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
Yes, construction is starting again. Mainly because I gave in.
Actually, the lawyer could only advise me, if my goal is fast progress, to claim my retention under the building code (or withhold it at the next payment), although the general contractor will probably then also call in their guarantee, which somewhat reduces the effectiveness of the retention.
I spoke again with my expert and did some research. The likelihood of damage is not high, and regarding cracks, I was repeatedly told that these would definitely appear within the standard warranty period during the first few years.
I then had a statement prepared on how to communicate the "You can continue, but I still insist on the warranty" message, and they continued work on the same day.
I also told him to adjust his communication and to remember that I am making concessions, not the other way around. How much that will help—time will tell.
My takeaway is to check everything multiple times from now on and to insist on redoing work in case of defects next time.
I realize I have essentially backed down, but I can hardly afford any more delays. It’s unfortunate for me because now the general contractor knows he can push me around a bit. I just hope he still cares about the quality of his work.
Meanwhile, the interior walls are almost fully erected; I estimate the drywall installation will happen this week.
Photos will follow...
Pudli marked my office, so it’s clear who it belongs to...
Actually, the lawyer could only advise me, if my goal is fast progress, to claim my retention under the building code (or withhold it at the next payment), although the general contractor will probably then also call in their guarantee, which somewhat reduces the effectiveness of the retention.
I spoke again with my expert and did some research. The likelihood of damage is not high, and regarding cracks, I was repeatedly told that these would definitely appear within the standard warranty period during the first few years.
I then had a statement prepared on how to communicate the "You can continue, but I still insist on the warranty" message, and they continued work on the same day.
I also told him to adjust his communication and to remember that I am making concessions, not the other way around. How much that will help—time will tell.
My takeaway is to check everything multiple times from now on and to insist on redoing work in case of defects next time.
I realize I have essentially backed down, but I can hardly afford any more delays. It’s unfortunate for me because now the general contractor knows he can push me around a bit. I just hope he still cares about the quality of his work.
Meanwhile, the interior walls are almost fully erected; I estimate the drywall installation will happen this week.
Photos will follow...
Pudli marked my office, so it’s clear who it belongs to...
P
pagoni202010 Mar 2021 18:36This is a difficult situation—you have everyone on board, yet somehow you still feel lost in between. From an outside perspective, I probably would have done the same, because continuing forward is an important factor. A loud crash doesn’t bring relief either.
Whether this was a breakdown or a reasonable and appropriate decision is hard to say, but I wouldn’t view it solely in a negative light.
The concern that the general contractor might now become overconfident could be valid, just as it’s possible that they will be more careful to avoid getting burned. Nobody wants that kind of trouble, so there may be some positive aspects to this as well.
Whether this was a breakdown or a reasonable and appropriate decision is hard to say, but I wouldn’t view it solely in a negative light.
The concern that the general contractor might now become overconfident could be valid, just as it’s possible that they will be more careful to avoid getting burned. Nobody wants that kind of trouble, so there may be some positive aspects to this as well.
Regarding the topic of misunderstood terminology, here is the second example (the first was that the general contractor referred to themselves as the developer).
I asked about the meter mark, whether it needs to be provided by the general contractor or the client, since nothing is mentioned about it in the scope of work description.
The site manager replied that they (meaning the construction company) would handle it "on the client’s side"...
I asked about the meter mark, whether it needs to be provided by the general contractor or the client, since nothing is mentioned about it in the scope of work description.
The site manager replied that they (meaning the construction company) would handle it "on the client’s side"...