Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size – approx. 1000m² (0.25 acres)
Slope – yes, about one full story along the length of the house
Number of parking spaces – 4 (2 of which are carport or garage)
Number of floors – no restrictions
Roof style – anything except flat roof
Architectural style – rural, classic
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type – no Bauhaus, rather country house style
Basement, stories – 2 full stories
Number of occupants, ages – currently 3: 37, 30, 2
Space needs on ground and upper floors
Office: family use or home office? Both fully remote: Home office is a permanent workplace for both
Occasional guests per year – 4-6?
Conservative or modern construction – conservative
Open kitchen, island – open but L-shaped, with an island
Number of dining seats – at least 8, with room for more
Fireplace – no
Music/stereo wall – no
Balcony, roof terrace – no
Garage, carport – yes
Utility garden, greenhouse – possibly, no major importance
Other wishes/special features/daily routine, including reasons why certain things are preferred or avoided:
- Space for a Christmas tree in the living/dining area
- “Nerd cave”: a larger hobby room for retro games, preferably without windows -> no UV exposure
- Home gym – room for at least one rack and some additional equipment
- Cooking, dining, and living areas open and arranged in a corner layout
- Pantry desired
- Cloakroom area near the entrance for jackets and shoes
- 2 children’s bedrooms plus guest room
- Parents’ bedroom with walk-in closet
- Utility/laundry room on the sleeping floor
House Design
Designed by:
- Architect
What do you especially like? Why?
- All the wishes we sent over two pages of text have been perfectly incorporated
- Large, symmetrical pantry
- Very open, spacious living area
- Option to convert the gym into a second office if needed for work
- All children’s bedrooms are the same size
What don’t you like? Why?
- It is simply very large – pricing is at the upper limit of what we can afford
- Posts (presumably for structural reasons) in the living/dining area
- Office could possibly be a bit bigger, but the house is already huge
Price estimate according to architect/planner: Fixed-price turnkey offers from two providers so far likely to be in the range of 490,000–520,000 (currency not specified)
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: 500,000
Preferred heating system: Heat pump, central ventilation system, air conditioning
If you had to give up something, which details/expansions
- Could give up: maybe one room, open areas in the hallway
- Cannot give up: ventilation system, air conditioning, pantry, basically almost everything else 😀
Why did the design turn out the way it is? For example:
Which wishes were fulfilled by the architect? Simply all of them. We had communicated our wishes in writing, and the design fully reflects our complete “wish list.”
What makes it particularly good or bad in your opinion?
Everything we need is included; it’s large, inviting, open, bright, and leaves no wishes unfulfilled. However, the price is close to the maximum monthly financial burden we want to accept.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
My husband is completely thrilled with this floor plan, and he’s usually not so easily enthusiastic. 😀
I also find it very well done. But it’s clearly the fact that all our wishes are included that makes it great for us.
I’m just curious to hear your opinion.
Here, @Pinkiponk – I just went ahead and posted it. 🙂
Plot size – approx. 1000m² (0.25 acres)
Slope – yes, about one full story along the length of the house
Number of parking spaces – 4 (2 of which are carport or garage)
Number of floors – no restrictions
Roof style – anything except flat roof
Architectural style – rural, classic
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type – no Bauhaus, rather country house style
Basement, stories – 2 full stories
Number of occupants, ages – currently 3: 37, 30, 2
Space needs on ground and upper floors
Office: family use or home office? Both fully remote: Home office is a permanent workplace for both
Occasional guests per year – 4-6?
Conservative or modern construction – conservative
Open kitchen, island – open but L-shaped, with an island
Number of dining seats – at least 8, with room for more
Fireplace – no
Music/stereo wall – no
Balcony, roof terrace – no
Garage, carport – yes
Utility garden, greenhouse – possibly, no major importance
Other wishes/special features/daily routine, including reasons why certain things are preferred or avoided:
- Space for a Christmas tree in the living/dining area
- “Nerd cave”: a larger hobby room for retro games, preferably without windows -> no UV exposure
- Home gym – room for at least one rack and some additional equipment
- Cooking, dining, and living areas open and arranged in a corner layout
- Pantry desired
- Cloakroom area near the entrance for jackets and shoes
- 2 children’s bedrooms plus guest room
- Parents’ bedroom with walk-in closet
- Utility/laundry room on the sleeping floor
House Design
Designed by:
- Architect
What do you especially like? Why?
- All the wishes we sent over two pages of text have been perfectly incorporated
- Large, symmetrical pantry
- Very open, spacious living area
- Option to convert the gym into a second office if needed for work
- All children’s bedrooms are the same size
What don’t you like? Why?
- It is simply very large – pricing is at the upper limit of what we can afford
- Posts (presumably for structural reasons) in the living/dining area
- Office could possibly be a bit bigger, but the house is already huge
Price estimate according to architect/planner: Fixed-price turnkey offers from two providers so far likely to be in the range of 490,000–520,000 (currency not specified)
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: 500,000
Preferred heating system: Heat pump, central ventilation system, air conditioning
If you had to give up something, which details/expansions
- Could give up: maybe one room, open areas in the hallway
- Cannot give up: ventilation system, air conditioning, pantry, basically almost everything else 😀
Why did the design turn out the way it is? For example:
Which wishes were fulfilled by the architect? Simply all of them. We had communicated our wishes in writing, and the design fully reflects our complete “wish list.”
What makes it particularly good or bad in your opinion?
