ᐅ Single-family house with 190 m² living area and a 55 m² basement apartment, situated on a gentle slope
Created on: 1 Nov 2025 13:04
A
Andixxx
Hello everyone,
I have planned a house here that largely meets our ideas and requirements. However, we are still unsure about the exterior appearance. Costs and technical reliability also play a role in this decision.
Description:
Two variants have emerged that differ mainly in the roof and roof shape:
For variant 2, I expect additional costs of about €20,000 to €30,000 due to the extra roof structure, the absence of a concrete ceiling, and the relatively expensive roofing materials.
Visually, we prefer this variant, and it also offers better protection against moisture.
However, this layout is quite unusual. Since I have been dealing with it for some time, I might have gotten used to it – therefore, I am interested in your opinion on this.
The facade could be entirely executed as an external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) in white, or the basement level could be clad in brick (red-black or light gray-black) – an additional cost of about €25,000.
The eaves will be clad from underneath, with no exposed wood.
I designed the draft myself and created a 3D model (in countless variations), and have since hired an architect. However, this architect has other ideas that we do not like – so that part is currently a bit challenging.
In addition, I would appreciate your assessment of the costs.
I have currently budgeted €780,000 for construction and €120,000 for additional costs. The plot is already owned.
Thank you in advance for your constructive comments.
I have planned a house here that largely meets our ideas and requirements. However, we are still unsure about the exterior appearance. Costs and technical reliability also play a role in this decision.
Description:
- 1.5-story construction
- Plot size: 1,150 m² (12,379 sq ft)
- Living area: approx. 190 m² (2,045 sq ft)
- Granny flat: approx. 55 m² (592 sq ft)
- Building size: 10.75 m wide and 15 m deep (35 ft 3 in by 49 ft 3 in)
- Due to the plot width of 19 m (62 ft 4 in), the double garage is integrated into the house but structurally separated.
- Garden orientation: East-Northeast
- Built with an architect and individual contracting of builders
Two variants have emerged that differ mainly in the roof and roof shape:
- Setback floor with flat roof and parapet
- Setback floor with shallow pitched roof (16°) and eaves
For variant 2, I expect additional costs of about €20,000 to €30,000 due to the extra roof structure, the absence of a concrete ceiling, and the relatively expensive roofing materials.
Visually, we prefer this variant, and it also offers better protection against moisture.
However, this layout is quite unusual. Since I have been dealing with it for some time, I might have gotten used to it – therefore, I am interested in your opinion on this.
The facade could be entirely executed as an external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) in white, or the basement level could be clad in brick (red-black or light gray-black) – an additional cost of about €25,000.
The eaves will be clad from underneath, with no exposed wood.
I designed the draft myself and created a 3D model (in countless variations), and have since hired an architect. However, this architect has other ideas that we do not like – so that part is currently a bit challenging.
In addition, I would appreciate your assessment of the costs.
I have currently budgeted €780,000 for construction and €120,000 for additional costs. The plot is already owned.
Thank you in advance for your constructive comments.
Hello 11ant,
thank you for your comments.
The open landscape is only due to the CAD to frame it and make it look a bit more natural. The right half of the total 36 m (118 feet) wide plot is being sold; I am keeping 19 m (62 feet).
The architect proposed the current dimensions as well as the concept with the recessed floor. So it will not be smaller, at least not according to my architect; the ground floor is about 110 to 115 m2 (1184 to 1237 sq ft), since it is not a terraced house.
What do you mean by “the pre-assignment to single contracts is unfortunate”?
Should I also build with a general contractor? I would prefer to negotiate all trades separately... a neighbor had a developer who later could not pay their companies...
The upper floor is exactly 75% of the ground floor and should correspond to the single-story construction method. With a recessed (or stepped) upper floor, the exterior walls are naturally set back. That is also my problem with the statics, which is why I added the pitched roof; this way, I would feel comfortable building the upper floor with a timber frame structure. Then the upper floor weighs about 25 tons instead of 120 tons with solid construction and a concrete ceiling. But I would clarify that with the structural engineer. A concrete beam will be placed crosswise over the ground floor ceiling, front and back (about 40 cm (16 inches) high), on which the frame structure will rest. That is the idea.
