Hello dear forum community,
after quietly reading along for a long time, we have now registered here and want to share our house plans with you.
First of all, we would like to say a big THANK YOU – the information you get here is truly invaluable.
Now a bit about us: we are both around 50, and our two grown children have moved out. Currently, we live in my parents’ house, but we want to realize our own dream of building a house. We are very fortunate to be able to afford the construction without any problems. The building plot belongs to us, and the local building authority has given us a verbal go-ahead so far (there is no zoning plan as it is currently farmland). We only have to contribute proportionally to the development costs, which is fine for us.
Our children and guests enjoy visiting, so we want to set up a guest apartment in the basement. For old age, our design allows us to convert the ground floor barrier-free at any time with minor modifications, including an elevator if needed. In case of emergency, the guest apartment could also be used for a carer, although hopefully this will never be necessary.
Zoning Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 2,100m² (0.52 acres)
Slope: Yes, see elevations
Floor area ratio: no zoning plan
Floor space index: no zoning plan
Building envelope, building line and boundary: no zoning plan, we keep at least 6.0m (20 feet) clearance all around
Edge development: No
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 1 story, basement
Roof style: hinted “shed roof”
Architectural style: ???
Orientation: North/South
Maximum height / limitations: No specifications
Further requirements: No valid zoning plan, planning permission granted for usual residential construction
Owner’s Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: one-story bungalow with basement (prepared for barrier-free access)
Basement, floors: basement yes, single-story with open roof structure
Number of people, age: 2, me 50, her 48, 1 dog
Space requirements ground floor / upper floor: see floor plan
Office: family use or home office? Occasional home office for me
Overnight guests per year: many
Open or closed architecture: rather open
Conservative or modern construction: special
Open kitchen, kitchen island: definitely yes
Number of dining seats: minimum 8
Fireplace: yes
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: integrated in the house
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Further wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why something should or should not be included
House Design
Who created the design?
- Planner from a construction company
- Architect
- Do-it-Yourself (DIY)
The planning was done by us ourselves.
What do you particularly like? Why?
Optimized for our personal wishes— we have incorporated all our requirements.
What do you dislike? Why?
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
Personal price limit for house including fittings: We estimate construction costs around €700,000–800,000 (about $750,000–860,000), but financing is secured and this is not the main focus here.
Preferred heating technology: not finalized yet, definitely photovoltaic and solar panels on the roof, air-to-water heat pump or geothermal energy.
If you had to give up something, on which details / additional features could you do without?
Good question, probably the pool if it meant we could get a hot tub instead...
What can you absolutely not do without?
The large open space and the guest apartment.
Why did the design turn out the way it is? For example:
Standard planter’s template? No, we simply planned according to our preferences, open roof structure, large open space because we like to entertain guests, wellness area is a must.
Which wishes were implemented by the architect?
A mix of many examples from various magazines...
What makes it particularly good or bad in your opinion?
What is the most important fundamental question regarding the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
after quietly reading along for a long time, we have now registered here and want to share our house plans with you.
First of all, we would like to say a big THANK YOU – the information you get here is truly invaluable.
Now a bit about us: we are both around 50, and our two grown children have moved out. Currently, we live in my parents’ house, but we want to realize our own dream of building a house. We are very fortunate to be able to afford the construction without any problems. The building plot belongs to us, and the local building authority has given us a verbal go-ahead so far (there is no zoning plan as it is currently farmland). We only have to contribute proportionally to the development costs, which is fine for us.
Our children and guests enjoy visiting, so we want to set up a guest apartment in the basement. For old age, our design allows us to convert the ground floor barrier-free at any time with minor modifications, including an elevator if needed. In case of emergency, the guest apartment could also be used for a carer, although hopefully this will never be necessary.
Zoning Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 2,100m² (0.52 acres)
Slope: Yes, see elevations
Floor area ratio: no zoning plan
Floor space index: no zoning plan
Building envelope, building line and boundary: no zoning plan, we keep at least 6.0m (20 feet) clearance all around
Edge development: No
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 1 story, basement
Roof style: hinted “shed roof”
Architectural style: ???
