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)
Exactly: first read the development plan, then do the calculations, sketch something out, reserve space, leave a buffer, have an architect review it and roughly plan, and only buy if you get the green light from them.
Good equity! Excellent!
But with your expectations, that’s relative again.
Landscaping, double garage, driveway, possibly outbuildings... that can easily add up to 100,000.
Also: question many things to see if they are just a “want-because-I-read-about-it-or-others-have-it list,” or if there is real benefit, for example, from having four floors.
Money can disappear quickly without providing you with personal added value.
I see your wishes mainly concerning the outdoor area.
And your preference for fully taped metal corners doesn’t really matter at this stage.
Whether to have solar panels is a technical or energy-saving regulation issue that should be carefully considered.
Good equity! Excellent!
But with your expectations, that’s relative again.
Landscaping, double garage, driveway, possibly outbuildings... that can easily add up to 100,000.
Also: question many things to see if they are just a “want-because-I-read-about-it-or-others-have-it list,” or if there is real benefit, for example, from having four floors.
Money can disappear quickly without providing you with personal added value.
I see your wishes mainly concerning the outdoor area.
And your preference for fully taped metal corners doesn’t really matter at this stage.
Whether to have solar panels is a technical or energy-saving regulation issue that should be carefully considered.
I find the wishlist a bit confusing when combined with the available equity and the relatively low loan limit.
So I'll take a risk and say: let the inheritance settle for now and keep things realistic.
Your wishlist sounds like a summary of every building you have ever been inside.
So I'll take a risk and say: let the inheritance settle for now and keep things realistic.
Your wishlist sounds like a summary of every building you have ever been inside.
Hi,
Some good tips have already been shared, and we also asked ourselves 1 1/2 years ago about the best order to proceed. Then we came across a suitable plot of land where an architect was able to turn our wishes into a house design.
You now have many loose ideas and wishes, which an architect can initially put into a concrete plan through a commission covering design phases 1-3. If you search for the land first, there is always a risk of searching endlessly or facing restrictions on the building possibilities, but these can usually be resolved with expert help.
I also think that a plot size under 1200 sqm (about 0.3 acres) doesn’t make much sense for such a large house.
The budget will indeed quickly reach a high six-figure sum when all wishes are implemented. However, it first needs to be specified clearly.
We have 175 sqm (about 1885 sq ft) of living space, a 908 sqm (about 0.22 acre) plot, no golden fixtures, in a small town in central Schleswig-Holstein (about 70 km (43 miles) from Hamburg), and the cost was around €550,000, which was quickly reached.
Best regards
Some good tips have already been shared, and we also asked ourselves 1 1/2 years ago about the best order to proceed. Then we came across a suitable plot of land where an architect was able to turn our wishes into a house design.
You now have many loose ideas and wishes, which an architect can initially put into a concrete plan through a commission covering design phases 1-3. If you search for the land first, there is always a risk of searching endlessly or facing restrictions on the building possibilities, but these can usually be resolved with expert help.
I also think that a plot size under 1200 sqm (about 0.3 acres) doesn’t make much sense for such a large house.
The budget will indeed quickly reach a high six-figure sum when all wishes are implemented. However, it first needs to be specified clearly.
We have 175 sqm (about 1885 sq ft) of living space, a 908 sqm (about 0.22 acre) plot, no golden fixtures, in a small town in central Schleswig-Holstein (about 70 km (43 miles) from Hamburg), and the cost was around €550,000, which was quickly reached.
Best regards
S
Spritti12310 Jan 2018 07:05First of all, thank you very much for the many contributions. You will hear from me again in the floor plan planning section of the forum. However, it may still take 1-2 years.
H
HilfeHilfe10 Jan 2018 07:55Alex85 schrieb:
I find the wish list a bit confusing when combined with the available equity and the relatively low loan limit.
So, I’ll take a risk and say: Let the inheritance sink in first and stay realistic.
Your wish list sounds like a summary of every building you have ever been in.S
Spritti12310 Jan 2018 08:13Half of the equity has been saved up personally, and the loan amount is kept low because I simply don’t want to borrow more. I could get a loan of 350,000 to 400,000 (about 350k-400k), but I prefer not to because I want to be debt-free as soon as possible and not be paying off loans until just before retirement. I hate having debt and always buy cars with cash. Even if in some cases it might be better to finance the car and invest the money instead, that doesn’t sit well with me. I just have a different mindset. So far, this approach has worked well for me in life.