ᐅ Using a Tiny House as an Extension or Affordable Extension Options?
Created on: 9 Feb 2024 10:34
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Nordfamilie
Hello Homebuilding Forum,
After a long search, we found a house we'd like to buy because the plot has the perfect location for us, the house itself is really nice, and the price of about 500,000 EUR is also within our range.
Unfortunately, there is one point that doesn’t quite work for us yet: the house currently has a size of about 100 square meters (1,076 square feet) plus a converted attic of about 20 square meters (215 square feet). For us as a family, that feels a bit tight, and we would need about 2-3 additional rooms, roughly 50 square meters (538 square feet) more space.
Our first idea was an extension – and so we had quotes made. However, these amount to nearly 180,000 (plus additional costs) for 50 square meters (538 square feet), which is well over our budget.
Our next idea was to possibly connect a tiny house or similar through a conservatory to the main house to gain additional space. Our initial calculation shows costs of around 100,000, which would roughly be feasible for us. Is there anything we might have overlooked here?
Are there other options to gain more space? Are we missing something or do you know of providers who offer extensions in Lower Saxony at a lower cost?
I look forward to any input or suggestions.
Best regards
Nordfamilie
After a long search, we found a house we'd like to buy because the plot has the perfect location for us, the house itself is really nice, and the price of about 500,000 EUR is also within our range.
Unfortunately, there is one point that doesn’t quite work for us yet: the house currently has a size of about 100 square meters (1,076 square feet) plus a converted attic of about 20 square meters (215 square feet). For us as a family, that feels a bit tight, and we would need about 2-3 additional rooms, roughly 50 square meters (538 square feet) more space.
Our first idea was an extension – and so we had quotes made. However, these amount to nearly 180,000 (plus additional costs) for 50 square meters (538 square feet), which is well over our budget.
Our next idea was to possibly connect a tiny house or similar through a conservatory to the main house to gain additional space. Our initial calculation shows costs of around 100,000, which would roughly be feasible for us. Is there anything we might have overlooked here?
Are there other options to gain more space? Are we missing something or do you know of providers who offer extensions in Lower Saxony at a lower cost?
I look forward to any input or suggestions.
Best regards
Nordfamilie
N
Nordfamilie9 Feb 2024 13:28kbt09 schrieb:
And what about heating? It shouldn’t be unheated, right? Or what kind of room use is planned there? Ah, I knew something was missing in my mind just now – I assume that these costs are actually included in the 40,000 EUR (about 43,000 USD) for the conservatory. Unfortunately, I don’t have my planning documents with me right now. But I’ll use this comment to address the question about room usage – we would like to use the additional space for a parents’ bedroom plus one or two home office rooms.
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Bertram1009 Feb 2024 14:18As a layperson, it feels a bit strange to me to want to almost double the size of the house. The location must be really good for that to make sense.
Keep in mind that extensions may look nice and practical on paper, but in reality, they can quickly become awkward or dark when you extend or widen existing living space.
I live in a very densely built area and I often see that such expansions turn out less impressive than people expected. Even with features like skylights or roof windows, poor planning often results in a lot of hallway space and little light in the central area. I would prefer a well-thought-out, efficient design over an overly generous expansion.
Depending on the size of your family, I would consider whether you really need that much extra space. That would also be more cost-effective. Or you bite the bullet and make a proper extension. While 100,000 euros is a lot of money, in my opinion, it’s not unreasonable for fully usable living space.
Keep in mind that extensions may look nice and practical on paper, but in reality, they can quickly become awkward or dark when you extend or widen existing living space.
I live in a very densely built area and I often see that such expansions turn out less impressive than people expected. Even with features like skylights or roof windows, poor planning often results in a lot of hallway space and little light in the central area. I would prefer a well-thought-out, efficient design over an overly generous expansion.
Depending on the size of your family, I would consider whether you really need that much extra space. That would also be more cost-effective. Or you bite the bullet and make a proper extension. While 100,000 euros is a lot of money, in my opinion, it’s not unreasonable for fully usable living space.
Nordfamilie schrieb:
We would like to use the additional space for a master bedroom plus one or two home office rooms.Hmm, isn’t it a bit impractical to have the bathroom accessible only through the conservatory in the main house? I’m especially thinking about nighttime use. (And will the conservatory then be heated as well? That also sounds somewhat complicated.) Or is your whole property well protected from outside views anyway?I’m not someone who usually needs to get up at night, but my partner does (and I’ve heard this can change over time due to things like pregnancy or aging). Having to walk through a glass conservatory in the dark (regardless of temperature) doesn’t sound ideal.
Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to post the floor plans including the plot layout. (Plus any requested changes?) And also your room requirements. So far, it’s all kind of implicitly just “small family” and “2-3 extra rooms” (master bedroom/office), but I think more detailed info would help to provide more useful suggestions. Perhaps some internal rearrangement is possible to better fit your needs, or the space plan could be realized with a smaller bay window or fewer structural interventions.
What always comes to my mind first with these kinds of things is that it definitely makes a difference whether it’s a "garden shed" or permanent living. This means building permit / planning permission, structural engineering, energy performance regulations, and so on. And trying to bypass the building authority is absolutely not a good idea—at some point a neighbor will want to do the same and point the finger at you, and then you’re in trouble.
kbt09 schrieb:
And what about heating? It shouldn’t be unheated, right? Or what type of room usage is planned there? They usually operate with electric heating/ventilation.
Nordfamilie schrieb:
We are currently estimating around 50,000 EUR for a Pineca tiny house These are _garden sheds_ that are insulated but do not qualify as a primary residence under the Renewable Energy Act.
Nordfamilie schrieb:
Transition in the middle of a conservatory That must also be included within the building’s thermal envelope. Everything must meet current standards if it is intended as residential use.
I’ll quote myself
The Building Energy Act applies to permanent residential spaces. I see a problem with what you’re doing in stages: first a conservatory, then a tiny house/mobile home. There is a lot of potential for water infiltration and thermal bridging.
You need an energy performance certificate from 50sqm (540 sq ft) onwards.
You need about 18cm (7 inches) of insulation on exterior walls, roof, and floor (according to Google). With a heat pump, pellet heating, and/or solar, you can reduce the insulation thickness by a few centimeters.
ypg schrieb:
That must also be included in the thermal envelope. Everything has to meet the current standards if it’s related to residential construction.
The Building Energy Act applies to permanent residential spaces. I see a problem with what you’re doing in stages: first a conservatory, then a tiny house/mobile home. There is a lot of potential for water infiltration and thermal bridging.
You need an energy performance certificate from 50sqm (540 sq ft) onwards.
You need about 18cm (7 inches) of insulation on exterior walls, roof, and floor (according to Google). With a heat pump, pellet heating, and/or solar, you can reduce the insulation thickness by a few centimeters.
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