Features of planning a private house

In a private house, many dream to live. The word “private” is often replaced with “your own”, and the image of a cozy cottage is associated with a home hearth. And it is not surprising, because its construction is based on the family budget, the wishes of the future owners for the design, and provides secluded privacy in the future. And the carefully thought-out features of the layout of a private house will help to make it as comfortable, functional and enjoyable as possible.

The meaning of the word "cottage" is often interpreted incorrectly. This term appeared many decades ago, and initially it was the name of private houses with a small area in which the workers lived. Then the original meaning of the term was lost, and luxurious mansions in 2-3 floors with a large area began to be called cottages.Today the name has become universal and combines both small houses and buildings of several floors or on several owners in one area, from economy class to luxury.

Cottages, private and country houses are divided into types or types according to several criteria:

• The number of neighbors. Here we have in mind not the neighboring land plots behind the fences that surround the cottage and the land under it from different sides, but the number of owners and country houses in one plot. There are several options:

1. Freestanding (detached). Such a building, regardless of the number of floors and the area, belongs to the same owner (family). You can walk around the house without violating the boundaries of a foreign land;
2. Doubles (semi-ditached). Also known as "townhouse". One house for two owners, which is divided by internal borders. Or two houses with a common wall;
3. Combined (attached). The principle of the device is the same as that of townhouses, but here in the same row from 3 houses and more. To the right and left of the cottage there is a neighbor;
4. Duplexes and triplexes. These are two and three-family houses. The entrance at the duplex for 2 owners can be shared or separate. There are four and five-apartment houses - flat houses.In such buildings it is better to be settled with close relatives, since the common areas in them are designed for several apartments.

• Number of floors. The layout of a one-storied, one-and-a-half (mansard), two-storied, three-storied private house is spread. Mansard is a cottage, in which, instead of the second floor, an attic is built on.

• Type of construction materials. Often, a wooden, frame (panel) house, buildings made of profiled bursa, logs, brick cottages and similar ones in block design are planned.

The way of life in the city more and more often makes the apartment owners think about moving to a country house or at least a cottage in the private sector. Undoubtedly, in favor of living in the cottage speaks a large number of arguments. But only the positive side has the relocation?

To talk about the advantages and disadvantages of cottages in general is difficult. Their featuresPros and pitfalls depend on many factors: the number of people in the house, the layout, the location of the site, the type of construction, the materials used in the construction, the distance from the city and others.

Advantages characteristic of all types of cottages:

• The ability to plan your home down to the smallest details, determine the size of the rooms, the height of the ceilings, the location of the bathrooms and other functional areas;

• Independent selection of building materials;

• If the plans are not to build, but to buy a ready-made cottage, then these are hundreds of interesting options with a classic and improved layout, one of which will definitely suit the future owners, and the cost of space per square meter in the suburban area is several times less than the cost of square meter in a spacious city apartment;

• Opportunity to equip in the territory of a private house a garage for a car, a bath, a sauna, any other type of economic building;

• Any country house or cottage is acquired along with the land plot. This is, first of all, a sound investment of finance, since land prices are growing rapidly from year to year with the number of people willing to relocate, and secondly, the opportunity to engage in farming.Vegetables and greens from their own plots will not only cost many times cheaper than those purchased, but are guaranteed not to contain GMOs, nitrates and additives;

• Good ecology. In the private sector there is much more greenery and less exhaust than in urban areas. This is important for those who care for health and for growing children's organisms;

• Having your own parking. How many nerves are spent by residents of cities, especially large ones, to solve the issue of safe parking. In a private house, this ceases to be a problem, you can always park the car at your own gate, in the courtyard or in the garage;

• It is easier to agree on the redevelopment of the premises in the event of major repairs;

• Autonomy of residence. A cottage is a home with a comfortable, excellent layout that disposes of a free in many respects private life. If the neighbors make repairs or rearrangement, it does not affect the tranquility of the inhabitants of the cottage. There is no risk that the new repair will be flooded by the neighbors on top or the neighbor's repair will suffer from the leaked crane. There are no interruptions in hot water, heating, gas, due to maintenance work.

