Fitness Area Planning

If the extension is really only supposed to cost 30,000 EUR, you will hardly get a (partial) basement for that money, so in the case of the [Grundstück] the extension or even a separate small house would presumably be cheaper. Whether it can really be done all-in for 30,000 EUR is another matter.

With such a huge plot of land, I would probably also skip the basement and instead build somewhat larger above ground. If a construction company advises me against the basement without any reason, I find that suspicious. What did they say about it?

We have a small sauna area with a few fitness machines. It required between 25 and 28 sqm, but could easily have taken more. For us, it fit perfectly: It is located on the ground floor (no surprise in a bungalow) and has a spectator-free terrace door facing north. Overall, the house is divided into a publicly accessible area and a private one. In the private area are our bathroom, the bedroom, and the sauna area. The path to the shower is short. Whether or not to have a basement is a matter of taste. But if there is a basement, then it should be nicely equipped, including the lighting. From wellness areas, I know that people sooner or later stop using them if there is a basement feeling. I know several such abandoned facilities. In the basement, I would consider a ventilation unit. I would also prefer flooring adapted to the usage, maybe something shock-absorbent. Many greetings Gabriele

We have a sauna / wellness / fitness room of nearly 40m2 in the basement. It contains a shower, a sauna (3x2.5m), a sling trainer, a rowing machine, a hammock, and a TV. That fills the room quite well.

The advantage of the basement is that even when it’s 35° outside in summer, it’s a comfortable 22° for training inside. The room has a ventilation system and is built out like a living space, including the hallway leading to it, so there’s no "basement atmosphere" on the way there. For the view, there’s the TV. Since I usually train after 9 p.m., it’s dark during the winter months anyway.

On a 3000m2 property, I would also love a fitness room with a view of the garden – but at our place, too many neighbors would be watching me train.

A wellness room with sauna, whirlpool, a view of nature (preferably lake or sea view), and a private terrace with a pool and counter-current system would of course be a dream. But for that, I’d first need a bigger lottery win.

Whether in the basement or on the ground floor or even attic conversion, as with any floor plan consideration, the property itself, the location, etc., as well as its residents and their budget, decide. If the property is only 400 sqm, you plan differently than with 1509 sqm. And whether for 2 or 4 people also decides the basement question. Budget, no question, a basement is and remains a basement, it costs. And when triplets come or the house is to change owners, you cannot simply create living space from a basement. For pumping as well as other fitness, I would also think about ceiling height and the possibility of a sauna and an outdoor access... I am against basements

I don´t see anything. If you don´t show the unsuccessful attempts, we can´t improve them.

Why were you advised against the basement? From my point of view, the basement has the disadvantage that there is no view. If you train often, I think a view is quite nice. Another issue with the basement is often the ceiling height. What ceiling height do you need? We already had a somewhat longer discussion here a while ago. If I remember correctly, the gable roof was lowered on one side and the room was placed in this side area. The required ceiling height was then available there. I would properly separate the training room from the rest of the living space because I think you want it a bit cooler. If everything is within one thermal envelope, it won´t make much difference, but you notice every degree. I am not a strength athlete but like to sit on my training bike, but I think it will be similar. Post your floor plan ideas and then we can evaluate them.

Thank you very much for the good tips! We were advised against it because financially it would be a clear extra cost compared to a ‘plain’ extension. Due to the somewhat higher ceiling and the conversion into a residential basement, it would probably be money thrown away. Yes, the advantage of the extension is definitely the better view, but then we really only have space for the fitness area and no additional storage space like in the basement. The temperature issue is also good to know... I got a bit of inspiration from the Americans and originally had a simple double garage in mind where all the fitness stuff would be. I´ll upload a few ideas this evening.