Hello everyone,
we have recently purchased a plot of land and plan to build a house on it in the next few years.
I have been thinking a lot about the floor plan and the size—just roughly speaking. We recently visited a show home from a local company specializing in solid construction, which is very affordable and also appealed to us.
I am quite certain that we will not go through an architect but will look for promotion houses from companies instead, mainly to save costs. Of course, compromises are necessary, but we don’t have any extraordinary requirements at the moment.
Therefore, I wanted to ask more generally if anyone has experience building promotion houses regardless of the company. Were there any unexpected costs, or did the predefined floor plans turn out to be less practical than expected?
we have recently purchased a plot of land and plan to build a house on it in the next few years.
I have been thinking a lot about the floor plan and the size—just roughly speaking. We recently visited a show home from a local company specializing in solid construction, which is very affordable and also appealed to us.
I am quite certain that we will not go through an architect but will look for promotion houses from companies instead, mainly to save costs. Of course, compromises are necessary, but we don’t have any extraordinary requirements at the moment.
Therefore, I wanted to ask more generally if anyone has experience building promotion houses regardless of the company. Were there any unexpected costs, or did the predefined floor plans turn out to be less practical than expected?
H
Hausbau20250018 Nov 2024 10:31Nida35a schrieb:
According to the sketch, entering and exiting is only possible with a snowcat, forget about any cars.
If you leave the car outside and build stairs there, then you’re basically inside the house. So you mean excavate the soil and create parking spaces below, then build stairs going up to the living area?
Hausbau202500 schrieb:
We don’t have a zoning plan, so we are orienting ourselves according to the neighboring houses, which are all regular single-family homes, and that is what we want as well.Maybe you could post a picture of the neighboring development or ask them directly about their experiences with construction companies. How have the neighbors solved the driveway issue?H
Hausbau20250018 Nov 2024 10:39Arauki11 schrieb:
Maybe you could share a picture of the neighboring buildings or directly ask them about their experiences with construction companies.
How did the neighbors solve the driveway issue? They all have basements, and the driveways are level with the road. Is it possible to manage this without a basement, or would the ground need to be heavily sloped?
Hausbau202500 schrieb:
So, excavate the soil to create something like parking spaces at the bottom and then a staircase leading up?Yes, just like in the photo, but without the basement. Think carefully before building on the plot (it’s cheaper) rather than forcefully placing a standard house on it (excavation work will be expensive), and you will have to use the stairs for life, even in icy conditions.
H
Hausbau20250018 Nov 2024 11:03Nida35a schrieb:
Yes, just like in the photo, but without the basement.
However, think carefully about building on the plot (it’s cheaper) rather than forcefully placing a standard house on it (the earthworks get expensive), and you’ll have to go up and down the steps for life, even on icy surfaces. Thanks. Of course, steps are not accessible for people with disabilities, but if that ever becomes an issue, we could move back into my parents-in-law’s house, which will then be inherited by my partner. I think we can manage as long as we are young. For example, the backyard entrance is level. There are also emergency vehicle access spaces from the fire department, which could be used if necessary.
My house was also built on a fairly steep slope (which didn’t seem that bad to me as a layperson).
I would also recommend finding a clever architect who designs the building to work with the slope. At the time, we built a relatively standard house with the eaves facing the street, as did the neighbors. That way, you could drive directly into the integrated garage at the lower level of the house and still have two rooms at the front (north side) that could be used as offices, guest rooms, or bedrooms.
If, as shown in the picture, the gable is facing the street, I think that would usually result in a visually tall, tower-like structure, which I wouldn’t find appealing anymore.
Therefore, I don’t believe a typical production house is the right solution for such a site. In the end, ours (and something similar is also visible in your picture) turned into a large bulky block, with a long staircase leading to the side entrance and earth retaining walls needed at various points (additional costs).
This can be done better and more attractively, but probably not as an off-the-shelf solution. The standard option might seem tempting price-wise at first, but the extra costs related to building on a sloped plot will be substantial. Ultimately, you end up with just a modified production house rather than a carefully designed, modern home integrated consciously into the site, potentially at a similar total cost.
Take a look around your local area for relatively new houses; maybe you can find one where it’s worth asking the homeowner about their architect, builder, or company.
We eventually moved the garage out to create usable living space; we had pushed the house about 5 meters (16 feet) into the slope, with parking spaces in front. We never had a garage attached, but the earthworks and concrete work were extensive.
You already have the building plot, and if you want to keep it, you should really look for solutions more locally, on similar terrain, rather than relying on glossy brochures.
I would also recommend finding a clever architect who designs the building to work with the slope. At the time, we built a relatively standard house with the eaves facing the street, as did the neighbors. That way, you could drive directly into the integrated garage at the lower level of the house and still have two rooms at the front (north side) that could be used as offices, guest rooms, or bedrooms.
If, as shown in the picture, the gable is facing the street, I think that would usually result in a visually tall, tower-like structure, which I wouldn’t find appealing anymore.
Therefore, I don’t believe a typical production house is the right solution for such a site. In the end, ours (and something similar is also visible in your picture) turned into a large bulky block, with a long staircase leading to the side entrance and earth retaining walls needed at various points (additional costs).
This can be done better and more attractively, but probably not as an off-the-shelf solution. The standard option might seem tempting price-wise at first, but the extra costs related to building on a sloped plot will be substantial. Ultimately, you end up with just a modified production house rather than a carefully designed, modern home integrated consciously into the site, potentially at a similar total cost.
Take a look around your local area for relatively new houses; maybe you can find one where it’s worth asking the homeowner about their architect, builder, or company.
We eventually moved the garage out to create usable living space; we had pushed the house about 5 meters (16 feet) into the slope, with parking spaces in front. We never had a garage attached, but the earthworks and concrete work were extensive.
You already have the building plot, and if you want to keep it, you should really look for solutions more locally, on similar terrain, rather than relying on glossy brochures.
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