ᐅ Vacation Home Floor Plan Tuscany – 175 sqm on a Moderate Hillside Location
Created on: 22 Oct 2024 23:37
J
Janne01
Hello everyone,
I have been reading the forum for a while now and am impressed by the amount of information and tips shared here. If possible, I would also like to hear your opinions and assessments regarding our project.
We are still in the planning phase and have had initial discussions with our architects. Therefore, the information base is limited. Nevertheless, I would already like to receive feedback from you about what we should definitely pay attention to, what you think is realistic, and so on.
About the project: We have purchased a plot of land in Tuscany (10,500 sqm (2.6 acres)) located on a hillside (I would say a moderate slope / with an elevation change of 2m (6.5 ft) across the area where the house will be built), overlooking a small town in the valley and the hills of Tuscany. The plot faces northeast. The house (and later a small separate studio as well as a pool) will be a gathering place for the entire family.
The architects have already created initial floor plan drafts and have also consulted with the relevant authorities regarding size and construction method to ensure that the volume can be built as planned. An official building permit / planning permission has not yet been granted, as it is still early in the process.
I have attached a topographic map showing the house positioning as the architects suggested it would be most sensible, especially considering the view (towards the northeast). There is another house nearby that is already connected to electricity and water. The water is sourced from a spring. The pipes run along the lower edge of our plot, meaning the water must be brought up to the house (height difference about 7m (23 ft)).
We are commissioning the architects for the entire process, including tendering, bid comparison, work acceptance, site supervision, construction management, submitting applications, dealing with authorities … really everything, since we will not be on site. The architects are established in the region and have completed many projects there (for private clients, hotels, municipalities). They want EUR 80,000 plus VAT for the complete service, approximately EUR 100,000 gross in total. This also includes structural engineering, soil reports (already available), surveying, etc. They are designing the main house, studio, and outdoor areas. However, due to budget restrictions, only the main house will be built initially.
Budget: For the house, including earthworks, slab foundation, ancillary costs, taxes, and immediate outdoor areas around the house, we have communicated a budget of EUR 540,000 to the architects. The house has a floor area of about 175 sqm (1,883 sq ft) over two floors. We want to build the house using separate contracts. The architect believes this approach can make the project about 20–30% cheaper compared to a turnkey contract. He would, however, like to obtain a comparable turnkey offer for comparison. He mentioned Rubner as a potential home builder.
How do you assess the costs for the architects? How do you see the project budget-wise, and are there aspects we should pay close attention to? What do you think of the floor plan? I wonder if there is enough storage space. Maybe this is still too early a detail, but would you install air conditioning, and on the northeast side, would a pergola be sufficient for shading the kitchen/living area, or would you recommend blinds or shutters instead?
Thank you very much for your help in advance
I have been reading the forum for a while now and am impressed by the amount of information and tips shared here. If possible, I would also like to hear your opinions and assessments regarding our project.
We are still in the planning phase and have had initial discussions with our architects. Therefore, the information base is limited. Nevertheless, I would already like to receive feedback from you about what we should definitely pay attention to, what you think is realistic, and so on.
About the project: We have purchased a plot of land in Tuscany (10,500 sqm (2.6 acres)) located on a hillside (I would say a moderate slope / with an elevation change of 2m (6.5 ft) across the area where the house will be built), overlooking a small town in the valley and the hills of Tuscany. The plot faces northeast. The house (and later a small separate studio as well as a pool) will be a gathering place for the entire family.
The architects have already created initial floor plan drafts and have also consulted with the relevant authorities regarding size and construction method to ensure that the volume can be built as planned. An official building permit / planning permission has not yet been granted, as it is still early in the process.
I have attached a topographic map showing the house positioning as the architects suggested it would be most sensible, especially considering the view (towards the northeast). There is another house nearby that is already connected to electricity and water. The water is sourced from a spring. The pipes run along the lower edge of our plot, meaning the water must be brought up to the house (height difference about 7m (23 ft)).
We are commissioning the architects for the entire process, including tendering, bid comparison, work acceptance, site supervision, construction management, submitting applications, dealing with authorities … really everything, since we will not be on site. The architects are established in the region and have completed many projects there (for private clients, hotels, municipalities). They want EUR 80,000 plus VAT for the complete service, approximately EUR 100,000 gross in total. This also includes structural engineering, soil reports (already available), surveying, etc. They are designing the main house, studio, and outdoor areas. However, due to budget restrictions, only the main house will be built initially.