I would not show the architect’s drafts just yet, as I would need to explain quite a bit. For him, it was always a house with a recessed floor. I also had my concerns regarding the statics and thermal insulation; he wanted to build the floor of the double garage in one piece with the cellar ceiling. I did not want that, mainly because of different settling and possible cracks. The garage is now structurally separated. Only for the front roof will a movement joint probably be necessary, however that will look. I actually want to use brick cladding for the ground floor and basement and an external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) for the upper floor.
I’m not starting again from scratch. We like the layout as it is; this is mainly about the roof shape. Am I blind after having dealt with it for so long, or is the shallow pitched roof an optical disaster? I don’t think so, it has something special and reminds me of the southern German style or that in Austria.
Attached is a site plan with the elevations.
thank you for your comments.
The open landscape is only due to the CAD to frame it and make it look a bit more natural. The right half of the total 36 m (118 feet) wide plot is being sold; I am keeping 19 m (62 feet).
The architect proposed the current dimensions as well as the concept with the recessed floor. So it will not be smaller, at least not according to my architect; the ground floor is about 110 to 115 m2 (1184 to 1237 sq ft), since it is not a terraced house.
What do you mean by “the pre-assignment to single contracts is unfortunate”?
Should I also build with a general contractor? I would prefer to negotiate all trades separately... a neighbor had a developer who later could not pay their companies...
The upper floor is exactly 75% of the ground floor and should correspond to the single-story construction method. With a recessed (or stepped) upper floor, the exterior walls are naturally set back. That is also my problem with the statics, which is why I added the pitched roof; this way, I would feel comfortable building the upper floor with a timber frame structure. Then the upper floor weighs about 25 tons instead of 120 tons with solid construction and a concrete ceiling. But I would clarify that with the structural engineer. A concrete beam will be placed crosswise over the ground floor ceiling, front and back (about 40 cm (16 inches) high), on which the frame structure will rest. That is the idea.
I would not show the architect’s drafts just yet, as I would need to explain quite a bit. For him, it was always a house with a recessed floor. I also had my concerns regarding the statics and thermal insulation; he wanted to build the floor of the double garage in one piece with the cellar ceiling. I did not want that, mainly because of different settling and possible cracks. The garage is now structurally separated. Only for the front roof will a movement joint probably be necessary, however that will look. I actually want to use brick cladding for the ground floor and basement and an external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) for the upper floor.
I’m not starting again from scratch. We like the layout as it is; this is mainly about the roof shape. Am I blind after having dealt with it for so long, or is the shallow pitched roof an optical disaster? I don’t think so, it has something special and reminds me of the southern German style or that in Austria.
Attached is a site plan with the elevations.
Hello ypg,
thanks also for your comments.
From the street to the carport, it is about 8 to 9 meters (26 to 30 feet). The street is about 60 cm (2 feet) higher at this point.
Utility lines are only electricity, water, and cable. They enter under the front door and there is a built-in cabinet or similar inside. Wastewater exits under the door of the granny flat and then goes to the street.
I have commented on the structural design for 11ant.
I will probably place the bathroom in the basement inward because an external bathroom requires a larger hallway and therefore takes up a few square meters of space. I probably won’t use the bathroom myself. Still thinking about it...
The area around the basement stair entry is indeed small; the architect had it even smaller and added doors in all directions. I will enlarge it a bit...
The windows next to the entrance door don’t need to have clear glass. The front yard is large, about 9 meters (30 feet) to the street, and you could place the sofa against the outer wall and the TV on the wall facing the guest WC/bathroom.
All doors are 89 cm (35 inches) wide.
The architect also wanted to make the window on the right side facing the neighbor larger. But there are only 4 meters (13 feet) to the neighbor.
I like the visualization; however, it is not an architectural tool, so maybe the viewing angle is somewhat unfavorable.
I trusted an architect, but it didn’t work out very well.
The garage is located on the north side and should be a large double garage with a door at the front because we use bicycles a lot. Also, I don’t want to go straight into the house with the dog in bad weather.
To the south would be the right neighbor, which feels too tight for me. I want to look into the garden and only let enough sun in from the right side. Otherwise, in front facing the street, there is an area connected to the living room where the afternoon sun can come in.
thanks also for your comments.
From the street to the carport, it is about 8 to 9 meters (26 to 30 feet). The street is about 60 cm (2 feet) higher at this point.
