 ft) away from the wall, and please use accurate measurements. Google example: Ikea dining table 210 x 80cm (83 x 31 inches).
9. Consider whether the shower on the ground floor is really necessary.
10. An €80,000 “muscle mortgage”—please no! Not even with “yes, but my grandfather was a bricklayer” ... no, please no! Discussing over €15,000 (about $16,000) is possible.
Costs:
160 sqm (1,722 sq ft):
160 x 2000 = 320k
+ 50k additional construction costs = 370k
+ 60k cellar = 430k
+ 30k ceilings, floors, exterior buffer = 460k
+ 10k carport =
470,000 €
Plot: Available? Cost?
Please, no discussions like “it can be cheaper.” For that, please use the “search” function: “Why building a house always costs more than planned.”
Best regards
G
Gugelhupf20 Mar 2019 12:15Hello Willhelm,
Thank you for your reply.
I would like to address some points right away.
I have added some dimensions; see the attached image.
The original kitchen dimensions are difficult since there is no kitchen yet?
With a max. building height of 6.8m (22.3 ft) at the eaves and 8.5m (27.9 ft) at the ridge, sloping ceilings are not necessarily required. I can try to create a cross-section but will have to experiment with the software to see how.
A landing staircase is definitely not mandatory; that was just the “example staircase” that fit best at first glance. A winding staircase is also possible.
The dining table shown uses the original dimensions of our available table, which we plan to move (already in the extended position).
It can basically be omitted, but we would like to keep it for guests and occasional use.
I can’t quite follow the calculation since we already have an offer mentioned of €430,000 turnkey, including the basement. As stated in the initial post, that would be acceptable for us and leaves a comfortable buffer. I don’t want to go into financial discussions here. Simply put, the quoted price is acceptable, and any additional work we do ourselves would just be a potential saving. We are budgeting for the turnkey price (with a buffer of course), and any savings would be a bonus. Please focus on the floor plan here and not the financing. Even without self-construction, the financing is secured with sufficient equity.
As mentioned in the original post, the plot is owned and already purchased.
Thank you for your reply.
I would like to address some points right away.
WilhelmRo schrieb:
2. Draw in the kitchen. Preferably with original dimensions.
3. Many dimensions are missing. For example, the upper floor toilet area. It looks like you couldn’t fall off the toilet because you’d be wedged in (but I’m not sure, since dimensions are missing—should be at least 1m (3.3 ft), preferably 1.1m (3.6 ft)).
4. What is the clearance to exit the shower? (0.65m (26 inches) is an absolute minimum)
5. How “tiny” exactly is the bathtub? And how little space is there exactly between the bathtub and the sink?
I have added some dimensions; see the attached image.
The original kitchen dimensions are difficult since there is no kitchen yet?
WilhelmRo schrieb:
6. Gable roof? Then include two height lines: 1.5m (5 ft) and 2m (6.6 ft). Because the shower currently looks like a head-bumping risk.
With a max. building height of 6.8m (22.3 ft) at the eaves and 8.5m (27.9 ft) at the ridge, sloping ceilings are not necessarily required. I can try to create a cross-section but will have to experiment with the software to see how.
WilhelmRo schrieb:
7. Stair dimensions 3.2m x 2.2m (10.5 ft x 7.2 ft) for a landing staircase.
A landing staircase is definitely not mandatory; that was just the “example staircase” that fit best at first glance. A winding staircase is also possible.
WilhelmRo schrieb:
8. Dining table at least 1.2m (4 ft) away from the wall and please use REAL dimensions. Google: IKEA dining table: 210 x 80 cm (83 x 31.5 inches), for example.
The dining table shown uses the original dimensions of our available table, which we plan to move (already in the extended position).
WilhelmRo schrieb:
9. Consider whether the shower on the ground floor can be omitted.
It can basically be omitted, but we would like to keep it for guests and occasional use.
WilhelmRo schrieb:
10. €80,000 “muscle mortgage” — please no! Not even with “but my grandpa was once a bricklayer”... no, please not! Anything over €15,000 is negotiable.
Costs:
160 sqm (1,722 sqft):
160 * 2000 = 320k
+ 50k incidental building costs = 370k
+ 60k basement = 430k
+ 30k ceiling, floors, exterior buffer = 460k
+ 10k carport =
470,000€
I can’t quite follow the calculation since we already have an offer mentioned of €430,000 turnkey, including the basement. As stated in the initial post, that would be acceptable for us and leaves a comfortable buffer. I don’t want to go into financial discussions here. Simply put, the quoted price is acceptable, and any additional work we do ourselves would just be a potential saving. We are budgeting for the turnkey price (with a buffer of course), and any savings would be a bonus. Please focus on the floor plan here and not the financing. Even without self-construction, the financing is secured with sufficient equity.
WilhelmRo schrieb:
Plot of land: Owned? Costs money.
As mentioned in the original post, the plot is owned and already purchased.
G
Grantlhaua20 Mar 2019 12:36Why the shower on the ground floor? With your 135m² (1450 sq ft), you don’t really have a lot of space. If you absolutely need a second shower, you might consider integrating it into the basement next to the fitness room.
Just for clarity:
- Where is the parking space?
- The yellow area is meant to be the garden—does the rest also belong to the property? Or is the black rectangle the neighbor’s plot? Please clearly define the property boundaries.
- The wall thicknesses seem inconsistent in some places. What wall thickness is planned for the exterior walls?
For sketches, 40cm (15.7 inches: 36.5cm plus plaster) is common. If higher energy standards are targeted, please explain. Interior load-bearing walls are well represented with 20cm (7 inches: 17.5cm plus plaster), and non-load-bearing with 15cm (4.5 inches: 11.5cm plus boarding).
- Where is the parking space?
- The yellow area is meant to be the garden—does the rest also belong to the property? Or is the black rectangle the neighbor’s plot? Please clearly define the property boundaries.
- The wall thicknesses seem inconsistent in some places. What wall thickness is planned for the exterior walls?
For sketches, 40cm (15.7 inches: 36.5cm plus plaster) is common. If higher energy standards are targeted, please explain. Interior load-bearing walls are well represented with 20cm (7 inches: 17.5cm plus plaster), and non-load-bearing with 15cm (4.5 inches: 11.5cm plus boarding).
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