Hello,
unfortunately, my post simply disappeared again yesterday, so I’ll try my luck once more.
A brief introduction: I am 48, female, single, and based in northern Baden-Württemberg.
I’m still at the very beginning of my house-building planning but already own a plot of land, for which I will sign the purchase contract in the coming weeks.
I want a small, single-story house without a basement, with a small, low-maintenance garden and nothing fancy.
It is unclear whether another person might move in ever, so I don’t want to plan for that at this point.
Basically, it would depend on the cost what 10-15 m² (100-160 sq ft) more would mean, as my budget is naturally limited.
Room plan
Kitchen + Dining + Living + Work approx. 40 m² (430 sq ft)
Bedroom approx. 14 m² (150 sq ft)
Dressing room -
Work/Guest/Child room approx. 10 m² (110 sq ft) optional
Bathroom + WC approx. 7 m² (75 sq ft)
Hallway approx. 5 m² (55 sq ft)
Utility room approx. 8 m² (85 sq ft)
Guest WC -
Storage room -
Total approx. 75 - 85 m² (810 - 915 sq ft)
Questionnaire regarding the floor plan:
Attached are a section of the development plan and a rough drawing of the house (green), carport (blue) and patio (yellow) on the screenshot from Boris BW.
I have also attached my first attempts at floor plans (once with the entrance in the north and once in the east). I probably used the wrong tool for drafting, but I hope something can still be understood or used.
I look forward to constructive feedback.
Thank you in advance for your time.
unfortunately, my post simply disappeared again yesterday, so I’ll try my luck once more.
A brief introduction: I am 48, female, single, and based in northern Baden-Württemberg.
I’m still at the very beginning of my house-building planning but already own a plot of land, for which I will sign the purchase contract in the coming weeks.
I want a small, single-story house without a basement, with a small, low-maintenance garden and nothing fancy.
It is unclear whether another person might move in ever, so I don’t want to plan for that at this point.
Basically, it would depend on the cost what 10-15 m² (100-160 sq ft) more would mean, as my budget is naturally limited.
Room plan
Kitchen + Dining + Living + Work approx. 40 m² (430 sq ft)
Bedroom approx. 14 m² (150 sq ft)
Dressing room -
Work/Guest/Child room approx. 10 m² (110 sq ft) optional
Bathroom + WC approx. 7 m² (75 sq ft)
Hallway approx. 5 m² (55 sq ft)
Utility room approx. 8 m² (85 sq ft)
Guest WC -
Storage room -
Total approx. 75 - 85 m² (810 - 915 sq ft)
Questionnaire regarding the floor plan:
| Development plan / restrictions | |
| Plot size | 392 m² (4,220 sq ft) |
| Slope | North-south gradient approx. 1.5 m on 21 m (5 ft on 69 ft) |
| Site coverage ratio | 0.4 |
| Floor area ratio | 0.8 |
| Building envelope, building line and boundary | see development plan |
| Edge development | Setbacks according to open construction style |
| Number of parking spaces | 1.5 (rounded up) per dwelling unit, so 2 |
| Number of stories | II (two stories) |
| Roof type | Pitch 38–43°, half-hip roof or double shed roof |
| Architectural style | ? |
| Orientation | East-West |
| Maximum heights / limits | 8.5 m (28 ft) |
| Further requirements | Cistern of 4.5 m³ (160 cu ft) recommended Garage: with gable roof or green flat roof, carports? Filling allowed up to 1.8 m (6 ft) |
| Builder’s requirements | |
| Style, roof form, building type | Exemption from gable roof at 30°? Bungalow |
| Basement, number of floors | One story without basement |
| Number of people, age | see introduction |
| Space requirements on ground and upper floors | Ground floor 75-80 m² (810 - 860 sq ft) |
| Office: family use or home office? | Home office, integrated in living-dining area |
| Number of overnight guests per year | 0–1 |
| Open or closed architecture | ? |
| Traditional or modern construction style | ? |
| Open kitchen, kitchen island | Kitchen island with depth like regular kitchen cabinets, followed by dining table |
| Number of dining seats | max 4 |
| Fireplace | Undecided |
| Music / stereo wall | No |
| Balcony, roof terrace | No |
| Garage, carport | 1 carport, 1 parking space |
| Vegetable garden, greenhouse | No |
| Further wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons why some things should be included or not | - No separate office for home office because I don’t want to spend most of the day in a smaller room but rather in the living room with a view of the garden - Retractable staircase to the attic (additional storage space) - Wall in bedroom for wardrobe at least 2.75 m (9 ft) long - Wall in living room at least 2.45 m (8 ft) long for lowboard with TV - Bathtub – uncertain if necessary - Larger shower 90 x 120 cm (36 x 47 inches) with tiled partition wall (avoid glass wall) |
| House design | |
| Who designed the plan: | DIY, based on floor plans from Hanse Haus and various other small house providers |
| What do you like? Why? | Open living-dining-working area in the southern part of the house, utility room not directly next to the bedroom (noise from technical equipment) |
| What do you dislike? Why? | Possibly the hallway / entrance area is rather small |
| Cost estimate according to architect / planner: | ? |
| Personal price limit for the house, incl. equipment: | 250,000–270,000 Euros (approx. 270,000–290,000 USD) turnkey, excluding foundation slab, earthworks, secondary building costs, furnishings, and landscaping |
| Preferred heating system: | Not yet decided, possibly underfloor heating |
