Hello dear forum community,
after quietly reading along for a long time, we have now registered here and want to share our house plans with you.
First of all, we would like to say a big THANK YOU – the information you get here is truly invaluable.
Now a bit about us: we are both around 50, and our two grown children have moved out. Currently, we live in my parents’ house, but we want to realize our own dream of building a house. We are very fortunate to be able to afford the construction without any problems. The building plot belongs to us, and the local building authority has given us a verbal go-ahead so far (there is no zoning plan as it is currently farmland). We only have to contribute proportionally to the development costs, which is fine for us.
Our children and guests enjoy visiting, so we want to set up a guest apartment in the basement. For old age, our design allows us to convert the ground floor barrier-free at any time with minor modifications, including an elevator if needed. In case of emergency, the guest apartment could also be used for a carer, although hopefully this will never be necessary.
Zoning Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 2,100m² (0.52 acres)
Slope: Yes, see elevations
Floor area ratio: no zoning plan
Floor space index: no zoning plan
Building envelope, building line and boundary: no zoning plan, we keep at least 6.0m (20 feet) clearance all around
Edge development: No
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 1 story, basement
Roof style: hinted “shed roof”
Architectural style: ???
Orientation: North/South
Maximum height / limitations: No specifications
Further requirements: No valid zoning plan, planning permission granted for usual residential construction
Owner’s Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: one-story bungalow with basement (prepared for barrier-free access)
Basement, floors: basement yes, single-story with open roof structure
Number of people, age: 2, me 50, her 48, 1 dog
Space requirements ground floor / upper floor: see floor plan
Office: family use or home office? Occasional home office for me
Overnight guests per year: many
Open or closed architecture: rather open
Conservative or modern construction: special
Open kitchen, kitchen island: definitely yes
Number of dining seats: minimum 8
Fireplace: yes
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: integrated in the house
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Further wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why something should or should not be included
House Design
Who created the design?
- Planner from a construction company
- Architect
- Do-it-Yourself (DIY)
The planning was done by us ourselves.
What do you particularly like? Why?
Optimized for our personal wishes— we have incorporated all our requirements.
What do you dislike? Why?
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
Personal price limit for house including fittings: We estimate construction costs around €700,000–800,000 (about $750,000–860,000), but financing is secured and this is not the main focus here.
Preferred heating technology: not finalized yet, definitely photovoltaic and solar panels on the roof, air-to-water heat pump or geothermal energy.
If you had to give up something, on which details / additional features could you do without?
Good question, probably the pool if it meant we could get a hot tub instead...
What can you absolutely not do without?
The large open space and the guest apartment.
Why did the design turn out the way it is? For example:
Standard planter’s template? No, we simply planned according to our preferences, open roof structure, large open space because we like to entertain guests, wellness area is a must.
Which wishes were implemented by the architect?
A mix of many examples from various magazines...
What makes it particularly good or bad in your opinion?
What is the most important fundamental question regarding the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
after quietly reading along for a long time, we have now registered here and want to share our house plans with you.
First of all, we would like to say a big THANK YOU – the information you get here is truly invaluable.
Now a bit about us: we are both around 50, and our two grown children have moved out. Currently, we live in my parents’ house, but we want to realize our own dream of building a house. We are very fortunate to be able to afford the construction without any problems. The building plot belongs to us, and the local building authority has given us a verbal go-ahead so far (there is no zoning plan as it is currently farmland). We only have to contribute proportionally to the development costs, which is fine for us.
Our children and guests enjoy visiting, so we want to set up a guest apartment in the basement. For old age, our design allows us to convert the ground floor barrier-free at any time with minor modifications, including an elevator if needed. In case of emergency, the guest apartment could also be used for a carer, although hopefully this will never be necessary.
Zoning Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 2,100m² (0.52 acres)
Slope: Yes, see elevations
Floor area ratio: no zoning plan
Floor space index: no zoning plan
Building envelope, building line and boundary: no zoning plan, we keep at least 6.0m (20 feet) clearance all around
Edge development: No
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 1 story, basement
Roof style: hinted “shed roof”
Architectural style: ???
Orientation: North/South
Maximum height / limitations: No specifications
Further requirements: No valid zoning plan, planning permission granted for usual residential construction
Owner’s Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: one-story bungalow with basement (prepared for barrier-free access)
Basement, floors: basement yes, single-story with open roof structure
Number of people, age: 2, me 50, her 48, 1 dog
Space requirements ground floor / upper floor: see floor plan
Office: family use or home office? Occasional home office for me
Overnight guests per year: many
Open or closed architecture: rather open
Conservative or modern construction: special
Open kitchen, kitchen island: definitely yes
Number of dining seats: minimum 8
Fireplace: yes
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: integrated in the house
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Further wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why something should or should not be included
House Design
Who created the design?
- Planner from a construction company
- Architect
- Do-it-Yourself (DIY)
The planning was done by us ourselves.
What do you particularly like? Why?
Optimized for our personal wishes— we have incorporated all our requirements.
What do you dislike? Why?
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
Personal price limit for house including fittings: We estimate construction costs around €700,000–800,000 (about $750,000–860,000), but financing is secured and this is not the main focus here.
Preferred heating technology: not finalized yet, definitely photovoltaic and solar panels on the roof, air-to-water heat pump or geothermal energy.
