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forrestde14 Apr 2024 19:32Hello everyone,
we currently have a plot of land reserved and plan to purchase it within the next few months. However, the house construction will take place next year, as we first need to sell our existing property. The plot is located in Lower Saxony in the Südheide region.
All further information can be found below.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 739m² (approximately 7,951 sq ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio (floor area ratio): 0.3
Gross floor area ratio: 0.3
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 3m (10 feet) around the plot
Edge development: no
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 1
Roof shape: 25° to 45° slope
Style: no high-gloss roof tiles, roof tiles in red or anthracite
Orientation: no specifications
Maximum heights / limits: at least 3m (10 feet) eaves height
Other regulations
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: preferably classic but modern, brick facing. Roof shape: hipped roof 25°, the garage should also have a hipped roof (integrated into the main roof; roofs on ancillary buildings can be flatter); building: bungalow
Basement, floors: no basement, 1 floor, the attic should be usable as storage space
Number and age of occupants: 2 people, both 40 years old; no children now or planned for the future
Space requirements on the ground floor: approx. 120–125m² (so much as needed, as little as possible); the attached floor plan comes to 125m² (1,344 sq ft)
Office: home office needed for one of us
Guest bedrooms per year: very rarely to never
Open or closed layout: living area open, the rest closed
Conservative or modern construction style: rather conservative but not outdated, definitely no experiments
Open kitchen
Number of dining seats: 4–5
Fireplace: no
Garage is a must, also space for equipment storage
Other special features:
We have a dog (Labrador), so a second entrance through the garage/laundry room is necessary. Therefore, the garage is planned to be this large (6.4m (21 feet), so you can walk around the car inside the garage).
Storage space: the utility room is planned to be large but will mainly be used as needed. The cabinets shown in the plans are just examples.
Next to the dining table is a window seat for sitting and looking outside.
KfW 55 standard (only what is required by law).
The ceiling in the small hallway near the bedrooms should be lowered and equipped with air conditioning (not immediate but must be prepared for it).
Photovoltaic system should also be installed or at least conduit pipes provided for later installation.
House Design
Planning origin: do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why?
What do you dislike? Why?
I’m not sure if the entrance area is too complicated.
The utility room seems oversized, but on the other hand, storage space is needed.
The bedroom on the south side seems oversized, but I cannot sensibly reduce it.
Price estimate from architect/planner: none so far
Personal price limit for the house, including fixtures: 500,000 EUR total (plot, incidental construction costs, garden, terrace, etc.). The plot costs 73,000 EUR fully serviced. Own labor is not an option due to time constraints.
Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump
The plot is not ideal for building a bungalow with a garage. On the west, north, and east sides, the house just fits with a 3m (10 feet) setback from the boundary.
If you have to compromise, on which details/finishes
-you can give up:
-you cannot give up:
Basically, on one hand, we want to build as cost-effectively as possible, but on the other hand, a few things are important to us (garage, brick facing, air conditioning, storage space including utility room and equipment).
I would like to bring the living area down to 120m² (1,292 sq ft), but it is not that easy to achieve this meaningfully.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions
we currently have a plot of land reserved and plan to purchase it within the next few months. However, the house construction will take place next year, as we first need to sell our existing property. The plot is located in Lower Saxony in the Südheide region.
All further information can be found below.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 739m² (approximately 7,951 sq ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio (floor area ratio): 0.3
Gross floor area ratio: 0.3
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 3m (10 feet) around the plot
Edge development: no
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 1
Roof shape: 25° to 45° slope
Style: no high-gloss roof tiles, roof tiles in red or anthracite
Orientation: no specifications
Maximum heights / limits: at least 3m (10 feet) eaves height
Other regulations
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: preferably classic but modern, brick facing. Roof shape: hipped roof 25°, the garage should also have a hipped roof (integrated into the main roof; roofs on ancillary buildings can be flatter); building: bungalow
Basement, floors: no basement, 1 floor, the attic should be usable as storage space
Number and age of occupants: 2 people, both 40 years old; no children now or planned for the future
Space requirements on the ground floor: approx. 120–125m² (so much as needed, as little as possible); the attached floor plan comes to 125m² (1,344 sq ft)
Office: home office needed for one of us
Guest bedrooms per year: very rarely to never
Open or closed layout: living area open, the rest closed
Conservative or modern construction style: rather conservative but not outdated, definitely no experiments
Open kitchen
Number of dining seats: 4–5
Fireplace: no
Garage is a must, also space for equipment storage
Other special features:
We have a dog (Labrador), so a second entrance through the garage/laundry room is necessary. Therefore, the garage is planned to be this large (6.4m (21 feet), so you can walk around the car inside the garage).
Storage space: the utility room is planned to be large but will mainly be used as needed. The cabinets shown in the plans are just examples.
Next to the dining table is a window seat for sitting and looking outside.
KfW 55 standard (only what is required by law).
The ceiling in the small hallway near the bedrooms should be lowered and equipped with air conditioning (not immediate but must be prepared for it).
Photovoltaic system should also be installed or at least conduit pipes provided for later installation.
