Hello everyone,
My partner and I have finally purchased a large plot of land measuring 437 sqm (4700 sq ft) in Munich-Eching, and we will soon be building our prefabricated single-family house with Streif Haus. The plan is for approximately 145 sqm (1560 sq ft) of living space with dimensions of 9.96 m x 8.71 m (32.7 ft x 28.6 ft). Increasing this is simply not possible within our budget—for example, adding 1 meter (3.3 ft) on one side would cost roughly an additional €30,000.
So far, I have created all the floor plans using a software tool. Last Friday, we had our first meeting with the architect. Unfortunately, he dismissed several of our wishes:
- The gallery/open space over the upper floor,
- The layout of rooms on the upper floor (both children’s rooms are planned to face south, while the bedroom and bathroom face north, although we would prefer the opposite),
- All terrace requests,
- The design of the bathroom (we wanted a T-shaped layout with the sink set slightly into the room, the toilet and shower behind it, and a freestanding bathtub in the room), etc.
I have attached my plans for the ground floor and upper floor. Since the plot is not rectangular but rather irregularly shaped, positioning the house alone is a challenge because we naturally want the garden and the largest windows in the living room and kitchen to face south. In the attached site plan, the house is still positioned quite centrally (12 x 9 m / 39.4 x 29.5 ft). We will move it as far as possible to the right, towards the east.
We also considered changing the type of staircase (for example, to a half-landing staircase), but according to the architect, the straight staircase belongs to the "Cityvilla" house type by STREIF. I would appreciate your opinions on this. If I change the type of staircase, the entire floor plan will be discarded and the design will have to start from scratch — which is fine, as this is a “major” adjustment.
The architect is planning the entrance not on the south side directly from Schlossberg street, but on the north side: you would approach the property via the street, the house would run sideways along the garage, and you enter after the bend on the north side. So, opposite to what is shown in the site plan. This is quite a long way around. What do you think about this?
You will find comments below with questions. Feedback on the floor plan is welcome!
Building Regulations/Restrictions
Plot size: 437 sqm
Slope: none
Site coverage ratio
Floor area ratio
Building envelope, building line and boundary: Building line with house in the northwest (not yet accurately positioned on the site plan)
Edge development: As far northeast on the plot as possible, maintaining the legally required 6 m (20 ft) setback from neighbors.
Number of parking spaces: Planned 1 carport, 1 garage.
Number of floors: 2 (without basement)
Roof type: Hip roof or gable roof
Architectural style: modern
Orientation: southwest
Maximum heights/limits: n/a
Other requirements: n/a
Homeowner Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Prefabricated house by STREIF, type "Cityvilla," no bay windows, rectangular
Basement, floors: No basement, 1.5 floors (no roof slopes, with roof hatch to a small, non-habitable attic)
Number of residents, age: 2 persons, 36 and 30 years old.
Space requirements for ground floor/upstairs:
Ground floor: large living room, open kitchen and dining area, utility/technical/pantry room (connected to kitchen), guest bathroom, hallway, guest room/office/hobby room.
Upper floor: bedroom, 2 children’s rooms, large bathroom, possibly a gallery
Office: Family use or home office? Both — upstairs for office (sometimes music is played here), downstairs is planned as a hobby room with fitness equipment. This may change when children are around.
Number of guest overnight stays per year: 10 nights
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open, preferably with kitchen island and access to utility/pantry room
Number of dining seats: 4-6
Fireplace: desired but still in planning—preliminarily included, to be built later due to priorities and budget.
Music/stereo wall: yes, with floor-standing speakers and external subwoofer.
Balcony, roof terrace: no. (Initially wanted, but considering the cost/benefit since we have a large garden.)
Garage, carport: First a garage, then a carport (2 parking spaces are mandatory).
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: no.
Further wishes/particularities/daily routine, including reasons for preferences or exclusions:
The guest/fitness room is deliberately planned large to accommodate several exercise machines. Possibly a table tennis table will also be used in winter. The necessity of this is still being discussed. There is no basement. Later, a garden shed will be built in the yard.
Since we have limited space, any tips for storing items typically kept in a basement are very welcome!
A walk-in closet in the bedroom is desired.
House Design
Who designed the plan: Me, using a tool.
