CoCoBB
2014-04-28 19:43:59
- #1
Hello everyone,
we have a problem planning our house and hope you can help us.
We found our dream plot (680 sqm, 25mx25m) and also had our dream house in mind: an angled bungalow, 145 sqm, 5 rooms. Everything was finished in our heads.
Since there is no development plan for the plot, we asked the responsible building authority about the construction and told them our idea (175 sqm gross floor area...). The really nice gentleman on the phone said it would be very difficult to get this approved, as we have to adhere to the surrounding development and in this area there is no house with such a large floor area. That we are building in the second row supposedly makes it even "worse" (although the house cannot be seen from the street and there is forest on the other side, well...). This can only be clarified with a preliminary building permit, which we now want to apply for. He suggested reducing the floor area to 155 sqm; then we would have good chances.
So for us it meant either reducing the house size, expanding the roof, or building two stories. My husband insists on the bungalow; from the perspective of old age, he wants to live on one level, finds that nice and practical. He does not like sloping ceilings at all, and unfortunately we do not like city villas. So two stories are out.
Our house builder offered us a 125 sqm bungalow (4 rooms), including roof expansion, which would cost about 30,000 € extra with everything included (windows, stairs, different ceiling etc.). However, we do not need a 125 sqm expanded attic, just a 5th room (office) that would then be under the roof. But for 30,000 € extra and what to do with the remaining space?
My husband says that as long as there are no children, we have two rooms, one of which can be used as an office. But in 4-5 years the second child should arrive (the first one is in the making…), and what then? Since I am a teacher, I always have to work at home and need space for my materials. In addition, I still have a crafting and sewing desk that would find no place in a 125 sqm house.
Now we are going back and forth and no longer have any creative ideas where to "magically" create the 5th room. The ideal would be the 145 sqm bungalow but the preliminary permit wouldn’t have the rosier prospects of being approved. Then there would be a 3 month wait and 400 euros lost (although the 3-month decision time bothers us more than the 400 euros...) and after rejection for the 125 sqm bungalow we would have to apply for another preliminary permit (again 3 months and 400 euros...).
And having the attic expanded for 30,000 euros for one room – that really is a big chunk of money for something we basically didn’t want. But my husband resists the two-story option … really just a stupid situation. We know we have to make compromises, but nothing really seems like a good compromise. My husband would most like to leave out the 5th room because he simply doesn’t need it... but I can’t see myself without a working area :(
Maybe you still have ideas/opinions/experiences on the subject?
Many thanks and sorry for the long post :rolleyes:
Best regards, CoCoBB
we have a problem planning our house and hope you can help us.
We found our dream plot (680 sqm, 25mx25m) and also had our dream house in mind: an angled bungalow, 145 sqm, 5 rooms. Everything was finished in our heads.
Since there is no development plan for the plot, we asked the responsible building authority about the construction and told them our idea (175 sqm gross floor area...). The really nice gentleman on the phone said it would be very difficult to get this approved, as we have to adhere to the surrounding development and in this area there is no house with such a large floor area. That we are building in the second row supposedly makes it even "worse" (although the house cannot be seen from the street and there is forest on the other side, well...). This can only be clarified with a preliminary building permit, which we now want to apply for. He suggested reducing the floor area to 155 sqm; then we would have good chances.
So for us it meant either reducing the house size, expanding the roof, or building two stories. My husband insists on the bungalow; from the perspective of old age, he wants to live on one level, finds that nice and practical. He does not like sloping ceilings at all, and unfortunately we do not like city villas. So two stories are out.
Our house builder offered us a 125 sqm bungalow (4 rooms), including roof expansion, which would cost about 30,000 € extra with everything included (windows, stairs, different ceiling etc.). However, we do not need a 125 sqm expanded attic, just a 5th room (office) that would then be under the roof. But for 30,000 € extra and what to do with the remaining space?
My husband says that as long as there are no children, we have two rooms, one of which can be used as an office. But in 4-5 years the second child should arrive (the first one is in the making…), and what then? Since I am a teacher, I always have to work at home and need space for my materials. In addition, I still have a crafting and sewing desk that would find no place in a 125 sqm house.
Now we are going back and forth and no longer have any creative ideas where to "magically" create the 5th room. The ideal would be the 145 sqm bungalow but the preliminary permit wouldn’t have the rosier prospects of being approved. Then there would be a 3 month wait and 400 euros lost (although the 3-month decision time bothers us more than the 400 euros...) and after rejection for the 125 sqm bungalow we would have to apply for another preliminary permit (again 3 months and 400 euros...).
And having the attic expanded for 30,000 euros for one room – that really is a big chunk of money for something we basically didn’t want. But my husband resists the two-story option … really just a stupid situation. We know we have to make compromises, but nothing really seems like a good compromise. My husband would most like to leave out the 5th room because he simply doesn’t need it... but I can’t see myself without a working area :(
Maybe you still have ideas/opinions/experiences on the subject?
Many thanks and sorry for the long post :rolleyes:
Best regards, CoCoBB