Good evening everyone,
My husband and I are currently considering whether to start building a new house in 2015 or 2016, and I have been reading a lot here to get a better understanding of the process.
The problem is that most people here already have a rough or clear idea of what their desired house will look like... we still don’t really have that yet.
What I’m actually more interested in is: what exactly are the major cost factors in building a house?
Bay window? Special roof design? Or to put it another way: where can I save money?
Our plot of land is already owned through inheritance, 550 m² (5920 ft²), with a building area of 10 m x 13 m (33 ft x 43 ft). It is already serviced, with utility connections on the property. Fence, shrubs, plants, trees, and hedges are also present since it is an old garden plot. The driveway is already paved.
But what should we build on it? That’s the big question here. Basically, we would like to live on one level on the ground floor, and have the children’s small space upstairs—two kids’ rooms, a heating room, and a small bathroom.
I can hardly go to an architect and ask for 10 different drafts... So it would make more sense if I already had a rough idea beforehand.
So, which trades or work areas cause new construction to become expensive?
Best regards,
Anja
My husband and I are currently considering whether to start building a new house in 2015 or 2016, and I have been reading a lot here to get a better understanding of the process.
The problem is that most people here already have a rough or clear idea of what their desired house will look like... we still don’t really have that yet.
What I’m actually more interested in is: what exactly are the major cost factors in building a house?
Bay window? Special roof design? Or to put it another way: where can I save money?
Our plot of land is already owned through inheritance, 550 m² (5920 ft²), with a building area of 10 m x 13 m (33 ft x 43 ft). It is already serviced, with utility connections on the property. Fence, shrubs, plants, trees, and hedges are also present since it is an old garden plot. The driveway is already paved.
But what should we build on it? That’s the big question here. Basically, we would like to live on one level on the ground floor, and have the children’s small space upstairs—two kids’ rooms, a heating room, and a small bathroom.
I can hardly go to an architect and ask for 10 different drafts... So it would make more sense if I already had a rough idea beforehand.
So, which trades or work areas cause new construction to become expensive?
Best regards,
Anja
J
JDoerbecker14 May 2014 21:00Hello Anja,
If you find a competent architect, they will help you choose the house design by asking the right questions. In my opinion, this will narrow it down to maybe three or four reasonable options. From those, you might pick two that you like, and then the architect can create preliminary drafts for you. This will give you a much clearer basis for making your decision. I believe you probably already have some preferences, and you can let those guide you. Start talking to architects about a year before your planned construction start, choose the one you want to work with, and then enjoy the planning process. It’s an exciting time!
Regards,
Joachim
If you find a competent architect, they will help you choose the house design by asking the right questions. In my opinion, this will narrow it down to maybe three or four reasonable options. From those, you might pick two that you like, and then the architect can create preliminary drafts for you. This will give you a much clearer basis for making your decision. I believe you probably already have some preferences, and you can let those guide you. Start talking to architects about a year before your planned construction start, choose the one you want to work with, and then enjoy the planning process. It’s an exciting time!
Regards,
Joachim
Hello,
You should find out what is allowed to be built. Often the zoning plan restricts things like the number of floors, floor area ratio, roof shape, etc., so many options or ideas become unnecessary.
We were told that every corner adds extra cost—like bay windows, overhangs, and so on.
Otherwise, it really depends on your needs and the overall package. It’s hard to say, for example, “a gable roof is always the cheapest.”
Do you already have children? And how old are they?
I would always want small children on the same floor as me because often they don’t sleep soundly at night, get sick, have nightmares, need toilet training, and so forth.
I wouldn’t feel comfortable with small children on a different floor. Of course, after a certain age, that’s no longer an issue.
So I would plan a kids’ room on the ground floor (which could later be converted into an office) or move “downstairs” later on.
That is something I would definitely mention as a requirement for the floor plan to the architect.
milkie
You should find out what is allowed to be built. Often the zoning plan restricts things like the number of floors, floor area ratio, roof shape, etc., so many options or ideas become unnecessary.