| Other considerations | Maximum house length 11.5 m (38 ft) because plot width approx. 18 m (59 ft) minus carport 3 m (10 ft) minus setback 2.5 m (8 ft) minus 1 m (3 ft) buffer in case plot is shorter than 18 m (measured on Boris BW) Carport position could also be on the west side To maximize green space and deal with the slope: house with long side parallel to the street No preference yet regarding solid construction or timber frame, KfW 55 or 40 or X standard |
| Outdoor facilities | - Patio approx. 15 m² (160 sq ft) level with the house - Lawn may have slope - Carport with parking space in front |
| Earthworks | Southern boundary: retaining wall needed to manage slope, neighbors (right and left) have done this with 1.4 m (4.5 ft) L-shaped concrete blocks or hollow blocks, rough offer from earthworks company is available (wall, grading, compacting and preparations for foundation slab, foundation slab, patio and carport [= crane location], graveling, drainage, grounding ring, multi-utility lines, site setup etc. all together approx. 60,000 Euros) |
Attached are a section of the development plan and a rough drawing of the house (green), carport (blue) and patio (yellow) on the screenshot from Boris BW.
I have also attached my first attempts at floor plans (once with the entrance in the north and once in the east). I probably used the wrong tool for drafting, but I hope something can still be understood or used.
I look forward to constructive feedback.
Thank you in advance for your time.
Newbee-BW schrieb:
Thank you, but I have some doubts. My gut feeling is okay but not infallible, and the construction specifications vary so much. Even an Excel spreadsheet doesn’t help anymore. Of course, having doubts about such an important life project is natural. You have a limited budget, but at the same time you are modest and pragmatic (which is quite rare these days), and that helps the budget. Therefore, I would avoid "unnecessary" expenses so you can be generous where it really matters.
Maybe you could postpone this project by 2-3 weeks and see what your gut says after some progress has been made here. The meeting and an initial draft would understandably cost money.
Newbee-BW schrieb:
The scope of construction services varies so much. Not even an Excel spreadsheet helps anymore. Yes, but careful reading and marking with a pencil still helps.
Anyone using an Excel spreadsheet to compare scope of construction services, I consider a bit of an aspiring controller.
May I ask: What does your workspace look like? Computer, one or two monitors, lots of documents or minimal?
Newbee-BW schrieb:
This would be my current preferred approach, but I’m unsure because of the opposing view that it might be more advantageous to have phases 1 and 2 (Module A) done by a separate architect. I guess more is needed than just a floor plan and a sketch on the plot to get comparable quotes. Or maybe I just haven’t understood it yet. @11ant will probably be able to provide further clarification. The preliminary design phase involves much more than just a "floor plan" (and its placement on the plot). Poor opera composers: they write entire scores, and the average non-musical person only remembers the first three chords, which a hundred years later become a ringtone. [The esteemed readership may imagine the Sonneborn quote here]
Newbee-BW schrieb:
Did you miss my follow-up question about whether you received my reply?
Nonetheless (I’m not completely resistant to advice), I have scheduled an initial consultation with an architect next week. He offers phases 1 through 9, so really the complete package, and works on solid construction as well as timber, and apparently has experience with construction supervision on prefabricated timber buildings. He also wanted to do the initial meeting directly on the building site, which I’m currently viewing positively. Or is that a tactic? No, having the initial consultation on the building site is a commendable exception—an even better approach is to visit one of his active sites first and make the second appointment on your own plot. A common tactic is to try to hook clients quickly with a planning proposal. Phase 9 for a single-family home is questionable. You need phases 1 and 2, and later possibly up to phase 8.
Newbee-BW schrieb:
We’ll see. It’s extremely expensive, especially since many prefab home manufacturers often include the architect fees as a flat rate in their offer. But is the service even comparable? The separate architect’s phases 1 and 2 will probably not be credited later by the prefab builder, while if you hand the contract to a local builder, you would continue with the following phases of the same architect. The flat-rate planning fees from general contractors are based on the "necessary architectural services" (reading soil reports, limited versions of phases 3 and 4), so clearly not comparable. Phases 1 and 2 form a foundation which can be built upon, like the Bologna process in university studies. You only change the architect afterward if "the chemistry" doesn’t work or if the preferred construction method aligns with a competency gap. Or if it becomes apparent you want to continue with a general contractor and want to avoid unnecessarily duplicating and paying again for phase 4.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
N
Newbee-BW5 Dec 2024 12:01Arauki11 schrieb:
This is supposed to happen in BW. Could you give a rough idea of the location without getting too personal here on the big, wide internet? My location is approximately between Heilbronn and Karlsruhe, basically on the border between Baden and Württemberg.
