ᐅ Single-family home, 1.5-story, approximately 150 sqm floor plan designed as a do-it-yourself project
Created on: 31 Oct 2019 21:00
M
marti01
Hello everyone,
we are planning to build on a plot next year and have been thinking about the floor plan / site layout and various other aspects for several weeks now. We already have two offers based on the floor plan for the house, but we are still unsure whether to build with these companies or go to an architect. Unfortunately, there was no detailed feedback on the floor plan—just an offer.
Therefore, we want to present the project here and gather opinions on whether this do-it-yourself floor plan is workable and practical.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 1460m² (0.36 acres), 59m x 24.5m (194ft x 80ft)
Slope: none
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 0.5
Building zone, setback line and boundary: approx. 17m (56ft) from the street front
Edge development: not desired
Number of parking spaces: 2 desired
Number of floors: max. 2 full stories, upper as attic floor
Roof style: gable roof
Building style: single-family house
Orientation: southwest-west to northeast-east
Maximum heights / limits:
Additional requirements: should align with adjacent buildings. Rear area currently leased (garden use / chickens / shed). Access to the rear area should remain possible.
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof form, building type: gable roof, standard single-family house, knee wall approx. 140cm (55in)
Basement, floors: 0, 1.5
Number of residents, ages: 2 adults (31 years), 2 children (2 years, twins)
Space requirement on ground floor, upper floor: approx. 150m² (1615 sq ft)
Office, family use or home office?: no dedicated office needed if there is space for a desk
Guest stays per year: very few, no guest room. Space for folding bed in living room
Open or closed architecture: mixed
Conservative or modern style: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: kitchen and dining room combined, number of permanent seats: 6, expandable to 8/10
Fireplace: optional
Music / stereo wall: standard TV stand + stereo speakers
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: carport, tool shed (as basement replacement)
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: lawn + some vegetable garden
Additional wishes / special features / daily routines, also reasons for preferences
House Design
Planning by: do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why?
Ground floor: kitchen with natural light from three sides.
Upper floor: large children’s rooms, space for desks
What do you dislike? Why?
Relatively narrow bathroom / utility room
Relatively narrow passage behind seating area in kitchen—will that work?
Chimney position is not optimal.
Price estimate according to architect / planner:
Personal budget limit for the house, including equipment: 260,000 (currency not specified) excluding furniture
Preferred heating system: heat pump (air-water or ground source)
If you had to forego something, which details / additions
-you can do without: chimney
-you cannot do without:
Why did the design turn out as it is now? For example:
We want two separate living areas, so no open kitchen-dining-living room. But we also want a large table for up to 8 people.
Since we currently have a large kitchen we like, this was carried over.
The children’s rooms should be appealingly large and get sunlight.
The roof should be extended at the house entrance (for weather protection, not shown in the floor plan).
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Is the staircase design feasible as shown without causing disruption? Are there bottlenecks or places for improvement?
Thank you very much in advance for your opinions!
we are planning to build on a plot next year and have been thinking about the floor plan / site layout and various other aspects for several weeks now. We already have two offers based on the floor plan for the house, but we are still unsure whether to build with these companies or go to an architect. Unfortunately, there was no detailed feedback on the floor plan—just an offer.
Therefore, we want to present the project here and gather opinions on whether this do-it-yourself floor plan is workable and practical.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 1460m² (0.36 acres), 59m x 24.5m (194ft x 80ft)
Slope: none
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 0.5
Building zone, setback line and boundary: approx. 17m (56ft) from the street front
Edge development: not desired
Number of parking spaces: 2 desired
Number of floors: max. 2 full stories, upper as attic floor
Roof style: gable roof
Building style: single-family house
Orientation: southwest-west to northeast-east
Maximum heights / limits:
Additional requirements: should align with adjacent buildings. Rear area currently leased (garden use / chickens / shed). Access to the rear area should remain possible.
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof form, building type: gable roof, standard single-family house, knee wall approx. 140cm (55in)
Basement, floors: 0, 1.5
Number of residents, ages: 2 adults (31 years), 2 children (2 years, twins)
Space requirement on ground floor, upper floor: approx. 150m² (1615 sq ft)
Office, family use or home office?: no dedicated office needed if there is space for a desk
Guest stays per year: very few, no guest room. Space for folding bed in living room
Open or closed architecture: mixed
Conservative or modern style: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: kitchen and dining room combined, number of permanent seats: 6, expandable to 8/10
Fireplace: optional
Music / stereo wall: standard TV stand + stereo speakers
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: carport, tool shed (as basement replacement)
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: lawn + some vegetable garden
Additional wishes / special features / daily routines, also reasons for preferences
House Design
Planning by: do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why?
