We cannot decide

It is enough to make you tear your hair out! We know we are building a house, financing secured. Details like partial floors are already clear, but we cannot decide on a house type. We have a sloping site. The slope drops 1.6m over 10m towards the southeast, access from below. Our first thought was a 130m2 bungalow, with a basement, in the basement a double garage, entrance, office, storage, the rest upstairs. Upstairs you then walk out level into the garden. But that is of course quite expensive. The other option would be to excavate quite a bit from the back of the slope, fill up in the front and place a house without a basement on it. That would be much cheaper, but I shy away from the large earthworks, I can’t really imagine how it will look afterwards. Storage rooms would then not be in the house, but in an existing utility building next door. There are so many reasons for and against everywhere, we find the decision so difficult! How is it for you?

What should one write in response to your question now? It is completely unclear what you mean, what your property looks like, etc. So I can't imagine it. But no matter what solution there will be, building on a slope is always expensive.

What do you mean you are building a house, or the financing is secured? Already signed, before the costs of the project are known?

Which answers do I expect? Erfahrungsberichte, how other people approached this decision. And I have described my property, southeast-facing slope, 1.6m drop over 10m, driveway from below. Plenty of space on every side because it's part of a small farm. Financing secured (of course not unlimited), because we have a good equity cushion. This means that we are not aiming for the cheapest option, but the best.

I can’t really imagine how it’s supposed to look afterwards.

I can't either. But I also don’t know your property.
That’s a decision you have to make all by yourself.
What I find quite strange is that you already know which tiles you’ll lay, but don’t know at all what kind of house you’re building.

You provide your own answers: One is expensive, but you also get more for it (or there is a basement included) The other is smaller and cheaper. As for the appearance: less in the front, more in the back, or the other way around?! We don't know your property, but an architect could certainly help you with that! How is it for me? For me, it is flat, and I'm glad about it because it's cheaper ;)

Even though the hillside location is expensive, I would choose the basement. Personally, but also advise you to do so, because I have the feeling that only the cost aspect speaks against the bungalow for you. And if after a concrete financing discussion you are still sure that you will not drive yourselves into financial ruin, then choose what your heart is more attached to!