Orientation: North/South
Maximum height / limitations: No specifications
Further requirements: No valid zoning plan, planning permission granted for usual residential construction
Owner’s Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: one-story bungalow with basement (prepared for barrier-free access)
Basement, floors: basement yes, single-story with open roof structure
Number of people, age: 2, me 50, her 48, 1 dog
Space requirements ground floor / upper floor: see floor plan
Office: family use or home office? Occasional home office for me
Overnight guests per year: many
Open or closed architecture: rather open
Conservative or modern construction: special
Open kitchen, kitchen island: definitely yes
Number of dining seats: minimum 8
Fireplace: yes
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: integrated in the house
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Further wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why something should or should not be included
House Design
Who created the design?
- Planner from a construction company
- Architect
- Do-it-Yourself (DIY)
The planning was done by us ourselves.
What do you particularly like? Why?
Optimized for our personal wishes— we have incorporated all our requirements.
What do you dislike? Why?
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
Personal price limit for house including fittings: We estimate construction costs around €700,000–800,000 (about $750,000–860,000), but financing is secured and this is not the main focus here.
Preferred heating technology: not finalized yet, definitely photovoltaic and solar panels on the roof, air-to-water heat pump or geothermal energy.
If you had to give up something, on which details / additional features could you do without?
Good question, probably the pool if it meant we could get a hot tub instead...
What can you absolutely not do without?
The large open space and the guest apartment.
Why did the design turn out the way it is? For example:
Standard planter’s template? No, we simply planned according to our preferences, open roof structure, large open space because we like to entertain guests, wellness area is a must.
Which wishes were implemented by the architect?
A mix of many examples from various magazines...
What makes it particularly good or bad in your opinion?
What is the most important fundamental question regarding the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
Hello Hanghaus2023,
could it be that you only registered here to have some "fun" and leave pointless comments?
You have been active for 6 days now, commenting on all sorts of posts, but there is no substantial content.
I won’t go into the other posts, but in ours, I notice you don’t provide any answers that reflect professional expertise.
You say we are mixing architectural styles, but when asked for clarification, you give no response. Instead, you suggest positioning the house differently on the plot, but don’t say how.
Then you don’t like our "mini garage"—which is 48m² (516 square feet)—inside the house and propose building an external 7x7m (23x23 feet) garage, which is 49m² (527 square feet).
You don’t like the 4m-wide (13 feet) garage door—what do you suggest instead? A double door 2x2m (6.5x6.5 feet) where you would have to carefully maneuver the car inside?
You say the floor plan looks much better—better than what? My neighbor’s doghouse? You weren’t even active here at the time of the original post, and if you say it looks better, what exactly are you referring to?
And waiting for architect’s plans—what do you hope to achieve if the in-house garage is a requirement we set ourselves?
We have only been active here for a few weeks as well, and if I can contribute professionally, I will do so. But I have no intention of commenting on every post without purpose—that is not what this forum deserves.
Reflect on your approach: if you really want to provide objective and professional help, do so, but please not like this.
could it be that you only registered here to have some "fun" and leave pointless comments?
You have been active for 6 days now, commenting on all sorts of posts, but there is no substantial content.
I won’t go into the other posts, but in ours, I notice you don’t provide any answers that reflect professional expertise.
You say we are mixing architectural styles, but when asked for clarification, you give no response. Instead, you suggest positioning the house differently on the plot, but don’t say how.
Then you don’t like our "mini garage"—which is 48m² (516 square feet)—inside the house and propose building an external 7x7m (23x23 feet) garage, which is 49m² (527 square feet).
You don’t like the 4m-wide (13 feet) garage door—what do you suggest instead? A double door 2x2m (6.5x6.5 feet) where you would have to carefully maneuver the car inside?
You say the floor plan looks much better—better than what? My neighbor’s doghouse? You weren’t even active here at the time of the original post, and if you say it looks better, what exactly are you referring to?
And waiting for architect’s plans—what do you hope to achieve if the in-house garage is a requirement we set ourselves?
We have only been active here for a few weeks as well, and if I can contribute professionally, I will do so. But I have no intention of commenting on every post without purpose—that is not what this forum deserves.
