I kindly ask you to review the floor plan of our future house and thank you in advance for your time and attention. The floor plan has not yet been reviewed by an architect.
--> Despite many efforts, I was unable to make the drawings larger. They originate from Sweet Home, were converted into a PDF, and then into a JPEG. If there is a better way to do this, please let me know. Otherwise, I hope it won't be too much trouble for you to enlarge the floor plans on your computer. It is possible, but as mentioned, I could not upload them in a larger size on this site. :-(
Now, here are the answers to the questionnaire:
QUESTIONNAIRE
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 567 sqm (almost rectangular, only slightly trapezoidal)
Slope: no (barely noticeable visually, maximum 1-2%)
Site coverage ratio: 0.35
Floor area ratio: 0.8
Single-family house / semi-detached allowed
Building type: detached
Building envelope, building line and boundary: to be measured yet, but the chosen house fits within it, as does a garage/carport for two cars
Setbacks: allowed for garage etc., otherwise the usual three meters (about 10 feet) distance
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of stories: two full stories
Roof type: hipped roof
Architectural style: unknown
Orientation: not yet determined
Maximum heights / limits: “Difference between finished floor level of ground floor and ridge height of main roof max. 11.5 meters (38 feet)“; “Difference between finished floor level of ground floor and eaves height of main roof max. 7.0 meters (23 feet)”
Other specifications: So far, we have only interpreted the development plan as laypersons. After the architect’s consultation, I will provide further details. For now, due to discretion, we do not want to publish the development plan, site plan, cadastral excerpt, etc. online, since we are currently only focusing on the house floor plan, not on its location on the plot. We also need to wait for the surveyor’s results on this.
Homeowners’ requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: unknown, hipped roof, single-family home for two adults
Basement, stories: no basement, two full stories
Number of occupants, age: 2 adults
Room requirements ground floor / upper floor:
GF – kitchen, guest bathroom with shower, living room, utility room for technical equipment and hobbies.
UF – master bathroom with sauna, bedroom, two “closet and storage rooms” (larger one also usable as guest room)
Office: family use or home office? Exclusively for the couple
Overnight guests per year: 10 nights
Open or closed architecture: ?
Conservative or modern design: ?
Open kitchen, kitchen island: closed kitchen
Number of dining seats: 2-4 in the kitchen, 6-8 in the living room
Fireplace: yes, in the living room
Music / stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: neither
Garage, carport: for two cars
Utility garden, greenhouse: neither, except for some tomatoes and possibly raspberries
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons for preferences or exclusions
House design
Planner:
- Do-it-yourself
What do you like most? Why?
Nothing particularly stands out; the floor plan is pragmatic and kept simple due to our financial situation. We emphasize brightness, openness, and transparency in every room, aiming for as many windows (or door windows) of the same shape and size as possible. Except for the main entrance side on the ground floor, all openings are floor-to-ceiling windows or patio doors, allowing direct outdoor access from every room. On the upper floor, the windows should be identically sized and arranged as symmetrically as possible. Due to budget constraints, practical reasons, and the extra cost and maintenance of window grilles (instead of mullions), we decided against using door windows upstairs.
What do you dislike? Why?
Everything is satisfactory and fits our budget. We would prefer more door windows.
Price estimate by architect/planner: fixed, already commissioned offer/order EUR 312,780.00 (house only, excluding garage/carport, landscaping, incidental construction costs, land, etc.)
Personal budget limit for the house including fittings: EUR 400,000.00
Preferred heating technology: gas condensing boiler plus solar thermal system (according to legal requirements)
If you have to give up something, which details/extras
- Can give up: possibly a new kitchen
- Cannot give up: window muntins (grids)
Why is the design as it is now?
There has been no architect consultation yet. The floor plan is a mix of example floor plans from various prefab home providers and our own ideas and requirements. Two special features for a relatively small house are, in our view, the somewhat larger utility room (which should be nearly like a second kitchen for hobbies) and the sauna in the master bathroom, which required a larger bathroom than we would need without the sauna.
