ᐅ Single-family house with 190 m² living area and a 55 m² basement apartment, situated on a gentle slope
Created on: 1 Nov 2025 13:04
A
Andixxx
Hello everyone,
I have planned a house here that largely meets our ideas and requirements. However, we are still unsure about the exterior appearance. Costs and technical reliability also play a role in this decision.
Description:
Two variants have emerged that differ mainly in the roof and roof shape:
For variant 2, I expect additional costs of about €20,000 to €30,000 due to the extra roof structure, the absence of a concrete ceiling, and the relatively expensive roofing materials.
Visually, we prefer this variant, and it also offers better protection against moisture.
However, this layout is quite unusual. Since I have been dealing with it for some time, I might have gotten used to it – therefore, I am interested in your opinion on this.
The facade could be entirely executed as an external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) in white, or the basement level could be clad in brick (red-black or light gray-black) – an additional cost of about €25,000.
The eaves will be clad from underneath, with no exposed wood.
I designed the draft myself and created a 3D model (in countless variations), and have since hired an architect. However, this architect has other ideas that we do not like – so that part is currently a bit challenging.
In addition, I would appreciate your assessment of the costs.
I have currently budgeted €780,000 for construction and €120,000 for additional costs. The plot is already owned.
Thank you in advance for your constructive comments.
I have planned a house here that largely meets our ideas and requirements. However, we are still unsure about the exterior appearance. Costs and technical reliability also play a role in this decision.
Description:
- 1.5-story construction
- Plot size: 1,150 m² (12,379 sq ft)
- Living area: approx. 190 m² (2,045 sq ft)
- Granny flat: approx. 55 m² (592 sq ft)
- Building size: 10.75 m wide and 15 m deep (35 ft 3 in by 49 ft 3 in)
- Due to the plot width of 19 m (62 ft 4 in), the double garage is integrated into the house but structurally separated.
- Garden orientation: East-Northeast
- Built with an architect and individual contracting of builders
Two variants have emerged that differ mainly in the roof and roof shape:
- Setback floor with flat roof and parapet
- Setback floor with shallow pitched roof (16°) and eaves
For variant 2, I expect additional costs of about €20,000 to €30,000 due to the extra roof structure, the absence of a concrete ceiling, and the relatively expensive roofing materials.
Visually, we prefer this variant, and it also offers better protection against moisture.
However, this layout is quite unusual. Since I have been dealing with it for some time, I might have gotten used to it – therefore, I am interested in your opinion on this.
The facade could be entirely executed as an external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) in white, or the basement level could be clad in brick (red-black or light gray-black) – an additional cost of about €25,000.
The eaves will be clad from underneath, with no exposed wood.
I designed the draft myself and created a 3D model (in countless variations), and have since hired an architect. However, this architect has other ideas that we do not like – so that part is currently a bit challenging.
In addition, I would appreciate your assessment of the costs.
I have currently budgeted €780,000 for construction and €120,000 for additional costs. The plot is already owned.
Thank you in advance for your constructive comments.
Ultimately, the only question left to discuss is whether a gable roof or a flat roof is more appealing, since you aren’t keen on addressing other inquiries. Basically, I think it’s good to have clear ideas and to want to implement certain things for understandable reasons.
Personally, I like the gable roof less here; in the picture, the lower part of the building looks bulky and wide, and it "overpowers" the somewhat small-looking upper floor, which barely peeks out from the large ground floor. However, this is just my personal opinion, and it really doesn’t matter since everyone perceives it differently. Therefore, I wonder what you want to take away from the various opinions about the roof style. It will likely be 60:40 or 40:60, and then, is a side parting or a middle parting better?
When I make a decision or have already made one, I’m happy to discuss it openly and provide all the information people want because I’m asking for their input. In the end, I’ll do what I want anyway, but it can only be beneficial if someone points out mistakes or weaknesses (unless you exclude that from your own planning...). A good decision can handle critical review; what I don’t want to critically examine may have weaknesses I’m reluctant to acknowledge.
The architect’s floor plan can be adjusted easily without having to refer back to it, and the requested floor plans of your design exist and come from your own imagination, so I don’t understand why those are also being "kept secret."
For this reason alone, this discussion is dragging on and won’t bring any advantage to you. In the end, you can rightly say that nobody in the forum has criticized or negatively evaluated any of your ideas simply because you haven’t revealed any of them.
But then, why are you here? I wonder. The outcome of the taste question—flat roof or gable roof—could have been decided by a coin toss.
I have only looked at your drawings briefly because, without a floor plan and so on, it’s really difficult and mostly inaccurate; I haven’t seen any furniture with dimensions yet, but there is a, in my opinion, questionable staircase without measurements in an unfortunate position, 89 cm (35 inches) wide doors everywhere in a rather spacious new build, but at least a wide garage door, and wall projections or excessive space consumption that inevitably result from amateur planning.