House Design
Planning origin: do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why?
What do you dislike? Why?
I’m not sure if the entrance area is too complicated.
The utility room seems oversized, but on the other hand, storage space is needed.
The bedroom on the south side seems oversized, but I cannot sensibly reduce it.
Price estimate from architect/planner: none so far
Personal price limit for the house, including fixtures: 500,000 EUR total (plot, incidental construction costs, garden, terrace, etc.). The plot costs 73,000 EUR fully serviced. Own labor is not an option due to time constraints.
Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump
The plot is not ideal for building a bungalow with a garage. On the west, north, and east sides, the house just fits with a 3m (10 feet) setback from the boundary.
If you have to compromise, on which details/finishes
-you can give up:
-you cannot give up:
Basically, on one hand, we want to build as cost-effectively as possible, but on the other hand, a few things are important to us (garage, brick facing, air conditioning, storage space including utility room and equipment).
I would like to bring the living area down to 120m² (1,292 sq ft), but it is not that easy to achieve this meaningfully.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions
Hello everyone,
here are a few comments on your statements and some food for thought
Of course, it is ideal. You just have to plan *with* the plot, not against it, which you are doing.
Instead of planning elegantly lengthwise and using the area efficiently, you are expanding into the plot’s width and pushing the boundaries. So much so that a functional terrace on the west side is no longer possible. The south garden is completely excluded, and the terrace access on the south disappears.
Are you sure that the garage cannot be built at the edge? Is this stated in the building permit / planning permission?
Well, I would call the entire house a DIY experiment.
Yes, it is. It doesn’t invite you into the house. There is no lively and bright sightline into the living space. It narrows and leads into a dark hallway.
Furthermore, there is no sensible zoning between sleeping and living areas. The bathroom is excluded from the private rooms.
But what is a big no-go: the technical room is far too small, and utility lines must *not* be covered. This means: the technical room needs to be located on an exterior wall and be somewhat larger, at least twice as big for the DIY planning, so a tradesperson can work there.
Do you really need space for more than a family of four? Still, I find 12/13sqm (130/140 sq ft) acceptable if it includes almost everything.
Before planning something like that, I would avoid placing bedrooms on the south or west side!
A window seat should always be a nice extra, but it is not necessary to accommodate seating at the dining table.
Where exactly is the view?
Overall, I find the open-plan living area quite uninviting and not functional – the kitchen is too small, the island too narrow, the dining area cramped, and the lounge area in a passageway. In addition, there is no space for a west-facing terrace. The almost square design makes zoning and furnishing even more difficult.
It is noticeable that nothing is mentioned as “liking.” Only the secondary rooms seem important…
The design is missing quite a few measurements. Because of the built-in technical room, the plan needs to be redone. Overall, I don’t see any approach to improving this other than roughly relocating the rooms. I have some bungalow plans on my hard drive that should fit (in terms of requirements and plot). Also, Kerstin @kbt09 should have a few. She prefers a more closed style, whereas I tend to design more openly.
here are a few comments on your statements and some food for thought
forrestde schrieb:
The plot is not ideal for building a bungalow with a garage on it. On the west, north, and east sides, the house is just 3m (10 feet) away from the property boundary.
Of course, it is ideal. You just have to plan *with* the plot, not against it, which you are doing.
Instead of planning elegantly lengthwise and using the area efficiently, you are expanding into the plot’s width and pushing the boundaries. So much so that a functional terrace on the west side is no longer possible. The south garden is completely excluded, and the terrace access on the south disappears.
forrestde schrieb:
No edge development
Are you sure that the garage cannot be built at the edge? Is this stated in the building permit / planning permission?
forrestde schrieb:
Definitely no experiments
Well, I would call the entire house a DIY experiment.
forrestde schrieb:
I am not sure if the entrance area is too cramped.
Yes, it is. It doesn’t invite you into the house. There is no lively and bright sightline into the living space. It narrows and leads into a dark hallway.
Furthermore, there is no sensible zoning between sleeping and living areas. The bathroom is excluded from the private rooms.
But what is a big no-go: the technical room is far too small, and utility lines must *not* be covered. This means: the technical room needs to be located on an exterior wall and be somewhat larger, at least twice as big for the DIY planning, so a tradesperson can work there.
forrestde schrieb:
The utility room feels oversized, but on the other hand storage space is needed
Do you really need space for more than a family of four? Still, I find 12/13sqm (130/140 sq ft) acceptable if it includes almost everything.
forrestde schrieb:
The ceiling in the small hallway near the bedrooms is to be lowered and equipped with an air conditioner
Before planning something like that, I would avoid placing bedrooms on the south or west side!
forrestde schrieb:
Window seat as a seating place for the dining table
A window seat should always be a nice extra, but it is not necessary to accommodate seating at the dining table.
forrestde schrieb:
And to look outside
Where exactly is the view?