What do you consider particularly good or bad about it?
Good:
Bad:
--> Despite many efforts, I was unable to make the drawings larger. They originate from Sweet Home, were converted into a PDF, and then into a JPEG. If there is a better way to do this, please let me know. Otherwise, I hope it won't be too much trouble for you to enlarge the floor plans on your computer. It is possible, but as mentioned, I could not upload them in a larger size on this site. :-(
Now, here are the answers to the questionnaire:
QUESTIONNAIRE
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 567 sqm (almost rectangular, only slightly trapezoidal)
Slope: no (barely noticeable visually, maximum 1-2%)
Site coverage ratio: 0.35
Floor area ratio: 0.8
Single-family house / semi-detached allowed
Building type: detached
Building envelope, building line and boundary: to be measured yet, but the chosen house fits within it, as does a garage/carport for two cars
Setbacks: allowed for garage etc., otherwise the usual three meters (about 10 feet) distance
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of stories: two full stories
Roof type: hipped roof
Architectural style: unknown
Orientation: not yet determined
Maximum heights / limits: “Difference between finished floor level of ground floor and ridge height of main roof max. 11.5 meters (38 feet)“; “Difference between finished floor level of ground floor and eaves height of main roof max. 7.0 meters (23 feet)”
Other specifications: So far, we have only interpreted the development plan as laypersons. After the architect’s consultation, I will provide further details. For now, due to discretion, we do not want to publish the development plan, site plan, cadastral excerpt, etc. online, since we are currently only focusing on the house floor plan, not on its location on the plot. We also need to wait for the surveyor’s results on this.
Homeowners’ requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: unknown, hipped roof, single-family home for two adults
Basement, stories: no basement, two full stories
Number of occupants, age: 2 adults
Room requirements ground floor / upper floor:
GF – kitchen, guest bathroom with shower, living room, utility room for technical equipment and hobbies.
UF – master bathroom with sauna, bedroom, two “closet and storage rooms” (larger one also usable as guest room)
Office: family use or home office? Exclusively for the couple
Overnight guests per year: 10 nights
Open or closed architecture: ?
Conservative or modern design: ?
Open kitchen, kitchen island: closed kitchen
Number of dining seats: 2-4 in the kitchen, 6-8 in the living room
Fireplace: yes, in the living room
Music / stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: neither
Garage, carport: for two cars
Utility garden, greenhouse: neither, except for some tomatoes and possibly raspberries
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons for preferences or exclusions
House design
Planner:
- Do-it-yourself
What do you like most? Why?
Nothing particularly stands out; the floor plan is pragmatic and kept simple due to our financial situation. We emphasize brightness, openness, and transparency in every room, aiming for as many windows (or door windows) of the same shape and size as possible. Except for the main entrance side on the ground floor, all openings are floor-to-ceiling windows or patio doors, allowing direct outdoor access from every room. On the upper floor, the windows should be identically sized and arranged as symmetrically as possible. Due to budget constraints, practical reasons, and the extra cost and maintenance of window grilles (instead of mullions), we decided against using door windows upstairs.
What do you dislike? Why?
Everything is satisfactory and fits our budget. We would prefer more door windows.
Price estimate by architect/planner: fixed, already commissioned offer/order EUR 312,780.00 (house only, excluding garage/carport, landscaping, incidental construction costs, land, etc.)
Personal budget limit for the house including fittings: EUR 400,000.00
Preferred heating technology: gas condensing boiler plus solar thermal system (according to legal requirements)
If you have to give up something, which details/extras
- Can give up: possibly a new kitchen
- Cannot give up: window muntins (grids)
Why is the design as it is now?
There has been no architect consultation yet. The floor plan is a mix of example floor plans from various prefab home providers and our own ideas and requirements. Two special features for a relatively small house are, in our view, the somewhat larger utility room (which should be nearly like a second kitchen for hobbies) and the sauna in the master bathroom, which required a larger bathroom than we would need without the sauna.
