Hello,
unfortunately, my post simply disappeared again yesterday, so I’ll try my luck once more.
A brief introduction: I am 48, female, single, and based in northern Baden-Württemberg.
I’m still at the very beginning of my house-building planning but already own a plot of land, for which I will sign the purchase contract in the coming weeks.
I want a small, single-story house without a basement, with a small, low-maintenance garden and nothing fancy.
It is unclear whether another person might move in ever, so I don’t want to plan for that at this point.
Basically, it would depend on the cost what 10-15 m² (100-160 sq ft) more would mean, as my budget is naturally limited.
Room plan
Kitchen + Dining + Living + Work approx. 40 m² (430 sq ft)
Bedroom approx. 14 m² (150 sq ft)
Dressing room -
Work/Guest/Child room approx. 10 m² (110 sq ft) optional
Bathroom + WC approx. 7 m² (75 sq ft)
Hallway approx. 5 m² (55 sq ft)
Utility room approx. 8 m² (85 sq ft)
Guest WC -
Storage room -
Total approx. 75 - 85 m² (810 - 915 sq ft)
Questionnaire regarding the floor plan:
Attached are a section of the development plan and a rough drawing of the house (green), carport (blue) and patio (yellow) on the screenshot from Boris BW.
I have also attached my first attempts at floor plans (once with the entrance in the north and once in the east). I probably used the wrong tool for drafting, but I hope something can still be understood or used.
I look forward to constructive feedback.
Thank you in advance for your time.
unfortunately, my post simply disappeared again yesterday, so I’ll try my luck once more.
A brief introduction: I am 48, female, single, and based in northern Baden-Württemberg.
I’m still at the very beginning of my house-building planning but already own a plot of land, for which I will sign the purchase contract in the coming weeks.
I want a small, single-story house without a basement, with a small, low-maintenance garden and nothing fancy.
It is unclear whether another person might move in ever, so I don’t want to plan for that at this point.
Basically, it would depend on the cost what 10-15 m² (100-160 sq ft) more would mean, as my budget is naturally limited.
Room plan
Kitchen + Dining + Living + Work approx. 40 m² (430 sq ft)
Bedroom approx. 14 m² (150 sq ft)
Dressing room -
Work/Guest/Child room approx. 10 m² (110 sq ft) optional
Bathroom + WC approx. 7 m² (75 sq ft)
Hallway approx. 5 m² (55 sq ft)
Utility room approx. 8 m² (85 sq ft)
Guest WC -
Storage room -
Total approx. 75 - 85 m² (810 - 915 sq ft)
Questionnaire regarding the floor plan:
| Development plan / restrictions | |
| Plot size | 392 m² (4,220 sq ft) |
| Slope | North-south gradient approx. 1.5 m on 21 m (5 ft on 69 ft) |
| Site coverage ratio | 0.4 |
| Floor area ratio | 0.8 |
| Building envelope, building line and boundary | see development plan |
| Edge development | Setbacks according to open construction style |
| Number of parking spaces | 1.5 (rounded up) per dwelling unit, so 2 |
| Number of stories | II (two stories) |
| Roof type | Pitch 38–43°, half-hip roof or double shed roof |
| Architectural style | ? |
| Orientation | East-West |
| Maximum heights / limits | 8.5 m (28 ft) |
| Further requirements | Cistern of 4.5 m³ (160 cu ft) recommended Garage: with gable roof or green flat roof, carports? Filling allowed up to 1.8 m (6 ft) |
| Builder’s requirements | |
| Style, roof form, building type | Exemption from gable roof at 30°? Bungalow |
| Basement, number of floors | One story without basement |
| Number of people, age | see introduction |
| Space requirements on ground and upper floors | Ground floor 75-80 m² (810 - 860 sq ft) |
| Office: family use or home office? | Home office, integrated in living-dining area |
| Number of overnight guests per year | 0–1 |
| Open or closed architecture | ? |
| Traditional or modern construction style | ? |
| Open kitchen, kitchen island | Kitchen island with depth like regular kitchen cabinets, followed by dining table |
| Number of dining seats | max 4 |
| Fireplace | Undecided |
| Music / stereo wall | No |
| Balcony, roof terrace | No |
| Garage, carport | 1 carport, 1 parking space |
| Vegetable garden, greenhouse | No |
| Further wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons why some things should be included or not | - No separate office for home office because I don’t want to spend most of the day in a smaller room but rather in the living room with a view of the garden - Retractable staircase to the attic (additional storage space) - Wall in bedroom for wardrobe at least 2.75 m (9 ft) long - Wall in living room at least 2.45 m (8 ft) long for lowboard with TV - Bathtub – uncertain if necessary - Larger shower 90 x 120 cm (36 x 47 inches) with tiled partition wall (avoid glass wall) |
| House design | |
| Who designed the plan: | DIY, based on floor plans from Hanse Haus and various other small house providers |
| What do you like? Why? | Open living-dining-working area in the southern part of the house, utility room not directly next to the bedroom (noise from technical equipment) |
| What do you dislike? Why? | Possibly the hallway / entrance area is rather small |
| Cost estimate according to architect / planner: | ? |
| Personal price limit for the house, incl. equipment: | 250,000–270,000 Euros (approx. 270,000–290,000 USD) turnkey, excluding foundation slab, earthworks, secondary building costs, furnishings, and landscaping |
| Preferred heating system: | Not yet decided, possibly underfloor heating |
| Other considerations | Maximum house length 11.5 m (38 ft) because plot width approx. 18 m (59 ft) minus carport 3 m (10 ft) minus setback 2.5 m (8 ft) minus 1 m (3 ft) buffer in case plot is shorter than 18 m (measured on Boris BW) Carport position could also be on the west side To maximize green space and deal with the slope: house with long side parallel to the street No preference yet regarding solid construction or timber frame, KfW 55 or 40 or X standard |
| Outdoor facilities | - Patio approx. 15 m² (160 sq ft) level with the house - Lawn may have slope - Carport with parking space in front |
| Earthworks | Southern boundary: retaining wall needed to manage slope, neighbors (right and left) have done this with 1.4 m (4.5 ft) L-shaped concrete blocks or hollow blocks, rough offer from earthworks company is available (wall, grading, compacting and preparations for foundation slab, foundation slab, patio and carport [= crane location], graveling, drainage, grounding ring, multi-utility lines, site setup etc. all together approx. 60,000 Euros) |
Attached are a section of the development plan and a rough drawing of the house (green), carport (blue) and patio (yellow) on the screenshot from Boris BW.
