Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size – approx. 1000m² (0.25 acres)
Slope – yes, about one full story along the length of the house
Number of parking spaces – 4 (2 of which are carport or garage)
Number of floors – no restrictions
Roof style – anything except flat roof
Architectural style – rural, classic
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type – no Bauhaus, rather country house style
Basement, stories – 2 full stories
Number of occupants, ages – currently 3: 37, 30, 2
Space needs on ground and upper floors
Office: family use or home office? Both fully remote: Home office is a permanent workplace for both
Occasional guests per year – 4-6?
Conservative or modern construction – conservative
Open kitchen, island – open but L-shaped, with an island
Number of dining seats – at least 8, with room for more
Fireplace – no
Music/stereo wall – no
Balcony, roof terrace – no
Garage, carport – yes
Utility garden, greenhouse – possibly, no major importance
Other wishes/special features/daily routine, including reasons why certain things are preferred or avoided:
- Space for a Christmas tree in the living/dining area
- “Nerd cave”: a larger hobby room for retro games, preferably without windows -> no UV exposure
- Home gym – room for at least one rack and some additional equipment
- Cooking, dining, and living areas open and arranged in a corner layout
- Pantry desired
- Cloakroom area near the entrance for jackets and shoes
- 2 children’s bedrooms plus guest room
- Parents’ bedroom with walk-in closet
- Utility/laundry room on the sleeping floor
House Design
Designed by:
- Architect
What do you especially like? Why?
- All the wishes we sent over two pages of text have been perfectly incorporated
- Large, symmetrical pantry
- Very open, spacious living area
- Option to convert the gym into a second office if needed for work
- All children’s bedrooms are the same size
What don’t you like? Why?
- It is simply very large – pricing is at the upper limit of what we can afford
- Posts (presumably for structural reasons) in the living/dining area
- Office could possibly be a bit bigger, but the house is already huge
Price estimate according to architect/planner: Fixed-price turnkey offers from two providers so far likely to be in the range of 490,000–520,000 (currency not specified)
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: 500,000
Preferred heating system: Heat pump, central ventilation system, air conditioning
If you had to give up something, which details/expansions
- Could give up: maybe one room, open areas in the hallway
- Cannot give up: ventilation system, air conditioning, pantry, basically almost everything else 😀
Why did the design turn out the way it is? For example:
Which wishes were fulfilled by the architect? Simply all of them. We had communicated our wishes in writing, and the design fully reflects our complete “wish list.”
What makes it particularly good or bad in your opinion?
Everything we need is included; it’s large, inviting, open, bright, and leaves no wishes unfulfilled. However, the price is close to the maximum monthly financial burden we want to accept.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
My husband is completely thrilled with this floor plan, and he’s usually not so easily enthusiastic. 😀
I also find it very well done. But it’s clearly the fact that all our wishes are included that makes it great for us.
I’m just curious to hear your opinion.
Here, @Pinkiponk – I just went ahead and posted it. 🙂
Plot size – approx. 1000m² (0.25 acres)
Slope – yes, about one full story along the length of the house
Number of parking spaces – 4 (2 of which are carport or garage)
Number of floors – no restrictions
Roof style – anything except flat roof
Architectural style – rural, classic
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type – no Bauhaus, rather country house style
Basement, stories – 2 full stories
Number of occupants, ages – currently 3: 37, 30, 2
Space needs on ground and upper floors
Office: family use or home office? Both fully remote: Home office is a permanent workplace for both
Occasional guests per year – 4-6?
Conservative or modern construction – conservative
Open kitchen, island – open but L-shaped, with an island
Number of dining seats – at least 8, with room for more
Fireplace – no
Music/stereo wall – no
Balcony, roof terrace – no
Garage, carport – yes
Utility garden, greenhouse – possibly, no major importance
Other wishes/special features/daily routine, including reasons why certain things are preferred or avoided:
- Space for a Christmas tree in the living/dining area
- “Nerd cave”: a larger hobby room for retro games, preferably without windows -> no UV exposure
- Home gym – room for at least one rack and some additional equipment
- Cooking, dining, and living areas open and arranged in a corner layout
- Pantry desired
- Cloakroom area near the entrance for jackets and shoes
- 2 children’s bedrooms plus guest room
- Parents’ bedroom with walk-in closet
- Utility/laundry room on the sleeping floor
House Design
Designed by:
- Architect
What do you especially like? Why?
- All the wishes we sent over two pages of text have been perfectly incorporated
- Large, symmetrical pantry
- Very open, spacious living area
- Option to convert the gym into a second office if needed for work
- All children’s bedrooms are the same size
What don’t you like? Why?
- It is simply very large – pricing is at the upper limit of what we can afford
- Posts (presumably for structural reasons) in the living/dining area
- Office could possibly be a bit bigger, but the house is already huge
Price estimate according to architect/planner: Fixed-price turnkey offers from two providers so far likely to be in the range of 490,000–520,000 (currency not specified)
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: 500,000
Preferred heating system: Heat pump, central ventilation system, air conditioning
If you had to give up something, which details/expansions
- Could give up: maybe one room, open areas in the hallway
- Cannot give up: ventilation system, air conditioning, pantry, basically almost everything else 😀
Why did the design turn out the way it is? For example:
Which wishes were fulfilled by the architect? Simply all of them. We had communicated our wishes in writing, and the design fully reflects our complete “wish list.”