Ground floor: kitchen with natural light from three sides.
Upper floor: large children’s rooms, space for desks
What do you dislike? Why?
Relatively narrow bathroom / utility room
Relatively narrow passage behind seating area in kitchen—will that work?
Chimney position is not optimal.
Price estimate according to architect / planner:
Personal budget limit for the house, including equipment: 260,000 (currency not specified) excluding furniture
Preferred heating system: heat pump (air-water or ground source)
If you had to forego something, which details / additions
-you can do without: chimney
-you cannot do without:
Why did the design turn out as it is now? For example:
We want two separate living areas, so no open kitchen-dining-living room. But we also want a large table for up to 8 people.
Since we currently have a large kitchen we like, this was carried over.
The children’s rooms should be appealingly large and get sunlight.
The roof should be extended at the house entrance (for weather protection, not shown in the floor plan).
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Is the staircase design feasible as shown without causing disruption? Are there bottlenecks or places for improvement?
Thank you very much in advance for your opinions!
Hello Yvonne, the tenant lives behind our property, so they don’t need access through our area. The lease is not permanent, more of a neighborly arrangement and a way to keep twins occupied.
Regarding the utility room, we have also considered choosing an entrance door without a glazed panel to gain more width. That should make a noticeable difference. However, an additional window in the stairwell would then be necessary, but that’s manageable.
Regarding the narrow kitchen: we will try moving the wall and see what effect that has.
Regarding lighting: perhaps the L-shaped kitchen could be mirrored to create space for an extra window. We need to see, as we plan to keep our current kitchen and only replace the countertop.
Regarding the staircase: This issue hadn’t really crossed our minds, but that’s exactly what a forum is for. Let’s see if we come up with something. Or does anyone have a bright idea on how to solve it simply?
Regarding the utility room, we have also considered choosing an entrance door without a glazed panel to gain more width. That should make a noticeable difference. However, an additional window in the stairwell would then be necessary, but that’s manageable.
Regarding the narrow kitchen: we will try moving the wall and see what effect that has.
Regarding lighting: perhaps the L-shaped kitchen could be mirrored to create space for an extra window. We need to see, as we plan to keep our current kitchen and only replace the countertop.
Regarding the staircase: This issue hadn’t really crossed our minds, but that’s exactly what a forum is for. Let’s see if we come up with something. Or does anyone have a bright idea on how to solve it simply?
Well, I’m more of a desk clutter type myself. It wouldn’t be a great sight when you come upstairs. But you could also just remove the office wall and have a nice open seating area instead.
What bothers me a bit about the floor plan in general is that it feels quite outdated. More on the conservative side… a bit dull. Even if you are keeping your current kitchen, it’s better to plan in a way that allows you to add a stylish kitchen island later on. Maybe right by the terrace.
I don’t think having the staircase start next to the door is such a big deal. We have the same, and it’s definitely not the cause of the dirt in our house. For that, we have some small hairy specialists.
If I were you, I’d order some fresh brochures to see what others are designing these days. Personally, I’d recommend companies like Rensch-Haus, Living Haus, Gussek Haus, Fingerhaus, and Viebrockhaus. But I’m sure others have their favorites too. Living Haus works very professionally.
Oh, and one last thing—I’d also put sliding doors between the dining room and living room with this floor plan.
What bothers me a bit about the floor plan in general is that it feels quite outdated. More on the conservative side… a bit dull. Even if you are keeping your current kitchen, it’s better to plan in a way that allows you to add a stylish kitchen island later on. Maybe right by the terrace.
I don’t think having the staircase start next to the door is such a big deal. We have the same, and it’s definitely not the cause of the dirt in our house. For that, we have some small hairy specialists.
If I were you, I’d order some fresh brochures to see what others are designing these days. Personally, I’d recommend companies like Rensch-Haus, Living Haus, Gussek Haus, Fingerhaus, and Viebrockhaus. But I’m sure others have their favorites too. Living Haus works very professionally.
Oh, and one last thing—I’d also put sliding doors between the dining room and living room with this floor plan.
Make sure to include the complete furniture layout to scale.
I prefer Kaho’s suggestion.
