ᐅ Location of a city villa or detached single-family house on a 500 m² rectangular plot
Created on: 17 Jan 2020 18:03
T
Tolentino
Dear all,
after sharing the floor plans of my possible hamster cage with you in the other thread , here comes the next thread (thanks again for all the constructive suggestions there).
Just so you know, the semi-detached house is not off the table yet, as this plot of land is highly sought after and it’s not clear whether it will work out. But this one would be my favorite.
Now to this plot. For now, I’m mainly concerned with where and roughly how the house should be positioned on this plot.
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 500 m² (5400 sq ft)
Slope: none
Site coverage ratio: 0.2
Floor area ratio: 0.4
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 5 m (16 ft) from the street, 3 m (10 ft) from neighbors
Edge development: allowed for garages and sheds, none existing on the plot
Number of parking spaces: 1-2
Number of floors: 1.5–2.5
Roof shape: no preference
Architectural style: no preference
Orientation: aligned parallel to the street
Maximum heights / limits: ridge height max. 9 m (30 ft)
Below are the site plans I created myself based on the details from the listing.
This is a rough overview of the plot with building boundaries and dimensions.
My question is: where to put the house?
The broker suggests placing it towards the back, since you already have the 5 m (16 ft) setback at the front and would “gain” about 3 m (10 ft) of garden. My partner doesn’t like this because of the visibility from the street. I say: privacy screen! But I also think, a fence too high might create a prison-yard feel.
But even if you follow this suggestion, I wonder if a more square floor plan (-> town villa style) would be better?
Like this, for example:
Then parking space might be tricky, right?
Or upright like this?
I really want as much of a west-facing view and garden as possible. I tend to be an evening person and that side is less built up, due to the road. So I think more light comes through.
But the narrow floor plan caused lots of problems with the semi-detached house already. Well, here you could build longer instead.
What do you think?
Best regards
Tolentino
after sharing the floor plans of my possible hamster cage with you in the other thread , here comes the next thread (thanks again for all the constructive suggestions there).
Just so you know, the semi-detached house is not off the table yet, as this plot of land is highly sought after and it’s not clear whether it will work out. But this one would be my favorite.
Now to this plot. For now, I’m mainly concerned with where and roughly how the house should be positioned on this plot.
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 500 m² (5400 sq ft)
Slope: none
Site coverage ratio: 0.2
Floor area ratio: 0.4
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 5 m (16 ft) from the street, 3 m (10 ft) from neighbors
Edge development: allowed for garages and sheds, none existing on the plot
Number of parking spaces: 1-2
Number of floors: 1.5–2.5
Roof shape: no preference
Architectural style: no preference
Orientation: aligned parallel to the street
Maximum heights / limits: ridge height max. 9 m (30 ft)
Below are the site plans I created myself based on the details from the listing.
This is a rough overview of the plot with building boundaries and dimensions.
My question is: where to put the house?
The broker suggests placing it towards the back, since you already have the 5 m (16 ft) setback at the front and would “gain” about 3 m (10 ft) of garden. My partner doesn’t like this because of the visibility from the street. I say: privacy screen! But I also think, a fence too high might create a prison-yard feel.
But even if you follow this suggestion, I wonder if a more square floor plan (-> town villa style) would be better?
Like this, for example:
Then parking space might be tricky, right?
Or upright like this?
I really want as much of a west-facing view and garden as possible. I tend to be an evening person and that side is less built up, due to the road. So I think more light comes through.
But the narrow floor plan caused lots of problems with the semi-detached house already. Well, here you could build longer instead.
What do you think?
Best regards
Tolentino
Thanks, is there a welcome cocktail?
Well, it seems that holding back the payment just because the invoice was 1000 EUR (about 1100 USD) higher than expected without any explanation was met with some displeasure.
In the explanation as to why it was higher, I was more or less blamed for the too low initial quote since I hadn’t had a re-measurement done after the demolition. Well, now everything seems to be fine. Still, it leaves a bitter aftertaste...
Well, it seems that holding back the payment just because the invoice was 1000 EUR (about 1100 USD) higher than expected without any explanation was met with some displeasure.
In the explanation as to why it was higher, I was more or less blamed for the too low initial quote since I hadn’t had a re-measurement done after the demolition. Well, now everything seems to be fine. Still, it leaves a bitter aftertaste...
I was really frustrated with the earthworks as well. I had hired a landscaping contractor directly for it, but the general contractor coordinated everything. They excavated and pushed the soil aside, creating two huge mounds at the back of the property. When the area was filled back in, the landscaper had to bring in several tons of soil again, which he had previously removed from my site. That ended up costing me somewhere between 500 and 1000 euros.
Of course, I brought this up with him and tried to negotiate those costs away. My argument was that you can pretty easily calculate the required amount, so he must have mistakenly removed too much soil, which I shouldn’t have to pay for. Well, he almost blew a fuse on the phone.
First of all, apparently this kind of thing is unfortunately normal in earthworks. An extra 1000 euros here and there — you’ll probably see more of that. Secondly, I wouldn’t be too quick to badmouth the general contractor. We get upset over many issues on site, and I keep thinking, “Why do I even have a site manager and a general contractor?” But when I look at my neighbors and what goes wrong there, I realize we really got lucky.
