ᐅ New Construction Planning – Single-Family Home, 160 sqm without Basement – Floor Plan, Costs, and More
Created on: 29 Sep 2014 17:33
C
ChrisBr
Hello forum members!
We are a family of four (parents and two young children) who have been planning to build a new single-family home for some time now. We are building in NRW, postal code area 34439, which is close to Paderborn.
Our reserved plot measures 880 square meters (9,470 square feet) and is flat, not on a slope. We created our own design adapted to the plot and brought it to the architect, who adopted the drawing almost unchanged. Originally, we planned to include a basement level - but after receiving the cost estimate and weighing the pros and cons, we decided to omit the basement and widen the above-ground footprint instead.
The house now has a footprint of 9.11 by 10.31 meters (30 by 34 feet), plus an extension including an entrance area, utility room, and double garage.
It was important for us to have an extra room on the ground floor (intended as a guest bedroom). Since we no longer have a basement, we had to find space for the utility room inside. At the same time, I wanted direct access from the garage to the house, so we added an entrance vestibule.
The total living area including the extensions is now 165 square meters (1,776 square feet) (605 cubic meters [21,368 cubic feet] of enclosed volume in the main house, about 218 cubic meters [7,698 cubic feet] in the extension). Construction will be according to the latest standards using solid construction with 24 cm (9.5 inches) Unipor T14 bricks and 16 cm (6.3 inches) external wall insulation (EPS20, thermal conductivity 0.035 W/mK). The exterior will have plaster with paint; no facing bricks.
We have a clear favorite for the construction work but are gathering competitive bids as well. As a rough estimate, the turnkey house costs about 230,000, while the extension (entrance area, utility room, garage) is around 50,000. Additional costs include finishing works for the kitchen, flooring, stove, interior fittings and attic conversion (35,000), the plot (35,000 – yes, land prices are still reasonable in this rural area), landscaping (10,000), and additional construction-related expenses (5,000). Altogether, the budget stands at about 365,000, which we still plan to optimize with some sweat equity.
This is the first offer; over the next few days, we expect two more quotes from solid construction companies and two from prefabricated house builders. After that, we will continue to evaluate our options.
For the technical equipment: we will install a gas condensing boiler, underfloor heating, and a wood stove in the living room. My architect insists on adding two solar panels for hot water, as at least 5% of the energy demand must come from solar.
That’s it for now... I’m attaching the floor plans and elevations. Feedback and suggestions are very welcome.
Edit: I have also added photos of the plot afterwards, which I will repost later.
We are a family of four (parents and two young children) who have been planning to build a new single-family home for some time now. We are building in NRW, postal code area 34439, which is close to Paderborn.
Our reserved plot measures 880 square meters (9,470 square feet) and is flat, not on a slope. We created our own design adapted to the plot and brought it to the architect, who adopted the drawing almost unchanged. Originally, we planned to include a basement level - but after receiving the cost estimate and weighing the pros and cons, we decided to omit the basement and widen the above-ground footprint instead.
The house now has a footprint of 9.11 by 10.31 meters (30 by 34 feet), plus an extension including an entrance area, utility room, and double garage.
It was important for us to have an extra room on the ground floor (intended as a guest bedroom). Since we no longer have a basement, we had to find space for the utility room inside. At the same time, I wanted direct access from the garage to the house, so we added an entrance vestibule.
The total living area including the extensions is now 165 square meters (1,776 square feet) (605 cubic meters [21,368 cubic feet] of enclosed volume in the main house, about 218 cubic meters [7,698 cubic feet] in the extension). Construction will be according to the latest standards using solid construction with 24 cm (9.5 inches) Unipor T14 bricks and 16 cm (6.3 inches) external wall insulation (EPS20, thermal conductivity 0.035 W/mK). The exterior will have plaster with paint; no facing bricks.
We have a clear favorite for the construction work but are gathering competitive bids as well. As a rough estimate, the turnkey house costs about 230,000, while the extension (entrance area, utility room, garage) is around 50,000. Additional costs include finishing works for the kitchen, flooring, stove, interior fittings and attic conversion (35,000), the plot (35,000 – yes, land prices are still reasonable in this rural area), landscaping (10,000), and additional construction-related expenses (5,000). Altogether, the budget stands at about 365,000, which we still plan to optimize with some sweat equity.
This is the first offer; over the next few days, we expect two more quotes from solid construction companies and two from prefabricated house builders. After that, we will continue to evaluate our options.
For the technical equipment: we will install a gas condensing boiler, underfloor heating, and a wood stove in the living room. My architect insists on adding two solar panels for hot water, as at least 5% of the energy demand must come from solar.
That’s it for now... I’m attaching the floor plans and elevations. Feedback and suggestions are very welcome.
Edit: I have also added photos of the plot afterwards, which I will repost later.
