ᐅ Single-Family Home Planning: Requests for Help, Tips, Suggestions, and Feedback Welcome
Created on: 8 Feb 2016 13:59
M
McEgg
Since we are just slowly starting to plan our single-family home, I would like to share it here for feedback. I’m sure many people will have tips, suggestions, and even criticism that could help us. I’m trying not to write a long novel to avoid overwhelming readers and to keep it readable.
Plot details:
Key zoning plan specifications:
Our basic wishes:
About us:
We are still undecided about how to build. Therefore, I said I want to look into companies from the following categories:
Prefabricated house (timber frame construction):
We visited the prefab house center in Mannheim several times. Based on online research and recommendations from acquaintances who have built with this company, we had an appointment with Fertighaus Weiss GmbH. The consultant took a lot of time for an initial meeting (5 hours) and planned a first draft house with us. It’s basically a first idea based on what we have expressed as our wishes. As a first draft to see what is roughly possible on the plot, I think it’s okay. But it’s not yet something that convinces us. Here are just the ground floor and upper floor:
Comments:
Other appointments:
What do you think of our current approach and draft?
Plot details:
- 540 m² (approximately 5800 sq ft)
- 19 m (62 ft) wide
- Garden facing south
- Flat terrain
- Currently undeveloped
- New residential area (30 plots) in Rhein-Pfalz district
- High groundwater expected (requires waterproof basement construction, “white” or “black” tank)
Key zoning plan specifications:
- Floor area ratio (FAR) 0.3
- Total floor area ratio 0.6
- 2 full stories permitted
- Maximum wall height 4.5 m (15 ft)
- Maximum ridge height 9.5 m (31 ft)
- Gable or hip roof with pitch between 30° and 45°
- Dormers may cover up to half of each building side’s width; each individual dormer may cover up to one third of the building width, maximum 4 m (13 ft)
- Garage must be at least 5 m (16 ft) behind the street building line
- Garage allowed on only one side of the building
Our basic wishes:
- Usable basement (waterproof construction, “white” or “black” tank)
- Ground floor
- Shower bathroom
- Office
- Open kitchen-living-dining area
- Fireplace in living-dining area
- Pantry
- Entrance vestibule (?)
- Straight staircase to the upper floor
- Upper floor
- Main bathroom
- Master bedroom
- Walk-in closet
- 2 children’s rooms
- Gallery (?)
- Double garage
- With access to pantry (not sure if allowed in Rhein-Pfalz)
- Construction style
- Simple, modern, clean lines
- High ceilings
- Unfortunately, due to zoning, no upper floor without sloped ceilings possible
- Budget
- I estimate we’ll end up around 350,000 € (house only, without land), probably about 10% higher
About us:
- She: born 1982, teacher (civil servant)
- He: born 1981, executive at a large German mid-sized company (approx. 6,000 employees worldwide)
- Child 1: born late 2015, mostly just kicking, drooling, sleeping, and eating at the moment
- Child 2: still swimming like a tadpole in the Rhine
We are still undecided about how to build. Therefore, I said I want to look into companies from the following categories:
- Prefabricated houses (timber frame construction)
- Property developer (solid masonry construction)
- Architect
Prefabricated house (timber frame construction):
We visited the prefab house center in Mannheim several times. Based on online research and recommendations from acquaintances who have built with this company, we had an appointment with Fertighaus Weiss GmbH. The consultant took a lot of time for an initial meeting (5 hours) and planned a first draft house with us. It’s basically a first idea based on what we have expressed as our wishes. As a first draft to see what is roughly possible on the plot, I think it’s okay. But it’s not yet something that convinces us. Here are just the ground floor and upper floor:
Comments:
- The width of 10 m (33 ft) results from 19 m (62 ft) plot width minus 6 m (20 ft) double garage (boundary building) and 3 m (10 ft) clearance to neighbor
- Negative ground floor aspects:
- No entrance vestibule
- Passage from hallway to living area too narrow
- Lower right area of living space (right next to staircase / above “office”) is too narrow (we have a large sofa)
- Ground floor
- Arrange shower bathroom and pantry vertically
- Access to pantry from kitchen side upstairs
- Position office horizontally instead of vertically
- This allows moving the staircase to the left wall of the pantry, creating more space for passage and living area
- Upper floor
- Moving the stairs causes a problem upstairs that I have not yet solved
- I generally like the upper floor layout, but because the stairs access is on the left side, I cannot reach the walk-in closet anymore
- I do not want the walk-in closet to be a pass-through room (!)
Other appointments:
- Appointment with property developer (Missivbau) scheduled for early March
- Appointment with architect scheduled for early March
What do you think of our current approach and draft?
Ok, I’ll relabel the plan more clearly and add some dimensions.
