Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 1100sqm (1,1840 sq ft)
Slope: Yes (west to east)
Building coverage ratio / Floor area ratio: none
Building envelope, building line and boundary: none
Edge development: Theoretically possible, as neighboring plot belongs to parents
Number of parking spaces: 2 per housing unit (relevant if split into two apartments)
Number of floors: none
Roof type: only gable roof & hip roof (also for garage!)
Architectural style: none
Orientation: none
Maximum heights/restrictions: none
Other requirements: roof overhang of at least 50cm (20 inches)
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: hip roof urban villa
Basement, floors: yes, 2 full floors
Number of people, ages: 36, 35, 4, 0
Space requirements on ground floor, upper floor:
Office: family use or home office? Home office once a week
Guest overnight stays per year: 1-2
Open or closed architecture: semi-open
Conservative or modern style: rather modern
Open kitchen, cooking island: yes, yes
Number of dining seats: 4-8
Fireplace: not necessary, also can’t find a suitable place
Music / stereo wall: TV wall yes
Balcony, roof terrace: balcony (only due to possible split into two apartments)
Garage, carport: double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse
Additional wishes/special features/daily routine, also reasons why this or that should or shouldn’t be: bay window with balcony, even if it gets expensive…
House Design
Who designed it: do-it-yourself with SweetHome3D
What do you like most? Why? Everything. I think I spent so long working on the floor plan that I’m in love with it and probably totally “blind” to its flaws.
What do you dislike? Why?
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
Personal price limit for the house, including equipment: 750,000€
Preferred heating system: gas
If you had to give up, which details/extensions
- could you do without: somehow nothing
- could you not do without: large entrance/wardrobe; large children’s rooms; master bedroom facing east (I want to watch the sunrise); large aquarium as a highlight in the living area; platform staircase; children’s bathroom; and my wife absolutely wants a gallery.
Why did the design turn out as it is now?
I looked at almost every floor plan from all prefabricated house manufacturers and, annoyed by the “cookie-cutter” designs (keyword: living room/kitchen/dining all in one long corridor and stairs always immediately by the dirty entrance), I started working out my own floor plan. Many thanks to this forum because I have learned a lot from the floor plan discussions here! I even dealt with Feng Shui for the layout.
What do you think makes it particularly good or bad?
The rooms are ideally oriented to the sun: living spaces face south, unoccupied rooms face north. In addition, the slight slope (to the east) allows for nice walk-out basement rooms. The layout can also be easily split into two apartments, making it flexible for a barrier-free future. Technical aspects and piping were also considered: the utility room is on the street side and pipes/water lines don’t run erratically but are kept close together.
The only downside I see is that the kitchen is “far” from the entrance. However, I don’t find this very problematic and only mention it because it would probably be a common criticism.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
I’m grateful for suggestions or optimizations of any kind! Especially tips for the master bathroom. I’m not 100% satisfied yet.
Good luck
Alro
Plot size: 1100sqm (1,1840 sq ft)
Slope: Yes (west to east)
Building coverage ratio / Floor area ratio: none
Building envelope, building line and boundary: none
Edge development: Theoretically possible, as neighboring plot belongs to parents
Number of parking spaces: 2 per housing unit (relevant if split into two apartments)
Number of floors: none
Roof type: only gable roof & hip roof (also for garage!)
Architectural style: none
Orientation: none
Maximum heights/restrictions: none
Other requirements: roof overhang of at least 50cm (20 inches)
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: hip roof urban villa
Basement, floors: yes, 2 full floors
Number of people, ages: 36, 35, 4, 0
Space requirements on ground floor, upper floor:
Office: family use or home office? Home office once a week
Guest overnight stays per year: 1-2
Open or closed architecture: semi-open
Conservative or modern style: rather modern
Open kitchen, cooking island: yes, yes
Number of dining seats: 4-8
Fireplace: not necessary, also can’t find a suitable place
Music / stereo wall: TV wall yes
Balcony, roof terrace: balcony (only due to possible split into two apartments)
Garage, carport: double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse
Additional wishes/special features/daily routine, also reasons why this or that should or shouldn’t be: bay window with balcony, even if it gets expensive…
House Design
Who designed it: do-it-yourself with SweetHome3D
What do you like most? Why? Everything. I think I spent so long working on the floor plan that I’m in love with it and probably totally “blind” to its flaws.
What do you dislike? Why?
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
Personal price limit for the house, including equipment: 750,000€
Preferred heating system: gas
If you had to give up, which details/extensions
- could you do without: somehow nothing
- could you not do without: large entrance/wardrobe; large children’s rooms; master bedroom facing east (I want to watch the sunrise); large aquarium as a highlight in the living area; platform staircase; children’s bathroom; and my wife absolutely wants a gallery.
Why did the design turn out as it is now?
I looked at almost every floor plan from all prefabricated house manufacturers and, annoyed by the “cookie-cutter” designs (keyword: living room/kitchen/dining all in one long corridor and stairs always immediately by the dirty entrance), I started working out my own floor plan. Many thanks to this forum because I have learned a lot from the floor plan discussions here! I even dealt with Feng Shui for the layout.
What do you think makes it particularly good or bad?
The rooms are ideally oriented to the sun: living spaces face south, unoccupied rooms face north. In addition, the slight slope (to the east) allows for nice walk-out basement rooms. The layout can also be easily split into two apartments, making it flexible for a barrier-free future. Technical aspects and piping were also considered: the utility room is on the street side and pipes/water lines don’t run erratically but are kept close together.