We were told that every corner adds extra cost—like bay windows, overhangs, and so on.
Otherwise, it really depends on your needs and the overall package. It’s hard to say, for example, “a gable roof is always the cheapest.”
Do you already have children? And how old are they?
I would always want small children on the same floor as me because often they don’t sleep soundly at night, get sick, have nightmares, need toilet training, and so forth.
I wouldn’t feel comfortable with small children on a different floor. Of course, after a certain age, that’s no longer an issue.
So I would plan a kids’ room on the ground floor (which could later be converted into an office) or move “downstairs” later on.
That is something I would definitely mention as a requirement for the floor plan to the architect.
milkie
Thank you for your feedback!
I’ll try to address everything.
The development plan has no special restrictions, except flat roofs are not allowed, which we don’t want anyway. It’s a residential area built around 30 years ago.
A soil survey was carried out three years ago.
We already have one child, soon to be school age. Another child might be planned in about four years – we’ll see.
The different levels wouldn’t be a problem for us! That’s actually how we currently live – narrow, but spread over three floors. Our daughter sleeps on the second floor, and we sleep on the third floor. We really like it!
@Architekt: Right now, all of this still feels so abstract. We have a construction budget X and really don’t know what is feasible with our money. Later, we plan to build a bungalow with an attic space, but the architect then finds it’s not achievable! Maybe a shed roof or hip roof could work, and suddenly we have to start all over again because the floor plan doesn’t fit anymore, nor the exterior, etc. This could be spared to the architect, but also to us. Most importantly, he wants to be paid for this, and rightly so.
We also plan to live mostly on the ground floor so the children can have a small space upstairs. But then both study and move out by the age of 20, leaving us with an empty upper floor.
My husband would like to have the bedroom on the ground floor, but for me, that also means a small walk-in closet and bathroom.
That’s just not doable in a 10×13 meter (33×43 feet) footprint – it would be tiny.
Is it possible to change the building envelope? The building envelope is basically 13×13 meters (43×43 feet), but on the left side of the plot, we have to keep at least 3 meters (10 feet) distance from the boundary. So effectively, only 10×13 meters (33×43 feet) is usable. On the right side, we still have 8 meters (26 feet) until the end of the plot.
I’ll try to address everything.
The development plan has no special restrictions, except flat roofs are not allowed, which we don’t want anyway. It’s a residential area built around 30 years ago.
A soil survey was carried out three years ago.
We already have one child, soon to be school age. Another child might be planned in about four years – we’ll see.
The different levels wouldn’t be a problem for us! That’s actually how we currently live – narrow, but spread over three floors. Our daughter sleeps on the second floor, and we sleep on the third floor. We really like it!
@Architekt: Right now, all of this still feels so abstract. We have a construction budget X and really don’t know what is feasible with our money. Later, we plan to build a bungalow with an attic space, but the architect then finds it’s not achievable! Maybe a shed roof or hip roof could work, and suddenly we have to start all over again because the floor plan doesn’t fit anymore, nor the exterior, etc. This could be spared to the architect, but also to us. Most importantly, he wants to be paid for this, and rightly so.
We also plan to live mostly on the ground floor so the children can have a small space upstairs. But then both study and move out by the age of 20, leaving us with an empty upper floor.
My husband would like to have the bedroom on the ground floor, but for me, that also means a small walk-in closet and bathroom.
That’s just not doable in a 10×13 meter (33×43 feet) footprint – it would be tiny.
Is it possible to change the building envelope? The building envelope is basically 13×13 meters (43×43 feet), but on the left side of the plot, we have to keep at least 3 meters (10 feet) distance from the boundary. So effectively, only 10×13 meters (33×43 feet) is usable. On the right side, we still have 8 meters (26 feet) until the end of the plot.
C
chaosandi14 May 2014 22:01After you have studied the development plan, as milkie already mentioned, simply take a look at houses that you like and that fit the relevant criteria. Then you should consider how much space and how many rooms you actually need or want. After that, many other factors will become clear, and your budget, which you need to be aware of, will also impose some limitations.
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