Utility lines are only electricity, water, and cable. They enter under the front door and there is a built-in cabinet or similar inside. Wastewater exits under the door of the granny flat and then goes to the street.
I have commented on the structural design for 11ant.
I will probably place the bathroom in the basement inward because an external bathroom requires a larger hallway and therefore takes up a few square meters of space. I probably won’t use the bathroom myself. Still thinking about it...
The area around the basement stair entry is indeed small; the architect had it even smaller and added doors in all directions. I will enlarge it a bit...
The windows next to the entrance door don’t need to have clear glass. The front yard is large, about 9 meters (30 feet) to the street, and you could place the sofa against the outer wall and the TV on the wall facing the guest WC/bathroom.
All doors are 89 cm (35 inches) wide.
The architect also wanted to make the window on the right side facing the neighbor larger. But there are only 4 meters (13 feet) to the neighbor.
I like the visualization; however, it is not an architectural tool, so maybe the viewing angle is somewhat unfavorable.
I trusted an architect, but it didn’t work out very well.
The garage is located on the north side and should be a large double garage with a door at the front because we use bicycles a lot. Also, I don’t want to go straight into the house with the dog in bad weather.
To the south would be the right neighbor, which feels too tight for me. I want to look into the garden and only let enough sun in from the right side. Otherwise, in front facing the street, there is an area connected to the living room where the afternoon sun can come in.
Hello familie_s,
thank you for the tip. The pitch was estimated, and as I told GeraldG, my roof is only 16° and I will need expensive roof tiles or an underlayment. Also, the eaves at the gable area are extended and this part is supposed to be clad seamlessly from below, but this is not finalized yet. The architect is now preparing the building permit / planning application for me, and after that I have another one, which will probably be changed anyway.
thank you for the tip. The pitch was estimated, and as I told GeraldG, my roof is only 16° and I will need expensive roof tiles or an underlayment. Also, the eaves at the gable area are extended and this part is supposed to be clad seamlessly from below, but this is not finalized yet. The architect is now preparing the building permit / planning application for me, and after that I have another one, which will probably be changed anyway.
Hello ypg,
yes, I might not have understood everything.
The pipes enter at the basement stairs and are routed to the utility room behind the stairs.
In my first message, I mentioned that I am concerned about the external appearance of the house as well as an estimate of the construction costs. The structural engineering with the stepped floor and the additional costs of the low-pitched gable roof, and I would like brickwork, but that causes significant extra costs that I cannot really assess. The architect also cannot give me figures, since it naturally depends on the actual execution...
All other suggestions are, of course, welcome.
Hello Hanghaus 2023,
thank you for your opinion on the low-pitched gable roof; we also prefer it, although it might look different in reality.
I mentioned the budget somewhere, total 900,000.
I don’t want to publish the drawings from the architect, as I do not have his permission for that, sorry.
yes, I might not have understood everything.
The pipes enter at the basement stairs and are routed to the utility room behind the stairs.
In my first message, I mentioned that I am concerned about the external appearance of the house as well as an estimate of the construction costs. The structural engineering with the stepped floor and the additional costs of the low-pitched gable roof, and I would like brickwork, but that causes significant extra costs that I cannot really assess. The architect also cannot give me figures, since it naturally depends on the actual execution...
All other suggestions are, of course, welcome.
Hello Hanghaus 2023,
thank you for your opinion on the low-pitched gable roof; we also prefer it, although it might look different in reality.
I mentioned the budget somewhere, total 900,000.
I don’t want to publish the drawings from the architect, as I do not have his permission for that, sorry.
Andixxx schrieb:
The upper floor is exactly 75% the size of the ground floor and should therefore correspond to a single-story building design.Wow, indeed: 121sqm (1302 sq ft) / 90sqm (969 sq ft).Andixxx schrieb:
Utility lines include only electricity, water, and cable. These enter under the front door, and there’s a built-in cabinet or similar inside. Wastewater exits under the door of the granny flat and then goes to the street.Then you should erase the question about “technical safety” from your mind, if you’re already cutting corners at the basic level. An external wall can be done, but it’s the opposite of safe. (The same applies to a stepped design.)
That’s all I have. Whether you prefer a flat roof or a pitched roof is a matter of taste and not up for debate.
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