Everything we need is included; it’s large, inviting, open, bright, and leaves no wishes unfulfilled. However, the price is close to the maximum monthly financial burden we want to accept.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
My husband is completely thrilled with this floor plan, and he’s usually not so easily enthusiastic. 😀
I also find it very well done. But it’s clearly the fact that all our wishes are included that makes it great for us.
I’m just curious to hear your opinion.
Here, @Pinkiponk – I just went ahead and posted it. 🙂
kati1337 schrieb:
I know a way to tackle this problem, but it’s not legalTell me, it’s just hypothetical... 😉Back when I lived in rental apartments, I also had lots of ideas but in the end often had to call the police. However, it was usually obvious noise disturbance, like late at night around 1:30 AM.
haydee schrieb:
Please clarify the points I mentioned to you. They really threw us off because the buffer was gone before the groundbreaking, and our friend had already used up his buffer when he realized I have a huge pile of excavated soil in the garden that somehow needs to be dealt with. Yes, I will do that. I have the earthworks under control. I want to handle it the same way as with the first house and have the construction company provide a firm offer.
I have already discussed the removal costs with a general contractor, who said straight away that it has become very expensive and that you can quickly lose $20,000 if a lot needs to be hauled away.
However, the plan here is not to remove much soil but to redistribute the remaining earth on the property. The slope behind the house is actually supposed to become more level. They can only give me a precise offer once it’s clear what will be built.
But for planning the earthworks, I prefer to rely on the companies who have already been on site and leveled the land rather than on people here in the forum who just see the word "slope" and question my whole construction budget without ever having seen it. 😉
Pinkiponk schrieb:
Yes, Kati is such a smart person, I’m sure she did really well on something like “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”. And on top of that, she and her husband wrote a program that only nerds can write that predicts lottery numbers. Hence the few windows and shutters almost always closed, so nobody can look at the screen from outside and “steal” the program. ;-)
Congratulations, dear Kati. ;-) Finally, someone who understands me! Thanks! 😉
Unfortunately, I have to complain as well because I find the floor plan really poorly designed. I don’t know the orientation, but I assume the garden faces south or west. This means the utility room and the guest room (for 4-6 guests per year), as well as the overly large hallway on the ground floor and basement, have ended up with the best and brightest spots in the house. Meanwhile, the bedroom, which is used just for sleeping, is placed elsewhere. You two work in a small 11 m² (118 sq ft) room with a tiny window. That’s definitely going to feel stuffy—literally. Hallways also need heating and cleaning, so having them large is not always beneficial. I find them way too big, especially on the ground floor... and for that reason, the kitchen and living areas feel too small. The pantry is too far away from the kitchen.
I would combine the guest room, guest bathroom, and fitness room, use the bright hallway as a fitness area (plus an outdoor fitness space), and move the office upstairs. The fitness room could then be converted to an office if needed. The guest room might have a lowered ceiling, depending on how important that is for the 4-6 guests.
It could look like this (the staircase is relocated to the opposite side of the hallway).
I would combine the guest room, guest bathroom, and fitness room, use the bright hallway as a fitness area (plus an outdoor fitness space), and move the office upstairs. The fitness room could then be converted to an office if needed. The guest room might have a lowered ceiling, depending on how important that is for the 4-6 guests.
It could look like this (the staircase is relocated to the opposite side of the hallway).
M
Myrna_Loy31 Mar 2022 13:02So once again my question: Do you want to carry all the groceries from the car into the basement? I would quickly get a quote for a small freight elevator then. 🙂
A clarifying conversation doesn’t help. One ear in, the other out. This isn’t even the immediate neighbor. The houses further up the slope also have the problem that the TV volume inside must be turned up higher, or it’s only possible to sleep with earplugs. They couldn’t locate the source of the noise due to how the sound travels. At this point, only the authorities in charge or having more residents complain will really help.
Also factor in the costs for landscaping the plot. Don’t forget to create a path or slope that allows you to access the garden with wheelbarrows and similar equipment.
Also factor in the costs for landscaping the plot. Don’t forget to create a path or slope that allows you to access the garden with wheelbarrows and similar equipment.
Würfel* schrieb:
Unfortunately, I have to complain as well because I really don’t find the floor plan very successful. I don’t know the orientation, but I assume the garden will face south or west. I should have mentioned—the garden actually faces more to the north.
Würfel* schrieb:
You’ll be working together in 11 sqm (118 sq ft) with a tiny window. That will create bad air—literally. I don’t see why that would change in the new house if we’ve already been doing this for three years without stuffy air.
Würfel* schrieb:
Hallways also need heating and cleaning, so their size isn’t just an advantage. I find them way too large, especially on the ground floor... and in return, the kitchen and living areas are too small for me. The pantry is too far from the kitchen.
I would combine the guest room, guest bathroom, and fitness area, use the bright hall for the fitness room (plus an outdoor fitness area), and move the office upstairs. If needed, the fitness room could also become an office. The guest room could be reduced in size, depending on how important it is for the 4–6 people.
It could look like this then (the staircase is moved to the opposite side of the corridor).
I actually like the idea of a walk-through room to the garage part.
I need to think about the rest. I find the wall you face when you come down the stairs much less appealing than the architect’s open design.
We’re currently considering scrapping the guest room altogether. With the fitness and hobby rooms, we already have enough—and large enough—rooms where guests can stay if needed.
Also, the guest room is less important in the new location since my family lives nearby and probably won’t be staying over here anymore.
Edit: Having the office on a different floor is not an option. We work from home continuously. During the day, we constantly move between the kitchen and office—I’m not going to go up and down the stairs for every coffee and banana.
For us, the office and living area have to be on the same level.
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