- Architect:
We already had a meeting with the architect. Several wishes were discouraged by him, such as a covered garage (east side), covered terrace in the garden (southwest), and the gallery on the first floor.
- The architect recommends having all sanitary facilities on one "level," meaning guest bathroom/technical room on the ground floor directly below the bathroom upstairs.
- He suggests placing the children’s rooms facing south rather than the bedroom or bathroom, as we initially wanted. (Children spend more time playing in their rooms with sunlight.) However, we would prefer sunlight in the bedroom and bathroom (bathroom planned with a frosted window) for a brighter and more relaxing atmosphere.
- Builder’s planner: Prefabricated house will be built with STREIF Haus. The architect is a STREIF architect.
- Do-it-yourself: We purchased the FastFertigPLUS product, meaning wall, floor, and garden work will be done by ourselves. Since I am very handy, wall and floor work should not be an issue. We are still considering whether to hire professionals for terrace construction and garden landscaping.
What do you particularly like?
Why? Large plot with a single-family house (for Munich standards).
The open spatial concept with a large living room, dining area, and open kitchen layout.
What do you dislike? Why?
The hallway takes up a lot of space, especially upstairs. If the hallway is restricted to the front side, the rooms can be made larger at the expense of openness (see attached test design). Not sure if this makes sense or if it just limits upstairs space too much.
The plot is large but irregular, making it challenging to position the house facing south while maintaining minimum setbacks.
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: €306,000 for the completed house excluding ancillary and planning costs.
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: About €15,000 can still be budgeted. We expect higher costs after material selection, especially for sanitary fittings, sliding windows, and electronic blinds on the ground floor (upper floor with "standard" design).
Photovoltaic system with battery storage (including subsidy via KfW 40+) and garage are still under consideration.
Preferred heating technology: Air-to-air heat pump. Underfloor heating in the bathroom.
Possibly adding a photovoltaic system with battery. We will gather more information regarding cost/benefit.
If you had to give up on, which details/extensions
- could you do without: Gallery on the upper floor to enlarge the bedroom and children’s rooms. However, this reduces the optics and the bright and open feeling.
- could you not do without: Photovoltaic system, carport (in addition to garage)
Why did the design turn out the way it is? For example:
Standard design from planner? Self-created.
Which wishes from the architect were implemented? All sanitary facilities aligned vertically. Waiver of covered terraces, balconies, or roof overhangs. Entrance on the north side, meaning not directly from the street but around the house at a 90-degree angle. Does this make sense?
A mix of many examples from various magazines? Partly inspired by the STREIF show house in Cologne, for example the gallery.
What do you think makes it particularly good or bad?
Since it is mostly my own plan, hard to say. The architect plans the exit through the large window in the dining area (which makes sense). However, this leads to the largest garden area but closer to the street.
You have to walk briefly around the house to reach the "main" garden (basically an exit through the living room). I am not yet fully satisfied with the layout and access to the garden.
My partner and I have finally purchased a large plot of land measuring 437 sqm (4700 sq ft) in Munich-Eching, and we will soon be building our prefabricated single-family house with Streif Haus. The plan is for approximately 145 sqm (1560 sq ft) of living space with dimensions of 9.96 m x 8.71 m (32.7 ft x 28.6 ft). Increasing this is simply not possible within our budget—for example, adding 1 meter (3.3 ft) on one side would cost roughly an additional €30,000.
So far, I have created all the floor plans using a software tool. Last Friday, we had our first meeting with the architect. Unfortunately, he dismissed several of our wishes:
- The gallery/open space over the upper floor,
- The layout of rooms on the upper floor (both children’s rooms are planned to face south, while the bedroom and bathroom face north, although we would prefer the opposite),
- All terrace requests,
- The design of the bathroom (we wanted a T-shaped layout with the sink set slightly into the room, the toilet and shower behind it, and a freestanding bathtub in the room), etc.
I have attached my plans for the ground floor and upper floor. Since the plot is not rectangular but rather irregularly shaped, positioning the house alone is a challenge because we naturally want the garden and the largest windows in the living room and kitchen to face south. In the attached site plan, the house is still positioned quite centrally (12 x 9 m / 39.4 x 29.5 ft). We will move it as far as possible to the right, towards the east.
