ᐅ Single-Family Home Optimization and Planning (180 sqm + Attic, No Basement)
Created on: 22 May 2020 21:23
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phil12345
Hello everyone,
I was directed to this interesting sub-forum through other threads, and of course, I would like to share our idea pool in the form of Draft 2.0.
First, a few facts about us:
Both 32 years old, no children, working full time. Two children are planned, but only after the house is built and before 40. So, relatively mid-term.
We plan to build in the front yard (650 m² (7,000 sq ft)) of the builder’s parents. The plot is signed, and the partnership agreement is in place. We envision a single-family house of about 180 m² (1,940 sq ft) with a double garage. We do not want a basement.
The house should preferably meet the KfW55 energy efficiency standard despite having a gas heating system. As a guy, I obviously find KNX great, but maybe Somfy Smart Home would also work. However, I would really regret it in the future if I squander that investment.
The cube shown in the drawing, originally made of exposed concrete, has now been clad with Trespa panels. The window shutters should be external Venetian blinds (Raffstores) in the basement and regular shutters on the upper floor. A large covered terrace (not visible here) is also very important to us since we really want to sit in the garden sheltered from the weather.
Additionally, we face the challenge that the driveway is from the southwest side, so we need to combine garden and driveway.
A wood-burning fireplace is very important to the builder. The airlock/transition zone between garage and house, connecting both, is also essential. We like the idea of a shared but “separate” bathroom; a bathtub is not necessary. An additional third, basic bathroom in the garage for garden parties is also planned (we live in a rural area of Lower Saxony, where corn and beer are enjoyed every other day…) but should be kept very simple.
I will actively participate in the thread and look forward to an engaging discussion.
Best regards,
Phil12345
I was directed to this interesting sub-forum through other threads, and of course, I would like to share our idea pool in the form of Draft 2.0.
First, a few facts about us:
Both 32 years old, no children, working full time. Two children are planned, but only after the house is built and before 40. So, relatively mid-term.
We plan to build in the front yard (650 m² (7,000 sq ft)) of the builder’s parents. The plot is signed, and the partnership agreement is in place. We envision a single-family house of about 180 m² (1,940 sq ft) with a double garage. We do not want a basement.
The house should preferably meet the KfW55 energy efficiency standard despite having a gas heating system. As a guy, I obviously find KNX great, but maybe Somfy Smart Home would also work. However, I would really regret it in the future if I squander that investment.
The cube shown in the drawing, originally made of exposed concrete, has now been clad with Trespa panels. The window shutters should be external Venetian blinds (Raffstores) in the basement and regular shutters on the upper floor. A large covered terrace (not visible here) is also very important to us since we really want to sit in the garden sheltered from the weather.
Additionally, we face the challenge that the driveway is from the southwest side, so we need to combine garden and driveway.
A wood-burning fireplace is very important to the builder. The airlock/transition zone between garage and house, connecting both, is also essential. We like the idea of a shared but “separate” bathroom; a bathtub is not necessary. An additional third, basic bathroom in the garage for garden parties is also planned (we live in a rural area of Lower Saxony, where corn and beer are enjoyed every other day…) but should be kept very simple.
I will actively participate in the thread and look forward to an engaging discussion.
Best regards,
Phil12345
I can only advise planning with the actual furniture in mind. You don’t need to finalize the design now, but make sure to work with the correct dimensions. Also, always ensure there are sufficient circulation paths. Nobody wants to have to zigzag through a brand-new house. If you don’t consider the furnishings now, it will be like in a rental apartment—you have the rooms, and then you try to find suitable furniture afterward.
A few more points about the floor plan:
- What is the purpose of the door on the left side of the garage?
- The wall between the utility room and the garage is drawn far too thin. It is important for the closure of the thermal envelope.
- The garage width is suitable for one car and bicycles, but not for two cars.
- The door from the garage to the utility room takes up a lot of usable space.