Keep your chin up, it’ll work out! But be prepared that if someone calls and asks whether something should be done “counterclockwise or clockwise,” it will cost 1000 euros more, no matter what you want. The answer to every construction question seems to be: 1000 euros extra. That’s just how it is.
Of course, I brought this up with him and tried to negotiate those costs away. My argument was that you can pretty easily calculate the required amount, so he must have mistakenly removed too much soil, which I shouldn’t have to pay for. Well, he almost blew a fuse on the phone.
First of all, apparently this kind of thing is unfortunately normal in earthworks. An extra 1000 euros here and there — you’ll probably see more of that. Secondly, I wouldn’t be too quick to badmouth the general contractor. We get upset over many issues on site, and I keep thinking, “Why do I even have a site manager and a general contractor?” But when I look at my neighbors and what goes wrong there, I realize we really got lucky.
Keep your chin up, it’ll work out! But be prepared that if someone calls and asks whether something should be done “counterclockwise or clockwise,” it will cost 1000 euros more, no matter what you want. The answer to every construction question seems to be: 1000 euros extra. That’s just how it is.
The soil report clearly indicated that soil replacement would be necessary. Before starting the work, a supplementary offer was provided with the expected volumes and tonnages. I approved this.
Shortly after work began, I was called to the site and informed that instead of 70cm (28 inches) as stated in the report, 1m (39 inches) would need to be replaced. I agreed to this (had no other choice at that point) and even estimated a significant resulting cost increase (+75%). At that point, I was already quite frustrated.
Last week, I received the invoice by email without any comments or delivery receipts, and it was more than 100% higher than the original offer.
Naturally, I said I couldn’t just pay that without understanding where these additional costs came from.
+3 days: The original invoice with delivery receipts from the gravel supplier. The total tonnage even corresponded to a higher amount...
+3 days: Explanation that not only more soil had to be replaced, but also the surrounding ground level needed to be raised to meet the height specified in the building permit/planning permission. The attached delivery receipts were apparently incorrect; a new calculation of the installed quantity was provided, which seemed plausible in relation to the invoice. The explanation was mostly technical but included shifting the blame (indirectly pointing at me) and contained no apology whatsoever.
At the same time, I received an email from the subcontractor asking when the payment would be made (payment terms with the general contractor, as of the day before).
What frustrates me less is the actual additional work—I do understand that can be a headache—but rather how the general contractor and subcontractors have handled it, given that I expect an explanation and do not just want to pay more without question.
Shortly after work began, I was called to the site and informed that instead of 70cm (28 inches) as stated in the report, 1m (39 inches) would need to be replaced. I agreed to this (had no other choice at that point) and even estimated a significant resulting cost increase (+75%). At that point, I was already quite frustrated.
Last week, I received the invoice by email without any comments or delivery receipts, and it was more than 100% higher than the original offer.
Naturally, I said I couldn’t just pay that without understanding where these additional costs came from.
+3 days: The original invoice with delivery receipts from the gravel supplier. The total tonnage even corresponded to a higher amount...
+3 days: Explanation that not only more soil had to be replaced, but also the surrounding ground level needed to be raised to meet the height specified in the building permit/planning permission. The attached delivery receipts were apparently incorrect; a new calculation of the installed quantity was provided, which seemed plausible in relation to the invoice. The explanation was mostly technical but included shifting the blame (indirectly pointing at me) and contained no apology whatsoever.
At the same time, I received an email from the subcontractor asking when the payment would be made (payment terms with the general contractor, as of the day before).
What frustrates me less is the actual additional work—I do understand that can be a headache—but rather how the general contractor and subcontractors have handled it, given that I expect an explanation and do not just want to pay more without question.
In such a case, I would want to check the measurements and the calculation before making any payment. That takes time. Two weeks is reasonable.
Usually, the general contractor prefers to be overpaid, and the subcontractor is left waiting for a long time. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Did the general contractor not have the soil report? Do you have a lump sum contract or a unit price contract?
Usually, the general contractor prefers to be overpaid, and the subcontractor is left waiting for a long time. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Did the general contractor not have the soil report? Do you have a lump sum contract or a unit price contract?
The magic word is "provided by the builder."
I understand your frustration, but I don’t fully grasp the responsibilities yet. In our case, everything related to the ground work had to be commissioned by the client. Our general contractor (GC) only coordinated. However, we settled the costs directly with the landscaper. This is beneficial for the GC because they have no involvement with potential ground risks or similar issues, which I can totally understand.
Are the earthworks included in the GC’s price? They must have given you a turnkey offer. I’m a bit confused about the responsibilities. It’s unusual to me that the subcontractor contacts you directly. I would have at least tried to delegate this matter smoothly to the GC.
I understand your frustration, but I don’t fully grasp the responsibilities yet. In our case, everything related to the ground work had to be commissioned by the client. Our general contractor (GC) only coordinated. However, we settled the costs directly with the landscaper. This is beneficial for the GC because they have no involvement with potential ground risks or similar issues, which I can totally understand.
Are the earthworks included in the GC’s price? They must have given you a turnkey offer. I’m a bit confused about the responsibilities. It’s unusual to me that the subcontractor contacts you directly. I would have at least tried to delegate this matter smoothly to the GC.
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