Narrow plot with boundary construction - Various questions / problems

Hello everyone,

My girlfriend and I are currently in the planning phase for building a house, but we’re not really making progress. We are planning with a prefab house (we have already visited several providers, one is good, the other less so). Even during the planning, some problems are arising that I would like to briefly describe:

1. The existing plot has a width of seven meters and a length of about 90 meters. A border development on both sides is allowed (!). However, there may be no windows on the side walls and the side wall must be an F90 wall. We don’t want a basement. We plan about 7 meters wide and 12-13 meters long. Two full floors, whether the attic will be developed is debatable; there are many arguments for and against it.

2. Since we are not allowed to have windows on the sides, the kitchen and the entrance must be at the front of the house (which means something like: no side entrance is possible). In addition, the placement of the utility room: entrance in the middle, kitchen on the left, utility room on the right.

3. Furthermore, we do not know which heating system we would need. Many prefab providers talk about a heat pump with heat recovery and fresh air from outside. The consumption also varies. There is one provider who offers a gas condensing boiler in combination with a solar system on the roof for hot water preparation.

There are countless floor plans on the internet, 90% have the kitchen relatively central, then a side window for the exhaust, which is impossible for us. Last night I thought, why not put the kitchen facing the living room/garden..?

Or: should we rather plan with an architect? Do you perhaps have any tips for us on how to proceed with our “problems” and our situation?

Thank you very much in advance!

This is a special plot with some peculiarities. In my opinion, something like this does not belong in the hands of a prefab house provider. They mostly do just standard stuff. A local general contractor or architect would definitely be the better choice. They will also design the kitchen facing the garden - just the way you want it.

For a property like this: Architect! Everything else makes zero sense in my opinion... And it doesn’t necessarily get more expensive. But if you find a good one, it will definitely be more imaginative and individual. And that is a must for a property like this!

Thank you very much for your opinion. We have a quote from a prefabricated house manufacturer that far exceeds our price expectations... We were at just under €414,000 with the roof expansion.

Could you maybe tell me, if I go to an architect, how it is with the construction itself, can I, for example, "order" an electrician myself and what if I don't like the architect's first plan, does the second plan then cost a certain fee again or does he plan until it fits and it always costs the same?

This is quite a special plot with some peculiarities. In my opinion, something like this should not be in the hands of a prefabricated house provider. They mostly do only run-of-the-mill stuff. A local general contractor or architect would definitely be the better choice. They will also plan the kitchen facing the garden – just the way you want it.

What do you mean by GU?

GU = general contractor. The GU does everything for you including architectural services. He bundles a complete package for you and hands over a finished house at the end. He usually selects the companies - you have little say or it becomes more expensive. He usually has an architect or is one himself. However, the architectural service is often not as spectacular as with an independent architect. Nevertheless, the GU builds individually for you.