ᐅ New Single-Family Home Construction – Join Us on Our Journey!
Created on: 4 Aug 2022 16:13
G
gregman22
Dear community,
We are finally getting a step closer to realizing our dream of building a single-family home.
The plot has been purchased, building plans have been reviewed, construction method decided, and so on. We have now commissioned the architect of the general contractor (GC) of our choice with the planning task and are currently fine-tuning the house design. I would love to take you along on this journey and incorporate your valuable feedback.
At this stage, the focus is on the house design.
Basic data:
Plot: 1062m2 (11,433 sq ft); approx. 25.5m x 41.64m (84 ft x 137 ft)
Orientation: Northwest -> The arrow in the screenshot of the 3D view points south
Desired room layout:
Ground floor:
First floor:
Attic:
Note: I am still discussing this with the architect. Due to the hipped roof shape, the actual living area has shrunk too much. Therefore, further discussion is needed to accommodate the other rooms. I had underestimated the ratio of gross floor area to usable living space.
Basement:
Additional plans:
Now to my first questions for you:
My biggest construction challenge at the moment is the layout of the attic. There are two alternatives:
- Change the roof type, which would increase costs but provide more usable living space in the attic
- Give up the playroom on the first floor, convert it into a guest room, and build only the two offices in the attic (no guest room or bathroom)
Thank you in advance for your comments.
We are finally getting a step closer to realizing our dream of building a single-family home.
The plot has been purchased, building plans have been reviewed, construction method decided, and so on. We have now commissioned the architect of the general contractor (GC) of our choice with the planning task and are currently fine-tuning the house design. I would love to take you along on this journey and incorporate your valuable feedback.
At this stage, the focus is on the house design.
Basic data:
Plot: 1062m2 (11,433 sq ft); approx. 25.5m x 41.64m (84 ft x 137 ft)
Orientation: Northwest -> The arrow in the screenshot of the 3D view points south
Desired room layout:
Ground floor:
- Large living/dining area with adjacent (but separable) kitchen at the bottom left, plus a gallery overlooking the first floor
- Utility room
- Guest toilet
- Garage
- Separate apartment at the top right with its own entrance for parents-in-law
First floor:
- Gallery overlooking the ground floor
- 2 children’s bedrooms with a shared bathroom
- 1 playroom (initially a home cinema room, later to be repurposed) above the garage
- Master wing with main bedroom, dressing room, and bathroom
Attic:
Note: I am still discussing this with the architect. Due to the hipped roof shape, the actual living area has shrunk too much. Therefore, further discussion is needed to accommodate the other rooms. I had underestimated the ratio of gross floor area to usable living space.
- 2 separate offices
- 1 guest bedroom
- 1 small guest bathroom
Basement:
- 1 technical room
- 1 laundry room
- 1 storage room
- Large fitness room
- Wellness room with sauna
Additional plans:
- Air-to-air heat pump or air-to-water heat pump
- Photovoltaic system with/without battery storage
- Possible pool (3.5/4m x 8m or 3.5/4m x 12m) with heat pump (and countercurrent system)
- Sauna in the basement room
- Air conditioning for various rooms
- Smart home system – most likely via KNX
- Garden: Currently planning 2 terraces – one to the left, slightly more to the south, and one facing the main part of the plot further north
Now to my first questions for you:
- How do the floor plans strike you? Do they make sense in terms of the dynamics of family life?
- The location of the separate apartment was chosen based on our wish. We wanted a strict, clearly defined spatial separation with a separate entrance. Do you have any comments on this?
- Do you consider the utility rooms in the basement to be adequately sized (considering KNX, heat pump, etc.)?
My biggest construction challenge at the moment is the layout of the attic. There are two alternatives:
- Change the roof type, which would increase costs but provide more usable living space in the attic
- Give up the playroom on the first floor, convert it into a guest room, and build only the two offices in the attic (no guest room or bathroom)
Thank you in advance for your comments.
G
Gerddieter23 Aug 2022 23:21May I ask something? The 3000-4000 per square meter are pure construction costs for the house on your end – so without additional costs like excavation, debris removal, landscaping, etc., right?
Gerddieter
Gerddieter
G
gregman2224 Aug 2022 06:58Gerddieter schrieb:
May I ask something?
The 3000-4000 per square meter are purely construction costs for your house – so excluding additional costs like excavation, disposal of excavated material, garden, etc., right?
GDThese are virtually "turnkey" house costs (including excavation and so on). However, costs for terraces, garden, and garage are not included.M
Myrna_Loy24 Aug 2022 07:47I would get a few garden books focused on architectural gardens and see what appeals to you. Try searching for Best Modern Gardens 2021, as there are many recommendations.
A landscape gardener can do a lot if they are skilled and truly knowledgeable about plants. In theory, a bricklayer can also build you a nice, functional house. And yes, for a house costing over a million and with a demand for good architecture, a garden with more than just turf around the pool is, in my opinion, essential. Otherwise, it looks poor.
In the mentioned TV show, landscape gardeners— not architects— pitch their designs against each other, and the show is aimed at average suburban homeowners and their needs for privacy screens, lounge areas, play space for children, and everything easy to maintain and coordinated with the living room. The result is basically a green counterpart to the indoor living space, not a proper garden landscape.
