ᐅ Realistic Cost Estimate: Single-Family Home with Challenging Site Access
Created on: 20 Jan 2023 10:50
S
schmeissrein
Hello everyone,
I have been following this forum for a while and first of all, a big thank you to everyone who shares their advice here and sometimes also speaks hard truths. I didn’t originally want to create a new thread but intended to form an opinion based on other discussions. However, you convinced me that this building project is too individual for that. So here is our plan:
- Building a new single-family house in the far north of Germany (Schleswig-Flensburg region).
- Plot size is over 1000sqm (10,764 sq ft).
- Total square meters are not so important as long as the layout works.
- Basement is not planned.
What we would like:
- Open-plan kitchen-living area of at least 36m² (388 sq ft).
- Guest room (at least 10m² / 108 sq ft) and small guest bathroom with shower on the ground floor, so that in old age, with disability, or a broken leg, the ground floor can be used independently and possibly serve as a bedroom.
- Utility room / storage room / pantry with heat pump of at least 8m² (86 sq ft) (KfW 40 standard would be great, of course).
- Upper floor with three rooms (1 office, 1 master bedroom, 1 child’s room) each at least 14m² (151 sq ft) and one bathroom. Our dream would be a “walk-in” (what a silly word – aren’t all showers walk-in?) shower to avoid having to clean those limescale-rusty, annoying shower enclosures.
- We could contribute labor for garden landscaping and painting/wallpapering; otherwise, we would prefer a turnkey build.
As for the house style, regionally typical Frisian houses or captain’s houses (with all the “cute” features like small gables, etc.) are in consideration, or also not completely unimaginative “normal” single-family houses. We are not afraid of Bauhaus-style concrete marvels either, but those tend to be more expensive. In terms of fittings, no “gold-plated faucets” and no smart home – but decent and presentable.
The big BUT: the plot is not connected to utilities, and the distance to the street is about 65m (213 ft), of which 50m (164 ft) is a paved driveway and paved parking area that would have to be dug up (across another property). The connection costs and incidental construction costs worry us quite a bit. Does anyone have experience with such a “mammoth connection” for a relatively small building project? What realistic costs should we expect for both?
We would greatly appreciate any thoughts on this project, thank you very much in advance!
I have been following this forum for a while and first of all, a big thank you to everyone who shares their advice here and sometimes also speaks hard truths. I didn’t originally want to create a new thread but intended to form an opinion based on other discussions. However, you convinced me that this building project is too individual for that. So here is our plan:
- Building a new single-family house in the far north of Germany (Schleswig-Flensburg region).
- Plot size is over 1000sqm (10,764 sq ft).
- Total square meters are not so important as long as the layout works.
- Basement is not planned.
What we would like:
- Open-plan kitchen-living area of at least 36m² (388 sq ft).
- Guest room (at least 10m² / 108 sq ft) and small guest bathroom with shower on the ground floor, so that in old age, with disability, or a broken leg, the ground floor can be used independently and possibly serve as a bedroom.
- Utility room / storage room / pantry with heat pump of at least 8m² (86 sq ft) (KfW 40 standard would be great, of course).
- Upper floor with three rooms (1 office, 1 master bedroom, 1 child’s room) each at least 14m² (151 sq ft) and one bathroom. Our dream would be a “walk-in” (what a silly word – aren’t all showers walk-in?) shower to avoid having to clean those limescale-rusty, annoying shower enclosures.
- We could contribute labor for garden landscaping and painting/wallpapering; otherwise, we would prefer a turnkey build.
As for the house style, regionally typical Frisian houses or captain’s houses (with all the “cute” features like small gables, etc.) are in consideration, or also not completely unimaginative “normal” single-family houses. We are not afraid of Bauhaus-style concrete marvels either, but those tend to be more expensive. In terms of fittings, no “gold-plated faucets” and no smart home – but decent and presentable.
The big BUT: the plot is not connected to utilities, and the distance to the street is about 65m (213 ft), of which 50m (164 ft) is a paved driveway and paved parking area that would have to be dug up (across another property). The connection costs and incidental construction costs worry us quite a bit. Does anyone have experience with such a “mammoth connection” for a relatively small building project? What realistic costs should we expect for both?
We would greatly appreciate any thoughts on this project, thank you very much in advance!
schmeissrein21 Jan 2023 20:30@hanghaus2023
The bay windows come from the Friesenhaus/Captain’s house style. If we build a "normal" gable roof house, it needs to have some twist, otherwise I might accidentally get bored to death... I really like the large rooms upstairs in your floor plan, but the office downstairs will probably be too small for a guest bed, and a shower downstairs won’t work, right?
@SoL
No, from a local provider, but I guess I’ll have to browse through E**haus again 😀
@K a t j a
We’re lucky to have a mix of buildings all around! On one side, multi-family houses; on the other sides, single-family houses from the 1960s. However, the single-family houses don’t have two full floors.
@motorradsilke and @hanghaus2023
Important points. The fact that the children have to pass by instead of sneaking around can be quite practical depending on their personality development 😀 hanghaus, was noise an issue for you, or why did you take on the work?
The bay windows come from the Friesenhaus/Captain’s house style. If we build a "normal" gable roof house, it needs to have some twist, otherwise I might accidentally get bored to death... I really like the large rooms upstairs in your floor plan, but the office downstairs will probably be too small for a guest bed, and a shower downstairs won’t work, right?
@SoL
No, from a local provider, but I guess I’ll have to browse through E**haus again 😀
@K a t j a
We’re lucky to have a mix of buildings all around! On one side, multi-family houses; on the other sides, single-family houses from the 1960s. However, the single-family houses don’t have two full floors.
@motorradsilke and @hanghaus2023
Important points. The fact that the children have to pass by instead of sneaking around can be quite practical depending on their personality development 😀 hanghaus, was noise an issue for you, or why did you take on the work?
schmeissrein schrieb:
If we build a "normal" gable roof house, it has to have some kind of twist, otherwise I might accidentally get bored to death... To clarify: this is not supposed to be a two-story house, but rather a Frisian or Captain’s house?!
And you don’t get bored with this house? The central gables plus precise symmetry are probably the dullest architectural feature possible. Any gable roof house can break symmetry, have highlights, patterns or colors on the facade, and create visual interest—except for the typical 3-4 gable house.
I think the suspected broken boredom, or excitement, is more about the volume of the house. The open space carries sound louder upwards than expected; children will have trouble sleeping!
schmeissrein schrieb:
Depending on character development, that might come in handy 😀 Because of the staircase placement and converting the open area into a thoroughfare, there is no privacy on the ground floor. When kids have friends over, it becomes annoying for all household members. This will likely lead to unrest, conflict, and frustration in the medium term, which cannot be easily fixed. This has nothing to do with character building—it's simply disturbing people’s need to unwind in the evening, whether with a glass of wine, a face mask, feeling a bit under the weather, or anything else. Others do not need to see or look for that.
The staircase is longer than a layperson expected and does not fit into the open space above? That doesn’t look good: if the staircase is to be implemented, it should connect to a straight intermediate ceiling, or not be realized at all. If the staircase is also meant to be open without risers, it will make the kitchen dusty and hairy.
By the way: the staircase looks misplaced in this bay window, shoved into the corner so the table has to be moved as well. The sightline is unattractive. Overall, the impression is crooked and wrong when viewed.
Regarding the rest: some dimensions are missing. If the bottom left measures 3.17 meters (10 feet 5 inches) including the exterior wall, then the approximate internal width of 2.60 meters (8 feet 6 inches) is too small for both a bed in the bedroom and a sofa in the living room, unless the width is only meant to be 2 meters (6 feet 7 inches). Without considering details, the guest WC is still too narrow to fit a shower and toilet together. The storage room feels too dominant because of the slanted wall. The hallway is generously sized, but where is a sufficiently sized wardrobe for four people?
The only exit to the terrace from the open area is by the sofa… which means disadvantages only, and any furniture placement there is basically impossible.
Upstairs: due to the sloping roof, it will probably not be possible to stand by the double bed, only crawl over it. How much closet space is planned in the gable? I think that’s about the maximum possible there.
The open space above and the cut-out for the staircase in the ceiling have been mentioned. What is the expensive gable used for in the open space? Where is the office door supposed to go?
The windows on the left side of the plan will likely be too close to the roof edge; they need more distance from the exterior walls.
I would prefer to see the general contractor’s design without any "adjustments." Trying to be clever just makes house designs more expensive, not better, and concerns about them looking boring are unfounded. Any standard house can also be built as an 11ant edition.