What makes it particularly good or bad in your opinion?
Everything we need is included; it’s large, inviting, open, bright, and leaves no wishes unfulfilled. However, the price is close to the maximum monthly financial burden we want to accept.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
My husband is completely thrilled with this floor plan, and he’s usually not so easily enthusiastic. 😀
I also find it very well done. But it’s clearly the fact that all our wishes are included that makes it great for us.
I’m just curious to hear your opinion.
Here, @Pinkiponk – I just went ahead and posted it. 🙂
WilderSueden schrieb:
But this is one point I just can’t wrap my head around. They’re not building for the first time. If it were the first time, the budget would probably have been enough for two houses like this. The original poster might be miscalculating precisely because of that.
WilderSueden schrieb:
But this is one point that I just can't wrap my head around. They are not building for the first time. And a detailed scope of work that aims for less than €2000 per square meter (about $220 per square foot), with a sloped site, a small bay window for the bathroom, and a setback for the garage... it would have to be so heavily cut back that it would be obvious immediately, and the bidder would be dropped from consideration. They are not building for the first time. True. But anyone who has followed last year’s posts or the recent activity of @kati1337 might speculate that the reason is either enthusiasm, a bit of naivety, or simply too narrow a focus.
I don’t know if Kati has read through the construction cost threads—I don’t think so. Besides her family, her own threads were more present for her.
… and now she’s a good deal further along with reality than many other first-time home builders.
Anyone who has built with a general contractor (GC) and included at least a few upgrades like controlled mechanical ventilation, etc., knows that a fixed-price offer provides a guarantee compared to an architect’s build contract, but not compared to a detailed scope of work from 3–4 years ago.
No idea, but if Kati could still pick nice tiles for €30 per square meter (about $3 per square foot) three years ago, now there might only be materials suitable for the utility room left. If those are still even covered by the scope of work.
Just because a contractor offers a fixed-price bid doesn’t mean they are using cheaper materials than others—unless the quality differs.
I’m not financing for the first time either. For the fourth time, actually. But I feel like a schoolchild sitting in front of bankers and brokers. Because I don’t manage that side well. In that respect, I will always remain a bit of a dummy. Not about everything! It’s just that some things slip past you. Like floor plans: many people who don’t do homework on this can’t follow self-explanatory processes mentioned in discussions, and therefore don’t engage, simply because it overwhelms them. Probably some kind of self-protection. Or a mental mechanism to focus only on what interests you and what feels manageable, instead of opening another mental folder that needs to be filled.
M
Myrna_Loy31 Mar 2022 08:21Or their budget is higher than they want us to know. 🙂 The topic is not supposed to be the budget anyway.
I know a sloped site is tricky, but manageable. Still, it would really annoy me to always have to carry my groceries down the stairs from the garage.
I know a sloped site is tricky, but manageable. Still, it would really annoy me to always have to carry my groceries down the stairs from the garage.
I really don’t want to discuss construction costs here, only floor plans.
During our last building project, I faced the exact same resistance regarding “that simply won’t work.” In the end, what matters is what’s written in my contracts, what leaves my account, and what the result is. Despite all the pessimism (even back then, without the increased costs), I now have a house. Regarding the costs, which everyone at the time called naive, I’m sitting inside—it’s heated, it exists.
There are simply regional differences in construction costs. I’m not looking for advice on the cost side of this project. I solemnly promise not to complain about bankruptcy, should I have miscalculated. :P
During our last building project, I faced the exact same resistance regarding “that simply won’t work.” In the end, what matters is what’s written in my contracts, what leaves my account, and what the result is. Despite all the pessimism (even back then, without the increased costs), I now have a house. Regarding the costs, which everyone at the time called naive, I’m sitting inside—it’s heated, it exists.
There are simply regional differences in construction costs. I’m not looking for advice on the cost side of this project. I solemnly promise not to complain about bankruptcy, should I have miscalculated. :P
B
Benutzer20031 Mar 2022 08:36ypg schrieb:
I’m not sure if Kati has read through the construction cost threads – I don’t think she has. Kati is fully aware that even small houses – only half the size, without a carport or similar – are rarely possible for under €500,000 (approx. $535,000). She is currently following the construction cost thread closely. But I think she sees it as two different things – other people’s projects versus her own.
And her own house could cost around €500,000 (approx. $535,000) – but without an extension or carport?
Many details don’t add up there.
Benutzer200 schrieb:
Kati knows very well that even small houses—only about half the size and without a carport or similar—are hardly achievable for under 500k Euros. She is actively participating in the construction cost thread. But I think these are two different issues for her—one concerns others, and the other is about herself. And the own house could cost around 500k Euros—but without extension or carport? Many things don’t add up here.No, that’s not correct. You just can’t compare apples and oranges. In the thread you posted here as a screenshot, I was talking about total project costs. In my thread here, I’m referring to construction costs only—that means just the building itself, without land, kitchen, or various extras. Our total costs for this project are significantly higher than 500k.