ᐅ Floor Plan Design for a Single-Family Home of 165 sqm with Basement and Light Well

And, ask your architect for a serious cost estimate.

It also appears that some earthworks will be necessary.

And, I seriously wonder what you intend to do with so much basement space.

kbt09 schrieb:

And, I seriously wonder what you plan to do with so much basement space.

It’s still clearly within the thermal envelope (hobby room, utility room) and also has two stair access points.

Aside from that: having that much basement space is great. Better to have more than you need than less... But it also has to be affordable. If it has to be a “white tank” (watertight concrete basement), then there isn’t much room for personal work. In that case, the first few thousand dollars really go straight into the basement.

Well ... 170 m² (1830 sq ft) of pure living space and 145 m² (1560 sq ft) of basement plus about 10 m² (110 sq ft) of storage space in the garage area for

Martin94 schrieb:

Number of people, age: 2 adults (and possibly 2 children later)

is already quite a bit beyond "it would have been better to."

Schorsch_baut schrieb:

A visible roof structure is also a costly feature.

That’s true. We don’t have exposed roof beams, but everything is open to the ceiling. Due to the thermal insulation requirements for the living space, that was an expensive item—about €5,000 for 25sqm (270 sqft) of floor area.

Martin94 schrieb:

Where do you think I can save the most money? Aside from floor area and basement.

The question is misguided and wrongly phrased. The biggest savings come only from reducing living area and leaving out the basement. Everything else is almost negligible. What homeowners generally have to and can manage themselves are painting and flooring. But with a turnkey house, these costs are almost always borne by the buyer and are reflected in the mandatory €20,000 (about $22,000) equity contribution in financing. A living square meter costs around €3,000 (about $3,200) in a standard single-family house.

Martin94 schrieb:

and of course also helping out with the builders if the construction company allows/wants it.

Do you work shifts or are you no longer employed? From the construction companies’ and contractors’ point of view, this usually isn’t an option because safety (employment status/insurance) is an important factor. For you, it could mean the warranty might be jeopardized.

Martin94 schrieb:

Is a wardrobe in the hallway possible?

No, I don’t see that here. It simply wasn’t planned.

Martin94 schrieb:

Basically, we wonder whether separating the dining and living room makes sense or whether that would make the rooms too small.

Why do you want that? I don’t see it as necessary. (I would actually be more concerned about the entire wardrobe—ideally at least 60cm (24 inches) per person in width with 60cm (24 inches) depth.)

Martin94 schrieb:

There is also a house in the forum with 240sqm and a double garage without basement where a sporty budget has been defined. The builder says they will meet a budget of €550,000.

One in ten, or one in a hundred?

No matter. With a budget of €450,000 (about $485,000), I see a simple house with 150/160sqm (1,615/1,720 sqft). Not more, not less. No basement, no double garage. Less if you consider the large windows. Plus additional construction costs and landscaping. €450,000 is what a decent house of around 150sqm costs with normal quality. There is no “freebie” double garage with a pitched roof or a basement included.

Regarding the design:
It doesn’t impress with creativity. I don’t see the work of an architect here; it’s very plain. There are no clever details, just shortcomings caused by a lack of creativity. For example, missing wardrobe/storage space, poorly positioned toilets on the short side, a living room that is too large compared to the too-small dining area. The facades come across as disharmonious due to the choice of windows—they seem randomly placed. And finally: 245cm (8 ft) tall windows, which are very narrow, are supposed to be installed in a room with a ceiling height of 257cm (8 ft 5 in). Are these some sort of fantasy dimensions? If not: where does the idea come from to make such narrow and tall windows? That looks completely odd!
By the way: I don’t understand the purpose of the basement either. The technical equipment can easily be installed on the ground floor. The slope of the site doesn’t make the many basement rooms necessary. I also don’t see from your stated needs that a lot of hobby rooms are required. I mean…

Martin94 schrieb:

Number of persons, age: 2 adults (and possibly 2 children later)
Space requirements, ground floor/upper floor: 164sqm (1,765 sqft)
Office: family use and home office
Overnight guests per year: currently not needed
Open or closed layout: open
Conservative or modern style: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: yes
Music/surround sound wall: yes
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: utility garden
Other wishes/particulars/daily routine, including reasons for including/excluding certain elements: light well in front of living room window for an additional office/bedroom in the basement.

There is no indication of any needs other than an office.

Fact: the house does not fit your needs or budget!

nordanney schrieb:

Then please ask directly what was done by themselves.

I personally carried out a major renovation almost entirely on my own.

And yes, you can definitely say that. Friends or acquaintances who ultimately gave you the sign-off for electrical work, drinking water and wastewater systems...
That’s the main issue. You can install all that stuff perfectly, but in the end, a licensed professional has to sign off, otherwise the utility company won’t install the meter.

And affordable? If you don’t know how to lay bricks? A lot can go seriously wrong. Roofing? That can be deadly for an amateur.

I’m surprised. You guys yell at me when I say “well, 3,000 EUR/m² (about 280 USD/ft²) is not necessary, it can be done for 2,500 EUR/m² (about 230 USD/ft²),” and then statements like “throw the stuff on the roof yourself and you’ll be under 1,000 EUR/m² (about 90 USD/ft²)” come up?

Absurd... Bricklaying and roofing should be done by professionals unless you know someone.
Inside, you can be creative, and that’s where there’s a lot of potential to save.

MachsSelbst schrieb:


I’m surprised. You all criticize me when I say, "Well, 3,000 EUR/m² isn’t necessary; you can manage with 2,500…" and then statements like "do the roofing yourself, and you’ll be under 1,000 EUR/m²" show up?

Why kick a dead cow? This project is clearly underfunded, and I don’t think anyone has really understood the purpose of this huge underground bunker yet. So, back to square one.