If you had to give up something, on which details / additional features could you do without?
Good question, probably the pool if it meant we could get a hot tub instead...
What can you absolutely not do without?
The large open space and the guest apartment.
Why did the design turn out the way it is? For example:
Standard planter’s template? No, we simply planned according to our preferences, open roof structure, large open space because we like to entertain guests, wellness area is a must.
Which wishes were implemented by the architect?
A mix of many examples from various magazines...
What makes it particularly good or bad in your opinion?
What is the most important fundamental question regarding the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
H
hanghaus202327 Nov 2022 15:18I didn’t mark the contour lines just for fun. Unfortunately, there is no reference point.
I would have placed the terrace more toward the west.
I would have placed the terrace more toward the west.
Maybe you should rethink the worst-case scenario or even consider the many other situations (shades of gray instead of black and white) where having a separate living unit makes sense.
Let’s be honest: the dog doesn’t want to live alone there, no guest willingly sleeps in a basement apartment, they’d rather go back home at night or crash on the sofa. Children also feel pushed aside, working from home is much nicer above ground, and the caregiver really only becomes worthwhile in this house when someone is barely surviving and drooling.
If you have this caregiver because you are in that condition, they basically treat the main residence as their own. You can be glad if you aren’t eventually moved to the basement.
If I want to be cared for at home, then they should sleep next door and occasionally stroke my hand.
For all other gray areas and care levels: a housekeeper or caregiver can gladly have their own home and leave me to live independently. Unless I have a mansion—then my staff can certainly live in the west wing.
Yes, I know individuals whose staff actually moved in with them. But that was in the past, back when it was unregulated and informal—everything else today is rather “questionable,” since it is rare to be able to pay a decent and respectful wage.
Let’s be honest: the dog doesn’t want to live alone there, no guest willingly sleeps in a basement apartment, they’d rather go back home at night or crash on the sofa. Children also feel pushed aside, working from home is much nicer above ground, and the caregiver really only becomes worthwhile in this house when someone is barely surviving and drooling.
If you have this caregiver because you are in that condition, they basically treat the main residence as their own. You can be glad if you aren’t eventually moved to the basement.
If I want to be cared for at home, then they should sleep next door and occasionally stroke my hand.
For all other gray areas and care levels: a housekeeper or caregiver can gladly have their own home and leave me to live independently. Unless I have a mansion—then my staff can certainly live in the west wing.
Yes, I know individuals whose staff actually moved in with them. But that was in the past, back when it was unregulated and informal—everything else today is rather “questionable,” since it is rare to be able to pay a decent and respectful wage.
ypg schrieb:
Yes, I know of individuals who have live-in staff. But that was in the past, informal and illegal – nowadays it’s mostly “questionable,” since it’s rarely possible to pay a decent and fair wage. At this point, I have to step in and call that “nonsense.”
My disabled aunt has been paying for a caregiver for years. She lives in the attic of the house, and my aunt lives on the ground floor. The caregiver stays two weeks at a time, day and night, and alternates with two others. It is legal, expensive, and by no means questionable.
K a t j a schrieb:
At this point, I have to step in and call it "nonsense."Then your aunt must be one of the rare cases who can afford respectful and attractive salaries. I haven’t completely ruled it out.
@hanghaus2023
Unfortunately, we can’t offer you any more help at the moment. You have already done a very good job of tracking the terrain. Where exactly we will place the house on the plot is still open and also depends on the building authority. We determined the height reference point from sea level using Earth, and the rest of the terrain profile was measured on site.
@ypg
Why is this being brought up again and again?
Ultimately, the decision about whether the granny flat makes sense is ours. It’s nice that you are thinking about it, but you don’t know our needs, and the issue of a caregiver is hopefully still far off.
We want to have a granny flat (guest apartment) in the house, and that’s final. It’s just a matter of how to integrate it into the overall plan. The question remains whether it will be in the basement, the ground floor, or somewhere else...
@katja
Thank you for your support. When you’ve been or are in that situation yourself, you see things differently.
Unfortunately, we can’t offer you any more help at the moment. You have already done a very good job of tracking the terrain. Where exactly we will place the house on the plot is still open and also depends on the building authority. We determined the height reference point from sea level using Earth, and the rest of the terrain profile was measured on site.
@ypg
Why is this being brought up again and again?
Ultimately, the decision about whether the granny flat makes sense is ours. It’s nice that you are thinking about it, but you don’t know our needs, and the issue of a caregiver is hopefully still far off.
We want to have a granny flat (guest apartment) in the house, and that’s final. It’s just a matter of how to integrate it into the overall plan. The question remains whether it will be in the basement, the ground floor, or somewhere else...
@katja
Thank you for your support. When you’ve been or are in that situation yourself, you see things differently.
@hanghaus2023
We wanted to create a terrace that takes advantage of the east, south, and west sides – morning sun with breakfast coffee, some midday sun but not directly on the large window front of the open-plan living area, and evening sun when we face the garden.
Are we missing something with this idea?
We wanted to create a terrace that takes advantage of the east, south, and west sides – morning sun with breakfast coffee, some midday sun but not directly on the large window front of the open-plan living area, and evening sun when we face the garden.
Are we missing something with this idea?
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