What do you consider particularly good or bad about it?
Good:
- We live as a couple only, so each of us has one closet and “storage” room
- The guest bathroom on the ground floor will also include a shower
- We own few pieces of furniture and value pictures and plants more, which allows us to have many windows and glazed doors
Bad:
- Relatively narrow hallways What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
- For now, our concern refers only to the house floor plan, not its placement on the plot, as we are still waiting for information from the surveyor and architect. We welcome suggestions for improvements, additions, and criticism. It is important to us that the house looks harmonious, balanced, and “pleasing” from the outside. Due to lack of expertise in architectural harmony or facade design, we initially focused only on symmetry in the exterior facade. We do not want a house that looks unstructured or chaotic from the outside. Nor do we want too many different window shapes and sizes. On the ground floor, every room should allow access to the garden.
Pinkiponk schrieb:
The kitchen design is being handled by a professional, I would advise against that. No one, not even a professional, knows what is truly important to you. You need to think about that yourselves—ideally before the floor plan is finalized. Because if you only realize later that the cabinets don’t fit the way you want, it will be too late.
You say you don’t really mind how the house turns out in the end, but I don’t quite believe that. You don’t want to annoy yourself for the rest of your life over, for example, having the sink in the wrong position.
I don’t understand it again!
I’m not clueless, but is it really the case that...
...there isn’t one? You say the architect’s plan was a condition for signing. But you don’t even have it. It only comes into existence in planning after you signed. I am not criticizing (you sign for a house size, usually also the shape, the rest is flexible), but it doesn’t make sense: it was a condition, but it doesn’t exist.
Then it does exist, namely this one, where the bathroom has no drainage.
Anyway: please take away that your company probably twists the truth a bit and that the “individual planning” is simply a construction drawing, whose errors are corrected “during construction” or in the execution planning. This usually means that many things are changed despite all the thinking put into them.
I don’t get it. You have a plot of land and you want to build a house on it. Usually, you sketch it out: a tree here, a fence there… the house here… “I want it like this because…” and “is the driveway spot big enough?”
So, you visit the land, take measurements, check maps, sketch it out, doodle on it. Then the computer isn’t enough, so you use a piece of paper... it’s just a pile of bricks, but it should make your life better, right? It will be expensive. Money is not important, but if you don’t have it, you can’t build a house.
Your windows are just openings for light, but they get beloved shutters and grilles. Where is the proportion? I only see the display, not the living purpose.
Nobody here needs a survey drawing for a sketch… what’s needed are some real measurements.
I understand that with age many things are seen more practically (mainly a functioning roof over your head).
But if you now have the chance to realize many things in a way that feels comfortable to you, then take it!
For example, I think it’s great that each of you is designing a room to your own needs. Some might skip a walk-in closet, others have two children’s rooms instead. But how is your daily routine? I totally miss that: does Mr. sit in front of the TV while you work around upstairs? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a connection then? For example, a separate room on the ground floor so you stay connected as a couple?
Or a TV room upstairs? Mr.’s study could be smaller, for example downstairs?
Do you have guests often enough to justify the large dining table? Wouldn’t a foldable or a bigger table in the kitchen be enough?
Basically, I would start with the location and then the terrace. Then look at your own routine: how and with what activities will you prefer to use the terrace, and then decide the location of the kitchen accordingly.
At 57 years, you should also think about immobility: I built at 47, my husband is about your age. Our multi-purpose room has already paid off due to a foot operation. Neighbors in their early 50s have a hip problem; with the standard house from Viebrockhaus (same layout as yours), they are no longer satisfied and while they don’t complain, it would be nice to have a bedroom downstairs. “But we have two unnecessary rooms upstairs.”
That’s explicitly asked separately in the questionnaire.
...
It won’t be airy then.
My house blog should still be linked here. But it won’t match your ideas because I strayed from symmetry two decades ago.
...
Old-fashioned means you only have one jacket?
The kitchen planner, like the architect, will not question your wishes. Only you can do that yourselves.
