Hello everyone,
We are planning to build in the near future and have already reserved the plot. Unfortunately, there is no access road yet, and we have not chosen a builder yet.
We would really appreciate your help and feedback.
Zoning Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 816m² (9850 sq ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.3
Floor area ratio: -
Building envelope, building line and boundary: see image
Edge development:
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: max. 1 full floor
Roof type: "[...] only pitched roofs with slopes between 18° and 48° permitted. Barrel and (half) arched roofs are not permitted. Shed roofs are only allowed if built as double-pitched roofs with slopes in opposite directions. Offset roof surfaces are allowed."
Architectural style
Orientation: ridge from west to east
Maximum heights / limits: max. building height = 9.5m (31 ft)
Other requirements
Owners’ requirements
Style, roof form, building type: We want a kind of gable roof; everything else is quite flexible
Basement, floors: Partial basement for technical equipment, office, and storage. Preferably fully underground so no stairs in front of the entrance
Number of occupants, ages: Expected 4 (2 adults in their mid-30s, 2 children under 4)
Room requirements on ground floor and upper floor:
Upper floor: large children’s rooms, decent main bathroom, preferably with a walk-in closet;
Ground floor: moderately large kitchen, bathroom with shower, utility room with space for storage
Office: also for home office
Guests per year: about 5 visits with 2 guests each
Open or closed layout: rather open
Conservative or modern architecture: doesn’t matter
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open
Number of dining seats: 1 table for 6, or 8 if squeezing together
Fireplace: possibly later an ethanol wall fireplace (where the piano currently stands)
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: yes
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: small vegetable garden
Additional wishes / special needs / daily routine, including reasons for preferences
House design
Who created the design:
- Do-it-yourself, partially based on builders' designs
What do you especially like? Why? I am basically happy with every room.
What do you dislike? Why? The bathroom on the upper floor is a bit tight? With only 1 full floor and 1.64m (5 ft 4 in) knee wall height and a resulting 18° roof slope, we wouldn’t have usable attic space :\
Price estimate according to architect/designer:
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: 300,000
Preferred heating system: geothermal
If you have to skip anything, which details/extras
- can you live without: sewing room; basement if there is an adequate solution for technical equipment and storage
- cannot do without: shower on ground floor, enough space in kitchen and utility room
Why is the design the way it is? For example:
Studied hundreds of floor plans and adapted the layout to the plot and our needs/preferences
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
Is the house design reasonably feasible or are there major issues / deal breakers?
Is it okay to show such a design to various builders and ask for a rough cost estimate?
Many thanks in advance to all hardworking helpers
We are planning to build in the near future and have already reserved the plot. Unfortunately, there is no access road yet, and we have not chosen a builder yet.
We would really appreciate your help and feedback.
Zoning Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 816m² (9850 sq ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.3
Floor area ratio: -
Building envelope, building line and boundary: see image
Edge development:
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: max. 1 full floor
Roof type: "[...] only pitched roofs with slopes between 18° and 48° permitted. Barrel and (half) arched roofs are not permitted. Shed roofs are only allowed if built as double-pitched roofs with slopes in opposite directions. Offset roof surfaces are allowed."
Architectural style
Orientation: ridge from west to east
Maximum heights / limits: max. building height = 9.5m (31 ft)
Other requirements
Owners’ requirements
Style, roof form, building type: We want a kind of gable roof; everything else is quite flexible
Basement, floors: Partial basement for technical equipment, office, and storage. Preferably fully underground so no stairs in front of the entrance
Number of occupants, ages: Expected 4 (2 adults in their mid-30s, 2 children under 4)
Room requirements on ground floor and upper floor:
Upper floor: large children’s rooms, decent main bathroom, preferably with a walk-in closet;
Ground floor: moderately large kitchen, bathroom with shower, utility room with space for storage
Office: also for home office
Guests per year: about 5 visits with 2 guests each
Open or closed layout: rather open
Conservative or modern architecture: doesn’t matter
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open
Number of dining seats: 1 table for 6, or 8 if squeezing together
Fireplace: possibly later an ethanol wall fireplace (where the piano currently stands)
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: yes
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: small vegetable garden
Additional wishes / special needs / daily routine, including reasons for preferences
House design
Who created the design:
- Do-it-yourself, partially based on builders' designs
What do you especially like? Why? I am basically happy with every room.
What do you dislike? Why? The bathroom on the upper floor is a bit tight? With only 1 full floor and 1.64m (5 ft 4 in) knee wall height and a resulting 18° roof slope, we wouldn’t have usable attic space :\
Price estimate according to architect/designer:
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: 300,000
Preferred heating system: geothermal
If you have to skip anything, which details/extras
- can you live without: sewing room; basement if there is an adequate solution for technical equipment and storage
- cannot do without: shower on ground floor, enough space in kitchen and utility room
Why is the design the way it is? For example:
Studied hundreds of floor plans and adapted the layout to the plot and our needs/preferences
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
Is the house design reasonably feasible or are there major issues / deal breakers?
