Good morning,
we have been going back and forth—new construction or existing property. However, for various reasons, we will take another 2 to 3 years before making a decision.
In the meantime, we are already mentally planning our new build. Building or renovation is really our hobby—we love wandering through exhibitions at home improvement stores and pay close attention when visiting others’ homes.
That said, no new construction is actually planned yet, no conversations with contractors have taken place—so far, it’s all just ideas.
There are two points on which I would appreciate honest feedback from experts, current homeowners, and those who have lived in their new homes for some time.
We are currently considering installing radiators throughout the new build—no underfloor heating.
However, we could imagine having underfloor heating in tiled areas (kitchen and bathroom).
The heating would, of course, be gas-fired. We are currently not 100% convinced about geothermal heat pumps.
At the moment, we rent a detached single-family home built in the mid-1990s. Gas heating. Underfloor heating on the ground floor, radiators upstairs. Separate heating circuits. The underfloor heating is about 20 years old and operates with a supply temperature around 35°C (95°F).
I actually like the underfloor heating, but these points speak against it for me:
What do you think? Basically, I appreciate underfloor heating a lot, especially because of the low supply temperature and the possibility of switching to geothermal or a similar system in 20 years…
2. Controlled mechanical ventilation.
We might decide against it because we have heard that it tends to equalize the temperature in all rooms. As mentioned, our bedrooms are cold while the living room is warm.
We ventilate sufficiently in spring and summer. We basically have an open house—all windows and doors are open all the time. We enjoy the fresh summer air and love the sounds, the birdsong…
However, in winter, our ventilation behavior in the living and kitchen areas leaves something to be desired.
What are your thoughts?
We would appreciate open and honest answers. Nothing is decided yet, nothing is lost—all options are open and possible.
We are grateful for any suggestions or shared experiences!
we have been going back and forth—new construction or existing property. However, for various reasons, we will take another 2 to 3 years before making a decision.
In the meantime, we are already mentally planning our new build. Building or renovation is really our hobby—we love wandering through exhibitions at home improvement stores and pay close attention when visiting others’ homes.
That said, no new construction is actually planned yet, no conversations with contractors have taken place—so far, it’s all just ideas.
There are two points on which I would appreciate honest feedback from experts, current homeowners, and those who have lived in their new homes for some time.
- Heating
We are currently considering installing radiators throughout the new build—no underfloor heating.
However, we could imagine having underfloor heating in tiled areas (kitchen and bathroom).
The heating would, of course, be gas-fired. We are currently not 100% convinced about geothermal heat pumps.
At the moment, we rent a detached single-family home built in the mid-1990s. Gas heating. Underfloor heating on the ground floor, radiators upstairs. Separate heating circuits. The underfloor heating is about 20 years old and operates with a supply temperature around 35°C (95°F).
I actually like the underfloor heating, but these points speak against it for me:
- Thermal inertia. Especially during transitional seasons, I found this frustrating. Also, in the evenings, I like to quickly turn up the heat in the living room to make it cozy warm. That’s not possible with our old underfloor heating. By the time it heats up, I’m already in bed.
- We and our children sleep in cold rooms, i.e., with windows open. I wonder how that works with underfloor heating. During the day, the children stay in their warm rooms—even if the underfloor heating is switched off and the windows are open, the room doesn’t really cool down quickly because of the inertia of the underfloor system...
- I love standing next to a hot radiator to warm up, warming up my blanket on it before going to bed, or drying shoes or clothes.
What do you think? Basically, I appreciate underfloor heating a lot, especially because of the low supply temperature and the possibility of switching to geothermal or a similar system in 20 years…
2. Controlled mechanical ventilation.
We might decide against it because we have heard that it tends to equalize the temperature in all rooms. As mentioned, our bedrooms are cold while the living room is warm.
We ventilate sufficiently in spring and summer. We basically have an open house—all windows and doors are open all the time. We enjoy the fresh summer air and love the sounds, the birdsong…
However, in winter, our ventilation behavior in the living and kitchen areas leaves something to be desired.
What are your thoughts?
We would appreciate open and honest answers. Nothing is decided yet, nothing is lost—all options are open and possible.
We are grateful for any suggestions or shared experiences!
K
Königsbiene10 Jun 2013 20:43@DerDa: Even though nothing can really be compared, your figure helped me get a rough idea. And even if it seems that way, I’m not naive enough to rely on it for our possible new build project. In my opinion, the heating system is a crucial component nowadays, especially since it’s not something you can easily change later on.
Also, I don’t want to give the impression that we sit with two small children in the cold during spring, summer, and autumn. Our rental house has a conservatory (sunroom), which heats the living area and kitchen for us. In the height of summer, we even have to be careful to seal it off from the house because otherwise, it gets unbearably hot... as soon as there is some sun, we experience excess warmth or at least can have it if we want.
Also, I don’t want to give the impression that we sit with two small children in the cold during spring, summer, and autumn. Our rental house has a conservatory (sunroom), which heats the living area and kitchen for us. In the height of summer, we even have to be careful to seal it off from the house because otherwise, it gets unbearably hot... as soon as there is some sun, we experience excess warmth or at least can have it if we want.
P
perlenmann11 Jun 2013 08:17Stay on top of things so you’ll know what you want when the time comes. Building a house can require some decisions to be made very quickly. If you only start doing your research at that point, wrong decisions are almost inevitable.