My girlfriend and I want to start building within the next 1-4 years. We already have a clear idea of our house. We know exactly that we want to build in the town where we already live. However, I think our house might not fit on the plots in the new development area. The largest plots are 680 square meters (7309 square feet) and have a maximum ridge height of 9.5 meters (31 feet). I also don’t want the house to feel cramped on the lot. So I was wondering if it would make more sense to first discuss our wishes with an architect, who could then look for a suitable plot where the house would actually fit. Or am I completely on the wrong track, and is this approach very unusual?
Here are our ideas for the house. I just added one thing from another discussion here on the forum. My girlfriend is really into steel trims for window decoration. Can an architect work with a requirement like that?
Plot/House General
Entrance Area (Vestibule/Foyer)
Dining/Living Room
Kitchen
Master Suite
Children’s Rooms
Fitness Room
Office
Guest WC
Terrace
Heating/Utility Room
Special Requests
Here are our ideas for the house. I just added one thing from another discussion here on the forum. My girlfriend is really into steel trims for window decoration. Can an architect work with a requirement like that?
Plot/House General
- Number of floors does not matter – maximum 4 if the attic is developed
- Attic, if not developed, used as storage
- Basement, if included, with windows
- No sloped ceilings in any rooms except for a developed attic or on the 4th floor
- Roof shape does not matter, just no flat roof
- Brick facade
- Terrace not too close to neighboring plot, minimum 5 meters (16 feet) distance
- Large double garage
- 2 outdoor parking spaces for cars
Entrance Area (Vestibule/Foyer)
- Entrance area with wardrobe
- Stairs not in the entrance area but in the hallway leading to the living area
- Access to the garage from the entrance area
Dining/Living Room
- Only dining and living room open plan – kitchen in a separate room
- Dining table for minimum 10 people; chairs or corner bench possible
- Living room space for 2 large functional sofas (3-seat) and side tables
- Fireplace visible from the sofas
- Large media wall with TV
Kitchen
- Lots of storage – small dining table for 4 people
- Doors to the hallway and dining area
Master Suite
- Bedroom
- Walk-in closet
- Bathroom with tub, large shower, double sink
- Separate toilet
Children’s Rooms
- 2 rooms at least 16 square meters (172 square feet) each
- Separate bathroom for children with tub and shower
Fitness Room
- At least 30 square meters (323 square feet)
Office
- At least 14 square meters (150 square feet)
Guest WC
- Without shower or tub
Terrace
- Partially covered (without glass)
- Dining table for 10 people
- Outdoor kitchen (grill/sink/fridge/work surface)
- Terrace large enough to also fit 6 beer garden-style benches with backrests
- Terrace must be open on only 2 sides
- Transparent protective roller shutters on the terrace
- Terrace accessible from the living/dining area and level with no steps
Heating/Utility Room
- Large, also suitable for washing and drying clothes – possibly a separate room for washing and drying on the sleeping level
Special Requests
- Large separate room for bicycles/trash bins/car tires/lawnmower/garden tools etc.
- Storage closet on each floor
- Central vacuum system
- Fireplace in the living room connected to the heating system
- Central ventilation/alarm system/underfloor heating/shutters/lights – electronically controlled via units in ground floor hallway and master bedroom
- Steel trims embedded in plaster in the window lintels, wallpapered over. Window decorations freely positionable on magnetic hooks
- Lots of indirect lighting
- Visible beams (rustic modern), can also be fake
- Alarm system securing lower windows and doors
- Laundry chute (omit if there is a separate laundry room on the sleeping level)
- Solar system
- Attic, if present, accessible via regular stairs
- Accessible for disabled – doors and corridors wide enough – enough space for stairlift
- Many electrical outlets
- LAN cables in office and children’s rooms
- Finished ceiling height slightly higher because of visible (fake) beams or suspended ceilings (indirect lighting)
S
Spritti1239 Jan 2018 18:03Yes, but that’s exactly what I don’t want. What’s the point in buying a 600m² (6,458 sq ft) plot now if, due to the zoning plan, nothing fits on it because everything is restricted by maximum ridge height, plot ratio, floor area ratio, and so on? That already includes a few square meters of living space plus a large terrace and garage, etc.
B
Baustelle20169 Jan 2018 18:34Spritti123 schrieb:
Yes, but that’s exactly what I don’t want. What use is it if I buy a 600 m² (about 6,460 sq ft) plot and, due to the development plan, nothing fits because the maximum ridge height, site coverage ratio, and floor area ratio all limit construction. That’s supposed to include some living space plus a large terrace and garage, etc.That obviously doesn’t help. You need to buy a plot of around 1,500–2,000 m² (16,150–21,530 sq ft). Then the site coverage ratio and floor area ratio shouldn’t be an issue. Hmm... ridge height... It’s best to buy a plot near historic villas. Those are usually quite tall (the villas themselves, of course) and the plots tend to be large as well. Give your preferred architect the task of finding a suitable plot; for a small commission of 5–10 percent of the land price, they’ll probably be happy to do it. Or place an ad in the real estate section of a major newspaper with clear requirements. You’ll see, for a little money, anything is possible...Spritti123 schrieb:
I want the 5m (16 feet) distance measured from the terrace, not the garage.
The living area will be roughly 250-300 sqm (2,700-3,200 sq ft), terrace excluded. A basement is not necessary. I’m open to anything—single or two-story, or living space expanded over the garage, or an attic conversion, or split-level with raised and lowered floors. The architect should be able to accommodate all our wishes. We have equity of 450,000-500,000 (about 450-500k). We plan to take out a loan of up to 200,000 maximum, but it’s possible we won’t need a loan at all. We just don’t know yet. So, we will definitely have around 700,000 available, maybe more.700,000 euros sounds quite substantial at first, but with that level of finishes and a 2,000 sqm (0.5 acre) plot, this limit could also be reached quickly. Nonetheless, this is the best equity-to-debt ratio I have seen here so far. Congratulations on that.
Spritti123 schrieb:
Well, I wouldn’t call it rural. The A66 highway is right outside the door, just 1 km (0.6 miles) to the on-ramp. Train station, shopping facilities, school, kindergarten, doctor, dentist, restaurants—all available. The location is between Fulda and Frankfurt. So not exactly in the middle of nowhere.Are there really that many plots available?Regarding heating and drying laundry, I have a question for everyone. Is it still the case that you should never hang laundry in the boiler room because the heating system is too sensitive for that? That’s how I know it.
Eldea schrieb:
Is that still the case?Was it ever like that?
For us, the boiler room was always the warmest, driest room in the house and was also mechanically ventilated. It actually sounds ideal for drying laundry. We followed this approach later in apartments in multi-family buildings as well. The laundry always dried very quickly.
Spritti123 schrieb:
I just don’t think our house fits on the plots in the new development area. The largest plots are 680 sqm (7,326 sq ft) and have a maximum ridge height of 9.5 m (31 ft). That doesn’t really sound like room for up to four stories (why would you want that?), and with, for example, a floor-area ratio/site occupancy ratio of 0.2/0.4, that would mean about 136 sqm (1,463 sq ft) of built-up area—let’s say roughly 215 to 230 sqm (2,316 to 2,475 sq ft) of living space.
Read the development plan with all the details—then you’ll know what’s possible.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Similar topics