ᐅ So many questions!!!!! March 17, 2015 – The starting signal
Created on: 17 Mar 2015 12:09
H
Haus-Starter
Hello everyone
So: As a "newcomer" to the topic, it is probably best to first describe the current situation before moving on to the specific questions.
I’ll just start:
We currently have a mortgage-free plot of about 6000 m² (1.5 acres) available.
On this property, there are currently 3 buildings from the mid-1950s (solid construction).
There is no zoning plan/planning permission because it is located between two towns in a mixed-use/industrial area.
1. A residential house, 9 x 14 m (30 x 46 feet), fully basemented, with a fully developed ground floor and upper floor, built to what was likely the higher quality standards for the time (the basement is mostly dry). Thermal insulation and piping (except electricity) are essentially at the 1950s standard. Roof pitch about 40 degrees, oil heating system from 2004 (but only the burner and boiler were replaced—NO NEW PIPING).
2. Garage/storage about 6 x 12 m (20 x 39 feet), no basement, no insulation, no heating, only occasionally supplied with electricity, BUT: there is still an active fire department siren on the roof :-/. Roof pitch about 40 degrees.
3. Storage hall about 6 x 25 m (20 x 82 feet), three sides enclosed, shed roof.
Our requirements/wishes for our dream home are as follows:
1. (Partial) basement
2. At least partially constructed using wood frame construction
3. About 200 m² (2150 sq ft) footprint, about 300 to 350 m² (3200 to 3750 sq ft) living area (excluding usable areas in basement and attic)
4. Tuscany style with ceilings approximately 3 m (10 feet) high (at least in the kitchen and living room), possibly with a gallery in the living room or entrance area
5. Access to the house from/through the garage
6. "Basic equipment" for bus system, fireplace, open-plan kitchen with island and pantry, mudroom, small conservatory.
So... those are the facts :-)
Now the questions:
1. Does partial preservation of the residential building make sense? If yes, what could actually be saved?
2. What about settling if you build an extension onto the old building? Is that still a concern today or is it manageable?
3. What budget would you estimate for such a project? (excluding landscaping/outdoor facilities)
Good luck
Josef
So: As a "newcomer" to the topic, it is probably best to first describe the current situation before moving on to the specific questions.
I’ll just start:
We currently have a mortgage-free plot of about 6000 m² (1.5 acres) available.
On this property, there are currently 3 buildings from the mid-1950s (solid construction).
There is no zoning plan/planning permission because it is located between two towns in a mixed-use/industrial area.
1. A residential house, 9 x 14 m (30 x 46 feet), fully basemented, with a fully developed ground floor and upper floor, built to what was likely the higher quality standards for the time (the basement is mostly dry). Thermal insulation and piping (except electricity) are essentially at the 1950s standard. Roof pitch about 40 degrees, oil heating system from 2004 (but only the burner and boiler were replaced—NO NEW PIPING).
2. Garage/storage about 6 x 12 m (20 x 39 feet), no basement, no insulation, no heating, only occasionally supplied with electricity, BUT: there is still an active fire department siren on the roof :-/. Roof pitch about 40 degrees.
3. Storage hall about 6 x 25 m (20 x 82 feet), three sides enclosed, shed roof.
Our requirements/wishes for our dream home are as follows:
1. (Partial) basement
2. At least partially constructed using wood frame construction
3. About 200 m² (2150 sq ft) footprint, about 300 to 350 m² (3200 to 3750 sq ft) living area (excluding usable areas in basement and attic)
4. Tuscany style with ceilings approximately 3 m (10 feet) high (at least in the kitchen and living room), possibly with a gallery in the living room or entrance area
5. Access to the house from/through the garage
6. "Basic equipment" for bus system, fireplace, open-plan kitchen with island and pantry, mudroom, small conservatory.
So... those are the facts :-)
Now the questions:
1. Does partial preservation of the residential building make sense? If yes, what could actually be saved?
2. What about settling if you build an extension onto the old building? Is that still a concern today or is it manageable?
3. What budget would you estimate for such a project? (excluding landscaping/outdoor facilities)
Good luck
Josef
H
Haus-Starter18 Mar 2015 11:19Mycraft schrieb:
Well, as I said, without at least seeing pictures, it’s hard to say anything... but the basement idea actually doesn’t sound bad... the rest will most likely have to go...
When it comes to bus systems, I always recommend researching thoroughly before making a decision... unlike what often happens, where people just let a friendly electrician push a system onto them because he thinks it’s "great"... most of these "great" systems turn out to be very limited later on...
But if you’re already mentioning KNX and are ready to go down that path, I wouldn’t advise anything else... It’s simply the most mature system, which after nearly 30 years since its inception remains unrivaled and up-to-date... Devices from back then work just as well today as the current ones... and it’s expected to continue like this for decades... unlike many other systems with flashy brochures that have now disappeared and will continue to do so.
Okay, enough advertising 🙂
As I said, a "basic setup" doesn’t really exist... You need to have a clear idea in advance of where you want to install switches, sensors, detectors, etc. The bus cable has to be laid to all these locations and, if necessary, embedded behind a cover "for later" use. No special boxes are required, conventional flush-mount boxes are sufficient, but I would always use the deeper ones to have more space for whatever later on...
Wherever something is to be switched—lights, sockets, roller shutters, etc.—a power cable must run directly from the distribution board, without detours or distribution boxes.
You can see that the structure is completely different from conventional electrical installations.
Whether you install all switches/sensors etc. right from the start or retrofit them later is up to you. However, retrofitting requires system knowledge and the ability to modify the original programming... or you just pay an electrician every time... but in that case, you might as well do everything from the start.Where can I press “Thank you” for this :-)
I’ve understood everything so far and it matches very well with my "ideas".
It will definitely be the case that I’ll be asking you a lot of questions during the critical phase :-)
We plan to start the actual construction by early 2017 at the latest, with the intention to complete it mostly within the year and move in the same year.
Planning and preparatory work are already underway, though to be honest, we are still at the very beginning.
Our goal is to develop a no-compromise design by the end of this year, to be able to prepare a reliable cost estimate.
Once that’s done, we will move into the financing phase. This is where it will become clear whether we can stick to the no-compromise design or if our wishes exceed the budget.
If the latter is the case, there will be several options that we could initially postpone in an early phase of the finishings (high-end kitchen, full interior fit-out, fully integrated bus system, swimming pool, etc.).
Our idea is that we will not make compromises in the floor plan or in details that would be extremely difficult or costly to change afterwards, such as floor coverings or cable installations.
Yes, a project like this requires very careful planning... so I would definitely start by finding someone who is experienced in this field.
Otherwise, feel free to reach out to me regarding bus systems and similar topics... I can also share my experience and possibly assist with heating controls and regulations, ventilation, and related areas.
Otherwise, feel free to reach out to me regarding bus systems and similar topics... I can also share my experience and possibly assist with heating controls and regulations, ventilation, and related areas.
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