ᐅ Building as a Single Person – Sharing Experiences

Hello,

I am a single man, 45 years old, currently considering building a house again. I have three teenage children who often stay with me, although they officially live with my ex-wife. When the marriage broke down, I bought the next best house within cycling distance (in a great suburban location of a major city, built in 1995, well equipped). The house is intended to be sold if necessary, is free of liabilities, and my financial situation is comfortable partly because of this. With about 280 square meters (3000 square feet) of living space and just over 1000 square meters (0.25 acres) of property, however, it is far too large for someone living alone and requires a lot of maintenance. Maintenance means time, and I would rather spend that time on my children, traveling, and my job. I have been interested for some time in Bauhaus-style houses (more precisely: what is currently considered Bauhaus style, basically a cube-shaped design), around 140–160 square meters (1500–1700 square feet) of living space, no basement, and a plot of 500–600 square meters (0.12–0.15 acres).

Through networking, I might have the opportunity to acquire a suitable plot in the coming months.

Has anyone had similar experiences? How did you approach building your house? Did you build just for yourselves, or did you rather opt for a “family house” even if you were moving in alone? Did you ultimately decide against a detached house and choose a condominium instead?

Thanks!

I have never built anything from scratch before, but I have prepared and finished our 1970s house as a shell.
It was hard work, and many people who have experience in construction say: that was intense.
I haven’t counted how many genuinely funny books there are that deal only with “building” and its side effects...
Of course, there are also people who enjoy exactly that... 🤨

My note:
If you definitely know what your potential partnership(s) will look like (this way, that way, or not at all?), you can of course create good conditions, but I would expect surprises and rather look for a temporary solution.
Based on experience, children leave home faster than you think...
Planning ahead for someone unknown can work out well, but it always involves something “defining.” The partnership should fit that.

Or do you want to stay alone anyway? (which I totally respect), then of course it becomes easier...

Best regards...

Thank you for your response.

manohara schrieb:

Or do you want to stay on your own anyway? (which I totally respect), that would of course make things easier ...

I say "never say never," but right now (since I moved out about 2.5 years ago) I’m doing very well on my own. I can focus on work, the kids, and traveling. But with 140–160 m² (1500–1700 sq ft), there should be plenty of room to accommodate a possible future change...

So from a planning perspective, I’m initially designing a comfortable space just for myself... whether that’s the right approach, I wanted to find out exactly with this post ;-)

You have great conditions. Even 140 m² (1,500 sq ft) is quite a lot for one person. But of course, three teenagers need their own space, and in a few years, you'll be glad when they visit with your grandchildren. I’ve also been separated for two years and built again at 53. However, all my children are grown up, and even in my modest new 60 m² (645 sq ft) home, there are sleeping options for the grandchildren. I simply wanted to free myself from as many burdens as possible, which is why I planned a very small house. Just build YOUR dream home.

i_b_n_a_n schrieb:

I just wanted to free myself from as many burdens as possible, which is why I planned very small among other reasons. Just build YOUR dream home.

For me, the current house is a burden. In fact, I have been wavering for some time between renting an apartment and "building a dream home." Renting is more flexible, but building a dream home is, of course, very appealing and—unlike renting—it offers a sense of "home" or "settling in."

The (positive) pressure has now arisen with the prospect of a nice piece of land, which I had not really expected.

I can’t contribute much to the main topic, but one thing comes to mind: we planned two of our rooms as "hybrid rooms," and we are very happy with that. So, instead of having a traditional "guest room" that sits empty 98% of the time, we have a hobby/sports room that can be converted for guests. With a simple bunk bed and rolling bedside tables, we use it mostly for ourselves, and when guests announce their visit, it can be transformed into a guest room in 20 minutes.

Another room also has a sofa bed that could, in an emergency, accommodate two additional overnight guests. This way, we don’t lose space for a dedicated guest room but can still host up to four adults overnight.

Based on experience, larger groups tend to feel cramped in a single-family house anyway (bathroom/towel capacity, etc.), so my family usually rents a holiday flat when everyone comes together. It’s better for everyone’s peace of mind. 😀

I’m getting off-topic. What I wanted to say is: with such hybrid rooms, you can save a lot of space while always having a free bed available for children or grandchildren. 🙂