I have also attached my first attempts at floor plans (once with the entrance in the north and once in the east). I probably used the wrong tool for drafting, but I hope something can still be understood or used.
I look forward to constructive feedback.
Thank you in advance for your time.
Newbee-BW schrieb:
Thank you @11ant for posting your answer again. My pleasure, unfortunately I have quite a bit of experience with this.
Newbee-BW schrieb:
From Golfi90’s posts, I gather that where the hot water tank is located at the top of the roof, there should be a bathtub on the ground floor. Is that correct? Or was that an (insider) joke? Even my memory isn’t perfect: I don’t remember exactly where his bathtub is. And honestly, I take everything written here with a grain of salt—I don’t have time to perform control visits at the questioners’ homes*. There aren’t many insider "jokes" here, only recurring inside references like the “Princess and the Pea going back and forth countless times” thread by @Shiny86, or the piano and zigzag wall mentioned by @chrisw81, and things like that. As far as I recall, Golfi90 has simply arranged his technical installations so that the clutter rarely visited by maintenance technicians is stored in the attic, while the space-hogging pipes and fittings stay confined to the living floors and house risers serving the boiler and related equipment.
*) Although, if I’m not mistaken, he lives in the same development as another user here, so a visit would actually be quite efficient.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
11ant schrieb:
You’ll probably find @motorradsilke the most suitable as a bungalow builder (although for a multi-person household) near you. I was thinking more of… man, what’s his name again, the one who built a duplex or four-family house with his brother, where he lives in a small but sufficient unit himself…
@11ant, you probably know who I mean. I’m not good with names.
He also created a nice small open space. I even designed the kitchen for him.
11ant schrieb:
Skip the hassle of lowering the roof; build a gable roof with a 38° pitch and put the technical equipment in the attic. That way, you can reduce it significantly on the ground floor and only have the main service entries in the utility room. I’m not sure if that fits with cost-effective building. The affordable bungalows usually have a cold roof. The intermediate ceiling is made of wood and isn’t as load-bearing as desired. Noise insulation is also an issue.
I don’t have anything to say about the word “shack.”
There are many single-story houses with a low-pitched gable roof that look very elegant due to clever placement of, for example, windows or a front garden. With suitable fittings that don’t have to be expensive, you can create a little gem – no need for a roof design that not everyone has. Besides, in the price range of 250,000 to 290,000€ (about 270,000 to 310,000 USD), it just drives costs unnecessarily higher.
Regarding the designs by @Newbee-BW
I only took a quick look.
Even if you want to keep the footprint small and be modest, some rules should be followed in the planning. For example, place the wardrobe behind the door instead of right in front, so you don’t have to walk into it (this makes the room feel larger), and avoid having a direct line of sight from the kitchen to the toilet or bathroom.
Even if it’s a small house, it should work well—if not better—than a typical single-family house of regular size.
ypg schrieb:
I was actually thinking more of... What’s his name again, the one who built a semi-detached or four-family house with his brother, where he lives in a small but sufficient unit himself...
@11ant, you probably know who I mean. Names aren’t my strong suit.