- How will you protect the plumbing for the toilet in the garage from freezing during winter?
- Consider swapping the bathroom and office on the upper floor for shorter plumbing routes to the utility room.
- The bathroom itself needs to be completely redesigned.
- There will be no 60cm (24 inches) of space next to the bed in the master bedroom. That is very, very little! On the other hand, there is plenty of room at the foot of the bed—enough to dance a waltz, since the drawn-in closet in front of the window won’t actually be there.
- The fireplace in that location might cause problems as it could interfere with the roof ridge.
- I would also remove the small ventilation space at the entrance entirely.
Considering your budget, you need to build more simply. You have plenty of gimmicks that offer little benefit but cause a lot of extra costs. You have numerous walls (including load-bearing ones) that don’t align directly with those above or below. The corner cube that provides extra space is very expensive. Corner windows in the bedroom that nobody really needs. And many more issues!
A few more points about the floor plan:
- What is the purpose of the door on the left side of the garage?
- The wall between the utility room and the garage is drawn far too thin. It is important for the closure of the thermal envelope.
- The garage width is suitable for one car and bicycles, but not for two cars.
- The door from the garage to the utility room takes up a lot of usable space.
- How will you protect the plumbing for the toilet in the garage from freezing during winter?
- Consider swapping the bathroom and office on the upper floor for shorter plumbing routes to the utility room.
- The bathroom itself needs to be completely redesigned.
- There will be no 60cm (24 inches) of space next to the bed in the master bedroom. That is very, very little! On the other hand, there is plenty of room at the foot of the bed—enough to dance a waltz, since the drawn-in closet in front of the window won’t actually be there.
- The fireplace in that location might cause problems as it could interfere with the roof ridge.
- I would also remove the small ventilation space at the entrance entirely.
Considering your budget, you need to build more simply. You have plenty of gimmicks that offer little benefit but cause a lot of extra costs. You have numerous walls (including load-bearing ones) that don’t align directly with those above or below. The corner cube that provides extra space is very expensive. Corner windows in the bedroom that nobody really needs. And many more issues!
phil12345 schrieb:
I probably would have tried to carry out the project after all.Have you already questioned the collaboration with your "architect" (the quotation marks are intentional regarding the floor plan) based on your previous experience? A cost overrun of 25% is quite significant.phil12345 schrieb:
Almost before the building permit / planning permission application.And in the cost estimate and calculation, did the "architect" not notice this €100,000 difference?Drasleona schrieb:
We are skipping French balconies If something like that was being discussed in your area, you are talking about apples, while the original poster (OP) posted a pear. Completely different house types and more expensive. More living space costs more.
The OP is dreaming of a pear but can only afford an ornamental apple.
phil12345 schrieb:
I meant us, though. Then please post the actual design, one that can be discussed meaningfully.
Why start a discussion about optimizing a house here and now without a building permit / planning permission when it will never be built?
D
Drasleona23 May 2020 14:30DASI90 schrieb:
Unfortunately, you still have to pay for the concrete slab and the additional construction costs. And those additional costs are usually the same up to a certain size. In my opinion, the original poster is talking about the total budget. That’s why your comparison, saying you also manage it, doesn’t really apply. Especially since it seems you are dealing with estimated costs rather than actual costs. I don’t understand why the prefab house manufacturer should make it particularly cheap now. Construction costs are fairly similar when viewed regionally. The standard and individual wishes determine the price. I understood from the original poster that it was only about the pure construction costs. If it’s the total budget, things are even more complicated than expected.
For the construction costs, we have a price guarantee, so I don’t see why our estimated and actual costs should diverge on this point.
@ypg I’m aware that the original poster doesn’t have French balconies. It was just an example.
phil12345 schrieb:
I have everything here. From the architect contract to the DIN 276 cost estimate from the same. 100k over the agreed maximum budget.This already shows a remarkable lack of professional experience that leads to this double error: only noticing such a significant budget overrun when adding everything up, and drawing in furniture and other items without realizing there is no space around them. Am I correct in assuming that this expert previously designed the parents-in-law’s house and has since become detached from reality as a university lecturer?https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
I think the design is not bad as a starting point.
