Hello everyone,
We need some advice regarding a possible semi-detached house.
Here are the key details:
Plot size: 252 m2 (about 2710 sq ft), unfortunately quite expensive at 450 euros/m2 (about 41.8 USD/sq ft), so not very large 🙂
Maximum building footprint: 6.5 m x 12 m (21 ft x 39 ft)
Current offer from a local provider:
Semi-detached house measuring 6.5 m x 10 m (21 ft x 33 ft), with a 45-degree roof pitch
- Partial basement (30 m2 / 323 sq ft)
- Ground floor with guest WC including shower, open kitchen, dining/living area (net 47 m2 / 506 sq ft)
- First floor with large bathroom (12 m2 / 129 sq ft), 2 rooms (net 46.5 m2 / 500 sq ft)
- Attic (knee wall height) as living space with net 20 m2 (215 sq ft)
- Heating/technical equipment: air-source heat pump with heat recovery, ventilation system
Total cost around 267,000 euros (excluding utility connections: electricity, water, telecommunications), tiled bathroom/WC, “extras” already included except electrical installations (e.g., several floor-to-ceiling windows, 2 dormers: one 2 m (6.5 ft), one 3 m (9.8 ft) with floor-to-ceiling windows).
Our budget including self-construction and own equity is 430,000 euros, covering everything—outdoor areas, carport, flooring, painting, kitchen.
Now our questions:
We wish to have a living area of about 130–140 m2 (about 1,400–1,500 sq ft)
(Currently a 3-person household, possibly 4 in the future)
On paper, the house feels small to us (obviously, we don’t expect a mansion 😉).
How do you assess the price of the house?
Would it make sense, given the budget, to forgo the basement or attic in favor of extending the house lengthwise to 11 m (36 ft) to increase the living space?
What would you advise? Any suggestions for a more efficient design or potential savings?
Thanks for your ideas and experience. 🙂
We need some advice regarding a possible semi-detached house.
Here are the key details:
Plot size: 252 m2 (about 2710 sq ft), unfortunately quite expensive at 450 euros/m2 (about 41.8 USD/sq ft), so not very large 🙂
Maximum building footprint: 6.5 m x 12 m (21 ft x 39 ft)
Current offer from a local provider:
Semi-detached house measuring 6.5 m x 10 m (21 ft x 33 ft), with a 45-degree roof pitch
- Partial basement (30 m2 / 323 sq ft)
- Ground floor with guest WC including shower, open kitchen, dining/living area (net 47 m2 / 506 sq ft)
- First floor with large bathroom (12 m2 / 129 sq ft), 2 rooms (net 46.5 m2 / 500 sq ft)
- Attic (knee wall height) as living space with net 20 m2 (215 sq ft)
- Heating/technical equipment: air-source heat pump with heat recovery, ventilation system
Total cost around 267,000 euros (excluding utility connections: electricity, water, telecommunications), tiled bathroom/WC, “extras” already included except electrical installations (e.g., several floor-to-ceiling windows, 2 dormers: one 2 m (6.5 ft), one 3 m (9.8 ft) with floor-to-ceiling windows).
Our budget including self-construction and own equity is 430,000 euros, covering everything—outdoor areas, carport, flooring, painting, kitchen.
Now our questions:
We wish to have a living area of about 130–140 m2 (about 1,400–1,500 sq ft)
(Currently a 3-person household, possibly 4 in the future)
On paper, the house feels small to us (obviously, we don’t expect a mansion 😉).
How do you assess the price of the house?
Would it make sense, given the budget, to forgo the basement or attic in favor of extending the house lengthwise to 11 m (36 ft) to increase the living space?
What would you advise? Any suggestions for a more efficient design or potential savings?
Thanks for your ideas and experience. 🙂
P
perlenmann9 Nov 2013 08:31I have a semi-detached house measuring 8x10 meters (26x33 feet), partially basemented because the neighbor built without a basement. My eaves height is quite low (I don’t remember exactly), so the upper floor has sloped ceilings starting at 1.2 meters (4 feet).
With four people, the space works just fine for us. Without a basement, it would be unthinkable for us. We would have only been able to fit the utility/technical room with huge compromises. The attic only has about 1.1 meters (3.6 feet) of headroom, so it doesn’t provide much usable space either.
I wouldn’t want to miss my basement. Some things don’t have to be economically justified! It’s about comfort.
When it’s 30°C (86°F) outside, it’s a chilly 18°C (64°F) in the basement, so it’s even nice to exercise down there 🙂
You don’t always have to weigh everything in numbers. If you can afford it, the above-ground space can’t be extended endlessly, and the soil conditions allow, I would always build with a basement. To avoid hoarding junk there, some self-discipline is required. But I’m sure there are also clutterers without basements 🙄
If you go with two full stories and maybe still have space within the roof’s slope, you can of course create a lot of room above ground.
With four people, the space works just fine for us. Without a basement, it would be unthinkable for us. We would have only been able to fit the utility/technical room with huge compromises. The attic only has about 1.1 meters (3.6 feet) of headroom, so it doesn’t provide much usable space either.
I wouldn’t want to miss my basement. Some things don’t have to be economically justified! It’s about comfort.
When it’s 30°C (86°F) outside, it’s a chilly 18°C (64°F) in the basement, so it’s even nice to exercise down there 🙂
You don’t always have to weigh everything in numbers. If you can afford it, the above-ground space can’t be extended endlessly, and the soil conditions allow, I would always build with a basement. To avoid hoarding junk there, some self-discipline is required. But I’m sure there are also clutterers without basements 🙄
If you go with two full stories and maybe still have space within the roof’s slope, you can of course create a lot of room above ground.
Similar topics