Hello everyone!
I have been in the planning phase for our single-family house for some time now, but it is proving to be very difficult and complicated due to the characteristics of our plot.
Here is a brief description of our plot:
Orientation: South - North
Dimensions: 20m wide and 40m long (approx. 66 feet by 131 feet)
The access road is located on the south side. Therefore, our plot slopes upward about 3m (10 feet) from the south (access road) towards the north.
See attachment below:
We do not have a preferred layout for the floor plan of the single-family house. I am open to all ideas and would appreciate any suggestions or layouts that could help us realize our dream home. We have already considered all variants (basement & ground floor, ground floor & upper floor)…
What we want:
- Double garage and barrier-free access through a utility/mudroom into the house & a technical room for the building
- Basement / Ground floor:
Living room
Dining room
Kitchen & pantry/storage room
Office
Bathroom
Toilet
Entrance hall & cloakroom
Access to the next floor via stairs
- Ground floor / Upper floor:
Master bedroom
Child’s bedroom
Child’s bedroom
Child’s bedroom
Bathroom
Toilet
Roof type: Gable roof
South orientation is not a must, as we are not sun worshippers and summers are getting hotter. We want nice, open, and bright rooms, as well as a garden on both the south and north sides with small terraces.
I would be very grateful for your help, thoughts, and experiences, and I look forward to hearing from you!
Best regards from beautiful Austria!
I have been in the planning phase for our single-family house for some time now, but it is proving to be very difficult and complicated due to the characteristics of our plot.
Here is a brief description of our plot:
Orientation: South - North
Dimensions: 20m wide and 40m long (approx. 66 feet by 131 feet)
The access road is located on the south side. Therefore, our plot slopes upward about 3m (10 feet) from the south (access road) towards the north.
See attachment below:
We do not have a preferred layout for the floor plan of the single-family house. I am open to all ideas and would appreciate any suggestions or layouts that could help us realize our dream home. We have already considered all variants (basement & ground floor, ground floor & upper floor)…
What we want:
- Double garage and barrier-free access through a utility/mudroom into the house & a technical room for the building
- Basement / Ground floor:
Living room
Dining room
Kitchen & pantry/storage room
Office
Bathroom
Toilet
Entrance hall & cloakroom
Access to the next floor via stairs
- Ground floor / Upper floor:
Master bedroom
Child’s bedroom
Child’s bedroom
Child’s bedroom
Bathroom
Toilet
Roof type: Gable roof
South orientation is not a must, as we are not sun worshippers and summers are getting hotter. We want nice, open, and bright rooms, as well as a garden on both the south and north sides with small terraces.
I would be very grateful for your help, thoughts, and experiences, and I look forward to hearing from you!
Best regards from beautiful Austria!
John2122 schrieb:
Of course, the site can be excavated. You might be legally freer to shape the terrain than we are here in Marmeladien, but the laws of nature mean that Austrian water also flows downhill, so common sense should somewhat restrain the enthusiasm for digging.
K a t j a schrieb:
I would recommend choosing a terrace first, [...] Then you can consider where the garage might fit. Instead of having a north-facing terrace for summer sun and a south-facing terrace for winter sun, I would place just one on the west side and use a more manageable privacy screen or shade provider rather than using the whole house for that purpose (possibly a movable one). Cars should be grateful just to have a sleeping space close to the family and their needs should come last.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
I think the original poster is thinking of something along these lines:
This shows the huge volumes of material that would need to be moved and how incredibly long the walls would be. I don’t know how local prices are, but for 650,000 at the required house specifications with 3 children's bedrooms and an office – I see it as very unlikely for 650,000. Even if the upper excavation is left out – it’s still a substantial amount.
This shows the huge volumes of material that would need to be moved and how incredibly long the walls would be. I don’t know how local prices are, but for 650,000 at the required house specifications with 3 children's bedrooms and an office – I see it as very unlikely for 650,000. Even if the upper excavation is left out – it’s still a substantial amount.
W
wiltshire23 May 2025 07:52What money can solve, you simply solve with money. A ground-level access from the garage into the house costs a five-figure amount. If the garage is next to the house, the amount usually starts with a one; if it’s in front of the house, more likely with a three. All doable.
To stay within the target budget, something else on the wish list has to be cut. Also doable.
With a budget of 650k, I would prioritize expenses differently and accept compromises of 3 to 5 levels. I understand that this wish comes from the current situation and is growing day by day. Achieving 95% improvement is relatively affordable, and you will celebrate that. Getting to 100% will cost you a lot more. But everyone is different and has their own fixed ideas.
To stay within the target budget, something else on the wish list has to be cut. Also doable.
With a budget of 650k, I would prioritize expenses differently and accept compromises of 3 to 5 levels. I understand that this wish comes from the current situation and is growing day by day. Achieving 95% improvement is relatively affordable, and you will celebrate that. Getting to 100% will cost you a lot more. But everyone is different and has their own fixed ideas.
H
hanghaus202323 May 2025 08:29I’ll show you the effects of the three levels.
Significantly less earthmoving,
balanced mass flow,
much gentler slopes.
Significantly less earthmoving,
balanced mass flow,
much gentler slopes.
John2122 schrieb:
What matters most to us is the barrier-free access from the garage into the house. However, the sloping terrain makes it somewhat difficult to have the garden level on the same plane without placing the whole house too deep into the hillside.Barrier-free access is not simple. We faced the same issue. Our driveway does not meet the standard—it’s too steep. From the garage, we have direct barrier-free access into the house and also through the yard to the front door. The latter isn’t ideal and doesn’t fully comply with standards, but it works and was feasible to implement. By now, the front door is used for wheelchairs, walkers, and similar aids—even though the slope isn’t ideal, this route to the dining area is more direct.I wouldn’t level the entire plot. Besides the huge costs, there is also the problem of water runoff during heavy rain. As 11ant already mentioned, water always flows downhill. If things go badly, it could also run onto the neighbor’s slope. Cost, heavy rain, and the desire to have everything completely flat is a real challenge. Our site isn’t entirely level either, yet we still spent a lot of money on retaining walls, filling, and excavation. Part of the property can only be accessed from the upper floor or from the street above.
H
hanghaus202323 May 2025 09:59I searched online for floor plans.
These can still be optimized and customized. This also works with a two-story house. You can also do without bay windows and cross gables.
These can still be optimized and customized. This also works with a two-story house. You can also do without bay windows and cross gables.
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