Disadvantages typical for cottages:

• Despite the fact that the difference in cost per square meter of area speaks in favor of a country house, the total purchase price will be expensive. This includes the price of the land, the purchase or construction of the cottage itself, internal and external finishing works, carrying out communications;

• Great distance from the city. If the house is far away from the city, the owners are forced to get up earlier, get to work longer, spend time in traffic jams. Everything is complicated if you need to take the children to an educational institution or section;

• Undeveloped infrastructure. The private sector is not yet autonomous to provide residents with the opportunity to make purchases, study, work, without going to the city. Often in the suburbs there is no possibility of simply reaching the pharmacy or the post office;

• Costly communication. Here we are talking about the fact that carrying light, water, gas, Internet and telephony to remote areas is problematic, and therefore expensive.Yes, and in itself the maintenance of a large house translates into a round sum;

• Poor transport accessibility. Compared to urban bus transport, buses and electric trains from the suburbs do not run often.

The above features apply to detached cottages in which one family lives. But the types of cottages are different, and depending on the design features of the building, the pros and cons of accommodation vary.

Houses for two owners, like cottages, is not a new phenomenon. They appeared in Soviet times, and were built mainly in rural areas. Currently, this format of housing again gained popularity, and with it acquired a more sonorous, advertising name, although the principle remains the same - two families under the same roof.

A variation on a townhouse is a group building in which typical cottages are attached to each other in a row of 3, 5 or more houses.In this case, all but the residents of the outer cottages have neighbors on the right and on the left. The land plot is also common, but there are no prohibitions to isolate your plot from the neighbor's fence, which does not spoil the aesthetic appearance of the structure as a whole. It is better to resolve this issue between neighbors. At the legal level, it is complicated.

Advantages of townhouses:

• Townhouses are built according to the standard design. On the one hand, this makes an individual layout impossible, and on the other hand, in the absence of the need to draw up project documentation from scratch, an excellent saving of time and money is obtained. In addition, the layout of townhouses thought out to the smallest detail and in practice proved to be optimal for a comfortable stay;
• As in the apartment, the layout can be changed with the permission of the relevant authorities, but it is easier to get it for a private house than for an apartment;
• Convenient format provides a cost advantage (common roof, wall, foundation). The cost of a typical townhouse is 25-30% lower than a detached cottage;
• Common communication with neighbors simplifies the process of bringing heat, water, sewage systems, electricity, the Internet, telephony and telecommunications into the house. And the cost, respectively, is divided in half;

• Significant cost savings. According to architectural and construction standards, two separate houses should be located at a distance of at least 6 meters from each other. Combined townhouses save this piece of land for gardening;
• Savings on the maintenance of a townhouse for both owners - up to 35%;
• It is convenient to buy for living for several generations of the same family. For example, parents, together with their children, can help each other with the housework, the grandchildren will be supervised, it is easier to solve everyday problems;
• All the benefits of suburban housing: beautiful green countryside, clean air, autonomy, no parking problems, garden and barbecue on the front lawn.

Disadvantages:

• A fly in the ointment when buying a townhouse is a legal issue. At the same time, the dwelling itself is issued according to the right of the owner, as an apartment in an apartment building, but with the site there are great difficulties. By law, the land under the house is in common ownership, and it can not be divided between the owners of houses.

• There is a high probability of conflicts on the background of the division of the plot for the needs of the owners
• Of the common minuses of a country house - undeveloped infrastructure.

These are houses with two apartments (duplexes), with three (triplexes), and actually flat houses - with more than three apartments. Recently, so began to call and semi-detached houses. Flat houses are built differently than townhouses. They have a common kitchen, shared bathrooms, a common entrance, a corridor and a land plot, so they are more suitable for large families, close relatives and living together for several generations of the same family.

The advantages of such housing include cost-effective joint purchase, maintenance, and some of the advantages of cottages: ecology, land, greenery, fresh air.

More minuses than the townhouses. Autonomy and particularity in the house of this type are absent, it is rather reminiscent of communal life. Legal registration of property is not difficult, but to sell their share and divide the land will be very difficult.

Like other types of country houses, flat houses have a weak side in the form of undeveloped infrastructure and difficult communication.

A great influence on the life of the cottage and living conditions has a type of building materials used.

For the construction of a wooden house, an array of different formats is used: hewn and rounded logs, simple timber, profiled and glued, board.

Much depends on which wood is chosen. Coniferous species lead by performance.

• Spruce It keeps heat well due to the nature of the structure, has antibacterial properties that protect it from harmful microorganisms and heal the inhabitants of the house. It is durable - the house can stand up to the century, dries out a little after construction, does not acquire a blue tint on the surface of the logs.

