Hello,
I am currently planning a new build (my first), which is intended to have 2-3 residential units and will likely aim for an energy efficiency rating of 40+. Essentially, it could be called a multi-generational house. Initially, only 2 units will be developed (one on the ground floor and one on the upper floor), but in the future, a third unit is planned for the attic. I would like to leave the attic unit as a shell at first, but have all the connections, wiring, and so on installed. The goal is to avoid any further construction work later so that it can be used as a separate unit.
As far as I know, a separate residential unit requires the following conditions:
- Its own lockable entrance
- Its own electricity meter
- One kitchen connection each
- One bathroom connection each (toilet and shower)
I hope I haven’t missed anything here. If so, please let me know.
Now to my question: To plan a bit better, I would like to get an idea of how much an additional residential unit costs in terms of installing connections for an extra kitchen and an additional bathroom, as well as setting up a separate electrical circuit with its own electricity meter in the utility room. In other words, the extra costs you should budget for when turning a standard single-family house into a house with 2 or 3 units.
For now, I am only interested in the cost of the connections—that is, the potential for an additional unit—not the cost of the kitchen or bathroom fixtures themselves.
I hope you can help. Many thanks in advance for any comments and explanations!
I am currently planning a new build (my first), which is intended to have 2-3 residential units and will likely aim for an energy efficiency rating of 40+. Essentially, it could be called a multi-generational house. Initially, only 2 units will be developed (one on the ground floor and one on the upper floor), but in the future, a third unit is planned for the attic. I would like to leave the attic unit as a shell at first, but have all the connections, wiring, and so on installed. The goal is to avoid any further construction work later so that it can be used as a separate unit.
As far as I know, a separate residential unit requires the following conditions:
- Its own lockable entrance
- Its own electricity meter
- One kitchen connection each
- One bathroom connection each (toilet and shower)
I hope I haven’t missed anything here. If so, please let me know.
Now to my question: To plan a bit better, I would like to get an idea of how much an additional residential unit costs in terms of installing connections for an extra kitchen and an additional bathroom, as well as setting up a separate electrical circuit with its own electricity meter in the utility room. In other words, the extra costs you should budget for when turning a standard single-family house into a house with 2 or 3 units.
For now, I am only interested in the cost of the connections—that is, the potential for an additional unit—not the cost of the kitchen or bathroom fixtures themselves.
I hope you can help. Many thanks in advance for any comments and explanations!
Tassimat schrieb:
How much equity and income are available for this project? About 150,000 EUR. About 7,000 EUR monthly. And yes, I am including my own income. The plot is basically reserved, but the exact location is not yet decided because it’s still unclear which one I will get. The size is around 600 m² (6,458 sq ft).
With this information, I have at least been able to start planning the size of the house. The exact orientation on the plot will be determined later when more is clear (probably in autumn).
Tassimat schrieb:
What you overlook is that in the pictures with the pyramid roof there simply is no living space in the attic. Because that just doesn’t make any sense. To clarify upfront so it’s easy to understand: I want to keep the pyramid roof for aesthetic reasons (at least for now). Therefore, I am sticking with that. I am aware that with a gable roof I could create more living space. However, I do not like that visually.
I chose the example image because of the roof overhang. It probably has less than a 20-degree pitch or so. Converting that space would definitely be pointless. I am currently planning with a pyramid roof with a 35-degree pitch. In my view, that creates a significant amount of space that I would not want to waste. Hence the idea of converting it into living space.
I will post another question soon about roof overhangs. Maybe you can help me understand better.
Edit: ᐅ Different Types of Roof Overhangs | Experiences from Home Builders and Construction Experts (hausbau-forum.de)
Felix85 schrieb:
Approx. 150,000 EUR. About 7,000 EUR monthly. And yes, I’m including my own labor.Very good, that might be enough for a project like this. Why don’t you hire an architect? You will need one anyway in all cases.Tassimat schrieb:
Very nice, that could be enough for a project like this. Why don’t you get an architect? You’ll need one anyway in any case.I already have one, and I will definitely go over everything thoroughly with him again. However, he is currently still working on other projects, and I would like to approach the topic myself first so that later I don’t only have his opinions. In a way, I want to be more deeply involved once things really get underway with him. That’s why I am currently talking to many acquaintances and friends, reading a lot online, and also participating here.I was actually expecting a somewhat larger house than 10.5 x 10.5 m (34.5 x 34.5 ft) for 3 planned residential units.
I’m really curious how you plan to handle the staircase. Usually, the stairwell is right next to an exterior wall. But that won’t work here, because on the top floor the stairs need to extend more toward the center. Doesn’t that waste too much space for the stairs?
Please share your floor plan design. The floor area isn’t exactly generous to fit a complete residential unit on one level. How many rooms do the apartments on the ground floor and upper floor have?
I’m really curious how you plan to handle the staircase. Usually, the stairwell is right next to an exterior wall. But that won’t work here, because on the top floor the stairs need to extend more toward the center. Doesn’t that waste too much space for the stairs?
Please share your floor plan design. The floor area isn’t exactly generous to fit a complete residential unit on one level. How many rooms do the apartments on the ground floor and upper floor have?
