ᐅ Floor Plan Tips for a 185 sqm Urban Villa

and this suggests that the plumbing belongs to a well-known brand. However, that is not the case. It is no-name and is supposed to have the same quality as a product from a market leader.

@zahni1992
Are you aware that additional construction-related costs of 30,000 to 50,000 (currency) will still be added?
And once the house is built, a splash guard around the house as well as an entrance platform will need to be installed?
These are mandatory items for the builder. Driveway and terrace are on top of that.

The wastewater planning is also not included.

@ypg
First of all, thank you for your time and for looking into this topic.
The items mentioned above have been taken into account.
Furthermore, I believe that plaster and screed are included.
The roof overhangs still need to be painted.
A soil report is not yet available. Three plots away, excavation/fill of 80 cm (31 inches) was necessary.

I have the full construction specification, but I wasn’t sure if I’m allowed to upload it here, since it is quite extensive and I’m also not sure if I’m permitted to publish it online.

I like to help others, but I don’t expect the same in return, so I’m a bit cautious about writing long posts or uploading lengthy contracts/construction specifications here.

If you could continue to give us tips, I would of course appreciate it.
Would it be okay for you to quickly review the construction specification?

We are also working with an external site supervisor (building owner protection association).

I will have more time this evening and will respond in more detail then.

Thanks again for your time and help.

Best regards

ypg schrieb:

Well… that’s hardly an option for the original poster when you add up all the components. The budget barely covers anything, certainly not an external architect, which is why they opted for a general contractor (GC) build. They are counting on the mentioned must-haves…
None of us can solve the problem, and the advice given is even less helpful.

Whatever that is supposed to mean, that the advice is not advisory – going to a general contractor without the support of a client-side advisor and an architect is a dangerously big and costly mistake, and that holds especially true when dealing with a big-name builder. It’s clear that wishes have to be balanced against the budget. For example, the OP is willing to accept a smaller living room, even though the kitchen – in the shown floor plan draft for a family with three children – is an obvious joke and requires more space. You obviously cannot seriously "calculate" with the catalog price here. Heinz von Heiden is notoriously known for offering base prices like a basic Volkswagen, plain white with steel rims and without a fifth gear, complemented by photos that include “images may show optional extras.” The profit is made on the heavily marked-up gap between what the client considers standard features and the actual scope of work in the contract.

zahni1992 schrieb:

I like to help people, but I don’t expect the same in return. That’s why I’m cautious about writing long posts or uploading lengthy contracts/specifications here.

Uploading a multi-volume specification document here doesn’t make it any better in content. Prepare your specifications with professional advice and select local contractors who specialize in their trade (and not in marketing or legal departments). The best way to control costs (both absolute and relative) is actively, starting with a needs-based planning process. Apparently, you’re no exception to the common case of needing professional support for this. Although the floor plan draft shows three children’s rooms at first glance, it’s actually not designed realistically for a family with three children (and still priced too high). So I will gladly repeat my advice

11ant schrieb:

to completely start over;
even better: to use architect planning “Module A” with evaluation of donor floor plans during a processing phase with decision flexibility;
meaning no fiddling around with this draft at all.

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11ant schrieb:

Whatever that is supposed to mean, that the council is not advisory

It’s pointless to just stoically say, “... just go to an architect.”
An architect is not like a discount store.
I am here in this forum, among other reasons, to improve the simplistic, often functional but soulless general contractor designs.
Of course, you sometimes have to correct a poster who has too much imagination but too little experience and clearly explain that they cannot replace the role of a professional. Most of those are the ones who bring home a lot of money every month and can afford a professional but still find time at the computer to design a Sims house themselves.

There are really great products here that have never seen a freelance architect.
But what I simply find frustrating is having to read the same old story again and again despite very different circumstances.
You should not give the same advice to someone talking about a solid construction system and who wants or has to sign with Heinz von Heiden (or similar) as to someone who has €900,000 available.

@zahni1992
How do you want to place the house on the plot? (The site plan is almost hidden here.) I assume the entrance faces north?
Where and how should the garage be located? You need to actively work on the planning yourselves and trace, copy, or sketch the plot, and make the effort to draw everything in. Otherwise, it could happen that because of an entrance landing you can no longer drive into your garage.
Heinz von Heiden tends to build slightly higher.
First, I would mirror the house or the ground floor so that the kitchen, living area, and utility room end up on the west side.
The door can go into the kitchen.
You have 45sqm (484 sq ft) for living and dining. That’s quite generous. I would move walls so the utility room becomes larger. The kitchen would move along. For the kitchen itself, I would add a patio door for direct access to the garden. Generally, with 2-3 children, I would rather separate the living room and have a nice large open-plan kitchen and dining area where the dining table is really well used. You don’t want to be carrying the Nutella jar back and forth through the rooms three times a day, right?
Remove the wall extension by the stairs. It’s unnecessary. Without it, you can install coat hooks on the exterior wall. A cloakroom would be, for me, the second big shortcoming with 3 children: what to do with all the stuff — jackets, shoes, bags, and scarves??? That will probably end up in the office.

In the bedroom, skip the door and access it through the walk-in closet. The bathroom can be expanded. The corner children’s room should have two windows for cross ventilation. At least that gives a good spatial feeling.
The mentioned roof structure is probably walkable, too. At least it has no supporting columns. Possibly have a fixed staircase installed. A roof window there wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

Windows: I find floor-to-ceiling windows in bedrooms inappropriate for several reasons. They disrupt privacy.
You won’t get around sketching your furniture to scale and moving them around in the plan until everything matches your expectations.
However, I wouldn’t give up the search for the perfect house just yet.

ypg schrieb:

There is no point in stubbornly saying, "...just go to an architect."
An architect is not a bargain basement option.
I am here in this forum, among other reasons, to improve the simplistic, often functional but uninspired general contractor designs.
Of course, you sometimes have to set straight a poster who has too much imagination but too little experience, and clearly explain that they cannot replace the role of a professional. Usually, these are the people who bring home a good salary every month and can afford a professional, but still find time in front of the computer to design their own Sims-style house.

There are also really great products here that have never seen a freelance architect.
But what I find simply frustrating is having to read the same old story over and over under such different circumstances.
You shouldn’t give the same advice to someone talking about a "Team Massiv" system and wanting/being obliged to sign with Heinz von Heiden (or similar) as you would to someone with a budget of 900,000€ (euros).

I am not talking about the architect’s full scope from phases 1 to 8, but explicitly about Module A. A general contractor’s catalog house is only suitable for people it fits — that is, for average families (2 adults, 2 children) — which is not the case for the original poster. And you don’t approach a general contractor as a customer without protection; you approach as a victim. This applies especially to big-name contractors. What you really have to be able to afford regarding an architect is to do without them.
Besides, this brilliant suggestion to save time by stopping the clock didn’t even come from the OP (who is certainly no Sims-house design gambler).

Furthermore, to my knowledge, we have not yet seen a site plan showing elevation details — the shown design apparently assumes a slab-on-grade foundation, but does the plot actually allow this?
I don’t see the OP being happy with this model, no matter how lovingly it is improved.

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