Hello fellow homebuilders,
We have reserved a plot of land and plan to build a house with a garage on it. Since it is a corner lot, it offers a bit more flexibility. However, we are still unsure about the layout – the orientation of the roof ridge, the location of the main entrance, the garage size, and so on.
Development plan/restrictions
Plot size: 511 sqm (5500 sq ft)
Slope: gently sloping to the south
Site coverage ratio: 0.25
Floor area ratio: 1.5
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 3 m (10 ft) from the property line, 0.5 m (1.5 ft) for the garage (see attachments, red box for garage)
Edge development
Number of parking spaces: 1 garage
Number of floors
Roof type: gable roof
Architectural style
Orientation: north/south or east/west, both possible
Maximum heights/limits: eaves wall height 4.3 m (14 ft) (dormer extension up to 1.6 m (5.2 ft) allowed), ridge height max 8.8 m (29 ft)
The house will have a footprint of about 80 sqm (860 sq ft). We plan to build with a basement (please keep discussions about this elsewhere). Access to the plot will be from the south, and so the driveway must also enter from the south (see image in the attachment, red box). However, the pedestrian entrance can be from the east. For budget reasons, we need to keep the construction “simple,” so a high-end masonry garage fully integrated into the house is out of the question. We are still debating whether to make the garage deep or wide (a large open garage). We only need space for one car at the moment, but we also require storage for wintering garden furniture and bicycles.
Of course, we have already given it some thought, but don’t let this limit your ideas – feel free to come up with completely new suggestions. One tends to overthink these things.
Best regards
We have reserved a plot of land and plan to build a house with a garage on it. Since it is a corner lot, it offers a bit more flexibility. However, we are still unsure about the layout – the orientation of the roof ridge, the location of the main entrance, the garage size, and so on.
Development plan/restrictions
Plot size: 511 sqm (5500 sq ft)
Slope: gently sloping to the south
Site coverage ratio: 0.25
Floor area ratio: 1.5
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 3 m (10 ft) from the property line, 0.5 m (1.5 ft) for the garage (see attachments, red box for garage)
Edge development
Number of parking spaces: 1 garage
Number of floors
Roof type: gable roof
Architectural style
Orientation: north/south or east/west, both possible
Maximum heights/limits: eaves wall height 4.3 m (14 ft) (dormer extension up to 1.6 m (5.2 ft) allowed), ridge height max 8.8 m (29 ft)
The house will have a footprint of about 80 sqm (860 sq ft). We plan to build with a basement (please keep discussions about this elsewhere). Access to the plot will be from the south, and so the driveway must also enter from the south (see image in the attachment, red box). However, the pedestrian entrance can be from the east. For budget reasons, we need to keep the construction “simple,” so a high-end masonry garage fully integrated into the house is out of the question. We are still debating whether to make the garage deep or wide (a large open garage). We only need space for one car at the moment, but we also require storage for wintering garden furniture and bicycles.
Of course, we have already given it some thought, but don’t let this limit your ideas – feel free to come up with completely new suggestions. One tends to overthink these things.
Best regards
N
nordanney13 Apr 2026 14:28Heimwerker0815 schrieb:
Regarding the basement discussion: We need the space, basements are cheaper than creating space above ground, that’s why a basement. 1. Need? For what exactly?
2. Saying a basement is cheaper is like saying “The Earth is flat.” You have to believe it.
==> With a pitched roof, you practically get storage space for free. If it’s about more than just storage space, the basement has to be built similarly to living space (insulation, floors, proper walls, heating, electrical) and in the end it’s more expensive than above-ground living space.
With that, I also want to end the discussion from my side.
Heimwerker0815 schrieb:
We need the space; a basement is more cost-effective than creating above-ground space, that’s why a basement. What a misconception—as Ernst Jandl already wrote about mixing up left and right!
In my (external) basement posts ("With or Without a Basement: A Rule as a Decision-Making Tool"), I explain in detail the principle that largely determines the cost aspect of this question, and as I mentioned earlier
11ant schrieb:
very few flea market items increase in value during storage.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
H
Heimwerker081513 Apr 2026 15:33Storage space will only make up a relatively small portion. The biggest advantage, of course, is that the utility room does not take up large parts of the living space on the ground floor. The basement will officially be a service cellar and is outside the thermal envelope. Nevertheless, a hobby room is planned, which can be heated if necessary using an infrared heater. If there is still space left, a small workshop will be added to the basement.
In this area, at least 70% of houses are built with basements; elsewhere, where the price per square meter is less than 800 euros, there may be larger plots and the possibility to build bigger houses. On this small plot, I do not want to fully utilize the buildable area and end up feeling like I’m sitting on the neighbor’s lap while on the terrace.
The basement versus no basement discussion was long debated within our family. There are effectively no alternatives without giving up the comfort we currently have and do not want to miss in the future.
Regarding the plot, as already mentioned, it slopes slightly to the south. Over the 25m (82 feet), it drops less than 1m (3 feet), but the slab foundation will require some filling.
The attic is actually the most impractical storage space you can imagine. From my experience, once you put something up there, you never get it back out. It is only really useful for Christmas decorations or the TV box, in case you want to return it. My foosball table definitely won’t fit up there.
In this area, at least 70% of houses are built with basements; elsewhere, where the price per square meter is less than 800 euros, there may be larger plots and the possibility to build bigger houses. On this small plot, I do not want to fully utilize the buildable area and end up feeling like I’m sitting on the neighbor’s lap while on the terrace.
The basement versus no basement discussion was long debated within our family. There are effectively no alternatives without giving up the comfort we currently have and do not want to miss in the future.
Regarding the plot, as already mentioned, it slopes slightly to the south. Over the 25m (82 feet), it drops less than 1m (3 feet), but the slab foundation will require some filling.
The attic is actually the most impractical storage space you can imagine. From my experience, once you put something up there, you never get it back out. It is only really useful for Christmas decorations or the TV box, in case you want to return it. My foosball table definitely won’t fit up there.
Heimwerker0815 schrieb:
The biggest advantage is, of course, that the utility room doesn’t take up large parts of the living space on the ground floor. [...] Regarding the plot, as already mentioned, it slopes gently to the south. Over the 25m (82 feet), it drops less than 1m (3 feet), but the foundation slab would require some filling. So probably only half a meter (about 1.5 feet) below the house footprint—in other words, only a quarter of the basement costs would apply without having one—leaving three quarters as luxury. You can also place a utility room on the upper floor, attic, or even in the roof space; only the service entries need to run downwards. Of course, King Ludwig would never have allowed a house without a basement, but Uncle Alex used to say, back in the day we had a cellar. I myself come from a family of butchers, so becoming a vegetarian is not easy. Still, I would gladly be younger to avoid the time wasted decluttering surplus storage space.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
H
Heimwerker081513 Apr 2026 16:05But I can’t deduct any square meters on the upper floor either, so I have to build larger again. That easily costs me 3,000 euros per square meter. For 10 square meters (108 square feet) of mechanical room, I would have invested 30,000 euros and still wouldn’t have a hobby room. And a mechanical room under the roof? Good luck replacing the equipment—how would I get it in or out again through the tiny narrow staircase?
But now the discussion is about the basement again. The decision has been made: we want to build with a basement. Can we please get back to the topic?
But now the discussion is about the basement again. The decision has been made: we want to build with a basement. Can we please get back to the topic?
Heimwerker0815 schrieb:
But now the discussion is about basements again. The decision has been made; we want to build with a basement. Can we please get back to the topic? We never really left the topic. Man’s will is his kingdom. We only pointed out the contradiction and the luxury aspect.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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