• Very close in its properties to spruce. Pine. It is more moisture resistant and less prone to cracking.

• The optimal solution for the construction of a wooden house is larch. Its wood is hard, slightly susceptible to rotting, does not darken, does not turn blue, does not allow harmful organisms to breed, has a positive effect on the health of the household, and is resistant to any atmospheric phenomena and water, even marine.But larch is an expensive tree.

• More expensive than larch, but also better in its characteristics, only cedar. It dries out a little, is absolutely resistant to moisture, the appearance of microorganisms, fungi and tree insects, is easy to process, wear-resistant and durable, cleans the air. Cedar houses retain their original appearance for centuries, but the cost of wood is very high.

Hardwood is less commonly used in the construction of cottages: aspen, birch, alder, oak.

• The most reliable and expensive is oak. Its properties and characteristics are very similar to the properties of cedar, but the cost is not rationally high, so it is better to use oak for interior decoration.

• Birch tree - strong, light, cheap, but does not possess durability and resistance to rotting. Birch materials should be combined with more durable, for example, larch.

• Average indicators in terms of moisture resistance, density and suitability for building a house have aspen and alder.

Benefits typical for all wooden houses:

• Savings on the construction of the foundation. This is justified by the fact that the weight of a wooden house is often 2-3 times less than the weight of a building made of other materials, therefore, less time, effort and time are spent on laying the foundation. The same reason allows you to install a wooden cottage on a fairly soft soil;
• Wood belongs to the "breathable" materials. It passes oxygen in large quantities, and this in turn ensures quality and proper sleep;

• Many types of wood have healing and antibacterial properties. They are indicated for allergy sufferers, people with heart disease and lung;
• Wood has a low thermal conductivity, that is, it does not give off heat from inside the room to the outside, so it is always warm in a wooden house. As a cushioning material used high-quality felt, which securely closes the gaps between the logs or timber;

• The maintenance and construction of a wooden house is cheaper than a brick or block. Such material is easier to transport, the house is assembled without additional finishing layers; due to its thermal insulation properties, a wooden house does not need active work of the heating system;
• The tree has aesthetic qualities, so it does not require interior decoration. Natural wood can serve as a basis for interiors in different styles: Russian, Scandinavian, eco, country and others;

• Features of a design allow to collect and sort the house repeatedly. This is convenient because when moving to a new place it is not necessary to sell it, but you can take it with you;
• A house of quality wood can serve not only grandchildren, but great-grandchildren.

Disadvantages of wooden houses:

• Wood is subject to varying degrees of rotting, fungi and mildew. To prevent such troubles, it is treated with special protective impregnations, which reduces the "breathing" and healing properties of the tree to a minimum;
• Strong and waterproof wood is very expensive;
• Bark beetles can get inside the tree, which will sharpen the tree year after year, until it becomes useless;

• Cracking. The exception is expensive glued laminated timber;
• The tree has the ability to "sit down" to a greater or lesser extent. Some wooden houses are required to be left for half a year or a year at the unfinished construction stage, so that window and door openings “sit down” and do not allow distortions. This extends the construction time;
• Also disadvantages include fire hazard of wood. It should be noted that non-compliance with safety regulations makes any house fire-hazardous, and it will be as impossible to restore a brick cottage after a fire as it is wooden.

Bricks are a worthy alternative to wood in terms of performance and aesthetic qualities. In addition, there are many varieties of bricks in composition, shape, color. From the existing range it is easy to choose a material that is suitable for specific purposes in terms of operating conditions. Brick is best suited for the construction of a small cottage and a medium-sized house because of the weight and cost of the material.

Advantages of brick cottages:

• Presentable appearance of the cottage without the need for exterior decoration. New and beautiful brickwork for decades is preserved in this state;
• Biostability Brick does not cause any interest in insects and microorganisms, and mold can appear only in very damp places at the base of the house;

• Strong, strong, durable. Brick construction can be called good and solid, since its life is 100-200 years;
• The high density and strength of the material provide the ability to build buildings in the 3-4 floors;

• A wide range of sizes allows you to create architectural masterpieces - arches, columns, bay windows;
• A brick breathes worse than wood, but the material is still capable of passing;

• Brick walls provide reliable noise insulation;
• It is more resistant to fires, although it cannot be restored in case of severe damage.

