If building again - what to do differently?

I wouldn't have thought that roller shutters are such a contentious topic.

But repeatedly so.

They exist anyway because of heating control and if so, would you prefer ones with a display, or what's the background?

As far as I know, Kati has the usual little dials. But would like to have ones with a display. In a house according to at least the Energy Saving Ordinance (Building Energy Act) with underfloor heating, neither is necessary. With appropriate planning and execution. Possibly Kati just wants them for informational purposes. I also occasionally look at ours or observe the temperature progress. Then you can very well see what the heating is doing and if there might be any problems somewhere.

... between the large open living area (kitchen to TV) and the closed kitchen there is still the option ... cooking and eating as one big room (ideally facing the garden) and sofa/TV as its own separate closed room. Then the TV is not disturbed when the dishwasher runs after eating.

That’s exactly how we will implement it in the new house, because despite the L-shaped arrangement of kitchen, dining, and living area in the old house, the noise often bothered us. When one person was busy in the kitchen, the other sat on the sofa with a book or in front of the TV, or when the parents were talking at the table during visits and the kids wanted to watch a movie at the same time.

Otherwise, the following points are on our list: central ventilation, which we were advised against as useless in the first house, but then retrofitted decentral units.

Raffstores instead of roller shutters, so you can shade in summer without having to sit in the dark, especially in children’s rooms facing south.

KNX, in the old house we only had the electric roller shutters on one control, this time it should be more. (I would never, ever want to do without electric, comfortable, practical and in 15 years we never had any problems).

“Kids” bathroom, because with teenagers (and their visitors) it is really exhausting. For that reason, this time we will leave out the shower in the guest WC, which was never used – as originally planned – as an alternative or backup option to the family bathroom. Also, the guest WC with shower would never have been practical enough against our expectations during the planning phase to serve as a bathroom in old age and thus realize living on one floor.

Direct access from garage to house.

Closed large cloakroom where everything (!) disappears. It bothered me immensely in the old house always having to see the jackets.

Plan and zone the garden even better.

With a basement again, because we need and want the space.

Nothing else comes to mind right now. But it’s all very individual and depends on the life situation. Some things I had imagined to be practical beforehand, but experience (especially with children) taught me otherwise. From my experience, it really is something different to plan a family house with small or not yet existing children than to do so from life with children. Probably we will have to build a third time when we are alone again.

What I missed in my first house and would definitely plan for now? Or what I would want to have again.

- Definitely keep a drivable access to the property/garden free.
- At that time, it had a basement. Today, I would build without one. In the end, it's just useless stuff being stored.
- Electric shutters or venetian blinds.
- Separate living room spatially from kitchen and dining.
- Controlled residential ventilation
- Bedrooms, if possible, not under the roof and preferably facing east/north.
- More power outlets and network sockets.
- Existing residential area always before new development area.
- Location and quiet. At that time, I had built above the sports field/football club. Never ever!
- Distance to the neighboring house
- Zoning of the property

By the way, the best burglary protection is a dog. :)

Maybe Kati just wants to put this in for informational purposes. I also occasionally look at ours, or rather consider the temperature history. Then you can see very well what the heating is doing and if there might be problems somewhere.

Exactly, that was the idea. More for information. We have the dials which I just don't find very appealing (not really bad), and on which we hardly ever adjust anything. In the new house, however, we would have to solve the office differently somehow. Here it is a room like any other in terms of heating load. But we almost always turn off the thermostat in the office completely because the two PCs heat the room. I don't know how to convey to a construction company how we use our computers.

But we almost always turn the thermostat in the office all the way down because the two PCs heat the room. I don't know how to explain to a construction company how we use our computers.

You don't have to. The heating loops in the floor don't make much of a difference anyway. By the way, you can replace the little dials with other thermostats at any time. It's not a big effort. You can basically install a NEST in every room if you want.

Cooking and eating as a large room (ideally by the garden) and sofa/TV as a separate closed room.

Oh, that's my definition of living room and kitchen :D We didn't build a galley kitchen style kitchenette like in a 60s multi-family house. I hope didn't either ;)