Hello,
I am a single man, 45 years old, currently considering building a house again. I have three teenage children who often stay with me, although they officially live with my ex-wife. When the marriage broke down, I bought the next best house within cycling distance (in a great suburban location of a major city, built in 1995, well equipped). The house is intended to be sold if necessary, is free of liabilities, and my financial situation is comfortable partly because of this. With about 280 square meters (3000 square feet) of living space and just over 1000 square meters (0.25 acres) of property, however, it is far too large for someone living alone and requires a lot of maintenance. Maintenance means time, and I would rather spend that time on my children, traveling, and my job. I have been interested for some time in Bauhaus-style houses (more precisely: what is currently considered Bauhaus style, basically a cube-shaped design), around 140–160 square meters (1500–1700 square feet) of living space, no basement, and a plot of 500–600 square meters (0.12–0.15 acres).
Through networking, I might have the opportunity to acquire a suitable plot in the coming months.
Has anyone had similar experiences? How did you approach building your house? Did you build just for yourselves, or did you rather opt for a “family house” even if you were moving in alone? Did you ultimately decide against a detached house and choose a condominium instead?
Thanks!
I am a single man, 45 years old, currently considering building a house again. I have three teenage children who often stay with me, although they officially live with my ex-wife. When the marriage broke down, I bought the next best house within cycling distance (in a great suburban location of a major city, built in 1995, well equipped). The house is intended to be sold if necessary, is free of liabilities, and my financial situation is comfortable partly because of this. With about 280 square meters (3000 square feet) of living space and just over 1000 square meters (0.25 acres) of property, however, it is far too large for someone living alone and requires a lot of maintenance. Maintenance means time, and I would rather spend that time on my children, traveling, and my job. I have been interested for some time in Bauhaus-style houses (more precisely: what is currently considered Bauhaus style, basically a cube-shaped design), around 140–160 square meters (1500–1700 square feet) of living space, no basement, and a plot of 500–600 square meters (0.12–0.15 acres).
Through networking, I might have the opportunity to acquire a suitable plot in the coming months.
Has anyone had similar experiences? How did you approach building your house? Did you build just for yourselves, or did you rather opt for a “family house” even if you were moving in alone? Did you ultimately decide against a detached house and choose a condominium instead?
Thanks!
First of all, how old are the children? How often do they still come over? There’s a big difference between children coming every other weekend and half of the holidays for the next five years as a group of three, compared to them probably only visiting occasionally soon anyway.
How likely is it that one child will move in with you? It wouldn’t be the first case of that changing.
Take a look at the concept by [USER=46205]@hampshire.
I wouldn’t build a classic house with 2-3 bedrooms. Probably best to have a stylish small house for 1-2 people plus an additional space that can be used flexibly. Just like with [USER=46205]@hampshire’s concept or Schwörerhaus’s flying space.
How likely is it that one child will move in with you? It wouldn’t be the first case of that changing.
Take a look at the concept by [USER=46205]@hampshire.
I wouldn’t build a classic house with 2-3 bedrooms. Probably best to have a stylish small house for 1-2 people plus an additional space that can be used flexibly. Just like with [USER=46205]@hampshire’s concept or Schwörerhaus’s flying space.
haydee schrieb:
First of all, how old are the children? How often do they still visit? It makes a difference whether the kids will be coming every other weekend and half of the holidays as a group of three for the next five years, or whether they will probably only come occasionally anyway.
How likely is it that one child will move in with you? That’s not uncommon to change.
Take a look at the concept by @hampshire.
I wouldn’t build a classic home with 2-3 kids’ bedrooms. Most likely a stylish small house for 1-2 people plus an annex that can be used flexibly. Just like with @hampshire or the Flying Space design from Schwörerhaus. The kids are in the “younger teenage” range, with the youngest not quite a teenager yet. Currently, I live within cycling distance to my ex-wife (about 1.5 meters (0.9 miles)), and the kids are at my place 3-4 times a week, often for meals after school. Due to the pandemic, I’m mostly working from home right now (they often just drop by and regularly sleep over). The new property is about 10 meters (6.2 miles) away. For me personally, it would be better for various reasons to create some distance; for the kids, probably not—but that’s a topic for another forum 😉
Whether a child would move in with me? Time will tell. That also depends a lot on my future career development. I would definitely plan for at least one guest/kids’ bedroom and a large office that can also be used for overnight stays.
Thanks for the tip about the user.
You have to find the best solution for all of you. Hampshire is the only one I can think of right now that has a concept accommodating everything. The other builders are couples without children or just families. Neither option fits. You’ll have to see what your plot allows. Don’t be surprised if you have to build a gable roof house or if a classic family house is your only option.
Schimi179131 May 2021 13:14nordanney schrieb:
Thumbs up!
A house is just a functional object after all. The days of "I will die in the house I built with my own hands from ruins" are gone, just like the idea of staying with one company from apprenticeship until retirement. Times are changing... It’s all a matter of money...
H
hampshire31 May 2021 13:32Schimi1791 schrieb:
It’s all a matter of money ...Definitely not. Money is a necessary resource for design, nothing more. What matters more is setting priorities, as this leads to the goals, considerations, and ultimately the decisions.Schimi179131 May 2021 14:28hampshire schrieb:
Definitely no.
... I believe you need to be financially prepared to own multiple houses throughout your life. Even the first house is a significant financial challenge for most homebuilders.
(My post #22 refers [also] to post #13 by @K1300S)