A landscape gardener can do a lot if they are skilled and truly knowledgeable about plants. In theory, a bricklayer can also build you a nice, functional house. And yes, for a house costing over a million and with a demand for good architecture, a garden with more than just turf around the pool is, in my opinion, essential. Otherwise, it looks poor.
In the mentioned TV show, landscape gardeners— not architects— pitch their designs against each other, and the show is aimed at average suburban homeowners and their needs for privacy screens, lounge areas, play space for children, and everything easy to maintain and coordinated with the living room. The result is basically a green counterpart to the indoor living space, not a proper garden landscape.
G
gregman2229 Aug 2022 22:14It’s time for an update for you all. I’ve been a bit quiet last week because I’ve been working on some tasks behind the scenes related to the house project.
Now that I feel quite confident about the issues mentioned above, I’m focusing on a few other areas:
1. Kitchen:
As soon as the first draft is ready in September, I want to get a better feel for the kitchen (our ideas, impact, prices, suppliers, etc.).
2. Flooring:
A really interesting topic. After much back and forth, I think we are ready to move away from wood flooring for the first time and try a different look. Initially, we only had some pictures in mind but not a specific floor type.
The more we researched, the more we realized that screed floors best meet our design preferences. As a result, I searched for a good thread that clearly explains the pros and cons of this type of floor in an easy-to-understand way. Could you recommend a link for that?
I’d like to share a few example photos with you here.
[IMG width="252px"]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CyPsBdZmc7rSq61S3p3xvIk5jR2WV1Cr0l-PRqlVqBn1mwt3wxjiQWG_9kVIie9BwXpqneGfbwICgBNCb7bjC_RPsP7N2H3LOIylBAErfuUzKv-LoPIfLTbhj1S0dh_kjYUBGb1tG1whmzaQehHvydb3_nDVMWTXgE48EcS8M7ieBZZ3eyKRLzNEgexT[/IMG][IMG width="227px"]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xik-84zDNQaRhOktbSu_jmkqdv_A272hGURQmNYtrj5Y-P1Omk4kfQtAbyECJrGgBT2UFo1gEwWuXhVGfVl0hosDRE3nVywY4Fcsvd4DZKjxlHFgRCuIBglqpFnAg5ta9LM8SVFPk4CRib1nRhEbTmkm9uQmnmngtiYG50_VPey3kDiGi9ARjn9drhHQ[/IMG][IMG width="227px"]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/dwEcweQnPlg5K4_DFS4zhQ-svTMRqdAVFIzxN7GS2m0RZN9qKQDjFxbRK38OXYeMPNQsAMYu9AcHA4D0Nw5fMYZqjJrfiojt1HQiqvvZFnB-HXIc3BYTAZFofdJQoW7PG3IyyXOfcDBHrBdkKBslAnn1bgx3O4RAASe_o8sxy7mw7UWpJ7acrlSDCyMl[/IMG][IMG width="199px"]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/F0TxvUG4uSuY8sNki0Opu4tpvgJTBM0ntcRrtYLILha7l1chO9m-qn35C4VzJfbibRoL16Li8kms_d4W_erMWuff2SkzzNcepi28vHUe_1GanKJqoo65ZJU4PDrr4bzvstzypr1sC8_vXojbs4NOo3W0L5-hAjB2vW-A6r_IyL6FIsNGVm1J0vKMaWca[/IMG]
As always, I look forward to your comments!
- As you know, the architect is currently busy with the planning. We’re really looking forward to the end of September.
- I have reached a clear agreement with the building and environmental authorities regarding the trees on the property.
- All the front trees (facing the driveway) can be removed.
- In the back area, only one old tree (a pear tree, I believe) and one cypress must be preserved; the cypress on the right can be removed. Apart from that, there are no further obstacles to clearing.
- In total, there must be 5 or 6 trees planted on the property.
- Due to species protection regulations, the clearing has to wait until October—not ideal, as this also delays the land survey slightly.
- By now, I have visited the site with one tree removal service and three civil engineering/demolition companies.
- The demolition is fairly standard; there are only a few pollutants that need to be removed separately.
- I should receive lump-sum offers from all the companies within the next 5–10 days so that I can select the right partner for October.
- Regarding the (annoying) old overhead power line in front of the house, I have submitted a dismantling request; the result: the line has already been “dismantled,” meaning it’s no longer in use. According to this, the city, as the owner, is now responsible.
- So far, the city has not been very cooperative.
- On every property, the pole (with the streetlight) stands exactly on the property boundary—except for ours, where it’s directly in front of the property.
- Position: left side. About 5–5.5m (16–18 feet) from the property boundary the steel cables for securing the line are mounted; then approximately 2m (6.5 feet) further is the actual pole.
- According to the zoning plan, the double garage must be on the left side, so the pole is in our way.
- The building office’s response was: “Well, then just have the pole relocated...” I’m not satisfied with that, especially since they placed it right in front of our driveway.