You could first remove all bay windows completely and smooth out the walls, which would save expensive roof areas on the ground floor and create space for the dining table. Also, eliminate the fireplace there, and it would become a living room.
Upstairs, in my opinion, a thorough cleanup is needed. The bathroom is a disaster. Even if you might find it original at first glance, in the long run it feels oppressive and uncomfortable. What’s the benefit of this combined bathroom? Essentially, you have a bathroom with four sinks but no bathtub and barely any room to move around. Is the top right area supposed to be a second toilet? That doesn’t make sense. Even if there won’t be a bottleneck when brushing teeth or using the toilet, you’ll end up waiting again to take a shower. A second shower separated by a wall doesn’t solve that problem enough for me to skip it. I would plan the children’s bathroom back in because, if you’re honest, you want that rather than this compromise.
Also, having one child sleep with their ear next to the bedroom and only light from one side isn’t ideal.
The room width for the bed in the bedroom is very tight with 3.26m (10 feet 8 inches) rough construction. That leaves about 60cm (24 inches) of walking space next to a 2m (79 inches) bed, which is very narrow, and you’ll likely find yourself bumping into the wall when getting up. The space for wardrobes, however, is quite generous. Do you need that much?
Overall, there are plenty of requests for the upper floor. Some compromises will have to be accepted. But this bathroom compromise is a bit too much for me—maybe it would be enough to plan a partition wall and manage with two small bathrooms? Otherwise, here’s another suggestion with different compromises ( )
The main goal was separate bathrooms and moving the children’s sleeping areas away from the bedroom. However, this comes at the cost of wardrobe space and one child ends up with north-facing exposure. I still think it’s worth considering.
Oh, and keep an eye on the depth of the staircase. With around 2.65m (8 feet 8 inches) or so, a landing probably won’t fit. Also, consider whether you want to have an open staircase to the living room with two kids.
You could first remove all bay windows completely and smooth out the walls, which would save expensive roof areas on the ground floor and create space for the dining table. Also, eliminate the fireplace there, and it would become a living room.
Upstairs, in my opinion, a thorough cleanup is needed. The bathroom is a disaster. Even if you might find it original at first glance, in the long run it feels oppressive and uncomfortable. What’s the benefit of this combined bathroom? Essentially, you have a bathroom with four sinks but no bathtub and barely any room to move around. Is the top right area supposed to be a second toilet? That doesn’t make sense. Even if there won’t be a bottleneck when brushing teeth or using the toilet, you’ll end up waiting again to take a shower. A second shower separated by a wall doesn’t solve that problem enough for me to skip it. I would plan the children’s bathroom back in because, if you’re honest, you want that rather than this compromise.
Also, having one child sleep with their ear next to the bedroom and only light from one side isn’t ideal.
The room width for the bed in the bedroom is very tight with 3.26m (10 feet 8 inches) rough construction. That leaves about 60cm (24 inches) of walking space next to a 2m (79 inches) bed, which is very narrow, and you’ll likely find yourself bumping into the wall when getting up. The space for wardrobes, however, is quite generous. Do you need that much?
Overall, there are plenty of requests for the upper floor. Some compromises will have to be accepted. But this bathroom compromise is a bit too much for me—maybe it would be enough to plan a partition wall and manage with two small bathrooms? Otherwise, here’s another suggestion with different compromises ( )
The main goal was separate bathrooms and moving the children’s sleeping areas away from the bedroom. However, this comes at the cost of wardrobe space and one child ends up with north-facing exposure. I still think it’s worth considering.
Oh, and keep an eye on the depth of the staircase. With around 2.65m (8 feet 8 inches) or so, a landing probably won’t fit. Also, consider whether you want to have an open staircase to the living room with two kids.
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