ᐅ Long, narrow plot of land measuring 170–190 square meters

Hello everyone,

I would like to hear your opinions about our current planning. The plot is approximately 460 sqm (5,000 sq ft) but trapezoidal in shape. Therefore, we are placing the house along the southern boundary of the plot and putting the garage above it. The plot has already been purchased and paid for. There is no zoning plan, so the following values should be considered as guidelines.

Zoning/Restrictions
Size of building plot: approx. 460 sqm (5,000 sq ft)
Size of garden plot: approx. 600 sqm (6,460 sq ft)
Slope: None
Floor space index: 0.4
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: Hessian regulation, three-meter (about 10 feet) setback
Edge development: Garage only
Number of parking spaces: Two
Number of floors: Two
Roof style: Hipped roof
Design style: Modern
Orientation: ?

Homeowners’ Requirements
House without a basement, but with a large attic
Two adults, one child
The current plan is quite large at about 190 sqm (2,045 sq ft). We are considering reducing the southern side a bit to end up with around 170-180 sqm (1,830-1,940 sq ft).
Office: Family use and home office
Open kitchen, wife wants a breakfast bar
Wood stove (desired but not yet planned)

What was important to us:
- Hallway not too narrow
- Easy to clean (few corners and preferably square rooms)
- An open staircase (even though it is not the best solution energetically)
- Ground floor office should be able to serve as a bedroom in old age
- Lots of garden views on the south side

House Design
Designer: Do-it-yourself
Estimated cost according to architect/planner: 310,000 (without garage, windows, shutters, shutter boxes, or flooring)
Personal price limit for the house including fittings: 350,000 + additional building costs
Preferred heating system: Air-to-water heat pump + wood stove

If you had to give up something, which features/extensions could you do without or not do without? Basically doesn’t matter as long as the reasoning is plausible

Why does the design look like it does now?
The basic design is from the Danwood website (House Park 181W), but there the staircase is in the middle of the living room and kitchen. Because we want an open staircase but a central stair takes up too much space, we moved the staircase and redesigned the upper floor accordingly. Previously, we had considered bungalow plans, but those were discarded due to floor space ratio and plot shape.

What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
- General opinions welcome
- Do you see potential improvements in the layout?
- What do you think about the open design (hallway, staircase, living-kitchen area)?
- What do you think about the south-facing windows? I’m concerned the house might overheat in summer with so many windows.

Thanks in advance for your opinions!