ᐅ Design and Construction Drawings Before Starting Building Work – What to Consider Before Approval

Hello,

I would like to know what should be considered before signing and approving the draft construction plans? There are many details that an inexperienced homeowner might not understand. Is it absolutely necessary to hire a professional for this? Am I allowed to submit the construction plans for an additional review here?

My subjective assessment and experience from two years ago:

- You need to set aside several hours for the construction drawings, and all adults who will live in the house should carefully check the plans down to the centimeter. We double-checked multiple times. I also recommend completing the full review on several different days because concentration and focus vary from day to day.
- Which way do the doors and windows open? Which leaf opens first and might collide with the shower or bathtub or even extend into these areas?
- Are the dimensions correct? Are the doors and windows shown in the right shape and placed in the correct location? For example, in our case, a window was drawn in the wrong place. In a symmetrical house, this would have looked very bad, and no one else but us noticed it.
- The utility room is also important. Where are the boilers, tanks, etc.? Is there room to optimize? In our case, the equipment was distributed across more walls than necessary. While this gave each trade plenty of space, we ended up lacking a free wall.
- I also consider door thresholds important. We chose floor-to-ceiling windows and assumed this would mean a nearly flat threshold. However, we actually have a threshold about 8cm (3 inches) high at every floor-to-ceiling window and patio door.
- Water connections for washing machines, sinks, etc. need to be correctly marked.
- We did not involve a professional expert.

If I remember anything else, I'll be happy to share it.

Wishing you much enjoyment and success with your building project.

Hello, we really took a lot of time for the plans back then. But at some point, you become blind to the details, especially as laypeople. Due to the total investment amount and the same uncertainty, we contacted an architect to see if she could review floor plans from “external” general contractors/developers and tidy up the layout if needed.

We paid about 200 euros for 1.5 hours at that time. She redrew the floor plan for us and corrected my mistakes. If we were to build again, I would probably go directly through an architect. It’s simply a different level/type compared to building with a general contractor or developer.

I can only recommend it. Usually, the cost is not significant compared to what you pay overall.

Things you might not notice yourselves:
- Where and when the light appears, and where it remains dark forever.
- Really impractical corners. Dirt niches.
- Placement of outbuildings.
- Sliding doors that look nice but provide poorer sound insulation.
- Distances in walking paths.

Kind regards

I agree with the previous comments:

• Windows and doors are often quickly placed in drawings without careful adjustment later (position, size, tilt function, whether the opening is to the left, right, or both, etc.)
• Exactly specify space requirements for cabinets, including plaster thickness
• Electrical outlets for lights, sockets, switches, etc.
• House height relative to the terrain, placement of outdoor facilities including cables, cisterns, electrical panel, heat pump, trash bins, etc.
• Is the garage width and driveway sufficient?
• Stairs: Has the riser height, tread depth, and width been checked and approved?
• Check space requirements for the kitchen layout including all outlets
• Check routes and space for drainage, pipes, and electrical wiring between floors
• Possibly mark areas without underfloor heating or those requiring increased load capacity for items such as a piano, aquarium, fireplace, etc.
• Plan empty conduits from the utility room (HAR) to the garden gate, neighboring buildings (e.g., shed for lighting or Christmas tree decorations), and to the roof/cellar.

Nothing else comes to mind for now.

I just thought of something; it sounds trivial, but it’s not:

Power outlets. Yes, you might think this has been mentioned a thousand times. ;-) I only realized after moving in that in some areas where we didn’t want furniture, but rather a “statement wallpaper,” certain power outlets, thermostats, light switches, or similar items ended up being in the way. You can cover them up, but then you lose the functionality.

So, if you plan to have some free wall space for a nice picture or other decoration instead of furniture everywhere, I recommend paying extra attention to avoid placing these necessary connections where they might later disrupt the aesthetics.