Hello dear experts!
We are allowed to apply for 3 plots of land, then the allocation will be done by lottery. Unfortunately, we are completely overwhelmed and have to submit our preferences in just two weeks.
To the west and north of the development area, there are very busy roads, so those plots are not really an option for us despite planned noise barriers. We are afraid that the traffic noise will still be too noticeable there. All the plots to the south would be great, but unfortunately, they exceed our budget quite a bit. We would rather not live right next to the playground, as we currently do, and find it quite annoying.
We would be so, so grateful if you could help us.
- We would like to build a two-story single-family home of about 180 sqm (1,940 sq ft).
- Like probably everyone, we want to feel relatively “alone” despite being in a large housing development and not have thousands of people able to look into our garden or house.
- We would like the living/dining/kitchen area to have a large glass front facing the garden and want to be able to ‘live’ there with a good feeling, without feeling observed — the same also applies to the garden.
- Is it better to choose a plot with the south facing the back of the house or the front?
- We could imagine bordering the plot with a fence and taller growing trees; would that be allowed if the garden were in front of the house? (See local building regulations points 6+7)
- What would be your 3 favorite plots? A plot size of up to about 700 sqm (7,535 sq ft) would be feasible, smaller would also be fine if it is well located and allows for privacy.
Oh man, this is such an important decision.. Many, many thanks for your help! THANK YOU!
We are allowed to apply for 3 plots of land, then the allocation will be done by lottery. Unfortunately, we are completely overwhelmed and have to submit our preferences in just two weeks.
To the west and north of the development area, there are very busy roads, so those plots are not really an option for us despite planned noise barriers. We are afraid that the traffic noise will still be too noticeable there. All the plots to the south would be great, but unfortunately, they exceed our budget quite a bit. We would rather not live right next to the playground, as we currently do, and find it quite annoying.
We would be so, so grateful if you could help us.
- We would like to build a two-story single-family home of about 180 sqm (1,940 sq ft).
- Like probably everyone, we want to feel relatively “alone” despite being in a large housing development and not have thousands of people able to look into our garden or house.
- We would like the living/dining/kitchen area to have a large glass front facing the garden and want to be able to ‘live’ there with a good feeling, without feeling observed — the same also applies to the garden.
- Is it better to choose a plot with the south facing the back of the house or the front?
- We could imagine bordering the plot with a fence and taller growing trees; would that be allowed if the garden were in front of the house? (See local building regulations points 6+7)
- What would be your 3 favorite plots? A plot size of up to about 700 sqm (7,535 sq ft) would be feasible, smaller would also be fine if it is well located and allows for privacy.
Oh man, this is such an important decision.. Many, many thanks for your help! THANK YOU!
H
hampshire4 Jul 2021 10:26Strahleman schrieb:
Depending on the type of roads involved, a few meters of distance from the streets may be less significant.It’s worth taking some time to understand sound and its propagation and to visit a similar area. Usually, the houses located directly next to the noise barrier wall are not the ones exposed to the highest noise levels. The sound level "spills" over the embankment, and behind it there is surprisingly little noise (similar to a wind shadow). The second row of houses acts as a second "breakwater," where it tends to be loudest. From the fourth row onward, it becomes considerably quieter.I’m unclear on how you determined your space requirements inside the house. Are 180 square meters (1,938 square feet) an arbitrary figure, or are there already planning considerations behind this that directly relate to your lifestyle?
I prefer living with four people in a well-designed 140 square meters (1,507 square feet) rather than in 180 square meters (1,938 square feet) of "status space" with limited usability. When optimizing, square floor plans (which usually have less usable space in the building center) are typically ruled out, even though they often offer the lowest price per square meter.
So if you know your needs and the house itself, you can make a much better decision about the plot location, especially when considering its size in this context.
Maybe this is a way to overcome feeling overwhelmed.
O
Oraclefile4 Jul 2021 10:41One more tip from our experience: if you need so much space that you have to build, for example, two full floors plus an attic instead of the planned 1.5 stories because the plot is otherwise too small for the house, larger plots might actually be more cost-effective.
U
UnserGlueck4 Jul 2021 10:48hampshire schrieb:
It’s worth taking some time to understand sound and how it spreads by visiting a similar area. Usually, the houses located directly next to the noise barrier are not the ones most affected by noise. The sound level "spills" over the barrier, and behind it, it’s surprisingly quiet at first (like in a wind shadow). The second row of houses acts as a second “breakwater,” so that’s where it’s usually loudest. From the fourth row onward, it gets significantly quieter.
I’m not clear on how you determined your space requirements for the house. Is 180 sqm (1937 sq ft) an arbitrary choice, or do you already have planning considerations tied directly to your lifestyle?
I personally prefer living with four people in a well-designed 140 sqm (1507 sq ft) space rather than having 180 sqm (1937 sq ft) of “status space” with limited usability. When optimizing like this, square floor plans (which usually have less usable space in the center) are generally ruled out, even though these plans often offer the lowest price per sqm (per square meter).
So if you know your needs and the house well, you can make much better decisions about the plot location, especially when linked to its size.
Maybe this is a way to avoid feeling overwhelmed. M
Myrna_Loy4 Jul 2021 11:01Here is another vote in favor of a smaller but well-designed house. This way, the house doesn’t feel too large when the children no longer live at home.
U
UnserGlueck4 Jul 2021 11:45Myrna_Loy schrieb:
Here is another vote for a smaller but well-designed house. That way, the house won’t feel too big once the children no longer live at home.That really sounds logical, and we will keep that in mind. Thank you! But first, unfortunately, we have to choose the plot... which three do you think are suitable?
One might think you are reading a bit selectively. 😉 If you spend 200,000 on the plot alone, you will probably be left with a house of about 130 to 140 m² (1400 to 1500 sq ft). Is that enough? Once the plot is purchased, reversing the decision is very expensive. However, you seem to be pursuing the idea of buying the plot somewhat hastily.
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