Build what you want, even if it’s “museums” ... but pay some attention to WHAT you want and what will still be good for you in 5 (10) years.
P.S. A master bathroom is located behind the bedroom and is often isolated, so other household members cannot use it. Otherwise, it’s just a bathroom.
I’m not clueless, but is it really the case that...
Pinkiponk schrieb:
I will publish the architect’s plan here as soon as I receive it.
Pinkiponk schrieb:
This is the result published here.
Pinkiponk schrieb:
I haven’t really thought about that so far, also because I wanted to leave it to the experts. I have learned here that we should probably locate the master bathroom over the hot water tank/shower bathroom on the ground floor, or the kitchen on the ground floor.
...there isn’t one? You say the architect’s plan was a condition for signing. But you don’t even have it. It only comes into existence in planning after you signed. I am not criticizing (you sign for a house size, usually also the shape, the rest is flexible), but it doesn’t make sense: it was a condition, but it doesn’t exist.
Then it does exist, namely this one, where the bathroom has no drainage.
Anyway: please take away that your company probably twists the truth a bit and that the “individual planning” is simply a construction drawing, whose errors are corrected “during construction” or in the execution planning. This usually means that many things are changed despite all the thinking put into them.
Pinkiponk schrieb:
Fortunately, it’s not a new development area.
I probably opened the thread too early and with too few concrete details and plans. I will change that as soon as I know more and have more documents.
I don’t get it. You have a plot of land and you want to build a house on it. Usually, you sketch it out: a tree here, a fence there… the house here… “I want it like this because…” and “is the driveway spot big enough?”
So, you visit the land, take measurements, check maps, sketch it out, doodle on it. Then the computer isn’t enough, so you use a piece of paper... it’s just a pile of bricks, but it should make your life better, right? It will be expensive. Money is not important, but if you don’t have it, you can’t build a house.
Your windows are just openings for light, but they get beloved shutters and grilles. Where is the proportion? I only see the display, not the living purpose.
Nobody here needs a survey drawing for a sketch… what’s needed are some real measurements.
I understand that with age many things are seen more practically (mainly a functioning roof over your head).
But if you now have the chance to realize many things in a way that feels comfortable to you, then take it!
For example, I think it’s great that each of you is designing a room to your own needs. Some might skip a walk-in closet, others have two children’s rooms instead. But how is your daily routine? I totally miss that: does Mr. sit in front of the TV while you work around upstairs? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a connection then? For example, a separate room on the ground floor so you stay connected as a couple?
Or a TV room upstairs? Mr.’s study could be smaller, for example downstairs?
Do you have guests often enough to justify the large dining table? Wouldn’t a foldable or a bigger table in the kitchen be enough?
Basically, I would start with the location and then the terrace. Then look at your own routine: how and with what activities will you prefer to use the terrace, and then decide the location of the kitchen accordingly.
At 57 years, you should also think about immobility: I built at 47, my husband is about your age. Our multi-purpose room has already paid off due to a foot operation. Neighbors in their early 50s have a hip problem; with the standard house from Viebrockhaus (same layout as yours), they are no longer satisfied and while they don’t complain, it would be nice to have a bedroom downstairs. “But we have two unnecessary rooms upstairs.”
Pinkiponk schrieb:
That is our wish and the development plan makes it possible.
That’s explicitly asked separately in the questionnaire.
Pinkiponk schrieb:
Besides, we currently don’t have much more space in our 11.8sqm (127 sqft) bedroom either. Your suggestion is good, thanks.
...
Pinkiponk schrieb:
They are narrower because we want to install shutters on the house now or later.
It won’t be airy then.
Pinkiponk schrieb:
Can your floor plan be viewed somewhere in the forum?
My house blog should still be linked here. But it won’t match your ideas because I strayed from symmetry two decades ago.
Pinkiponk schrieb:
Shoes go in the hot water tank room, coats on the wall rack in the hallway.
...
Pinkiponk schrieb:
We’re a bit old-fashioned, ...