Reflect on your approach: if you really want to provide objective and professional help, do so, but please not like this.
wolko22 schrieb:
Could it be that you only registered here to have a bit of "fun" and post pointless comments?
You As far as I know, he has been a member for several years. Anyone actively participating in this forum knows that you sometimes need to register again. It might be that his current wording isn’t the sharpest.
That aside, it doesn’t matter how long someone has been here. An opinion remains an opinion and doesn’t become more valid the longer you’ve been in the forum. However, with time and engagement, you gain more experience and a broader knowledge base by reading and contributing to posts.
I also don’t see a garage door as a focal point or eye-catcher of a house.
H
hanghaus202326 Nov 2022 08:46Hello @wolko22, thank you for sharing your project with us.
Apologies, but I was, of course, referring to your initial draft. I have read all the posts and naturally enjoy contributing here. I especially like focusing on plots with a slope. However, I don’t really see a slope in this project. That’s why I suggested bringing the garage up to the living level.
A garage intended for possibly two cars is simply very tight at 5 meters (16 feet). The driveway at 4 meters (13 feet) is also quite narrow. You can believe me or not.
I won’t comment on the floor plans for now, as there are people here who can do that much better than I can.
As for the mix of architectural styles, you can form your own opinion. You already know mine.
I usually prefer to keep things brief and to the point.
Please post the site elevation plan from the surveyor here. Maybe then I will really give your project some serious thought.
I wish you continued enjoyment with your project.
Talk to you later.
Apologies, but I was, of course, referring to your initial draft. I have read all the posts and naturally enjoy contributing here. I especially like focusing on plots with a slope. However, I don’t really see a slope in this project. That’s why I suggested bringing the garage up to the living level.
A garage intended for possibly two cars is simply very tight at 5 meters (16 feet). The driveway at 4 meters (13 feet) is also quite narrow. You can believe me or not.
I won’t comment on the floor plans for now, as there are people here who can do that much better than I can.
As for the mix of architectural styles, you can form your own opinion. You already know mine.
I usually prefer to keep things brief and to the point.
Please post the site elevation plan from the surveyor here. Maybe then I will really give your project some serious thought.
I wish you continued enjoyment with your project.
Talk to you later.
H
hanghaus202326 Nov 2022 08:50ypg schrieb:
As far as I know, he has been involved for a few years already. 😉
I also don’t see a garage door as a feature or focal point of a house. A driveway can certainly make an impression. But this one definitely does not.
If you list two parking spaces at the front, you have to expect that people will take it seriously. I wouldn’t want to park two cars at your place either. A central garage inside the house is also a considerable noise factor. Door opening, door closing, car in, car out. The walls can never be thick enough to block all that noise. That would just feel too close for me.
Regarding the design:
I see four toilets for two people. Yes, one of them is in the separate apartment, but that remains empty for now, if I understood correctly. All of them need to be cleaned if used. I find that excessive and poorly planned.
Furthermore, I would try to straighten the exterior walls. These tiny forward and backward offsets add little to no value but cause unnecessarily high costs.
How exactly are the windows in the basement below ground supposed to look? Are you planning to dig a moat around the fortress?
Overall, it’s a large house with plenty of unnecessary space for two people. I’m around the same age myself and, if building new, I would drastically reduce my house to the essentials.
Regarding the design:
I see four toilets for two people. Yes, one of them is in the separate apartment, but that remains empty for now, if I understood correctly. All of them need to be cleaned if used. I find that excessive and poorly planned.
Furthermore, I would try to straighten the exterior walls. These tiny forward and backward offsets add little to no value but cause unnecessarily high costs.
How exactly are the windows in the basement below ground supposed to look? Are you planning to dig a moat around the fortress?
Overall, it’s a large house with plenty of unnecessary space for two people. I’m around the same age myself and, if building new, I would drastically reduce my house to the essentials.
H
hanghaus202326 Nov 2022 11:06Hello @K a t j a
I would also prefer to plan something small but elegant. Then focus a lot on the interior design.
Let's wait for the architect and/or more input.
Best regards
I would also prefer to plan something small but elegant. Then focus a lot on the interior design.
Let's wait for the architect and/or more input.
Best regards
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