Arauki11 schrieb:
The meeting and an initial draft would understandably cost money. At first, it’s just a non-binding initial consultation, right at the building site, and it costs nothing yet. That’s why I thought I’d listen to what he has to say and, if the building feels right, then ask for a fixed-price offer for design phases 1 and 2.
ypg schrieb:
May I ask: what does your workspace look like? Computer, one or two monitors, lots of files or minimal? My workspace is completely paperless, which is why I prefer Excel over paper and pencil, but I appreciate the tip. My desk is not very large (140x80 cm (55x31 inches)) with a monitor and a laptop. Next to it, there is a small cabinet for my private folders and other stuff. So rather minimalistic.
@11ant Yes sir, message received and just replied to. Maybe I’ll develop from a layman to an appreciative person yet.
N
Newbee-BW6 Dec 2024 23:24Hello everyone,
I have created a floor plan that I really like because the terrace area is already covered, giving it a cozy corner feel. The workspace is also nicely bright thanks to the balcony door and feels somewhat private while still integrated into the living area. The only part I’m not so happy with is the entrance area located on the north side—I would prefer it on the east side by the carport, but then the rest of the layout doesn’t work out as nicely. Does anyone have any ideas on this?
Good luck
I have created a floor plan that I really like because the terrace area is already covered, giving it a cozy corner feel. The workspace is also nicely bright thanks to the balcony door and feels somewhat private while still integrated into the living area. The only part I’m not so happy with is the entrance area located on the north side—I would prefer it on the east side by the carport, but then the rest of the layout doesn’t work out as nicely. Does anyone have any ideas on this?
Good luck
These are certainly good starting points. When you have limited space, there aren’t many options anyway.
However, all your layouts share the drawback that you feel like you have to walk through the entire house to get from the bathroom to the bedroom. This might not be a big issue for a single person, but you have to consider that Gerard Butler might be making you coffee in the morning, and you’d probably want to slip quickly to the bathroom before he sees you in daylight.
Or a daily problem: neighbors can probably see quite well into your place. Planning to move between the bedroom and bathroom only with the shutters closed or while dressed is something you could arrange more discreetly.
Regarding the last design: the wardrobe is positioned along the exterior wall, which should be avoided. You end up with a window above the bed, which you can’t really open three times a day for ventilation or clean easily. Then there’s no hallway, which you should have if you own a dog, at least a defined one. Otherwise, anyone standing quietly by the front door can look right over your shoulder. That’s not how you plan a layout. No cave dweller would sit with their back to the entrance — this also applies to workstations, by the way.
The kitchen placement is quite good, but it’s worth noting that a freestanding island feels more open, therefore more spacious, and actually offers more utility with less floor space than a U-shaped kitchen accessed from one side.
Ultimately, a design is most cost-effective when the roof has the main load-bearing wall in the center of the ground floor.
I admit, I’ve come up with three concepts with about 70/75 sqm (750/810 sq ft) but discarded them again. Designing a house isn’t easier when you only have three rectangles to zone (bedroom, bathroom, mechanical room).
Nahedran is no longer an option. You might find it acceptable, but I personally have a problem placing a desk somewhere without achieving a division between private and open areas (even in a single-person household). U-shaped kitchens are a matter of taste and I can design them, although I don’t like these cages.
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/grundriss-bungalow-ca-115m-2-personen.47702/page-3
However, all your layouts share the drawback that you feel like you have to walk through the entire house to get from the bathroom to the bedroom. This might not be a big issue for a single person, but you have to consider that Gerard Butler might be making you coffee in the morning, and you’d probably want to slip quickly to the bathroom before he sees you in daylight.
Or a daily problem: neighbors can probably see quite well into your place. Planning to move between the bedroom and bathroom only with the shutters closed or while dressed is something you could arrange more discreetly.
Regarding the last design: the wardrobe is positioned along the exterior wall, which should be avoided. You end up with a window above the bed, which you can’t really open three times a day for ventilation or clean easily. Then there’s no hallway, which you should have if you own a dog, at least a defined one. Otherwise, anyone standing quietly by the front door can look right over your shoulder. That’s not how you plan a layout. No cave dweller would sit with their back to the entrance — this also applies to workstations, by the way.
The kitchen placement is quite good, but it’s worth noting that a freestanding island feels more open, therefore more spacious, and actually offers more utility with less floor space than a U-shaped kitchen accessed from one side.
Ultimately, a design is most cost-effective when the roof has the main load-bearing wall in the center of the ground floor.
I admit, I’ve come up with three concepts with about 70/75 sqm (750/810 sq ft) but discarded them again. Designing a house isn’t easier when you only have three rectangles to zone (bedroom, bathroom, mechanical room).
Nahedran is no longer an option. You might find it acceptable, but I personally have a problem placing a desk somewhere without achieving a division between private and open areas (even in a single-person household). U-shaped kitchens are a matter of taste and I can design them, although I don’t like these cages.
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/grundriss-bungalow-ca-115m-2-personen.47702/page-3
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