- I don’t like the staircase being in the muddy area, especially since you will be dealing with a lot of sand in the coming years.
- I miss a wardrobe. Although the hallway is huge and spacious, I think it’s nicer if shoes, coats, and such are not immediately visible.
- The kitchen is too dark, and the dining area is too narrow. Please mark the space needed with chairs occupied. A sliding door to the living room is a good idea.
I would also give the desk its own room upstairs. A door behind which you can not only hide the desk clutter but also an ironing board or suitcase.
I prefer Kaho’s suggestion.
- I don’t like the staircase being in the muddy area, especially since you will be dealing with a lot of sand in the coming years.
- I miss a wardrobe. Although the hallway is huge and spacious, I think it’s nicer if shoes, coats, and such are not immediately visible.
- The kitchen is too dark, and the dining area is too narrow. Please mark the space needed with chairs occupied. A sliding door to the living room is a good idea.
I would also give the desk its own room upstairs. A door behind which you can not only hide the desk clutter but also an ironing board or suitcase.
kaho674 schrieb:
Well, I’m more of a desk mess type myself. It wouldn’t look very nice when you come upstairs. But you could also simply skip the office wall and then have a nice open seating area.
What bothers me a bit about the floor plan overall is that it feels quite outdated. So rather conservative... boring. Even if you’re taking your kitchen with you now, I’d suggest planning so that you can add a nice kitchen island later, maybe right by the terrace.
I don’t find the staircase entry next to the door that problematic. We have the same setup, and it’s not the cause of dirt in our house. We’ve got some small hairy specialists for that.
If I were you, I’d order some fresh catalogs to see what others are planning. Personally, I’d recommend, for example, Rensch-Haus, Living Haus, Gussek Haus, Fingerhaus, and Viebrockhaus. But others probably have more favorites.
Oh yes, one more thing — with this floor plan I’d also install sliding doors between the dining and living room. Yes, our desk is rarely tidy as well. At the moment our desk is in the living room and I’m still not quite comfortable with the idea of sitting completely separately in an office. We are still thinking this over.
What bothers us about the modern open-plan living-dining-kitchen areas is the openness. There are no separate zones where you can be independent or have privacy.
We will definitely review the mentioned manufacturers’ catalogs again. Maybe a few details will stand out regarding the coat area and staircase as well.
haydee schrieb:
Make sure to draw the complete furniture to scale.
I prefer kaho’s suggestion.
- I don’t like the staircase in the dirt zone, especially since you will have to deal with a lot of sand in the coming years.
- I miss a coat area. The hallway is large and has space, but I find it nicer if shoes, jackets, etc. aren’t immediately visible.
- The kitchen is too dark and the dining area is too narrow. Draw in the space required for occupied chairs.
A sliding door to close off the living room is a good idea.
Upstairs, I’d give the desk its own room. A door allows you not just to hide the desk mess, but also to store things like an ironing board or suitcases. The furniture in the living room, kitchen, and hallway is drawn to scale and almost complete. Currently, we have only one children’s room. Since we still have a crib and changing table there, a new plan will be needed eventually. That’s why the draft includes a larger children’s or teenager’s room for later. Right now, we are still planning one bedroom and one playroom for the child, with eventual separation for child 1 and child 2 in a few years.
Regarding the kitchen table, I measured: 60cm (24 inches) seating space and 60cm (24 inches) walkway add up to about 90cm (35 inches) table width plus approximately 330cm (130 inches) minimum kitchen width. If you want more space for the walkway on one side, the kitchen must be at least 30cm (12 inches) wider.
So, now we have quite a few tasks ahead. It will be long evenings... Thanks anyway!!
Modern does not necessarily mean an open-plan layout. A peninsula or island also works well in an eat-in kitchen.
A large sliding door gives you flexibility. An open space is great when children are playing and running around. For a game night or watching football, you need separation.
Also plan for a chest of drawers or something similar for toys and craft supplies in the dining room.
A large sliding door gives you flexibility. An open space is great when children are playing and running around. For a game night or watching football, you need separation.
Also plan for a chest of drawers or something similar for toys and craft supplies in the dining room.
haydee schrieb:
Modern does not necessarily have to mean open-plan. A peninsula or island layout also works well in a kitchen-living area.Thank you, exactly. There should be enough space for a nice kitchen with an island and dining table (personally, I also like modern corner bench solutions with a large solid wood table – but that’s a matter of taste) and a living room for those who aren’t keen on cooking.Similar topics