ᐅ Feedback on Floor Plan – Are Size and Price Acceptable?
Created on: 28 Apr 2020 09:19
J
JohannFugger
Hello dear house building forum,
After a promising start working with our architect, there has been a significant drop in performance lately, and we’re no longer sure if he is really doing his best to achieve the optimal result for us.
--> Time for the house building forum!
Attached are the floor plans for the granny flat, first floor, attic, and exterior views.
Where we started / Basic information:
- Single-family home with shared wall – one child (10)
- Slightly sloped site – ideal for a small granny flat for later use by our child or for rental
- Roof pitch 38° – gable roof
- South-facing slope
- Plot approx. 650sqm (7000 sqft)
- The small extension at the rear living area on the ground floor came about because the neighbors want to build a noticeably longer house, so we’re trying to visually soften the resulting wall at our terrace
- My wife had a slipped disc, so we decided to plan a laundry chute from the basement to the first floor. The washing machines should definitely stay in the basement
- We are currently planning a simple gas heating system, photovoltaic system, and central mechanical ventilation with heat recovery
- Gas fireplace
- Open-plan design
Our main concerns at the moment:
- Is the size appropriate? On the plans, it all looks quite nice, but when the architect estimates a price of 545,000 EUR, it makes us wonder if everything really adds up. (The building plot also had to be paid for)
- Do you find the exterior look harmonious and balanced?
- Do you think a wardrobe of this size on the first floor is sufficient?
- We have currently commissioned the architect only up to phase 4 – do you think it makes sense to have him carry out the other construction phases as well, or should we rather hire an external construction expert? Phases 5 to 9 alone would cost another 45,000 EUR, which seems quite high to me.
We are already looking forward to your feedback and an open discussion!
Best regards
JohannFugger
After a promising start working with our architect, there has been a significant drop in performance lately, and we’re no longer sure if he is really doing his best to achieve the optimal result for us.
--> Time for the house building forum!
Attached are the floor plans for the granny flat, first floor, attic, and exterior views.
Where we started / Basic information:
- Single-family home with shared wall – one child (10)
- Slightly sloped site – ideal for a small granny flat for later use by our child or for rental
- Roof pitch 38° – gable roof
- South-facing slope
- Plot approx. 650sqm (7000 sqft)
- The small extension at the rear living area on the ground floor came about because the neighbors want to build a noticeably longer house, so we’re trying to visually soften the resulting wall at our terrace
- My wife had a slipped disc, so we decided to plan a laundry chute from the basement to the first floor. The washing machines should definitely stay in the basement
- We are currently planning a simple gas heating system, photovoltaic system, and central mechanical ventilation with heat recovery
- Gas fireplace
- Open-plan design
Our main concerns at the moment:
- Is the size appropriate? On the plans, it all looks quite nice, but when the architect estimates a price of 545,000 EUR, it makes us wonder if everything really adds up. (The building plot also had to be paid for)
- Do you find the exterior look harmonious and balanced?
- Do you think a wardrobe of this size on the first floor is sufficient?
- We have currently commissioned the architect only up to phase 4 – do you think it makes sense to have him carry out the other construction phases as well, or should we rather hire an external construction expert? Phases 5 to 9 alone would cost another 45,000 EUR, which seems quite high to me.
We are already looking forward to your feedback and an open discussion!
Best regards
JohannFugger
J
JohannFugger28 Apr 2020 14:47Crossy schrieb:
Or you need to specify more precisely what the 450k is supposed to cover. Does it include additional construction costs, earthworks, landscaping? Or is there a separate budget for all that?everything except architectS
saralina8728 Apr 2020 14:48Just to touch on the budget once again:
We will be building soon – 130 sqm (1400 sq ft). A small house compared to yours, ours without a garage and without a basement. We expect 400,000 euros for construction costs, additional building-related expenses, and landscaping, and it remains to be seen whether that will be enough...
We will be building soon – 130 sqm (1400 sq ft). A small house compared to yours, ours without a garage and without a basement. We expect 400,000 euros for construction costs, additional building-related expenses, and landscaping, and it remains to be seen whether that will be enough...
No, being close to Frankfurt does not make it any easier.
Budget estimates have already been discussed here. I am not an expert enough to assess this properly, but if your budget of 450,000 (for the house alone) is a pretty hard limit (I’m not talking about a buffer since it will definitely cost more), then honestly, I don’t know if it’s worth just “cutting back” the existing design.
Here are a few reference points. People here often calculate with 2,000 per square meter (sqm). Depending on the region, this can be a bit too high or too low. Near Frankfurt, it’s rather too low. Some even say that 2,000 is outdated and the real figure is closer to 2,200 or 2,500.
And this is still for a relatively simple building design and not high-end finishes.
Architects often calculate based on enclosed volume. You can also estimate using 450 to 500 euros per cubic meter (m3) of enclosed volume.
On top of that, you have extra costs for the slope, etc. I’m not experienced in this, but at this level—with a long external staircase, retaining walls, and so on—100,000 for earthworks and landscaping can be quickly used up. Have you taken this into account in your calculations?
Budget estimates have already been discussed here. I am not an expert enough to assess this properly, but if your budget of 450,000 (for the house alone) is a pretty hard limit (I’m not talking about a buffer since it will definitely cost more), then honestly, I don’t know if it’s worth just “cutting back” the existing design.
Here are a few reference points. People here often calculate with 2,000 per square meter (sqm). Depending on the region, this can be a bit too high or too low. Near Frankfurt, it’s rather too low. Some even say that 2,000 is outdated and the real figure is closer to 2,200 or 2,500.
And this is still for a relatively simple building design and not high-end finishes.
Architects often calculate based on enclosed volume. You can also estimate using 450 to 500 euros per cubic meter (m3) of enclosed volume.
On top of that, you have extra costs for the slope, etc. I’m not experienced in this, but at this level—with a long external staircase, retaining walls, and so on—100,000 for earthworks and landscaping can be quickly used up. Have you taken this into account in your calculations?
J
JohannFugger28 Apr 2020 14:50saralina87 schrieb:
Just to emphasize the point about the budget again:
We are about to build a house – 130 square meters (1400 square feet). A small house compared to yours, ours without a garage and without a basement. We are budgeting 400,000 euros for construction costs, additional building-related expenses, and exterior landscaping, and we will see if that will be enough... May I ask which area this is in? That seems to be quite important...
JohannFugger schrieb:
everything except architect...ok, just read it now, and I’m even more shocked... so all of that is supposed to be included??
Oh man...
Edit: my numbers mentioned above refer exclusively to the building itself. No additional construction costs, no earthworks, no landscaping, etc.
S
saralina8728 Apr 2020 14:52JohannFugger schrieb:
May I ask which area this is? It seems quite relevant...Not in the expensive outskirts of Ulm.