ᐅ Hillside House in the Southwest Palatinate – Our Home Construction 2.0

Created on: 9 Sep 2022 18:13
K
kati1337
Good evening everyone

I’m starting a small collection thread here for photos and progress updates on our second building project.
We’ve already moved to the Palatinate region to be closer to the construction site. Now we’re watching eagerly and happily as our (hopefully final) dream home takes shape near family.

One big challenge still ahead of us is the facade design. I really love the Nordic style with brickwork and mullioned windows. That won’t be possible here for two reasons: firstly, no one here can do bricklaying, and secondly, it would stand out too much. We will be going with a rendered facade. How to design the colors of the facade and windows to still create some country house / cottage charm is currently still a work in progress mentally.

Otherwise, I’m sharing our plans here and how it will eventually be built.
The support pillar marked near the kitchen island could be removed for a small extra cost, so that will be gone.

The room for “garden equipment” under the garage will get a partition wall for structural reasons.
It won’t be fully finished living space like in the house, but underfloor heating will be installed, along with a lockable door and a window. It’s meant to store garden tools but also some of the building services equipment, since the utility room (HAR) is quite small, and maybe be used as a party room.

We had three construction companies in the final selection. In the end, we chose the “doer” – a builder recommended to us here by friends and family. No website, no smartphone, but he is on site every day himself working in overalls. He has a very good reputation in this area and now rarely builds single-family homes. We were a bit lucky through personal connections and a very friendly initial phone call to get our foot in the door. So far we are very satisfied with this choice.

Two-story house with garage, window fronts and trees; northeast and southwest views.


Site plan of a house with roof areas, measurements and property boundary (1020.25 m² (11,000 sq ft)).


Floor plan of a single-family home: garage, hallway, entrance area, bathroom, utility room, bedroom, kids 1/2, guest room.


Southeast view of a house on a hillside with terrace steps, windows and human figures.


Floor plan of a house with kitchen, living/dining area, hallway, bathroom, utility room, fitness room, office and garden.
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Sunshine387
20 Sep 2022 20:42
You can look at it that way too 😀. And I’m not saying that I’m completely unhappy with the hardwood flooring. Of course, the furniture and rugs have the advantage of covering up a lot of the floor. But joking aside, the lively hardwood flooring definitely has its fans and naturally gives off a certain modern loft/industrial vibe. It also works well with an exposed concrete wall. And if you prefer a more natural feel, you’ll probably appreciate the knots and varying tones. So, it’s really a matter of personal taste.
Araknis20 Sep 2022 20:52
Which construction company are you building with?
kati133720 Sep 2022 21:43
Araknis schrieb:

Which construction company are you building with?
You don’t really know him like that. It’s a one-man operation, no website, no smartphone. The kind of guy you find wearing overalls on the construction site when you look for him. 🙂
kati133724 Sep 2022 23:52
Moving forward. The construction site will likely remain as it is until mid-October when the floor slab is installed.

We are still considering the flooring options. By now (I think partly thanks to you all!) my husband actually likes the idea of hardwood floors 😀
Even for the kitchen. I find that interesting because I’m not sure I would dare to do that. But of course, having a consistent look throughout would be nice.

We have absolutely no idea what to put in the office. What kind of flooring can handle heavy people rolling around on office chairs for hours every day?
In our old house, we had vinyl with protective mats on top. But I definitely don’t want those dirt mats again. Dirt would always get underneath them, and they were really dangerous. One wrong step and they would slip away, and we both nearly hurt our backs multiple times.

But isn’t hardwood the worst option for rolling office chairs? Maybe tiles?

Bau eines Hauses als Rohbau mit weißen Porenbeton-Wänden; Grundriss sichtbar, ländliche Umgebung.


Halbfertige Außenwand aus weißen Betonblöcken mit Fensteröffnungen, Pink-Isolierung und Baugeräte
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WilderSueden
24 Sep 2022 23:55
kati1337 schrieb:

We have absolutely no idea what to put on the floor in our office. What kind of flooring is suitable for an area where heavy people roll around on office chairs for hours every day?
I considered using a small rug placed in the rolling area in front of the desk.
11ant24 Sep 2022 23:59
kati1337 schrieb:

But aren’t office chair wheels the worst for hardwood floors? Maybe tiles?
Yes, that's how I had it in two offices as well.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/