Overall, I find the open-plan living area quite uninviting and not functional – the kitchen is too small, the island too narrow, the dining area cramped, and the lounge area in a passageway. In addition, there is no space for a west-facing terrace. The almost square design makes zoning and furnishing even more difficult.
forrestde schrieb:
If you have to give up something, which details / features
-can you do without:
-can you not do without:
Basically: On one hand, the goal is to build as economically as possible, on the other hand, a few things are important (garage, brick cladding, air conditioning, storage space such as utility room and equipment).
forrestde schrieb:
What do you like in particular? Why?
What do you dislike? Why?
It is noticeable that nothing is mentioned as “liking.” Only the secondary rooms seem important…
The design is missing quite a few measurements. Because of the built-in technical room, the plan needs to be redone. Overall, I don’t see any approach to improving this other than roughly relocating the rooms. I have some bungalow plans on my hard drive that should fit (in terms of requirements and plot). Also, Kerstin @kbt09 should have a few. She prefers a more closed style, whereas I tend to design more openly.
F
forrestde15 Apr 2024 21:57Hello ypg,
I had feared we might be overcomplicating things... Thank you for the suggestions and valuable tips.
A few additional thoughts on the current floor plan and the site layout:
- The house should be positioned as far toward the top of the plot as possible so that we have as much land as possible towards the bottom. Among other things, I forgot to mention that rainwater must be absorbed on the property through infiltration trenches. This "takes up" space on the plot.
- Currently, the terrace of about 28sqm (300 sq ft) is located at the bottom next to the living room, which would make it difficult for the right-hand neighbor to see into it. Privacy is important to us.
Marginal development next to the right neighbor is permitted. I had ruled it out for myself because in Lower Saxony a continuous building length of up to 9m (29.5 ft) is allowed on the boundary. The current garage would not fit within that. Alternatively, the garage needs to be smaller, and approximately 15sqm (160 sq ft) of storage space would then have to be incorporated in or on the house.
Window seat: Previously, there was a classic dining table with five chairs planned there, then came the idea to swap the chairs for a window seat. It just happened naturally. The window seat is not a must-have. It’s simply relaxing to look outside when the garden is designed to attract birds.
I can understand all the points about the open-plan space. I had felt something was off but hadn’t found a solution.
I’m curious now and interested in alternative plans. If I understood correctly, the plot would then be used more along its length?
Thanks again for the suggestions.
I had feared we might be overcomplicating things... Thank you for the suggestions and valuable tips.
A few additional thoughts on the current floor plan and the site layout:
- The house should be positioned as far toward the top of the plot as possible so that we have as much land as possible towards the bottom. Among other things, I forgot to mention that rainwater must be absorbed on the property through infiltration trenches. This "takes up" space on the plot.
- Currently, the terrace of about 28sqm (300 sq ft) is located at the bottom next to the living room, which would make it difficult for the right-hand neighbor to see into it. Privacy is important to us.
Marginal development next to the right neighbor is permitted. I had ruled it out for myself because in Lower Saxony a continuous building length of up to 9m (29.5 ft) is allowed on the boundary. The current garage would not fit within that. Alternatively, the garage needs to be smaller, and approximately 15sqm (160 sq ft) of storage space would then have to be incorporated in or on the house.
Window seat: Previously, there was a classic dining table with five chairs planned there, then came the idea to swap the chairs for a window seat. It just happened naturally. The window seat is not a must-have. It’s simply relaxing to look outside when the garden is designed to attract birds.
I can understand all the points about the open-plan space. I had felt something was off but hadn’t found a solution.
I’m curious now and interested in alternative plans. If I understood correctly, the plot would then be used more along its length?
Thanks again for the suggestions.
H
hanghaus202316 Apr 2024 16:34Is there no development plan or zoning plan?
F
forrestde16 Apr 2024 18:41However, there is a development plan, see attached.
The development plan also includes a few textual requirements:
- Eaves height minimum 3m (10 feet), maximum 4.5m (15 feet); ridge height maximum 9m (30 feet)
- Access driveway to the property limited to 5m (16 feet)
- Surface water must infiltrate through the ground surface (surface or swale infiltration)
- Non-built areas must be landscaped as green spaces
- Permanent outdoor lighting is only permitted in traffic areas. Lighting must use warm white LED type
Local building regulations:
- 2 parking spaces for cars
- Roof pitch between 25° and 45°, subordinate buildings exempt
- Roof covering must not be high gloss; colors: red to reddish-brown or anthracite
The development plan also includes a few textual requirements:
- Eaves height minimum 3m (10 feet), maximum 4.5m (15 feet); ridge height maximum 9m (30 feet)
- Access driveway to the property limited to 5m (16 feet)
- Surface water must infiltrate through the ground surface (surface or swale infiltration)
- Non-built areas must be landscaped as green spaces
- Permanent outdoor lighting is only permitted in traffic areas. Lighting must use warm white LED type
Local building regulations:
- 2 parking spaces for cars
- Roof pitch between 25° and 45°, subordinate buildings exempt
- Roof covering must not be high gloss; colors: red to reddish-brown or anthracite
H
hanghaus202317 Apr 2024 09:32This is just a placeholder. Why not place the garage at the property boundary? The layout can be much improved.
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