ᐅ Using a Tiny House as an Extension or Affordable Extension Options?

Hello Homebuilding Forum,

After a long search, we found a house we'd like to buy because the plot has the perfect location for us, the house itself is really nice, and the price of about 500,000 EUR is also within our range.

Unfortunately, there is one point that doesn’t quite work for us yet: the house currently has a size of about 100 square meters (1,076 square feet) plus a converted attic of about 20 square meters (215 square feet). For us as a family, that feels a bit tight, and we would need about 2-3 additional rooms, roughly 50 square meters (538 square feet) more space.

Our first idea was an extension – and so we had quotes made. However, these amount to nearly 180,000 (plus additional costs) for 50 square meters (538 square feet), which is well over our budget.

Our next idea was to possibly connect a tiny house or similar through a conservatory to the main house to gain additional space. Our initial calculation shows costs of around 100,000, which would roughly be feasible for us. Is there anything we might have overlooked here?

Are there other options to gain more space? Are we missing something or do you know of providers who offer extensions in Lower Saxony at a lower cost?

I look forward to any input or suggestions.

Best regards

Nordfamilie

Nordfamilie schrieb:

Based on an initial calculation, we would end up with costs of just under 100K, which is roughly manageable for us. Is there anything here that we might have overlooked?

Well, first of all, we don’t really know what your tiny house calculation includes. Somehow, I doubt you’ll come out that much cheaper. Or have you only factored in the kit? What about the foundation slab, construction, utility connections (which could be more expensive if they need to be extended because of distance), etc.? And the sunroom extension won’t be free either. Also, I have no idea if your plot and planning permission allow for this. And is the room layout at least somewhat what you actually need?

I would probably try to get alternative quotes for the extension first (though I can’t really judge whether the price is good or bad). Possibly also look into what might be driving up costs (e.g., is the roof solution very expensive or something like that, maybe there are ways to save).

I think this option is good and worth considering.
I am thinking of smart homes, mobile homes, or something similar.
However, it might not be possible to comply with the Renewable Energy Act. I would first clarify this with the manufacturer and then see if, for example, the parents' or children's bedrooms can be "outsourced" there.

Would adding an extra floor be an option? You could also get a well-insulated new roof at the same time, possibly even with photovoltaic panels.
Do you have any plans? Photos?

mayglow schrieb:

Well, first of all, we don’t really know the details of your tiny house calculation. I somehow doubt that your costs will be much lower. Or have you only considered a prefab kit? What about the foundation slab, construction, utility connections (which might be longer and more expensive if further away), and so on? And the connection to the conservatory won’t be free either. Also, no idea if your plot and zoning plan allow all this. And does the layout actually meet your needs?

I would probably try to get alternative quotes for the extension first (though I can’t really judge if your price is good or bad). Also, it might be worth checking what the main cost drivers are (e.g., if the roofing solution is very expensive, maybe there are ways to save there).

Hello Mayglow,

so far, we have only put together a rough estimate for ourselves, so thanks a lot for your input. We are currently budgeting around 50,000 EUR for a tiny house from Pineca (self-construction might offer further savings) plus about 8,000 EUR for the foundation slab. Since we only need electricity there (bathroom is in the main house), we are estimating a maximum of 2,000 EUR. The remaining roughly 40,000 EUR is roughly planned for creating the connection through the conservatory.

As far as I have seen, the zoning plan allows all of this. We should be within the building window and are allowed to build on 40% of the 1,250 sq.m (about 13,455 sq.ft) plot.

We are currently still obtaining alternative quotes.

In der Ruine schrieb:

Would adding another floor be an option? You could have a new, well-insulated roof and maybe even photovoltaic panels. Do you have any plans or photos?

Adding another floor is probably not possible according to the zoning plan, as only a single-storey building is allowed. I can’t provide plans or photos at the moment because I’ll be away until Monday, but I should be able to share those afterwards.

Thank you all so far for your contributions!

Nordfamilie schrieb:

Since we only need electricity there (bathroom in the main house), we are actually budgeting a maximum of 2000 EUR.

And what about heating? It shouldn’t be unheated, right? Or what is the intended room use there?