ᐅ Additional Costs for Residential Units

apokolok schrieb:

The history of the plot still sounds a bit odd. It’s ‘quasi reserved’ but you don’t know exactly where it is or what it looks like? The zoning plan is also unknown.

Several plots will likely be released for sale around autumn. One of them is almost certain for me, but the exact shape, location, and precise size of the one I’ll get are not yet determined. So I don’t have exact details here yet, but I also don’t want to start the entire planning process only once that’s established. It’s possible that I’ll have to adjust the plan afterward (depending on the orientation of the plot), but at least I want to have a first draft plan in place by then.
For example, this "modular principle" that you reject is something I want to think through thoroughly in advance to see if it’s feasible or not. I don’t want to deal with such fundamental ideas only after the plot has been purchased.

apokolok schrieb:

About the revolutionary ‘modularity’

I have no idea if it’s revolutionary. I don’t think so. Basically, the goal is just a floor plan that can be used in different ways or whose three levels can possibly be combined.
At least I wanted to give it a try. Of course, it might not work, or the architect might immediately reject it. But I don’t think so, because about five years ago, I already tried something similar (although back then family reasons prevented realization), and the architect considered it doable. That was on a much larger scale back then (more floor area, a much bigger plot, but a similar concept).
Now I’ve revived the idea on a smaller scale because the plot sizes available now aren’t what they used to be (at least where I am).

hanghaus2000 schrieb:

As we often observe here, it’s counterproductive to show up to the architect with your own plans.

Okay, that’s a point. Until now, I assumed it makes a lot of sense to already have a (rough) plan so the architect can immediately see roughly what the goal is. Then they can either crumple it up or say, “this works, that doesn’t, or that works but a bit differently.”

hanghaus2000 schrieb:

For design reasons, modern urban villas are usually built with a 20-degree roof pitch. A 35-degree pitch tends to look unattractive.

I know. But I just wanted to try something more extravagant here. The house itself is relatively “ordinary” in shape. At least I wanted to plan and visualize the roof design (one step further would be to transfer it into my planning software so I could see how the proportions look, also with different colors for roof and walls).
It might turn out that the pitch doesn’t look good. Or maybe I’ll like it. We’ll see.
In my area, there is a multi-family house (albeit three stories) with a tent roof at about that pitch. To my eyes, it doesn’t look bad (though it could also be due to other proportions).

hanghaus2000 schrieb:

Quickly tell me the overall house height again. I don’t feel like searching. Of course, you could also measure it yourself from your sketch. Is the knee wall feasible? You drew it at about 1.5 m?

Sorry, I’m still a bit inexperienced, I guess. From where do I measure the knee wall height? From inside or outside? (That differs because of the roof slope.) On the outside, it would be about 70 cm (28 inches), inside about 100 cm (39 inches), according to the picture above.

hanghaus2000 schrieb:

A ceiling height of 2.7 m (9 ft) is very optimistic. Who still wants ceiling heights of 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) these days? Apart from that, how do you plan to build the ceiling with a thickness of 30 cm (12 inches)? The usual practice nowadays is about 3 m (10 ft) floor-to-floor height.

So far, I’ve always lived in apartments with 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) ceilings. That didn’t bother me, so that was my plan until now. I also read that it can significantly affect heating requirements.
I found the 30 cm (12 inches) ceiling height on the internet too. Of course, it could be incorrect or outdated info. How much would you reasonably plan for the actual ceiling thickness (that is, from the ground floor ceiling bottom to the upper floor slab edge)?

hanghaus2000 schrieb:

The usual practice nowadays is about 3 m (10 ft) floor-to-floor height.

Okay, I’ll take that on board. Does that also apply to the upper floor? Or are there typically differences between ground floor and upper floor heights?

Felix85 schrieb:

Or are there usually steps between the ground floor and the upper floor?

You can do it however you prefer. If you are creating two residential units, I would keep a consistent ceiling height of 2.60m to 2.70m (8.5 ft to 8.9 ft). Definitely avoid 2.40m (7.9 ft)... that is often the minimum required height in many places. You’re not building social housing after all. However, restrictions from the zoning plan or budget limitations often lead to changes.

The bottom line is that without a plot of land and a zoning plan (or building permit / planning permission), all the planning can quickly become pointless. For now, a rough plan based on your preferences is completely sufficient. Please share your floor plan 🙂

The question about the allowed building height remained unanswered. I read about it beforehand but can’t remember where.

Yes, the story height can vary. However, living spaces must have a minimum height of 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in). More height is nicer but not always cheaper. It’s best to calculate using a multiple of the brick size. For example, 11 * 238 mm (9.4 inches) minus 130 mm (5 inches) for the floor equals 2488 mm (98 inches). When using adhesive, a few millimeters are added on top of that.

Felix85 schrieb:


According to my (of course amateur) calculations, I end up with a ridge height of about 9.70 m (32 feet). Up to 10.5 m (34 feet) should not be a problem on the plot.

The important factor is the reference point—where exactly is the 10.5 m (34 feet) height limit measured from?
We have planned a one-and-a-half-story house with a height of 6.67 m (22 feet). The reference point is the street level.
Since our plot is higher than the street, we are already close to 10 m (33 feet) despite having only one and a half stories.
Due to the elevation of our plot, our house height is already 8.92 m (29 feet).

The question is whether two full stories and the knee wall are allowed.

In the sketch, two stories with a height of 2.7 m (9 feet) each and the roof with 5 m (16 feet) are planned. That already totals 10.4 m (34 feet).

Thanks @Holzhäuschen for the help.

To @Felix85, where does the 10.5 m (34.4 ft) come from?