- Garden
- We agreed to work with a landscape architect to develop a concept. We divide it into must-haves (terraces, lawn area, fence…) and nice-to-haves (special plants, additional stone elements…).
- Depending on our budget usage, we will proceed step by step.
Now that I feel quite confident about the issues mentioned above, I’m focusing on a few other areas:
1. Kitchen:
As soon as the first draft is ready in September, I want to get a better feel for the kitchen (our ideas, impact, prices, suppliers, etc.).
2. Flooring:
A really interesting topic. After much back and forth, I think we are ready to move away from wood flooring for the first time and try a different look. Initially, we only had some pictures in mind but not a specific floor type.
The more we researched, the more we realized that screed floors best meet our design preferences. As a result, I searched for a good thread that clearly explains the pros and cons of this type of floor in an easy-to-understand way. Could you recommend a link for that?
I’d like to share a few example photos with you here.
[IMG width="252px"]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CyPsBdZmc7rSq61S3p3xvIk5jR2WV1Cr0l-PRqlVqBn1mwt3wxjiQWG_9kVIie9BwXpqneGfbwICgBNCb7bjC_RPsP7N2H3LOIylBAErfuUzKv-LoPIfLTbhj1S0dh_kjYUBGb1tG1whmzaQehHvydb3_nDVMWTXgE48EcS8M7ieBZZ3eyKRLzNEgexT[/IMG][IMG width="227px"]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xik-84zDNQaRhOktbSu_jmkqdv_A272hGURQmNYtrj5Y-P1Omk4kfQtAbyECJrGgBT2UFo1gEwWuXhVGfVl0hosDRE3nVywY4Fcsvd4DZKjxlHFgRCuIBglqpFnAg5ta9LM8SVFPk4CRib1nRhEbTmkm9uQmnmngtiYG50_VPey3kDiGi9ARjn9drhHQ[/IMG][IMG width="227px"]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/dwEcweQnPlg5K4_DFS4zhQ-svTMRqdAVFIzxN7GS2m0RZN9qKQDjFxbRK38OXYeMPNQsAMYu9AcHA4D0Nw5fMYZqjJrfiojt1HQiqvvZFnB-HXIc3BYTAZFofdJQoW7PG3IyyXOfcDBHrBdkKBslAnn1bgx3O4RAASe_o8sxy7mw7UWpJ7acrlSDCyMl[/IMG][IMG width="199px"]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/F0TxvUG4uSuY8sNki0Opu4tpvgJTBM0ntcRrtYLILha7l1chO9m-qn35C4VzJfbibRoL16Li8kms_d4W_erMWuff2SkzzNcepi28vHUe_1GanKJqoo65ZJU4PDrr4bzvstzypr1sC8_vXojbs4NOo3W0L5-hAjB2vW-A6r_IyL6FIsNGVm1J0vKMaWca[/IMG]
As always, I look forward to your comments!
Hello,
Based on my own positive experience, I strongly recommend planning the garden right from the start. Have the design created by a landscape architect, especially for selecting the appropriate plants and trees. This way, as many factors as possible can be taken into account from the beginning. I would also try to implement as much of the garden as possible immediately, particularly planting bigger trees and establishing perennial beds. For these, appropriately sized planting pits can be prepared from the start, rather than just 10cm (4 inches) of topsoil followed by gravel. If you need to bring heavier equipment into the garden later, half of it will likely get damaged and then you’ll probably just avoid doing it.
In any case, a nice large house needs proper planting and garden design, not just a few stones and thuja hedges—otherwise, it looks like it was done without real expertise, as mentioned above. Moreover, well-planned and planted perennial beds require very little maintenance, probably even less than lawn areas. So please don’t skimp on the garden ;-). If you have a solid concept, you don’t necessarily need a specialized landscaping company to carry out elements such as paths, terraces, stairs, edging beds, etc. These are often done by regular smaller construction companies for significantly less money. However, they won’t provide advice on plants and require clear instructions.
Have fun and best regards
Oli
Based on my own positive experience, I strongly recommend planning the garden right from the start. Have the design created by a landscape architect, especially for selecting the appropriate plants and trees. This way, as many factors as possible can be taken into account from the beginning. I would also try to implement as much of the garden as possible immediately, particularly planting bigger trees and establishing perennial beds. For these, appropriately sized planting pits can be prepared from the start, rather than just 10cm (4 inches) of topsoil followed by gravel. If you need to bring heavier equipment into the garden later, half of it will likely get damaged and then you’ll probably just avoid doing it.
In any case, a nice large house needs proper planting and garden design, not just a few stones and thuja hedges—otherwise, it looks like it was done without real expertise, as mentioned above. Moreover, well-planned and planted perennial beds require very little maintenance, probably even less than lawn areas. So please don’t skimp on the garden ;-). If you have a solid concept, you don’t necessarily need a specialized landscaping company to carry out elements such as paths, terraces, stairs, edging beds, etc. These are often done by regular smaller construction companies for significantly less money. However, they won’t provide advice on plants and require clear instructions.
Have fun and best regards
Oli
gregman22 schrieb:
As always, I’m looking forward to your comments!Your 1.5 million (or how much was it again?) is finite and not available for all the nice-to-haves.Similar topics