ᐅ Full story or with knee wall?

Created on: 16 Jan 2019 15:44
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JuliaHa
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JuliaHa
16 Jan 2019 15:44
Hello everyone,
I just registered because I have a question.

We are currently deep in the planning phase for our single-family house and now we are wondering whether to build two full stories or to have a knee wall of 1.90 cm (0.75 inches) upstairs.
Our contractor said it would be cheaper with two full stories since the roof frame wouldn’t need insulation and the ceilings on the first floor wouldn’t have to be lowered.

Does anyone have experience with which option is more cost-effective?
From a practical point of view, two full stories would be better.

Best regards, JuliaHa
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ypg
16 Jan 2019 15:54
If you are allowed, then do it instead of the 1.90m (6 ft 3 in).
You could also better arrange windows and place cabinets.
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apokolok
16 Jan 2019 16:09
Your structural builder is a smart man. No one builds a knee wall of 1.90 meters (6 feet 3 inches).
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JuliaHa
16 Jan 2019 16:39
Yes, according to the authorities, we are allowed to build two full stories with a maximum height of 6.5 meters (21 feet 4 inches).

We initially thought it would be cheaper to include the knee wall and then add narrow light well windows at the front, like the ones you see everywhere now. However, the builder said yesterday that it is probably more cost-effective to build two full stories without the knee wall. I’m now unsure if that might actually exceed our budget. We are somewhat limited by the costs, and our first thought was: “bigger house” = “higher costs.” But according to the shell builder, that is not necessarily the case.
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Zaba12
16 Jan 2019 17:05
apokolok schrieb:
Your shell builder is a smart man.
Nobody builds a knee wall of 1.90 meters (6 ft 3 in).

Then take a look at Rensch-Haus, they have something like that.
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ypg
16 Jan 2019 17:07
JuliaHa schrieb:
I was unsure whether this might actually exceed our budget in the end. We do have some financial limitations, and the first thought was: "bigger house" = "higher costs." But according to the structural builder, this is not necessarily the case.

Then why not introduce your house in the subforum Floor Plan Discussions? Maybe we can find some ways to save costs. This often relates to the driveway, efficient use of living space, combining rooms or piping, and so on.