Old-fashioned means you only have one jacket?
Pinkiponk schrieb:
A professional is handling the kitchen planning, so I left everything open on the floor plan. What really matters to me is just a table or small table with a view outside.
The kitchen planner, like the architect, will not question your wishes. Only you can do that yourselves.
Build what you want, even if it’s “museums” ... but pay some attention to WHAT you want and what will still be good for you in 5 (10) years.
P.S. A master bathroom is located behind the bedroom and is often isolated, so other household members cannot use it. Otherwise, it’s just a bathroom.
P
Pinkiponk5 Jan 2020 13:22ypg schrieb:
I just don’t get it again!
I’m not stupid, but does that mean...
...there isn’t one? So far, we do not have any plans from the architect.
ypg schrieb:
You wrote that the architect’s plan was a condition for signing. If that’s how it came across, then I expressed myself incorrectly or at least unclearly. It’s only now, seeing the discussion here in the forum, that I realize the contract should have been signed only after the architect’s plan was available. That was not the case for us, nor was it offered. Now we have to live with it and make the best of it. It’s not a matter of survival for us, and that is what matters most.
ypg schrieb:
But you don’t even have it. It’s only in planning after you signed. I’m not trying to criticize (usually one signs for a house size and often shape, the rest can be changed), but it’s confusing: it was a condition, yet it doesn’t exist. As mentioned above, I did not express myself correctly.
ypg schrieb:
Then you do have it, namely this one, where the bathroom has no drainage. So far, I assume the house price includes drainage and so on, even if we didn’t show it on our amateur floor plan. Gradually, I’m getting worried because you’re asking about drainage, and I’m afraid we may have to pay separately for every utility line—electricity, water, gas—since none are shown on our floor plan and we never received an architect’s drawing before signing the contract. Fortunately, we have comfortable, free cancellation clauses, but I still hope it won’t come to that.
ypg schrieb:
Anyway: keep in mind that your company probably twists the truth somewhat and that the ‘individual planning’ is just a construction drawing whose errors are usually fixed ‘during construction’ or in the execution planning. This often means many things get changed after you’ve put much thought into them. It’s not a construction drawing, but simply an amateur floor plan we created that was included with the offer. The basis is a standard house offered by the company.
ypg schrieb:
I don’t get it. You have a plot of land and want to build a house on it. Usually, you sketch roughly where a small tree goes, a fence here, the house there... “I want it like this because...” and “Is the driveway space enough?” We wanted to wait until the land survey was complete to have a reliable basis for exactly where and how many meters we can build with what. So far, only the house size within the building envelope is confirmed.
ypg schrieb:
So: you visit the site, measure it, check Maps, sketch it out, doodle on it. Then the computer isn’t enough and you take a sheet of paper... it’s just a pile of bricks, but it should make your life better, right? It will be expensive. Money isn’t important, but if you don’t have it, you can’t build a house. I don’t think it will be expensive.
ypg schrieb:
Your windows are just holes for light, but they get beloved shutters and mullions. Where’s the proportion? I only see the show, not the living purpose. No one here needs a survey drawing for a sketch... just some actual measurements. That’s a good point about the windows. We will probably skip the shutters and instead go for window trims (without shutters or trims, the windows look a bit too bare or stark; they really do look like holes). We plan to install more windows or slightly larger ones, but I insist on keeping the mullions.
ypg schrieb:
I understand that as you get older, you look at many things more pragmatically (main thing is to have a working roof over your head). But if you now have the chance to implement many things comfortably the way you want, then take it! So far, we don’t find the current plan uncomfortable; it is an improvement compared to now: smaller house and plot, fewer rooms, fewer floors. And everything brand new, of course.
ypg schrieb:
For example, I like that each of you sets up a room as needed. Some can skip a walk-in closet; for others, the two children’s rooms take that role. But what is your daily routine like? I really miss that: does Mr. sit in front of the TV while you tinker around in your room upstairs? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a connection? For example, a separate room on the ground floor so you can still connect with your partner? