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.
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.
kati1337 schrieb:
I can justify it then, It’s your house, so please set your own rules. I would never think of finding reasons why people need to take off their shoes at my place. But at our home, it’s exactly like in the quoted part below.
Klinkerstyle schrieb:
I don’t know anyone in my circle of friends, family, or acquaintances who ever wears shoes inside their home. I have never had to ask anyone to take off their shoes. Even tradespeople ask if they should take them off, and I always provide them with shoe covers.
W
WilderSueden15 Jun 2023 09:08It’s not just about hygiene. None of the guests will clean up afterward if the dirt is spread all over the house. Besides, I don’t want dirt on the new hardwood floor either.
J
Jurassic13515 Jun 2023 14:20Yaso2.0 schrieb:
I’ve never had to ask anyone to take their shoes off. Even tradespeople usually ask if they should, and I always give them shoe covers. What kind of shoe covers do you use? I might consider getting some too. Upstairs, we have light-colored carpet, so tradespeople have to take off their shoes there as well. But depending on the type of work, that’s not always possible (think safety boots), or some might not be prepared and could feel uncomfortable (think smelly feet after a long day). In those cases, shoe covers would be a great solution.
Jurassic135 schrieb:
We don’t clean with harsh disinfectants like Sagrotan here; you can usually eat off our floor and still feel full, yet we don’t wear shoes inside… I think street dirt is something completely different from a few blades of grass from your own garden, kids’ drool, or crumb-covered hands.
Besides, wearing shoes inside the house is really uncomfortable; you can’t really lounge properly on the sofa. Unless you bring the shoes onto the sofa... I don’t want to even imagine that.You’re speaking my mind. Jurassic135 schrieb:
What kind of shoe covers do you have? I should probably get some too. Upstairs we have light-colored carpet, so contractors have to take off their shoes. But depending on the job, sometimes that’s not possible (think safety boots), or maybe some aren’t prepared for it and feel uncomfortable (think smelly feet after a long day at work). In that case, shoe covers would be a great option.There are plastic shoe covers with elastic bands; we bought those for house viewings in our old home as well. Most people just took their shoes off without being asked.
Just search for "shoe covers" in the shop of your choice.
S
Schorsch_baut15 Jun 2023 15:09Wearing shoes inside the house is completely out of the question for us. We even wipe our dog's paws before entering.
The only exception is when contractors visit. After they leave, cleaning is usually necessary anyway.
We also provide disposable shoe covers for lab visitors, and I’m the unlucky one responsible for occupational safety who has to order them. Because of that, I know more about these things than I ever wanted to.
The very basic, cheap shoe covers are extremely slippery and, for safety reasons, are not approved for use in professional settings. The non-slip ones are expensive. So, we just clean instead.
Conclusion: You have to accept one inconvenience or another.
The only exception is when contractors visit. After they leave, cleaning is usually necessary anyway.
We also provide disposable shoe covers for lab visitors, and I’m the unlucky one responsible for occupational safety who has to order them. Because of that, I know more about these things than I ever wanted to.
The very basic, cheap shoe covers are extremely slippery and, for safety reasons, are not approved for use in professional settings. The non-slip ones are expensive. So, we just clean instead.
Conclusion: You have to accept one inconvenience or another.
C
Costruttrice15 Jun 2023 15:44Jurassic135 schrieb:
But depending on the work, that’s not always possible (keyword safety shoes)We had a similar situation once. At some point, a new chimney sweep came—actually, it was a woman—and she said she preferred to go on the roof instead of sweeping through the basement opening like her predecessors. However, I didn’t want her walking over the wooden stairs, across the hardwood floor on the upper floor, and then over the light-colored carpet in the attic. She didn’t want to take off her shoes because they were safety shoes. I gave her the choice: either she takes them off and walks through the basement on the tiles like her colleagues, where she could exceptionally keep the shoes on, or she leaves without doing anything and I call her manager. She chose to remove her shoes, but on later visits she always wore shoe covers in the basement (though my neighbors didn’t require that).Similar topics