We also considered changing the type of staircase (for example, to a half-landing staircase), but according to the architect, the straight staircase belongs to the "Cityvilla" house type by STREIF. I would appreciate your opinions on this. If I change the type of staircase, the entire floor plan will be discarded and the design will have to start from scratch — which is fine, as this is a “major” adjustment.
The architect is planning the entrance not on the south side directly from Schlossberg street, but on the north side: you would approach the property via the street, the house would run sideways along the garage, and you enter after the bend on the north side. So, opposite to what is shown in the site plan. This is quite a long way around. What do you think about this?
You will find comments below with questions. Feedback on the floor plan is welcome!
Building Regulations/Restrictions
Plot size: 437 sqm
Slope: none
Site coverage ratio
Floor area ratio
Building envelope, building line and boundary: Building line with house in the northwest (not yet accurately positioned on the site plan)
Edge development: As far northeast on the plot as possible, maintaining the legally required 6 m (20 ft) setback from neighbors.
Number of parking spaces: Planned 1 carport, 1 garage.
Number of floors: 2 (without basement)
Roof type: Hip roof or gable roof
Architectural style: modern
Orientation: southwest
Maximum heights/limits: n/a
Other requirements: n/a
Homeowner Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Prefabricated house by STREIF, type "Cityvilla," no bay windows, rectangular
Basement, floors: No basement, 1.5 floors (no roof slopes, with roof hatch to a small, non-habitable attic)
Number of residents, age: 2 persons, 36 and 30 years old.
Space requirements for ground floor/upstairs:
Ground floor: large living room, open kitchen and dining area, utility/technical/pantry room (connected to kitchen), guest bathroom, hallway, guest room/office/hobby room.
Upper floor: bedroom, 2 children’s rooms, large bathroom, possibly a gallery
Office: Family use or home office? Both — upstairs for office (sometimes music is played here), downstairs is planned as a hobby room with fitness equipment. This may change when children are around.
Number of guest overnight stays per year: 10 nights
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open, preferably with kitchen island and access to utility/pantry room
Number of dining seats: 4-6
Fireplace: desired but still in planning—preliminarily included, to be built later due to priorities and budget.
Music/stereo wall: yes, with floor-standing speakers and external subwoofer.
Balcony, roof terrace: no. (Initially wanted, but considering the cost/benefit since we have a large garden.)
Garage, carport: First a garage, then a carport (2 parking spaces are mandatory).
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: no.
Further wishes/particularities/daily routine, including reasons for preferences or exclusions:
The guest/fitness room is deliberately planned large to accommodate several exercise machines. Possibly a table tennis table will also be used in winter. The necessity of this is still being discussed. There is no basement. Later, a garden shed will be built in the yard.
Since we have limited space, any tips for storing items typically kept in a basement are very welcome!
A walk-in closet in the bedroom is desired.
House Design
Who designed the plan: Me, using a tool.
- Architect:
We already had a meeting with the architect. Several wishes were discouraged by him, such as a covered garage (east side), covered terrace in the garden (southwest), and the gallery on the first floor.
- The architect recommends having all sanitary facilities on one "level," meaning guest bathroom/technical room on the ground floor directly below the bathroom upstairs.
- He suggests placing the children’s rooms facing south rather than the bedroom or bathroom, as we initially wanted. (Children spend more time playing in their rooms with sunlight.) However, we would prefer sunlight in the bedroom and bathroom (bathroom planned with a frosted window) for a brighter and more relaxing atmosphere.
- Builder’s planner: Prefabricated house will be built with STREIF Haus. The architect is a STREIF architect.
- Do-it-yourself: We purchased the FastFertigPLUS product, meaning wall, floor, and garden work will be done by ourselves. Since I am very handy, wall and floor work should not be an issue. We are still considering whether to hire professionals for terrace construction and garden landscaping.
What do you particularly like?
Why? Large plot with a single-family house (for Munich standards).
The open spatial concept with a large living room, dining area, and open kitchen layout.
What do you dislike? Why?
The hallway takes up a lot of space, especially upstairs. If the hallway is restricted to the front side, the rooms can be made larger at the expense of openness (see attached test design). Not sure if this makes sense or if it just limits upstairs space too much.