He also created a nice little multi-purpose room. I even planned the kitchen for him. Oops, in post #11 I linked to the wrong Golfi90 thread in that sense; in https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/heizung-fuer-bungalow-mit-2-wohneinheiten.45714/page-2#post-633854 it says:
11ant schrieb:
[...] there was also a – unfortunately now deleted – thread here where someone built a four-apartment semi-detached house with his brother (with a centrally positioned technical room in front). ... which means the thread by @i_b_n_a_n. I can’t currently “restore” your kitchen plans for him, as the pictures from that thread are stored on the hard drive of a decommissioned computer. However, none of that really seems suitable for the OP here.
ypg schrieb:
I don’t know if that fits with affordable and practical building. The budget bungalows have cold roofs. The intermediate ceiling is wooden and not as load-bearing as one might want. Also, sound insulation is an issue. That made me think of @Nordlys, who is certainly not wasteful; his bungalow, if I remember correctly, would be around 108 sqm (1160 sq ft) too large as a counterexample here. It is equipped with a deliberately “steep” 35° (instead of 30°) hipped roof that allows standing height, which was later upgraded with insulation to prevent paint buckets from freezing. Therefore, overall I find a 38° gable roof appropriate here. I don’t worry about structural strength but would consider partial reinforcement or a concrete ceiling over the utility room not a cost explosion. A fully functional staircase (like @Nordlys has) or, if I remember correctly, a space-saving staircase (like @Steffi33) seems dispensable here.
ypg schrieb:
There are many single-story homes with shallow gable roofs that come across as very elegant through clever placement of, for example, windows or front gardens. With appropriate features that don’t have to be expensive, one can create a little gem – this doesn’t require a roof style that everyone has. Especially since, in the price range of €250,000–290,000, that would unnecessarily drive up costs. With an open gable ridge, like @Nida35a for example, yes.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
11ant schrieb:
.. which is what the thread from @i_b_n_a_n was referring to.Exactly! But I also had to delete the draft (insider).11ant schrieb:
That made me think of @Nordlys, who is definitely not wasteful,And I also thought of them during a short break while pondering about i_b_n_a_n. A small, practical house, though not matching the needs of @Newbee-BW.11ant schrieb:
With a gable open to the ridge like @Nida35a, for example, yes.No, that’s not necessary either. An open ceiling also costs; 10 years ago, we paid about €5,000 more to have a roughly 22 m² (237 sq ft) room open up to the ridge. Never mind. A bungalow with a completely normal pitched roof doesn’t have to feel like a prefab shed.
Nida35a schrieb:
then you get a great garden feeling and enjoy looking at your house.You can have that very well in a house where the eaves face the entrance and garden. My favorite bungalow is my aunt and uncle’s 1970s house — much cozier with this orientation than looking at a tall gable, which I actually also have facing the garden because we weren’t allowed to build differently.Newbee-BW schrieb:
Exemption for a pitched roof at 30 degrees? Bungalow.I can well imagine that will not be granted, because the house will visually get lost between two-story buildings. The municipality will probably refer to their zoning plan / building permit regulations.Newbee-BW schrieb:
€250,000–270,000 turnkey without foundation,Don’t forget the cost of the foundation slab and additional incidental building costs. Calculated roughly, you end up around €380,000.Construction type: exactly as the general contractor you trust wants to build it.
N
Newbee-BW3 Dec 2024 23:38ypg schrieb:
Even if you only need a small area and are modest in your plans, it’s important to keep certain rules in mind during the design phase. For example, position the wardrobe behind the door instead of having to walk around it (this makes the room feel more spacious) and avoid having to look from the kitchen directly into the toilet or bathroom.
Even if it’s a small house, it should function well—if not better—than a typical single-family home. Oops, okay. I’m not familiar with planning rules yet, thanks for your input. My main priorities were to have a large living area facing the garden, to avoid the bedroom being next to the utility room, and to have reasonably sized rooms.
ypg schrieb:
Don’t forget the costs for the foundation slab as well as additional construction overhead. By calculation, you’re looking at around €380,000. Yes, thanks, I’m aware of that. That’s why the house price seems comparatively “low.”
ypg schrieb:
I can’t say much about the term “shack.”
There are many single-story houses with a shallow pitched gable roof that look very elegant through clever arrangements of, for example, windows or a front garden. With appropriate fittings that don’t have to be expensive, you can create a little gem—you don’t need a roof style that everyone has. Especially since roofs like that typically increase costs unnecessarily in the range of €250,000 to €290,000. I don’t actually mind “shacks.” Nida35a brought up the term. I think a standard gable roof on a bungalow is perfectly fine.
It’s just the roof pitch that’s a bit concerning. The typical house models often have hipped roofs, and if they do have gable roofs, the pitch is usually much less than 38° (unfortunately). So there will definitely be extra costs if that’s even possible. Regarding an exemption, I’ve informally asked two local council members (since people around here know each other), and they didn’t seem opposed. But whether it will be approved is still a gamble… That’s why I liked 11ant’s idea of moving the technical equipment upstairs, which would make a steep roof less pointless. But whether that really fits with a standard house model is questionable. It’s also unclear how to get equipment up via the fold-down attic ladder.
An open gable looks great and is an eye-catcher, in my opinion, but at the same time, I’d probably feel a bit “lost” in it, and I agree that it would likely be associated with additional costs.
N
Newbee-BW3 Dec 2024 23:39ypg schrieb:
Construction type: exactly as your trusted general contractor wants to build it.First, I need to find one like that; it’s really a challenge.Similar topics