Disadvantages of brick cottages:

• The material of a small form factor requires more time and effort for construction work;
• Due to the fact that the connecting elements are liquid, construction is impossible in wet and cold weather;

• For the construction of brick buildings needed mortar;
• Disassemble and transport the building to a new place is impossible;

• It is more difficult to transport than wood, because more materials are needed, and their weight is three times the weight of a tree;
• Because of the heavy weight of the building, a solid, solid foundation and solid ground is necessary;

• It is very difficult to heat a house in the cold season, and after that it is necessary to constantly maintain heat. As a result, heating costs are high;
• Interior decoration is necessary in any case. Even if a “bare” brick is used in the interior of industrial styles (loft, grunge), it must at least be primed so that cement dust does not settle in the house;

• Under the weight of the house foundation shrinks. Before settling and overhaul it is necessary to wait a year or two;
• The high cost of building materials.

Blocks - building materials with great potential. There are many types of blocks depending on the composition, type of filling, structure, production technology and processing:

Products from a mixture of cement, sand, water and special foam, which creates a special porous block structure.

Pros:

1. Relatively light weight facilitates transportation and is not picky about the strength of the foundation;
2. One hundred percent refractoriness. Such a house can be restored after a fire;
3. Does not contain harmful and toxic components;
4. Economical, much cheaper bricks per piece;
5. Good thermal insulation;
6. Long service life.

Minuses:

1. It is necessary to reinforce the house during the construction phase and take breaks in the work, as the material strongly "sits down";
2. Porous blocks absorb a lot of moisture;
3. The block structure makes them brittle.

Cement-sand composition with the addition of water and splashes of aluminum. Aluminum replaces foam. Reacting when heated, it bubbles, creating a porous structure.

Pros:

1. The weight of one block is minimal. It provides easy transportation, convenient installation, simple laying of the foundation;
2. Ideal geometric shapes;
3. Good glue is suitable for installation;

Minuses:

1. Does not differ in high durability;
2. The porosity of the inside of the block leads to the accumulation of water, the greenhouse effect, the destruction of the material;
3. It is not biostable, prone to mold and mildew;
4. "Sits down."

These are hollow blocks that are filled with metallurgical production wastes — slags.

Pros:

1. The cheapest block material;
2. Convenient to install due to light weight.

Minuses:

1. Manufactured using obsolete production technologies;
2. They are not environmentally friendly, as the production uses slags of domain origin;
3. High water absorption and low frost resistance,leading to poor wear resistance.

They are also called ceramic, because the raw material is expanded clay, made from clay.

Pros:

1. The most modern material;
2. Ecologicaly clean;
3. Resistant to freezing;
4. Moisture resistant;
5. Tight, durable and wear-resistant;
6. Economical price;
7. Does not shrink during construction;
8. Resistant to temperature extremes;
9. It does not crack or crack;
10. Aesthetic appearance.

Minuses:

1. Relatively large weight, requiring effort during transportation and a good foundation;
2. Non-ideal geometric parameters.

It is a mixture of sawdust, cement and chemical elements.

Pros:

It combines all the best qualities of block materials.

Minuses:

It absorbs 70-80% of moisture, which is several times higher than that of other materials.

Advantages of block houses:

• Savings in the purchase of building materials. In the first place, the units themselves are much cheaper than a brick or lumber, and secondly, under any block house you do not need to build a reinforced foundation for heavy loads;
• The size of the blocks and their low weight greatly simplify the installation process;

• The blocks are made of organic components (except for cinder blocks related to obsolete materials) and do not cause harm to the body;
• Good insulation properties. The heat remains inside the house, and the ambient noise is outside;

• Almost all types of blocks are biostable and not subject to fungal formations;
• Long service life;
• Fireproof. Blocks can withstand up to 7 hours of exposure to fire.

Disadvantages of block houses:

• Cellular or porous structure is gyroscopic (accumulates moisture). Moisture can freeze at sub-zero temperatures, and cracks are formed in the blocks. This in turn will affect the insulation, and the heating will have to be set to the maximum, which will lead to an increase in utility bills;
• Blocks may shrink and the geometry of the building will be broken;

• There is no talk of aesthetic qualities of the material; therefore, the time and financial costs of interior and exterior decoration cannot be avoided;
• Prior to the beginning of finishing works it is necessary to process the walls with waterproofing agents;

• At the beginning of the heating season the house is hard to dry and warm;
• The blocks as internal partitions will cool down quickly when the temperature drops, and the house will be cool. This is good in summer, but in winter it will require increased heating.