Budget: For the house, including earthworks, slab foundation, ancillary costs, taxes, and immediate outdoor areas around the house, we have communicated a budget of EUR 540,000 to the architects. The house has a floor area of about 175 sqm (1,883 sq ft) over two floors. We want to build the house using separate contracts. The architect believes this approach can make the project about 20–30% cheaper compared to a turnkey contract. He would, however, like to obtain a comparable turnkey offer for comparison. He mentioned Rubner as a potential home builder.
How do you assess the costs for the architects? How do you see the project budget-wise, and are there aspects we should pay close attention to? What do you think of the floor plan? I wonder if there is enough storage space. Maybe this is still too early a detail, but would you install air conditioning, and on the northeast side, would a pergola be sufficient for shading the kitchen/living area, or would you recommend blinds or shutters instead?
Thank you very much for your help in advance
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
I have shifted the house a bit. There is only a 10% slope.
The access reduced by 50%.
The house is about 3 m (10 feet) higher.
In red, an alternative route without a 15% incline. Although in Tuscany, a 15% incline should usually not be a problem. Or does it snow there as well?
Thanks for showing these alternatives!
H
hanghaus202323 Oct 2024 14:24What is the purpose of the area in front of the door?
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
What is the purpose of the area in front of the door?This is a covered area in front of the main entrance and at the same time it increases the floor space of the room above.
Schorsch_baut schrieb:
My boss has had an unfinished building by Lake Garda for 10 years, because building in Italy means dealing with arbitrary bureaucracy and organized crime. His conclusion was: just buy a finished property. Of course, things can always go wrong, and there are negative examples for every situation; however, these are not the norm.
What really concerns me are other thoughts, and I wonder whether you should actually build the house like this and now (if I may share my thoughts on this).
Of course, I don’t know your background or all the deeper intentions, but I imagine some things might be difficult.
You probably won’t be there permanently during construction and won’t see the house “grow,” so you can’t intervene if you notice something or find your own error in judgement. You’ll have to make many small but potentially important decisions over the phone or via smartphone camera, which is inevitably risky. Building on-site is already stressful and worrying, but as a remote builder, it’s even more so.
That might be why I would tend to buy, especially since there doesn’t seem to be any rush.
Furthermore, you mentioned that in 15 years your life could be completely different when you want to fully use your house. It will be a technically “old” house by then, and all the features installed now will be outdated by the time you move in.
And will you actually move there? I hope so, but life sometimes takes strange turns, and 15 years is a very long time in which many things can change for better or worse.
If at all, perhaps consider a timeless classic like an old stone house or similar; a “normal” house built in 2025 might not suit your taste in 2040, for example.
As I said, I don’t know your personal circumstances and they are none of my business, but I might rather rent something nice permanently or occasionally that suits our purposes, and then, if I plan to live there mainly or permanently, build my “dream house” exactly as I need it or as fits my situation at that time.
Regarding the floor plan, I thought that a “normal” family layout might not fit your situation, which seems rather unusual. Therefore, I would tell my architect exactly what I want, such as a spacious terrace or dining area for the family, perhaps more privacy for the individual rooms (possibly en-suite bathrooms), and a separated sleeping area for me and my spouse.
These special features of yours cannot be seen from the floor plan.
I hope this line of thought doesn’t bother you.
N
nordanney23 Oct 2024 18:43Arauki11 schrieb:
Naturally, I don’t know the background or all the underlying intentions, but I imagine some things could be challenging. Well, anyone who treats themselves to a small villa as a holiday home just for fun (planning to expand it later including a pool) should have the necessary funds to have the difficult issues resolved by professionals—nordanney schrieb:
Well, anyone who decides to treat themselves to a small villa as a holiday home just for fun (with plans to later expand it, including a pool) should have the necessary funds to let professionals handle the difficult aspects. I am neither familiar with the phrase "just for fun" nor with the term "necessary funds," as these sound too casual since we do not know the background here. Almost all houses are built with highly praised German tradespeople, and this forum is full of complaints, so this has little to do with possible financial resources. From what I have read, those owners who have carried out large and special construction projects here in the forum were usually deeply involved in the building process themselves, more so than those with simpler houses. Some things you simply have to see, hear, or experience firsthand. As you yourself already noted above, the architect’s work so far has not been exactly exemplary.
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