ᐅ Floor Plan – House with Two Separate Living Units for Rental

Created on: 6 Aug 2016 00:45

Hello everyone,
I would like to share our floor plan here for discussion. These are two designs from different general contractors, based on a concept we developed.

---------------------------------------------

Development plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 708 m² (7615 sq ft)
Location, orientation: I have already introduced the site situation in this thread.
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/Grundstück-teilen-langes-schmales-Grundstück.15277/

In the meantime, the following parameters have been established: Initially, one house with two rental units will be built. We plan to get approval for a second house as well, but won’t build it right away.
Specifications from the development plan: Floor area ratio 0.4, roof type: gable roof (SD), flat roof (FD), roof pitch: 28-32° or 0-5°, parking: state building code BW requires 1 car parking space per residential unit and 2 bicycle parking spaces per residential unit.

Client requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: One house with two separate rental units, two-story design without sloped ceilings, gable roof
Basement, floors: no basement, attic used as storage space
Balcony, roof terrace: yes, balcony for the upper floor unit

General: Since the property is intended purely for rental purposes, the floor plan should focus on the essential minimum requirements regarding room size, windows, technical aspects, etc. However, the house should still be modern and attractive to ensure good rental potential.

House design
Who designed it: General contractors
Likes/dislikes? We prefer design 2 because the living/dining/kitchen area has a well-usable size and both units include a storage room. However, there is little space in the hallway for things like a coat rack, and the bathroom only has a shower. For design 1, we are concerned that the living/dining/kitchen area might not be practical.

What are your thoughts on the designs? What would you improve?
Design 1

Two-story white house with gable roof, balcony and green garden under a blue sky.

2D floor plan of a house with bedroom, bathroom, hallway, kitchen and terrace

Floor plan of a house with bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, dining area, hallway and balcony.

Design 2

Modern white house facade with balcony, large window front, walkway and stroller.

Floor plan of a house with kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom

Floor plan of a residential house with bedroom, shower, hallway, kitchen and living room

MarcWen10 Aug 2016 13:10

#19

I still don’t see storage rooms in all apartments. In North Rhine-Westphalia, a minimum of 6 m² (65 ft²) per dwelling unit must be provided. Laundry will probably be dried inside the apartment or on the terrace/balcony. Are you planning a ventilation system?
Where are you planning storage or parking spaces for bicycles, strollers, walking aids, etc.?

Climbee10 Aug 2016 13:37

#20

Basically a good idea, but I don’t want to carry my household up an iron staircase during a move, especially in snow or rain...
I’m also not sure if that’s even allowed (does it have to be covered then? Like an attached stair enclosure??? Something like a covered walkway)

smartsurfer10 Aug 2016 16:50

#21

Wastl schrieb:
How about an outdoor staircase? Since you don’t have a basement, you won’t lose much floor area. A nice iron staircase attached to the outside of the house would give you a lot more space upstairs and downstairs.

An outdoor staircase would of course be good, but I agree with the points Climbee made:

Climbee schrieb:
In principle, a good idea, but I wouldn’t want to carry my household items up an iron staircase when moving (especially in snow or rain)...
Also, I’m not sure if that’s even allowed (doesn’t it have to be covered? Like an enclosed stairwell??? Something like a covered walkway)

Furthermore, the staircase would have to fit within the building envelope, which isn’t always possible...

smartsurfer10 Aug 2016 16:55

#22

MarcWen schrieb:

Where do you plan to provide storage/parking spaces for bicycles, strollers, walking aids, etc.?

Here in Baden-Württemberg, we are required to provide two covered bicycle parking spaces per apartment, which also must allow the bicycles to be securely locked. So, we either use a suitable garden shed or a roofed area combined with a fixed bike stand, bollard, or similar.

ypg10 Aug 2016 17:01

#23

smartsurfer schrieb:
This should be practical now, even though it’s still not especially generous.

Well, a combination of a three-seater, two-seater, and armchair certainly won’t fit there. You could also make the dining table smaller. And I don’t see how you would access the balcony either.

I do wonder what kind of regulations you are working under. It probably isn’t about prefabricated houses where you only want to change the floor plans? And which target group are you aiming for?
If I were single and saw this apartment in real life, I would ask where the space for a sofa is.

Climbee schrieb:
I don’t know if that’s allowed (doesn’t it have to be covered? Like an attached stair enclosure??? Something like a gallery access)

No, why? Here we have many attic conversions with attached stairs, definitely without any covering 😉

ypg10 Aug 2016 19:46

#24

I gave it a try, and I have to say that furnishing the space is possible.
However, I wouldn’t fit three people into this living room.
The furniture dimensions are standard – the kitchen is just a placeholder.

ᐅ Floor Plan – House with Two Separate Living Units for Rental

Reaktionen