Is it okay to show such a design to various builders and ask for a rough cost estimate?
Many thanks in advance to all hardworking helpers
With a budget of 300,000 euros, we don’t need to discuss the floor plan.
A rough estimate is 2,000 euros per square meter (10.8 sq ft) plus additional building costs and possibly higher-end finishes, minus any DIY work.
No basement
No home office on the ground floor
Smaller kids’ rooms
No open void space
No walk-in closet or sewing room
Add dimensions to the floor plans
Always include furniture to scale
Draw a two-meter (6.6 ft) height line on the upper floor plan
The modern 142 Country House from Town & Country is roughly what fits within your budget
A rough estimate is 2,000 euros per square meter (10.8 sq ft) plus additional building costs and possibly higher-end finishes, minus any DIY work.
No basement
No home office on the ground floor
Smaller kids’ rooms
No open void space
No walk-in closet or sewing room
Add dimensions to the floor plans
Always include furniture to scale
Draw a two-meter (6.6 ft) height line on the upper floor plan
The modern 142 Country House from Town & Country is roughly what fits within your budget
I can only agree with the previous posts!
Don’t get caught up in “rose-colored glasses” hopes for a house if the cost planning falls through later.
We are also building in a region where prices aren’t sky-high yet and will only reach your set budget for the house itself, without a basement. And that still doesn’t include the kitchen, flooring, or paint on the walls.
Conclusion: find out the actual costs first, then discuss the floor plan.
Don’t get caught up in “rose-colored glasses” hopes for a house if the cost planning falls through later.
We are also building in a region where prices aren’t sky-high yet and will only reach your set budget for the house itself, without a basement. And that still doesn’t include the kitchen, flooring, or paint on the walls.
Conclusion: find out the actual costs first, then discuss the floor plan.
K
KlausBautHaus1 Nov 2020 23:15Thank you for the lively interest.
@11ant: Apart from
The 300,000 budget is probably a bit too low/naive. That’s more the amount we were hoping for :\
It’s a pity that most of the responses have focused on costs rather than on the details of the layout. We would be willing to spend more if necessary, so I’m sticking to the layout for now. The idea was also to get offers from a larger number of suppliers first. Otherwise you would probably negotiate and plan with two or three providers and then make a decision. But maybe that’s just how it is.
Nevertheless, I would appreciate further criticism of the floor plan.
Maybe someone can also help me with the initially described problem:
With some hipped roofs, I have noticed they start flatter and then become suddenly steeper. Could that be the solution? Start with a relatively high knee wall and a shallow pitch, then, from the point where you can reach 2.2m (approximately 7’3”, as per Lower Saxony building regulations), increase the pitch to enlarge the attic. Would this comply with the zoning plan:
Thanks again to everyone who is patient with me a little longer.
The idea seems familiar to me.Yes, I tried my luck some time ago in another forum. Since then, the layout of the ground floor and basement has changed significantly based on feedback.
There are partial basements that save somewhat less than expected – this one saves at least nothing and might even be more expensive than a full basement.According to a preliminary discussion with a builder, there is this prefabricated basement of about 30m² (320 sq ft), which also resists water pressure and meets KfW 40 standards (is it okay to mention brand names here?), for 20,000 including earthworks (assuming normal soil) excluding the stairs. Compared to a technical room of 10m² (108 sq ft) within an insulated shell, which costs about the same, this seemed quite reasonable to me.
@11ant: Apart from
Once you reach the upper floor, you get a disorienting spinning feeling., I couldn’t find any specific criticism, so I assume you basically dislike the entire layout.
Make the office smaller so the living room might be a bit cozier.Is the living room too cramped for your taste?
Furniture always to scaleBoth are present.
Draw a two-meter line on the upper floor
Town & Country’s modern “Landhaus 142” is roughly what fits your budgetThanks, I actually quite like that.
The 300,000 budget is probably a bit too low/naive. That’s more the amount we were hoping for :\
It’s a pity that most of the responses have focused on costs rather than on the details of the layout. We would be willing to spend more if necessary, so I’m sticking to the layout for now. The idea was also to get offers from a larger number of suppliers first. Otherwise you would probably negotiate and plan with two or three providers and then make a decision. But maybe that’s just how it is.
Nevertheless, I would appreciate further criticism of the floor plan.