The plot is large but irregular, making it challenging to position the house facing south while maintaining minimum setbacks.
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: €306,000 for the completed house excluding ancillary and planning costs.
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: About €15,000 can still be budgeted. We expect higher costs after material selection, especially for sanitary fittings, sliding windows, and electronic blinds on the ground floor (upper floor with "standard" design).
Photovoltaic system with battery storage (including subsidy via KfW 40+) and garage are still under consideration.
Preferred heating technology: Air-to-air heat pump. Underfloor heating in the bathroom.
Possibly adding a photovoltaic system with battery. We will gather more information regarding cost/benefit.
If you had to give up on, which details/extensions
- could you do without: Gallery on the upper floor to enlarge the bedroom and children’s rooms. However, this reduces the optics and the bright and open feeling.
- could you not do without: Photovoltaic system, carport (in addition to garage)
Why did the design turn out the way it is? For example:
Standard design from planner? Self-created.
Which wishes from the architect were implemented? All sanitary facilities aligned vertically. Waiver of covered terraces, balconies, or roof overhangs. Entrance on the north side, meaning not directly from the street but around the house at a 90-degree angle. Does this make sense?
A mix of many examples from various magazines? Partly inspired by the STREIF show house in Cologne, for example the gallery.
What do you think makes it particularly good or bad?
Since it is mostly my own plan, hard to say. The architect plans the exit through the large window in the dining area (which makes sense). However, this leads to the largest garden area but closer to the street.
You have to walk briefly around the house to reach the "main" garden (basically an exit through the living room). I am not yet fully satisfied with the layout and access to the garden.
kaho674 schrieb:
That is exactly your problem. You are vastly overestimating the area. Well, I’m not going to explain it to you a hundred more times. Hopefully, when the correct measurements are available, you’ll realize the truth. The reality has already set in. I understand that I won’t have much garden space, but I still want to make the most of it.
Regarding the sketch, my main concern is whether the location of the parking spaces is advisable—nothing more, nothing less.
I only just received the precise measurements after the official survey. However, until then, I’m already considering some ideas which I would like to share with you and discuss.
That way, I can already rule out or pursue certain options, naturally knowing that the garden will realistically be 2 meters (6.5 feet) shorter, and so on.
11ant schrieb:
Between "this looks feasible" and "the measurements are off" there could be a causal relationship. Otherwise, I would generally approve it on my part.
In my assessment, this is a recently subdivided plot where both neighbors have the same builder contract, so coordination through them is possible; and judging by the aerial image, it appears to be a moderately sloped site.
[ATTACH alt="hbf-musb.PNG"]38402[/ATTACH]
I see the most likely location for a house about 9 m deep (30 feet) and 11 m wide (36 feet) marked on the site plan. I recommend the original poster review the link in post #7 again, as we’ve already discussed this in detail there. At the garage location mentioned in post #27, I would prefer a carport, otherwise the lot would have a dirty corner next to the garage. Thanks for the tip about the carport. I will discuss that with the architect. As you said, all the neighbors (the plot was only recently subdivided) are building with Streif Haus, so it might still be possible to talk to the neighbors about making changes, including regarding the “corner” on the east side.
I will read post #7 carefully after work, thanks.
I quickly sketched two floor plans with dimensions of approximately 8.5m x 10m (28ft x 33ft).
The first is based on the Streif Haus WD1000 standard design, the second is a possible optimization for a more elongated house. For the second sketch, I also see the potential to adjust the dimensions to around 8m x 11m (26ft x 36ft) to position the house further towards the northeast.
(1) Ground Floor
(1) Upper Floor
(2) Ground Floor
(2) Upper Floor
Regarding the parking space, has it been clarified whether the second parking space can be placed in front of the carport/garage?
In your sketch, it would look like this... (but at this point, an accurately scaled site plan would really be helpful!)
You have a small, rather challenging plot to build on. However, even that is quite a luxury for the greater Munich area—I think many participants here might underestimate this. Another downside is that you cannot optimally plan this "special" plot with an architect but are instead forced to fit into the Streif Haus framework. It’s understandable that the Streif Haus draftsman has little interest in modifying their standard designs, but unfortunately, that works to your disadvantage.
