ᐅ Low ridge height results in a short knee wall.

guckuck2 schrieb:

That’s not wrong, but a basement isn’t usually included... Prefabricated house providers mostly start from the slab foundation.

Look, in my opinion, the questionnaire didn’t address the core question: why do I want to build in the first place?

For 40 years my answer was always: no.
Now it’s a possibility, and also for purely economic reasons. Before the current interest rate crisis, the calculations were different.

I consider the oil-heated house I live in no longer sustainable for the future. That is my central starting point, where economy and ecology truly meet.

Owners of "old" houses often don’t realize that financially secure tenants might move out to a self-financed new build, also called an owner-occupied home. Every small village is now designating building zones...

What moves me here is this: I’m wading like a stork through shallow waters between municipal plans, building plans, house plans, sellers, ideologues, undefined terms—all of that together equals risks squared... but where do I stand?

Oh, right, Schwörerhaus offers basements, and that basically appealed to me...

ruedigold schrieb:

Look, in my opinion the questionnaire didn’t address the key question: why do I want to build in the first place?

The questionnaire is not posted in the introduction section, but in the floor plan section. Different questions and a certain structure are primarily relevant there; the personal topics in the introduction section can be shared more freely without any formal requirements.

ruedigold schrieb:

Oh, I see, yes, Schwörerhaus offers basements, which basically appealed to me........

HUF also established its own basement construction company (with Ideal). Additionally, there are a handful of independent precast basement manufacturers, with Glatthaar probably being the most well-known among them.

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https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/

@ruedigold: A question about your sectional drawing in post #16:

Why does the top edge of the floor start at 55cm (22 inches) above ground level?
More generally: why not have the floor level with the ground, or maybe even slightly below it?
Then I see that the roof slope is placed over the 14m (46 ft) wide side. You would gain more height if you rotated the roof 90° and used the 10m (33 ft) side instead. I hope what I mean is clear.

ruedigold schrieb:

Since I would like to have 2.75 m (9 feet) ceiling height on the ground floor

ruedigold schrieb:

Because I place great value on high ceilings (atmosphere),

I understand that people want bright, spacious, open, and atmospheric spaces, but why focus on a specific number? Ceiling height? It’s the windows that really make the difference!

ruedigold schrieb:

And in the knee wall level, it’s tight and therefore unattractive.

ruedigold schrieb:

And on the second floor, no comfortable living space is really possible?

ruedigold schrieb:

The knee wall then starts at about 1 m (3 feet), which is hardly usable.

ruedigold schrieb:

Then the settlement house with a steep pitched roof – as shown in the picture.

What am I missing here?
I want to move into a new home that is future-proof in terms of energy efficiency, but I also want to feel comfortable living in it.
If what’s upstairs isn’t nonsense, then it doesn’t work.

In my opinion, you overlook that rooms aren’t unattractive just because they have sloped ceilings or a low knee wall. It may be that you want more higher wall space on the upper floor, but that doesn’t automatically mean it’s “ugly” or “unusable”!
What are you expecting from the community if you dismiss what others have built?

Furthermore, the settlement house you posted is actually a modern home with the ideal shape for an energy-efficient house. A two-story house unfortunately has much more exterior surface area, which applies regardless of knee wall height.
A traditional settlement house is usually a red brick building with a roof pitch over 45 degrees.

ruedigold schrieb:

In model home developments, I have not gotten the impression that any house feels cramped or restricted to a certain height. These are mostly stately houses with sometimes great spatial quality. They lure you in, and once at home, you realize (or not) it just doesn’t work.

Are you suggesting that the Danhaus Engelsby feels cramped or oppressive?

ruedigold schrieb:

Number of occupants, age: 2 people, over 60

Everyone has to decide for themselves what to build.
However, I do criticize four-person families who struggle with a bungalow.
Honestly, I don’t quite understand your idea to a) build with a basement and b) to realize a lot of living space on the upper floor.
Your idea to create a separate apartment on the upper floor didn’t really come through here, nor do I understand the motivation behind it.
I don’t actually see the apartment here, unless it’s needed (for care staff or similar), but then 60 sqm (650 sq ft) would be enough.

I would say: why don’t you focus on a bungalow? A cozy, comfortable house for just the two of you... From what you say about your rental apartment, I’m surprised you’re even considering self-building.
My personal advice is: don’t build for others. Build what you will live in, no unused rooms, no spaces used just two or three times a year.
And don’t fixate on arbitrary numbers.

11ant schrieb:


HUF has also established its own basement construction company (together with Ideal). Additionally, there are a few independent precast basement manufacturers, the most well-known of which is probably Glatthaar.

First of all: great posts! Thank you very much!

@11ant: You really know your stuff! I also visited a HUF house, which I found to be the most atmospheric home in Frechen. However, from what I understand, the price range is top tier.

ruedigold schrieb:

Attempt:

Ahh, the fog is slowly clearing. Now all that’s left is a detailed excerpt from the site development plan drawing, the written regulations, and an extract from the land registry map, and then the building regulations can be properly evaluated.

ruedigold schrieb:

Site coverage ratio
Floor area ratio: 0.35

Either you didn’t find the site coverage ratio or you confused it with the floor area ratio. It probably doesn’t matter for your project unless the site coverage ratio is below 0.3.

ruedigold schrieb:

7.20 ridge height above finished floor level

There you go. That is 15 cm (6 inches) more than in your cross-section and 40 cm (16 inches) more than in mine, since although the

ruedigold schrieb:

reference point according to the development plan is derived from the road surface (!)

, the 7.20 m (24 feet) itself is not.

ruedigold schrieb:

Number of storeys: I ... Dormers max. 3 m (10 feet) wide

That requires some careful attention during planning, which you can’t necessarily expect from prefab home manufacturers.

ruedigold schrieb:

Guests per year: 4 * 3 persons

… which is why I don’t understand your high expectations for the attic’s living quality.

ruedigold schrieb:

What’s troubling me here: I’m wading like a stork through the shallows between municipal plans, building plans, house plans, sellers, idealists, undefined terms—all together equals risks squared… but where do I stand?

You had such a nice conversation with Martina here five years ago. She could still provide you with the right answers, advice, and risk assessments for all your questions and concerns. Since this requires a lot of work—which sellers are not capable or willing to do due to lack of expertise—it of course costs something. And even if it turns out in the end that building is not the right choice for you, it’s money well spent because it frees your mind again.

Tassimat schrieb:

Why not have the floor level flush with the ground level, or maybe even slightly below?

Because the 7.20 m (24 feet) refers to the finished floor level.

Tassimat schrieb:

You gain more height

That is exactly what should be avoided. The maximum ridge height is fixed, so with the minimum roof pitch of 30° the building’s section geometry is predetermined.