Maybe someone can also help me with the initially described problem:
With only one full floor and a knee wall height of 1.64m (5’5”) and the resulting 18° roof pitch, we wouldn’t have a usable attic :\
With some hipped roofs, I have noticed they start flatter and then become suddenly steeper. Could that be the solution? Start with a relatively high knee wall and a shallow pitch, then, from the point where you can reach 2.2m (approximately 7’3”, as per Lower Saxony building regulations), increase the pitch to enlarge the attic. Would this comply with the zoning plan:
[...]only pitched roofs with slopes between 18° and 48° are permitted. Barrel and (half-)arched roofs are not allowed. Shed roofs are only permitted if they are built with two slopes inclining in different directions. Staggered roof planes are allowed.
Thanks again to everyone who is patient with me a little longer.
KlausBautHaus schrieb:
Yes, some time ago I tried my luck in another forum. Since then, the layout of the ground floor and basement has changed significantly due to feedback. In my view, many things have stayed the same, so it reminded me of the first attempt right away.
All these offsets in the interior walls: I wonder how you’re supposed to properly support the ceiling panels there. The entrance to the open-plan area, which actually isn’t really present but only results from a flawed Tetris-like arrangement, doesn’t create a pleasant spatial feeling.
The windows upstairs reach about 220 centimeters (87 inches) in room height. Therefore, none of your windows work, as they all are around the 2-meter (79 inches) range.
KlausBautHaus schrieb:
which is why I’m sticking to the floor plan for now. You shouldn’t hold on to it. Standard house types with similar room layouts are buildable and functional. Even the enclosed utility room doesn’t make life any easier. The fridge’s location blocks your traffic routes.
In the bedroom, I would rather add 20 centimeters (8 inches) on each side of the bed and give up the walk-in closet.
And who needs a 16 square meter (172 square feet) office plus an 8 square meter (86 square feet) sewing nook? That’s almost 24 square meters (258 square feet) of nice-to-have space, just poorly allocated.
The basement is almost entirely staircase. A 10 square meter (108 square feet) level extension with natural light is much more valuable than such a dark room. The supply lines first have to reach upstairs. By the time the hot water gets that far, you’re already done brushing your teeth.
KlausBautHaus schrieb:
Is the living room too small for your taste? Yes, and quite uncomfortable with the sofa floating in the room and practically right in front of the TV.
Take a look online for floor plans.
KlausBautHaus schrieb:
I have noticed that some hipped roofs start off flatter and then become suddenly steeper.Cost driver. Focus on straightforward design and simple construction.
KlausBautHaus schrieb:
Other than [Once you reach the upper floor, you get a dizzying spiral.], I couldn’t find any specific criticism, so I assume you generally dislike everything about my floor plan. [...] Thanks, I don’t dislike the [Country house 142 modern by Town & Country] that much. [...] Nevertheless, I would appreciate further feedback on the floor plan.
Maybe someone can also help me with the initially described problem: [With only one full story and a knee wall height of 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in) and the resulting 18° roof pitch, we would have no usable attic space].
I’ve noticed that some hip roofs start off shallow and then become steeper. Could this be the solution? Starting with a relatively high knee wall and gentle slope, then increasing the pitch at the point where the 2.2 m (7 ft 3 in) headroom required by the Lower Saxony Building Code can be reached, in order to enlarge the attic. [and elsewhere: It’s supposed to be a very specific prefabricated basement, which according to my builder uncle only costs around 25,000 EUR and is well insulated. It’s only available with these dimensions.] [...] Many thanks again to everyone who can continue to be patient with me. I’m happy to be patient with you—so far, you’ve done nothing to deserve otherwise. Saying I “generally dislike” your design would be a misunderstanding. It’s just that anyone with some experience in building projects quickly realizes that while you might be a master at baking the most divine chocolate cake ever, your understanding of house planning is even less than mine of football. Therefore, the friendliest advice I can give you is to consult professionals in this field. If you don’t dislike the Country House 142 that much, why not take that model as a starting point and tell us specifically what you would like to change about it? I don’t understand why you want to combine a knee wall of 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in) with the minimum roof pitch allowed by your development plan. But yes, not only for the attic but also for the living space directly below the roof, this results in space that can best be described as “more dead than alive”: hardly usable. How your unusual hip roof with progressive roof pitch is supposed to be constructed is unclear to me—perhaps you could sketch it? The description sounds a bit like hip roofs with dormer extensions as seen around ninety years ago (although their pitch didn’t increase at 22°). Why hip roof at all, and not a gable roof, which is more economical in terms of space and costs?
It seems to me that you have about a dozen ideas that feel like “Eureka!” moments from your perspective, but these ideas are not understood by anyone else except you, including experienced forum members like Yvonne and myself. @all: can anyone “translate” the original poster’s thought process here (or give me a tip on what I’d have to smoke to make sense of it)?
I would gladly help if I could even get a grip on this...
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