ᐅ Single-family house of approximately 180 m² in the city with a view of a nature reserve

Hello dear forum members,

After the great fortune of being allowed to build on a beautiful family plot near the city, yet surrounded by nature with a view of the nature reserve, my partner and I are currently deep in the planning of our single-family home.
Construction is planned for spring 2022, with preliminary bid inquiries in Q2 and Q3 2021.

We would greatly appreciate any tips or opinions on the attached designs. Many thanks in advance.

(The dimensions on the attached plans may not be perfect, please excuse that.)

Zoning Plan / Restrictions:
Plot size: 850 m² (9,150 sq ft)
Slope: No (slightly sloping terrain, not yet precisely measured)
Building coverage ratio: No zoning plan
Floor area ratio: No zoning plan
Building envelope, building lines, boundaries: No zoning plan (--> according to Bavarian state building code)
Edge development: Double garage planned, 6 x 9 m (20 x 30 ft)
Parking spaces: 2 parking spaces in front of the garage + 2 parking spaces inside the garage
Number of floors: 2 full stories
Roof type: Flat roof
Architectural style: Modern (inspired by Bauhaus style)
Orientation: North-south with entrance on the north and window front on the south
Maximum heights / limits: No zoning plan (neighboring buildings east: 3 full stories / west: 2 ½ full stories)

[U]Client Requirements[/U]
Style, roof type, building type: Modern single-family home in the city with flat roof in Bauhaus style
Basement, floors: 2 full stories, no basement (--> cost savings)
Number of occupants, ages: 2 people (33 + 32) + 1-2 children (in progress)
Space requirement on ground and upper floor: ~180 m² (1,938 sq ft) over both floors
Office: Combination of office (20-40% home office), guest room, and eventual elderly parents’ bedroom on ground floor
Guest sleepers per year: approximately 10-12
Open or closed architecture: Compromise
Conservative or modern construction: Modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: Open kitchen connected to dining area with breakfast bar
Number of dining seats: 6-8
Fireplace: No
Music / stereo wall: Yes
Balcony, roof terrace: No (--> cost savings)
Garage, carport: Solid garage (optional: prefabricated garage)

House Design
Planner: Self-designed with Sweet Home 3D based on forum information and discussions with other homeowners

What do you particularly like? Why?:
- Entrance area with view through living room windows into the garden
- full south orientation of all living and sleeping rooms with many windows and view of the nature reserve
- ground floor fully designed to be age-appropriate
- direct access between garage and house
- fixed roof over the outdoor seating area on the ground floor through the staggered upper floor (so no awning or similar needed, which would have to be added separately)
- all rooms with water connections or technical room located on the north side (short plumbing routes)
- open-plan living/dining area including kitchen in L-shape (no direct line of sight between kitchen and living room)
- separate parents’ wing on the upper floor with private bathroom and dressing area separated from sleeping area by a wall/visual divider
- using half of the space under the stairs for the technical room and half for a pantry possible
- separate laundry area with washer, dryer, laundry baskets (visually separated) in the upper floor children’s bathroom
- small cloakroom on ground floor can be dismantled if needed to relocate the washing machine from the upper floor there (water connection is planned)
- the wall between the two children’s rooms will only be added later, so initially there is one large room of about 31 m² (333 sq ft) for one child

What do you not like? Why?:
- Currently the living area is slightly above the planned 180 m², which is problematic for the budget calculation

Cost estimate according to own calculation: 400,000 € (house including windows, bathrooms, floor coverings, electrical work), 40,000 € garage, 30,000 € kitchen, 20,000 € exterior works (minimal effort - lawn only, with further improvements over coming decades), 20,000 € additional costs (site development, notary, soil survey, lawyer, etc.)
Personal budget limit for the house including fittings: 550,000 €
Preferred heating system: Gas condensing boiler + solar thermal (hot water)

If you had to cut back, on which features or expansions
- can you do without: Unfortunately we cannot think of anything else at the moment, as we have already cut many initial wishes and ideas during planning for cost reasons

Why did the design turn out this way?
The unusual architecture with staggered cubes resulted from our space requirements and fits our preferred style for residential buildings (inspired by Bauhaus style). Numerous adjustments and changes have been made in the past 6 weeks with consultations from friends, other homeowners, and family.

Additional questions:
1. We would like to commission a soil survey, clearing work, and surveying in advance at our own cost, to submit these documents along with our design and a rough draft construction description to different general contractors / construction managers for bidding. Does this make sense? What would be the best approach?
2. The plot cannot currently be (sensibly) transferred by notarial deed (from my parents to me) due to the tax exemption being used within the last 10 years. Could this lead to difficulties during construction or limit us regarding coordination appointments, land charge registration, etc.?
3. Where is there still potential for optimization in certain rooms or areas, possibly to save even more space?
4. We understand that the cubic staggered form results in larger exterior surface areas = higher heating costs + more insulation material. Does this form also lead to additional costs beyond that?

Just briefly on point 2: If you don’t own the land, you won’t own the house on it either. Who owns the land now? With a house on it, it will be worth more, so maybe the tax exemption won’t apply after all?

Now about the floor plan, just some initial thoughts in no particular order:
- The pantry is too narrow.
- To get to the kitchen or dining table, you always have to pass through the living room. This looks too cramped on the floor plan with the drawn-in furniture, and at the same time, you won’t have peace while sitting on the sofa.
- 50cm (20 inches) of space beside the bed is too little.
- Although you have planned storage space in the garage, due to the climate, it is not suitable for all items.
- The entrance area is very/too spacious.
- The kitchen layout could still be improved, for example, there is currently no countertop space between the sink and the stove. Seating at the stove is also less ideal because of splashing.

I am aware of the issue. The property currently belongs to my father. We will only be able to apply the full €400,000 (approximately $430,000) tax exemption for a gift again in 2029. The current plan is to register a type of usufruct along with the mortgage entry for the bank. (This means that as long as either my partner or I are alive, we are allowed to live on the property and use it according to our intentions).

But the house already costs more than 400k, and the land has value too. How is it supposed to be transferred in 2029?
I’m not familiar with usufruct and how it can be registered. Maybe it’s a way to reduce the value of the house?

Pinky0301 schrieb:

Now regarding the floor plan, here are some initial observations without any particular order:
- The pantry is too narrow.
- You always have to pass through the living room to get to the kitchen or dining table. This looks cramped on the floor plan with the furniture shown and also means no peace on the sofa.
- 50cm (20 inches) next to the bed is too little.
- Although you have planned storage space in the garage, due to the climate, it is not suitable for all items.
- The entrance area is very/too spacious.
- The kitchen layout can still be optimized; for example, there is currently no countertop space between the sink and the stovetop. Seating at the stovetop is also less than ideal due to splashing.

Thank you for the feedback!

- We went back and forth a lot between the pantry, stairs, and utility room. Unfortunately, we can’t create more space without increasing the building’s exterior dimensions—and thus the floor area again (= costs). The goal is to use the area under the stairs efficiently.
- The bed will be repositioned to allow an 80cm (31 inch) passage.
- The floor area is already considered “too large,” so adding more storage space will be difficult.
- We will rework the sink and stovetop layout.