W
Wanderdüne29 Sep 2014 20:36ChrisBr schrieb:
We went to the architect with a self-made design that we adapted to the plot, and the architect adopted the drawing almost exactly as it was.A very poor approach, and the result shows it clearly...
First of all: To properly assess this, site plans, compass directions, cross-sections, and so on would also be necessary.
Ground floor: The entrance is uninviting, with many doors and hardly any storage space. Despite the glazing on the front door, depending on the orientation, it is not really bright. The hallway is very dark. The living room is extremely introverted; the indoor-outdoor connection is severely impaired, and the purpose of the bay window is unclear (also on the upper floor).
Upper floor: The corridor is dark, the walk-in closet is a cramped, impractical space, and the bathroom is inefficient and dysfunctional. There is no children’s bathroom, which would easily be feasible within budget if designed efficiently.
=> It looks like a generic, off-the-shelf design was forced onto the plot—frightening...
ChrisBr schrieb:
We have a clear favorite for the construction, but are legitimately obtaining comparison offers as well.Your planner lacked motivation and assertiveness. Which project phases have actually been completed so far?
WD
Hi.
The floor plan is currently focused on the room layout. The exact placement of the sanitary fixtures is still pending. I posted this somewhat prematurely.
All costs have been taken into account in the budget planning, and I have reviewed the "list of incidental costs" again. When I referred to "additional construction costs" of around 5k, all land-related expenses were already excluded or accounted for separately under "land." By the way, the bare purchase price in this village of about 700 inhabitants is 13€/m² (1.21$/ft²) – the rest, to reach the total of 35k, refers to development charges, notary fees, property transfer tax, mortgage registration, etc.
Hello Wanderdüne,
thank you for the constructive feedback. The positioning of the building on the plot has already been tailored exactly as we envisioned. The living room spans the entire width of the south side – a patio leads out onto an exposed garden. The kitchen faces west toward the street and driveway. The children's bedrooms are on the east side with morning sun.
Regarding light in the hallway, a fixed window measuring 51cm by 212cm (20 inches by 83 inches) is planned at the stairway landing. This likely won’t flood the hallway (from the north) with light, but the apartment entrance door from the hallway to the vestibule is fully glazed, and the front door with side panel has a large glass section – this should ensure enough brightness coming from the vestibule side into the hall. Another option could be a glazed living room door to the hallway, which would add extra light from the south side.
I also find a fully open floor plan in addition to the hallway impractical during winter at around 10°C (50°F), as I would have to heat the hallway as well. With the (optional) open sliding door between the kitchen and living room, you get a 57m² (613ft²) “L” shape along the entire south and west sides – that feels open enough for us.
What is the general purpose of such bay windows? First, they serve an aesthetic role in the overall appearance. Upstairs, the walk-in closet can be housed without sloping ceilings. The closet being “enclosed,” with access only from the master bedroom, is intentional. We do not want a separate children’s bathroom – to avoid congestion in the bathroom as the kids grow older, a guest bathroom with a separate shower is planned on the ground floor. Three toilets and one urinal for four people would be too many.
Regarding storage space: the 7.5m² (81ft²) vestibule should provide enough room for a wardrobe. Cleaning supplies, vacuum cleaner, etc. will be stored under the stairs.
No planning phases have been completed yet. We are still at the very beginning of the design and discovery phase... I can still completely scrap the current draft.
The floor plan is currently focused on the room layout. The exact placement of the sanitary fixtures is still pending. I posted this somewhat prematurely.
All costs have been taken into account in the budget planning, and I have reviewed the "list of incidental costs" again. When I referred to "additional construction costs" of around 5k, all land-related expenses were already excluded or accounted for separately under "land." By the way, the bare purchase price in this village of about 700 inhabitants is 13€/m² (1.21$/ft²) – the rest, to reach the total of 35k, refers to development charges, notary fees, property transfer tax, mortgage registration, etc.
Hello Wanderdüne,
thank you for the constructive feedback. The positioning of the building on the plot has already been tailored exactly as we envisioned. The living room spans the entire width of the south side – a patio leads out onto an exposed garden. The kitchen faces west toward the street and driveway. The children's bedrooms are on the east side with morning sun.
Regarding light in the hallway, a fixed window measuring 51cm by 212cm (20 inches by 83 inches) is planned at the stairway landing. This likely won’t flood the hallway (from the north) with light, but the apartment entrance door from the hallway to the vestibule is fully glazed, and the front door with side panel has a large glass section – this should ensure enough brightness coming from the vestibule side into the hall. Another option could be a glazed living room door to the hallway, which would add extra light from the south side.
I also find a fully open floor plan in addition to the hallway impractical during winter at around 10°C (50°F), as I would have to heat the hallway as well. With the (optional) open sliding door between the kitchen and living room, you get a 57m² (613ft²) “L” shape along the entire south and west sides – that feels open enough for us.