The issue with parking cars in the driveway is something we need to reconsider. Basically, I’m someone who doesn’t like leaving my cars outside. And so far, I haven’t managed to arrange the entrance differently.
But I hope the professional will still have a few ideas.
@Nofret
Thanks for the suggestions. They’re interesting and definitely worth considering. I also don’t think we’ll end up with an open space above. I’m not convinced… I agree with you on that.
By the way, the open space is only on the living room side. On the opposite side, there’s the staircase. What looks like an open space near the stairs is supposed to be a landing. I just couldn’t manage to draw it properly on the plan.
The issue with parking cars in the driveway is something we need to reconsider. Basically, I’m someone who doesn’t like leaving my cars outside. And so far, I haven’t managed to arrange the entrance differently.
But I hope the professional will still have a few ideas.
@Nofret
Thanks for the suggestions. They’re interesting and definitely worth considering. I also don’t think we’ll end up with an open space above. I’m not convinced… I agree with you on that.
By the way, the open space is only on the living room side. On the opposite side, there’s the staircase. What looks like an open space near the stairs is supposed to be a landing. I just couldn’t manage to draw it properly on the plan.
The meeting with the developer has already taken place.
During the meeting, I learned that I was using the wrong term. Apparently, when you buy from a developer, you purchase both the land and the house. The provider I’m dealing with is neither a developer nor a general contractor. Honestly, I don’t know what to call it, but that doesn’t really matter. Anyway, it was a very interesting two-hour introductory conversation.
Briefly, how the process would work
- Company: a team of architects who handle the design (stages 1-3) and then build the house using various regional contractors
- After completing the full design, which would be ready to submit for the building permit / planning permission, you still have the option to decide not to build with the company
- There is a fixed price for the complete design; if you also build with the company, that design fee is credited towards the total price
- After the complete design, a total price for the house with standard finishes will be calculated
- If accepted, this price is fixed until final completion
- If you want non-standard features during the selection / specification process, you pay the corresponding additional cost
- Individual trades can be omitted or completed as self-performed work
Positive aspects:
- No salespeople involved, but from the very start, direct contact with one of the architects
- Everything seemed very professional
- Friends of ours built with the company 2-3 years ago
- Our friends experienced some issues with the window supplier
- As a result, the company took action and no longer works with that window supplier
- The rough estimate I received matches the price range we expected, so it doesn’t seem overpriced at first glance
- The company does not advertise
Negative aspects:
- Nothing comes to mind right now, let me know if you think of something
I’m curious how the meeting with the independent architect will go, though after the last meeting I have some doubts.
I didn’t realize that the architect essentially acts as a coordinator and that I would sign contracts with various companies myself. This means that if there are disputes, I can’t turn to the architect but have to deal directly with the respective company. I’m not very comfortable with that idea at the moment.
But we’ll see after the appointment…
During the meeting, I learned that I was using the wrong term. Apparently, when you buy from a developer, you purchase both the land and the house. The provider I’m dealing with is neither a developer nor a general contractor. Honestly, I don’t know what to call it, but that doesn’t really matter. Anyway, it was a very interesting two-hour introductory conversation.
Briefly, how the process would work
- Company: a team of architects who handle the design (stages 1-3) and then build the house using various regional contractors
- After completing the full design, which would be ready to submit for the building permit / planning permission, you still have the option to decide not to build with the company
- There is a fixed price for the complete design; if you also build with the company, that design fee is credited towards the total price
- After the complete design, a total price for the house with standard finishes will be calculated
- If accepted, this price is fixed until final completion
- If you want non-standard features during the selection / specification process, you pay the corresponding additional cost
- Individual trades can be omitted or completed as self-performed work
Positive aspects:
- No salespeople involved, but from the very start, direct contact with one of the architects
- Everything seemed very professional
- Friends of ours built with the company 2-3 years ago
- Our friends experienced some issues with the window supplier
- As a result, the company took action and no longer works with that window supplier
- The rough estimate I received matches the price range we expected, so it doesn’t seem overpriced at first glance
- The company does not advertise
Negative aspects:
- Nothing comes to mind right now, let me know if you think of something
I’m curious how the meeting with the independent architect will go, though after the last meeting I have some doubts.
I didn’t realize that the architect essentially acts as a coordinator and that I would sign contracts with various companies myself. This means that if there are disputes, I can’t turn to the architect but have to deal directly with the respective company. I’m not very comfortable with that idea at the moment.
But we’ll see after the appointment…
The appointment with the freelance architect has now taken place. It is basically very interesting as well.
However, he estimates 450 €/m³ (cubic meter) for cost groups 200-500 + 700 for the house and 225 €/m³ (cubic meter) for the garage. That is quite a figure, of course...
However, he estimates 450 €/m³ (cubic meter) for cost groups 200-500 + 700 for the house and 225 €/m³ (cubic meter) for the garage. That is quite a figure, of course...
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