A modular house is a pre-fabricated building, the details of which are assembled according to the principle of the designer. They are connected by the principle of spike plus groove, additionally fixed with various fixer.

Initially, this technology was created for military personnel in America and implied that such a house would be able to be assembled by a person unrelated to construction. Modular homes are well proven and widespread. Today, modular homes are available to absolutely everyone.

They are made of different materials, depending on the climatic conditions of residence: a vulture panel (chipboard panels, between which there is a layer of insulation; they are connected by a bar); steel parts, siding sheathed boards, metal frame with filler and trim,The warmed framework from metal with different variants of furnish.

Their undeniable advantages:

• Aesthetics and originality of appearance. From ready-made modules you can assemble a house of non-trivial geometric outlines. The second floor can be wider and larger than the first; you can push and deepen various elements of the building to create a beautiful architectural ensemble;
• All parts are manufactured to standards and are perfect for each other;

• The production uses raw materials of organic origin, which is not harmful to health;
• For the construction of the house of the modules suitable soil of any type;

• The total weight of the structure is small, the house practically does not shrink. This means that you do not have to wait half a year to insert windows and begin repairs. You can enter almost immediately;
• Frame model is easy to dismantle and move to another place;

• Building a house (without interior decoration) takes about a week if several non-professionals work. A team of experts will assemble a house-designer for a couple of days;
• The cost per square meter of modular housing is about 5,000 rubles. A spacious house for the whole family will cost less than a million, and buying a compact home for one person will cost a ridiculous amount;

• Modules are convenient for creating sectional structures with the division of zones indoors;
• Qualitatively and correctly mounted modules are outwardly indistinguishable from the cottage, which was built over the years;

• A variety of materials makes the modules suitable for life in any climatic conditions;
• Good noise isolation.

Disadvantages of modular homes:

• It is necessary to carefully select the manufacturer so that the house is really warm and comfortable;
• Modular designs do not differ in durability. Service life is about 50 years;

• From the inside, such a house must be additionally heated;
• Maximum allowable height - 2 floors;

• Installation of the house must be carried out as efficiently as possible, otherwise the building may be declared unsuitable for life;
• To build a house without a construction crane is difficult, if not impossible. There must be enough space on the construction site for this specialized equipment, and besides, this is an additional expense for the services of a crane operator;
• To transport the house also need a special technique. And if for transferring a small house it is not so difficult to find it, a large one will most likely have to be disassembled.

Literate architecture - the foundation of the creation of the project for the construction of the cottage. It has its own rules that take into account both the safety of the building, its aesthetic appearance, and the techniques that will save on footage and materials, correctly optimizing the space inside the house. Some rules are immutable, some are advisory in nature, but it is better to get acquainted with all before planning work begins:

1. Developing a plan with room sizes and all calculations should be done by a qualified specialist. The active participation of the customer is not forbidden, but it is impossible to think out the ideal layout without proper experience. A plan from a specialist is guaranteed to be approved for construction from the first time;
2. You should not dwell on one option, it is better to compare several possible plans with each other and choose the best one;
3. The project should take into account the location of windows and doors, wiring diagrams with accurate placement of switches, water supply system and sewer system, communications, placement of utility and utility rooms relative to other rooms.The two-floor plan is a detailed device of the first floor with a staircase to the second and the load of the second on the supporting structures.
4. Rooms should not be less than 9 square meters. m
5. Make a plan taking into account the size of the land and the area of ​​the future cottage.

Depending on the dimensions of the dwelling, cottages are divided into types of comfort:

• First level - These are houses, the total area of ​​which does not exceed 120 square meters. m. (10x12). Finished standard cottages have a smaller area - 80-100 squares (9x10, 10x10). The total number of rooms usually does not exceed four and takes 60, 70, 72 or 75 squares. The remaining area is allocated to the kitchen, bathroom, utility rooms.

• Second level includes houses with a total area of ​​120-150 square meters. Less often - 170. Such a house is enough for a large family, and it is possible to arrange more than four rooms in it - up to 7.

• Third level houses have significantly larger dimensions - 200, 250 or 280 square meters. The number of spacious rooms in them is from 5 to 8. The size of one room can be very large - up to 30-35 meters. Standard parameters: 4 to 4, 3 to 5, 5x6, 5x7, 6x4, 6x6. The necessary utility rooms and narrow-purpose rooms (gym, sauna, botanical garden, pet room, storerooms) will also fit. Additional buildings in the form of an attic can add up to 50 meters to the total area.

Single-storeyed standard houses can be very small: 6x6, 6x7 and 6x8 (size of a good one-room apartment), 7 by 8, 7x9, 7x10, 7.5 by 7.5 (average two-room apartment), medium ones - 8x8, 8 by 9, 8x10, large 8x12, 10x10, 10 by 12, 10 by 13, 11 by 11, 12 by 12, 14 by 14, 15 by 15.

The two-story buildings are basically sized up to 12x12.

In addition to the basic minimum of rooms needed for a comfortable stay in the house, there are a number of additional possibilities for expanding the usable area in the cottage and increasing the visual space.

It is possible to build an attic on both the first and the second floor, during the construction of the entire cottage or already at the accommodation stage, if necessary, to increase the living space.

The presence of the attic has its advantages:

1. Formed additional space suitable for a nursery, bedroom or work area. The total area is increased by half;
2. Can serve as a place to store things. Already at the planning stage, it is enough to take the role of a large storeroom in the attic, and on the ground floor, make more room for living rooms, and the house will become much more spacious;
3. The construction of the attic is cheaper and safer than the construction of a whole floor;
4. The non-trivial shape of the room is a pledge of an interesting interior;
5. From the attic on the third floor offers a beautiful view.

And disadvantages:

1. Interior decoration should be of high quality. Good flooring, insulation on the walls, reliable roof;
2. When adding an attic after completing the construction of the house, the project must be approved and get permission;
3. The higher the floor, the more difficult it is to provide heating and water supply;
4. Sloping walls can be a plus, but they can also be an interior problem.It is difficult to place furniture against a wall when it angles upwards.

The presence of a personal parking place is an undeniable plus of a private house. Construction of the garage does not increase the actual living space. In case it is located on the ground or basement floor, it even takes it away.

But having attached the garage next to the house, you can get a reliable place for parking cars, and a visual increase in the size of the cottage. And over the garage you can later build on another room.

The verandas, terraces and gazebos around the perimeter of the house give it an incredibly cozy look. On the terrace there is a summer kitchen, a place for drying clothes, a play area for children, a place for practicing morning yoga and other useful areas.

Building an open terrace is nothing complicated and can be carried out both during and after the construction of the cottage. The construction of the terrace is possible on the ground and on the second floor.

In the first case it will be an extension of the porch, and in the second - an independent building. But the terrace has a lot of flaws: in winter it is useless, the furniture needs careful care, dust and leaves accumulate on it, rain and snow fall. For a multifunctional extension more suitable closed veranda.

Investing in such a building is more difficult in terms of financial and time costs, but later it serves as a full-fledged room.

A similar method of increasing the space must be calculated in advance, even at the planning stage, because then for its construction one needs to dismantle one of the walls on the floor.

Bay window is a part of a room that projects from the main space. As a rule, it has similarities with geometric figures - a triangle, a trapezoid, a rectangle. Speakers are made in the form of window openings, or the entire bay window is made of special glass.

The presence of a basement floor increases both the usable living space area and the nonresidential living space. The ground floor will not allow the ground floor to freeze through in winter, and the floor in it will always be warm, and the room itself can be used instead of a basement, as a laundry room or a storage place.It can be located sauna with a swimming pool.

However, with all its advantages, the basement has its drawbacks:

1. The financial cost of deepening the premises under the ground. Care must be taken to keep the room dry and warm, there are no fungi, mold, odors;
2. Legal aspect. The permissible height of a private house - 2 floors. If the ground floor is recessed into the ground by more than 2 meters, it should be considered an additional floor. It is the same if a part of a premise is built above the ground, and a part goes down. In this case, the ground floor is considered the first.

These are various gazebos, garages, utility rooms, sauna.

Modern cottages and country houses are replete with interesting architectural solutions and beautiful details. Some are simple, in the style of the post-Soviet space, of red brick, others are more non-standard, in the form of fabulous castles with turrets and outbuildings, and the others are unusual, domed, with a broken roof or in the form of a house-ship.

What will be the appearance of the cottage, largely depends on the selected architectural style:

• Classic. The classic cottages are characterized by a clear form, symmetry, design of the main entrance with a claim to pomp. The decoration is dominated by stone, brick, limestone, granite. Facing the roof is made of a narrow sheet of copper, lead or zinc-titanium. Also used slate.
• Style American cottages. This is a spacious square or rectangular house, observing symmetry wherever possible, the presence of stairs, columns, open terraces, large windows, sometimes with shutters. In American motives welcome demonstration prosperity homeowners. The finish has no relief, is performed in bright colors.

• English style. It is a merger of two other styles, each of which is imprinted with English restraint and aristocracy. Traditionally, such a house is made of brick in red shades, has a strict appearance and only in some cases decorations on the facade,The main decoration of the cottage is a green area in front of the house, a lawn and a flower garden.
• The next direction is Tudor stylein which the presence of high triangular penthouses, half-timbered facades, small windows, white, brown and red colors prevails.

• Wright style, also known as prairie style. It is characterized by low cottages with a flat roof and an abundance of horizontal lines. Multiple horizontals are reduced to one line, and the building is integrated into the landscape as much as possible. It is typical for the Wright style to have a fireplace in the house, an L-shaped or angled glazed facade on the first floor, open terraces, galleries, balconies.
• European. The popularity of European traditions in architecture is based on simplicity, elegance and harmony in the external appearance of the house. Given that the house itself has the correct form, it is characteristic of the presence of a round or trapezoidal bay window. The decoration used stone, tile, tile, plaster.

Among the popular styles are stone Middle Ages and motifs of country, country and country houses in country design and chalets. The Finnish, Swedish, Czech, Scandinavian style is widespread.Appeared in the architecture of the appearance of German houses and Japanese decor with a second light, cottages in the Turkish style with oriental decorative entrance. Interesting Alpine cottages on the slope, the presence of extensions in the general style: a guest house, gazebos, verandas.

The reason for making changes in the design of cottages with one or two floors may be an increase in the number of residents, the birth of a child, the need to equip a new functional area, just the desire to have a bay window or terrace.

Actual reconstruction of the old house in a modern way and an increase in the levels of construction due to the attic floor. But, regardless of the reason, redevelopment requires compliance with building codes, and must be carried out legally.

It is not enough to be the owner of the house in order to begin dismantling or erecting any parts of the building without the permission of state authorities, since this is not only about the convenience of residents, but also about security. When making changes, the house should remain safe and liveable.

To legalize changes in residential or non-residential premises is necessary if:

• Dismantling is in progress;
• The appearance of the facade changes;
• Structural structures are affected;
• Finished rooms with additional space;

• Increases the load on the supporting structure;
• Changes affect water and gas supply networks, heating, ventilation;
• Rooms are combined or divided.

To obtain permission within 30 days, you need a package of documents:

• Certificate of ownership;
• Home Book;
• Certificate from BTI;
• Permission of the management company;

• Assessment of compliance with the norms of SNiP and sanitary standards;
• Plan and photos of the house inside and outside;
• Reconstruction project indicating planned changes, materials and deadlines.

For unauthorized change provides for a fine.

Building and finishing the house are important steps. You can rely on personal preferences and arrange the rooms by Feng Shui, you can follow the ready-made design solutions or combine all the best in your individual project.

Specialists in the field of construction, repair and design give some universal recommendations:

• Rooms for older people should be located on the ground floor;
• The proximity of the toilet and the bathroom is necessary so that it is more convenient to hold the water;
• Toilet as far as possible to remove from the bedroom, kitchen, living room;

• Household premises (gym, laundry) should be placed in the basement;
• To save space in small rooms helps to unite some functional areas: kitchen and dining room, bath and toilet, hall and living room, bedroom and dressing room.
• Separate bedrooms are desirable for heterosexual children;

• Children's rooms and work areas should be equipped on the light side of the house;
• Finishing the house outside and inside is desirable from materials that do not contain toxic and hazardous substances to health (formaldehyde, plastics). The interior decoration of the rooms is selected according to the type of premises: in transit rooms - wear-resistant, in the kitchen - washable and non-absorbing odors, in bathrooms - resistant to moisture.
• In a two-story house, it is desirable to equip two toilets.
• It is important for a young family to keep in mind that over time it will be replenished. The best option is a three-bedroom house.

For country houses are shown interiors in styles,which is difficult to implement in urban apartments: cozy Chebbi-chic, eco with the use of natural materials, Russian style, chalet, Scandinavian, country, Provence, English, universal classics, minimalism. A large spacious attic with beamed ceilings is easy to finish in a loft style.

How to create a home interior in the style of a loft, see the following video.