What is the general purpose of such bay windows? First, they serve an aesthetic role in the overall appearance. Upstairs, the walk-in closet can be housed without sloping ceilings. The closet being “enclosed,” with access only from the master bedroom, is intentional. We do not want a separate children’s bathroom – to avoid congestion in the bathroom as the kids grow older, a guest bathroom with a separate shower is planned on the ground floor. Three toilets and one urinal for four people would be too many.
Regarding storage space: the 7.5m² (81ft²) vestibule should provide enough room for a wardrobe. Cleaning supplies, vacuum cleaner, etc. will be stored under the stairs.
No planning phases have been completed yet. We are still at the very beginning of the design and discovery phase... I can still completely scrap the current draft.
At first glance, I also thought, "quite a good floor plan." On closer inspection, however, I noticed a few issues.
The nice vestibule, which is also supposed to serve as a cloakroom, offers far too little space for its size. I would swap the front door and the glass panel here to at least have some space along the wall next to the garage.
The hallway area on the ground floor suffers from a severe lack of natural light. This could be improved somewhat with glass doors.
I don’t find the guest bathroom with the shower very inviting as it is. If anything, I would place the shower towards the back or create a niche somewhere else.
The living room with the bay window is nice, but the bay window doesn’t really add any value here other than increased costs. For what? For living space that you can’t use efficiently on either the ground floor or upper floor? To me, that’s too expensive.
The dressing room on the upper floor is not really a dressing room—at best, it’s a walk-in closet. And the small bay window extension will remain an unused corner because you can’t really make use of it. And what is that window supposed to illuminate? The wall opposite? This corner of the gable isn’t really useful in the children’s room either. Not even a desk would fit there. What do you want to put there?
My tip: reduce the third gable by about one meter (3 feet) and instead enlarge the two areas to the left and right of the third gable. This way you can create nice rooms on the upper floor to the left and right of the third gable, and use the gable itself as a dressing area.
The hallway upstairs is also not very attractive and far too dark.
I won’t comment on the bathroom for now, as the final planning is not yet complete.
The nice vestibule, which is also supposed to serve as a cloakroom, offers far too little space for its size. I would swap the front door and the glass panel here to at least have some space along the wall next to the garage.
The hallway area on the ground floor suffers from a severe lack of natural light. This could be improved somewhat with glass doors.
I don’t find the guest bathroom with the shower very inviting as it is. If anything, I would place the shower towards the back or create a niche somewhere else.
The living room with the bay window is nice, but the bay window doesn’t really add any value here other than increased costs. For what? For living space that you can’t use efficiently on either the ground floor or upper floor? To me, that’s too expensive.
The dressing room on the upper floor is not really a dressing room—at best, it’s a walk-in closet. And the small bay window extension will remain an unused corner because you can’t really make use of it. And what is that window supposed to illuminate? The wall opposite? This corner of the gable isn’t really useful in the children’s room either. Not even a desk would fit there. What do you want to put there?
My tip: reduce the third gable by about one meter (3 feet) and instead enlarge the two areas to the left and right of the third gable. This way you can create nice rooms on the upper floor to the left and right of the third gable, and use the gable itself as a dressing area.
The hallway upstairs is also not very attractive and far too dark.
I won’t comment on the bathroom for now, as the final planning is not yet complete.
The vestibule was originally designed solely as an entrance/coatroom and a connecting space between the garage and the house. The utility room behind it was only added after the basement was removed during revisions. Since a door to the utility room was now necessary, the large, attractive coatroom on the rear wall opposite the entrance door had to be sacrificed. So now, admittedly, there is a 7.5 sq m (81 sq ft) living area with doors on three sides but very little free space for its intended purpose of storing clothes. OK.
The bay window was initially intended as an exterior visual feature, but then the focus shifted to making practical use of it inside. The living room is correspondingly enlarged, and in the attic, the gable was divided into a dressing area and an additional children's room. Again: criticism noted. It seems like a lot is being attempted and “overbuilt.” However, such a “narrow” transverse gable no longer looks out of proportion with the rest of the house…
The bay window was initially intended as an exterior visual feature, but then the focus shifted to making practical use of it inside. The living room is correspondingly enlarged, and in the attic, the gable was divided into a dressing area and an additional children's room. Again: criticism noted. It seems like a lot is being attempted and “overbuilt.” However, such a “narrow” transverse gable no longer looks out of proportion with the rest of the house…
I just came across the following floor plan (see attic in the attached image). The hallway upstairs would become a "gallery," receiving enough natural light through the roof window. The room under the gable could be used as a proper walk-in closet—no longer "trapped," since it would be accessible directly from the gallery. The only downside is that the children's rooms would become smaller...
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