ᐅ Two house floor plans shortlisted – thank you for the feedback

Hello everyone,

we are new to this forum and have already read several interesting posts over the past few days. We also found it very helpful to receive practical tips and advice from the more experienced members here, which surely help a lot in many situations!

We have been looking for a used property for about 1.5 years. It is important to us that the house is not too old (around 10–15 years) or has already been significantly renovated. Although we are quite skilled with DIY and have some family and friends who work professionally in trades, we don’t want to buy a house that requires a full renovation to bring it up to modern standards and technology. Since the market in our region is very slow or almost inactive, we have now decided to pursue two options in parallel. A few months ago, we started considering building a house and have already had two appointments with potential builders. One was Danwood (prefabricated house construction) and the other Viebrockhaus (solid brick construction). After our conversation with Viebrockhaus (we know this company is apparently the “Porsche” among providers, at least in terms of what you probably pay for in the end), it is clear to us that if we build, solid brick construction is our preferred method. We have also already spoken with a financial advisor to check our financial situation and what monthly payments would be feasible. We are both employed full-time in secure jobs, aged 27 and 34, and want to build our home in preparation for a family with one or two children.

What we have realized is that it is very helpful to have quite clear ideas about the future building project. We imagine a 1.5-story house without a basement (about 130–150 sqm (1400–1600 sq ft)) with brick cladding. On the ground floor, there should be an open kitchen/dining/living area (this living space should be flooded with natural light), a large utility room (about 10 sqm (110 sq ft)) with enough space for heating system, washing machine, dryer, shelves, and also room for a drying rack. The utility room should be accessible from the kitchen and have an exterior door leading outside (to the carport). The ground floor should also include a guest toilet with a walk-in shower and a study, which could later be used as a bedroom. Upstairs, there should be two roughly equal-sized children’s rooms, a bedroom (just big enough for a bed), a separate dressing room with natural daylight, and a family bathroom. We dream of a house in the Frisian style, but not with a sharply pointed Frisian gable, rather a more open design—it’s hard to describe, but we think you know what we mean. We will upload a photo again. Is it still considered Frisian style or just a gabled roof? (We are still unsure about this.) If possible (financially), we would like this on both the front and rear sides.

Now to our initial ideas regarding the floor plan; we have two options that have made it to the shortlist. What is your opinion on these? We welcome any criticism!

We are also looking for reliable building companies in the Heidekreis area (formerly Soltau-Fallingbostel). Does anyone have personal experience or know which builders have a good reputation and are likely to remain reliable for years to come?

With Viebrockhaus, it appears — and this is also confirmed in most construction blogs — that you can really rely on the quality of work and schedule. What are your experiences with smaller building companies and family-owned firms? Do you often have to put pressure on them to get certain trades completed on time?

Thank you very much in advance and best regards!

Keep in mind that with companies like Danwood, you usually have to add a significant amount on top of the listed prices. Even the delivery of the house often costs extra.

Tönjes and Meissner certainly also build in the Heidekreis area. I have heard a lot of good things about them.

Otherwise, I would take a different approach: Determine your budget and write a requirements plan. For example, how large each room should be and other details like those you have already mentioned here. Then take this plan to the home builder.

Hello,

although I initially shortened the names of the suppliers (which I will change back after this post), I realize that this will primarily be a discussion about possible providers. Therefore, I have moved the thread to the moderated forum.

Regards, Bauexperte

Well, with these two providers, you’ve picked two very different options:
One of the most expensive for solid construction and one of the cheapest in the prefabricated house sector.
You first need to be clear about how you want to build: prefab construction (timber frame), solid with thin bricks and thick insulation, or thick bricks without insulation.
Also, look into general contractors or property developers in your area. We are currently building with a small general contractor who works nationwide.

Regarding the floor plans: they are fine. Nothing surprising, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like them. However, I find the second floor plan a bit nicer.

In floor plan 1, you always have to walk around the dining table or the couch to get to the terrace. Also, there is not enough space in the hallway for a wardrobe here. I can only emphasize again that with children, a lot of bags, shoes, jackets, and accessories (hats, gloves…), rainwear, and muddy clothes accumulate that need to be stored somewhere. Not to mention, in the early years, a baby car seat, diaper bag, and stroller.

In floor plan 2, you have a nice space for the wardrobe. Also, on the upper floor, with the right room layout, you have the option to create a parents’ and a children’s area each with their own bathroom – if that’s something you want. In the living room, you can reach the terrace without having to squeeze past furniture. With the second floor plan, you could also add access from the hallway to the utility room, which I actually find more practical than from the kitchen. This way, you don’t have to carry the laundry basket around several corners, and if a technician comes, they don’t get a full house tour straight away. Plus, you don’t always have to go through the kitchen when coming in from outside with your jacket and shoes on.

Schlüter Bauregie in Dollern/Harsefeld and WOBau in Ostereistedt (should be somewhere near your area as well)
Our neighbors built a bungalow with the latter and are completely satisfied.
We have also looked into the former; they offer custom planning as well.
I would categorize Viebrockhaus with VW: reliable, but expensive. I was recently told they offer a 10-year warranty, but due to short construction times, issues like moisture behind mirrors may occur.
For a price comparison, you can use corresponding floor plans; however, neither one is the absolute top choice yet.
I would feel more comfortable with regional companies since they have more reputation to protect in their local area. Most of them work with subcontractors anyway.
WITO also comes to mind as another regional option...

It’s great to have your dream home, but not the right plot of land...

First, you should check if it’s financially feasible (including a future perspective with two children).

Then comes the plot – once you have found one that suits you, you need to find out what you are allowed to build on it, not what you want to build.

Based on your budget and the regulations, you can then start designing your house. It’s unfortunate if dormers are not permitted, but you really want that kind of house...

For us, plots of land are even rarer than existing properties – so you take what you can get, and 99% of the time, you are not allowed to build what you want.