I’ll go further and say: "their ears are already above the roof." 🙂
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
ypg schrieb:
The windows on the left side of the plan will probably sit too close to the roof covering,
I’ll go further and say: "their ears are already above the roof." 🙂
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
schmeissrein22 Jan 2023 20:15@ypg Thanks a lot for your input! Yes, it’s meant to be a traditional Frisian or captain’s house. Of course, it’s a matter of taste, but I find a regionally typical building style more interesting than "standard" gable-roof houses (see attachment, that’s my nightmare). Asymmetry is not an aesthetic value by itself for me either. I roughly sketched the general contractor’s floor plan just to give a rough idea, since I guess I’m not allowed to upload or attach the original here. In fact, we would only add an extra wall to the original and keep the rest as is (and I assume the general contractor won’t make silly mistakes like I did with the windows, the staircase drawn the wrong way, or the toddler bed 😀). Actually, my main question was about the costs and site development. For a proper evaluation of the floor plan, I would upload the one we agreed on with the general contractor later.
@11ant
How can I upload it here following the forum rules? That would definitely be the best way for me too. 11ant edition sounds exciting 😀
@11ant
How can I upload it here following the forum rules? That would definitely be the best way for me too. 11ant edition sounds exciting 😀
schmeissrein schrieb:
Yes, this is supposed to be a Frisian or captain’s house. Of course, it’s a matter of personal taste, but I find a regionally typical architectural style more interesting than “normal” gable roof houses (see attachment, that’s my nightmare). Asymmetry is not an aesthetic value in itself for me either. I just roughly sketched the contractor’s floor plan to illustrate the idea because I assume I’m not allowed to upload or attach the original here. In fact, we would only add an extra wall to the original and leave the rest as is (and I assume the contractor won’t make silly mistakes like I did with the windows, the staircase drawn backwards, or the bunk bed 😀). Actually, my main topic was more about the costs and site development. For a proper assessment of the floor plan, I would upload the one we agreed on with the contractor later. A regionally typical design is nice when it fits the region (so no Frisian house in the Allgäu). Nobody here is trying to push you towards asymmetry as a provocation against established aesthetics. The original, which you say only differs from the “rough sketch” shown here by an extra wall, is probably of more interest to readers than the design “after the next revisions.” The SWH Trend 114 shown is definitely a gable roof house, while your sketches rather suggest a “town villa” style design.
schmeissrein schrieb:
How can I upload it here according to the forum rules? That would be my preferred way as well. 11ant edition sounds exciting. Forum-compliant floor plan images are in image formats (.jpg or .png both work fine); PDFs are generally frowned upon by the community, and external links (including to image hosting services) are against the rules. It’s not complicated, just like the 11ant edition of any typical house. If you are as smart as your inspirations, the Vokuhila Schnuffies, just send your contact details casually to the uncle at gmx de with the same name as mine here ;-)
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
schmeissrein22 Jan 2023 21:2311ant schrieb:
Regional styles are nice when they fit the region (so no Frisian house in the Allgäu). Nobody here wants to push you toward Pogo-asymmetry as a challenge to established aesthetics. The original, which is said to differ from the "just roughly copied" version shown here by only an extra wall, is probably of more interest to readers than the design "after the next vote." The SWH Trend 114 shown here is a gable roof house, while your drawings rather suggest a "city villa" donor design.I completely agree with you, and the Captain’s / Frisian house is definitely part of the “skyline” here in the far north 😀
11ant schrieb:
Forum-compliant floor plan images should be in image format (.jpg or .png is fine), PDFs are generally not preferred by the community, and external links (including to image hosts) are against the rules. It's not complicated, just like the 11ant edition of any model house. If you’re at least as clever as your role models, the “Vokuhila Snuffies,” just send your contact details informally to the uncle who has the same username here at gmx.de ;-)I had a hard time uploading because I didn’t want to post someone else’s “work” without credit, but on the other hand, these floor plans are also available on the provider’s website, and if someone here is enthusiastic about it, it can only be an advantage for the general contractor. In any case, on the left side of the ground floor we would add a wall to separate a study from the open living area and leave the rest as is. Now please don’t complain about the big difference between my version and the real one in terms of build quality and precision 😀 I hope this doesn’t violate forum rules further.
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