The first is based on the Streif Haus WD1000 standard design, the second is a possible optimization for a more elongated house. For the second sketch, I also see the potential to adjust the dimensions to around 8m x 11m (26ft x 36ft) to position the house further towards the northeast.
(1) Ground Floor
(1) Upper Floor
(2) Ground Floor
(2) Upper Floor
Regarding the parking space, has it been clarified whether the second parking space can be placed in front of the carport/garage?
In your sketch, it would look like this... (but at this point, an accurately scaled site plan would really be helpful!)
You have a small, rather challenging plot to build on. However, even that is quite a luxury for the greater Munich area—I think many participants here might underestimate this. Another downside is that you cannot optimally plan this "special" plot with an architect but are instead forced to fit into the Streif Haus framework. It’s understandable that the Streif Haus draftsman has little interest in modifying their standard designs, but unfortunately, that works to your disadvantage.
So, I’ve now sketched this again in Visio using measurements taken directly from the drawing…
The house dimensions here are 10 m x 8.5 m (33 ft x 28 ft), positioned as far as possible toward the northeast. This allows space for a parking spot and garage/carport to the northeast next to the house. (Note that only one parking space is needed, as there is only one car.) If the house could be changed to 11 m x 8 m (36 ft x 26 ft), it could be shifted further northeast. Since I believe a width of 2.5 m (8 ft) is sufficient for approval of a parking space, this should still work.
Now the only task left is to find a nice floor plan with 11 m x 8 m (36 ft x 26 ft) from the Streif Haus house program.
Looking at the lot on Google Maps, considering the tall trees and the slope south of the road, I would also point out that there is probably very little direct southern sunlight. Therefore, the terrace orientation is best facing (north-)west.
The house dimensions here are 10 m x 8.5 m (33 ft x 28 ft), positioned as far as possible toward the northeast. This allows space for a parking spot and garage/carport to the northeast next to the house. (Note that only one parking space is needed, as there is only one car.) If the house could be changed to 11 m x 8 m (36 ft x 26 ft), it could be shifted further northeast. Since I believe a width of 2.5 m (8 ft) is sufficient for approval of a parking space, this should still work.
Now the only task left is to find a nice floor plan with 11 m x 8 m (36 ft x 26 ft) from the Streif Haus house program.
Looking at the lot on Google Maps, considering the tall trees and the slope south of the road, I would also point out that there is probably very little direct southern sunlight. Therefore, the terrace orientation is best facing (north-)west.
RomeoZwo schrieb:
So, I’ve sketched this again in Visio using measurements taken from the drawing...
[ATTACH alt="Bild1.jpg"]38418[/ATTACH]
The house dimensions here are 10m x 8.5m (33ft x 28ft), That looks better already. I also think limiting it to 10 x 8.5m (33ft x 28ft) is a good idea for now – it will probably be a bit smaller than originally planned, which is better for the budget. I wouldn’t go up to 11m (36ft), as the garden would become very small again. It would be better to add an extension on the north or east side instead.
Of course, it ultimately depends on what the original poster wants to fit inside. In the end, we’re all waiting for the exact dimensions, I’d say...
Your participation is truly amazing, especially that you are even taking the effort to create sketches!
I am currently working on the exact measurements, which will make planning easier.
@Sonne and south side:
The trees on the opposite side are definitely worth considering, but during several visits in summer, we noticed that the sun shines on the property for a long time. Of course, it sets a bit earlier than it would on a completely open field and then comes back in the west.
Regarding the parking space, I will discuss again with the architect whether it is possible to stack both parking spaces or carports vertically.
Is my idea and sketch—with one parking space/carport next to the house at the top and the other in the southern part—not recommended?
I am currently working on the exact measurements, which will make planning easier.
@Sonne and south side:
The trees on the opposite side are definitely worth considering, but during several visits in summer, we noticed that the sun shines on the property for a long time. Of course, it sets a bit earlier than it would on a completely open field and then comes back in the west.
Regarding the parking space, I will discuss again with the architect whether it is possible to stack both parking spaces or carports vertically.
Is my idea and sketch—with one parking space/carport next to the house at the top and the other in the southern part—not recommended?
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