Hi Ralle,
I want to refine the floor plans a bit more before sharing them, especially after the information from yesterday about the attic, which made me reconsider quite a few things. Whether or not a third residential unit will actually be the goal depends on several clarifications and decisions (whether it is even allowed, how many parking spaces are required, dormer/roof terrace as a fire escape yes or no).
Maybe a few words about the concept first: We thought about creating modular units that can be easily combined or separated in one direction or another.
As for the rooms: The ground floor has a large open living/kitchen area, a bathroom, and a bedroom. There is also a utility room for technical equipment, located so that both residential units can access it.
The first floor has a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, children’s room, living room, and a small roof terrace above the garage.
This setup works with a relatively small floor plan for us because, as it currently stands, we use it familiarly and communally. The large open-plan living/dining/kitchen area downstairs (which the first floor does not have) is intended as a common room for the family.
The attic is relevant for the child, which is why we are considering designing it as a separate residential unit (if ultimately permitted), to provide privacy and autonomy during their education or university years, even if on a smaller footprint.
Depending on the life stage, the three modules (ground floor, first floor, attic) can be combined accordingly. My mother lives on the ground floor, and initially, we will live in the first floor and attic. When the child is ready in a few years, they will take the attic alone. If they move out, we’ll re-integrate the attic space with our unit. Should my mother no longer live on the ground floor before then, we will take over the ground floor in addition to the first floor.
Something along those lines… it is meant to offer various possibilities and adapt well if circumstances change.
And if we eventually decide to move, for example later in life, the property could be rented out modularly as one to three separate units, depending on market demand.
I was also somewhat inspired by apartments in city centers, where there is a trend toward renting out "micro-apartments" to multiple tenants rather than planning spacious apartments for a single household. Since I assume the housing shortage will become an even bigger issue over the next 30 years, I thought this would at least be a contribution and position us well for the future if we enable rentals to up to three parties. The location is not in the city center but is relatively close (with good connections to the highway/freeway and tram).
Also worth mentioning: For us, the property is a good part of retirement planning, especially in this low-interest environment where pension plans are not very attractive. The house is therefore not designed to require us to live there forever but to provide good options for flexible rental at a later point.
But as I mentioned at the start of this thread: The third residential unit was mainly a forward-looking consideration for me. In my mind, I didn’t want to leave the attic unused but wanted to make it as functional as possible.
I want to refine the floor plans a bit more before sharing them, especially after the information from yesterday about the attic, which made me reconsider quite a few things. Whether or not a third residential unit will actually be the goal depends on several clarifications and decisions (whether it is even allowed, how many parking spaces are required, dormer/roof terrace as a fire escape yes or no).
Maybe a few words about the concept first: We thought about creating modular units that can be easily combined or separated in one direction or another.
As for the rooms: The ground floor has a large open living/kitchen area, a bathroom, and a bedroom. There is also a utility room for technical equipment, located so that both residential units can access it.
The first floor has a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, children’s room, living room, and a small roof terrace above the garage.
This setup works with a relatively small floor plan for us because, as it currently stands, we use it familiarly and communally. The large open-plan living/dining/kitchen area downstairs (which the first floor does not have) is intended as a common room for the family.
The attic is relevant for the child, which is why we are considering designing it as a separate residential unit (if ultimately permitted), to provide privacy and autonomy during their education or university years, even if on a smaller footprint.
Depending on the life stage, the three modules (ground floor, first floor, attic) can be combined accordingly. My mother lives on the ground floor, and initially, we will live in the first floor and attic. When the child is ready in a few years, they will take the attic alone. If they move out, we’ll re-integrate the attic space with our unit. Should my mother no longer live on the ground floor before then, we will take over the ground floor in addition to the first floor.
Something along those lines… it is meant to offer various possibilities and adapt well if circumstances change.
And if we eventually decide to move, for example later in life, the property could be rented out modularly as one to three separate units, depending on market demand.
I was also somewhat inspired by apartments in city centers, where there is a trend toward renting out "micro-apartments" to multiple tenants rather than planning spacious apartments for a single household. Since I assume the housing shortage will become an even bigger issue over the next 30 years, I thought this would at least be a contribution and position us well for the future if we enable rentals to up to three parties. The location is not in the city center but is relatively close (with good connections to the highway/freeway and tram).
Also worth mentioning: For us, the property is a good part of retirement planning, especially in this low-interest environment where pension plans are not very attractive. The house is therefore not designed to require us to live there forever but to provide good options for flexible rental at a later point.
But as I mentioned at the start of this thread: The third residential unit was mainly a forward-looking consideration for me. In my mind, I didn’t want to leave the attic unused but wanted to make it as functional as possible.
Felix85 schrieb:
Maybe a few words about the concept first: We thought about creating modular units that can be easily combined or separated in one direction or another. Huh? The residential units are stacked on top of each other. How do you plan to combine or separate them afterward? Combining the units will be difficult because, with the stairwell, it will always feel like they don’t belong together. If you want to rent them out, you also need to build very solidly to ensure soundproofing and so on. A bit of modular drywall won’t be enough for that.
Felix85 schrieb:
Something like that... so it should offer various options and be easily adaptable if something changes. I’m quite curious about the floor plans. You should share them first before finalizing every last detail. First, clarify the fundamentals.
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