In my opinion, the roof style or brickwork are secondary issues. First, you want a coherent and well-proportioned floor plan with planned, individual features—unless the exterior appearance of the house has priority here? I can’t see any of this in what’s been shown so far, so where are your floor plans (I’ll try again)?
So: If you really want a critically helpful review and assistance from people who have deep experience with house building or have done this several times in their lives, please post your floor plans with dimensions and furniture here, and then you’ll get active participation.
Otherwise, we’ll keep pondering the flat roof vs. gable roof taste question, whose answer was already predictable before it was even asked: “Some say one way, others another,” fish or meat, both can work or not.
Personally, I like the gable roof less here; in the picture, the lower part of the building looks bulky and wide, and it "overpowers" the somewhat small-looking upper floor, which barely peeks out from the large ground floor. However, this is just my personal opinion, and it really doesn’t matter since everyone perceives it differently. Therefore, I wonder what you want to take away from the various opinions about the roof style. It will likely be 60:40 or 40:60, and then, is a side parting or a middle parting better?
When I make a decision or have already made one, I’m happy to discuss it openly and provide all the information people want because I’m asking for their input. In the end, I’ll do what I want anyway, but it can only be beneficial if someone points out mistakes or weaknesses (unless you exclude that from your own planning...). A good decision can handle critical review; what I don’t want to critically examine may have weaknesses I’m reluctant to acknowledge.
The architect’s floor plan can be adjusted easily without having to refer back to it, and the requested floor plans of your design exist and come from your own imagination, so I don’t understand why those are also being "kept secret."
For this reason alone, this discussion is dragging on and won’t bring any advantage to you. In the end, you can rightly say that nobody in the forum has criticized or negatively evaluated any of your ideas simply because you haven’t revealed any of them.
But then, why are you here? I wonder. The outcome of the taste question—flat roof or gable roof—could have been decided by a coin toss.
I have only looked at your drawings briefly because, without a floor plan and so on, it’s really difficult and mostly inaccurate; I haven’t seen any furniture with dimensions yet, but there is a, in my opinion, questionable staircase without measurements in an unfortunate position, 89 cm (35 inches) wide doors everywhere in a rather spacious new build, but at least a wide garage door, and wall projections or excessive space consumption that inevitably result from amateur planning.
In my opinion, the roof style or brickwork are secondary issues. First, you want a coherent and well-proportioned floor plan with planned, individual features—unless the exterior appearance of the house has priority here? I can’t see any of this in what’s been shown so far, so where are your floor plans (I’ll try again)?
So: If you really want a critically helpful review and assistance from people who have deep experience with house building or have done this several times in their lives, please post your floor plans with dimensions and furniture here, and then you’ll get active participation.
Otherwise, we’ll keep pondering the flat roof vs. gable roof taste question, whose answer was already predictable before it was even asked: “Some say one way, others another,” fish or meat, both can work or not.
H
hanghaus20234 Nov 2025 10:00I roughly sketched the contour lines to better understand the plot.
The terrain has about a 10% slope. The road is slightly less steep.
The previous owner probably built along the slope. For example, the house is narrower and follows the contour line, which in my opinion makes more sense.
For two people, I would recommend a bungalow with a living basement.
Is the house still standing? If yes, please share some pictures of the existing building.
Could you briefly explain what the architect has planned? Possibly also where on the plot.
Have you shown your design to the building authority / planning office? Otherwise, I would recommend a preliminary building inquiry, as I don’t think you can prove the single-level layout.
The existing survey shows what is desired.
The terrain has about a 10% slope. The road is slightly less steep.
The previous owner probably built along the slope. For example, the house is narrower and follows the contour line, which in my opinion makes more sense.
For two people, I would recommend a bungalow with a living basement.
Is the house still standing? If yes, please share some pictures of the existing building.
Could you briefly explain what the architect has planned? Possibly also where on the plot.
Have you shown your design to the building authority / planning office? Otherwise, I would recommend a preliminary building inquiry, as I don’t think you can prove the single-level layout.
The existing survey shows what is desired.
Andixxx schrieb:
What do you mean by "the preselection for individual contracting is awkward"?
Should I also build with a main contractor? I would prefer to negotiate all trades individually. The negotiation potential with individual contracting is often overrated. I would neither recommend presetting “to build with a main contractor” nor “to negotiate individually” as a fixed approach, but rather to tender in separate lots. In tenders, there is no need for negotiation (and it usually doesn’t happen). Instead, each lot is open for bids, the conditions are clear, and every bidder responds with their price for the specified supply and service. I would always allow (simply by permitting it and not excluding it) each bidder the freedom to bid on multiple or, as a main contractor, even all lots. Or many lots, for example as a main contractor for the shell construction. From a professional perspective, as an independent construction consultant who connects building families with architects on request, having gained much of my expertise from architects and having conducted tender-like request procedures for thirty years as a technical business consultant, before returning to my original professional focus.
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