The only downside I see is that the kitchen is “far” from the entrance. However, I don’t find this very problematic and only mention it because it would probably be a common criticism.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
I’m grateful for suggestions or optimizations of any kind! Especially tips for the master bathroom. I’m not 100% satisfied yet.
Good luck
Alro
Yes, I have lived in Australia for over 20 years and am always surprised at how dull German houses look. It’s as if time has stood still. Even simple terraced houses in Australia look nice from the outside. To be fair, in our country and the USA, you have quite a bit of freedom when it comes to building. There are some rules, like a limit of two stories.
But from what I’ve read here in the forum, every extra corner or bay window is seen as a waste of money.
In Germany, however, the living quality is significantly better, and the standard is much higher. At least in my country, nobody worries about the technical side of construction. No one cares whether the house costs several thousand or just a few hundred thousand. The house just has to be large. No one pays attention to what kind of brick or block the house is built from (there is actually very little choice) or how well it is insulated. They just turn the air conditioning up a bit more.
But from what I’ve read here in the forum, every extra corner or bay window is seen as a waste of money.
In Germany, however, the living quality is significantly better, and the standard is much higher. At least in my country, nobody worries about the technical side of construction. No one cares whether the house costs several thousand or just a few hundred thousand. The house just has to be large. No one pays attention to what kind of brick or block the house is built from (there is actually very little choice) or how well it is insulated. They just turn the air conditioning up a bit more.
perth schrieb:
Yes, I’ve been living in Australia for over 20 years and I’m always surprised at how dull German houses look. It’s as if time has stood still. Simple terraced houses in Australia look nice from the outside. To be fair, in our country and the USA, you have relatively few building restrictions. There are requirements like a maximum of two stories, of course.
But from what I read here on the forum, every little extra corner or bay window is considered a waste of money.
In Germany, however, the living quality is significantly better, and the standards are much higher. At least in my country, people don’t worry much about the technical aspects of the construction. No one cares, whether the house costs several million or just a few hundred thousand. It just has to be big. No one worries about what kind of brick or block it’s built from (there’s actually very little choice), or how well it’s insulated. They just turn up the air conditioning a bit more.And is that really something to strive for?
Setting aside the fact that the circumstances are completely different—whether it’s the climate, legal requirements, construction costs, or ongoing expenses like energy.
This is the difference, and it’s also how I know it from Canada.
Building methods are different where I live—more solid, of higher quality, and more energy efficient. Every bay window and gable is a money drain.
No one here would want an uninsulated floor. A whirlpool tub shaking the whole house when it’s running is unthinkable. Shower enclosures or bathtubs made from fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP), faucets without a mixing valve, electrical installations, and so on.
Fitting a floor plan into 150 square meters (1,615 square feet) is more challenging than into 300 square meters (3,230 square feet). With 150 square meters, a bay window really needs to provide added value.
If we could just start nailing away like Conny, some houses would look different here. Although many neighborhoods in the USA and Canada also look quite plain. Something different, more playful but still cohesive.
Building methods are different where I live—more solid, of higher quality, and more energy efficient. Every bay window and gable is a money drain.
No one here would want an uninsulated floor. A whirlpool tub shaking the whole house when it’s running is unthinkable. Shower enclosures or bathtubs made from fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP), faucets without a mixing valve, electrical installations, and so on.
Fitting a floor plan into 150 square meters (1,615 square feet) is more challenging than into 300 square meters (3,230 square feet). With 150 square meters, a bay window really needs to provide added value.
If we could just start nailing away like Conny, some houses would look different here. Although many neighborhoods in the USA and Canada also look quite plain. Something different, more playful but still cohesive.
I once lived in Berkeley, where there is basically no winter (and often fog in summer, so it’s not very hot either). Obviously, you don’t have to worry as much about thermal insulation or similar issues there. The place felt like it was made of particle board; when the refrigerator switched on, the lights would flicker. There were gaps under the exterior doors for ants and air circulation, because the gas stove had a pilot light that stayed on all the time—typical, since the average American is too lazy to light it manually. You were standing right in the living room, and the sliding windows were almost impossible to open because they were stuck... and this was an affluent city with very high rent. The only upside was a lemon tree in the front yard.
Different countries, different customs—the buildings need to suit the climate, typical local storms, and so on. You can take inspiration, but you still have to adapt to “German” conditions.
Different countries, different customs—the buildings need to suit the climate, typical local storms, and so on. You can take inspiration, but you still have to adapt to “German” conditions.
I always find it amusing when I watch Joanna and Chip (Fixer Upper) tearing down walls. It seems like everything is just cardboard in the US, I always think to myself. They should come here sometime. They would go bankrupt immediately, because just the demolition, disposal including structural analysis and the building permit / planning permission process takes half a year.
Sorry, Alro, for cluttering up the thread here.
Sorry, Alro, for cluttering up the thread here.
And I always get cold feet at the thought of having just a few wooden slats as the floor.
Although ventilation can definitely make sense.
Aside from that, some of it could certainly be adapted for us as well. Even if it’s the barn doors that Chip and Joanna install. By the way, there won’t be any new seasons. They stopped after their fifth child.
@TE, look for what you really like and try to make it happen. You can do quite a lot with interior design and the floor plan, but for the exterior you have to see what the building permit / planning permission allows and what is affordable.
Although ventilation can definitely make sense.
Aside from that, some of it could certainly be adapted for us as well. Even if it’s the barn doors that Chip and Joanna install. By the way, there won’t be any new seasons. They stopped after their fifth child.
@TE, look for what you really like and try to make it happen. You can do quite a lot with interior design and the floor plan, but for the exterior you have to see what the building permit / planning permission allows and what is affordable.
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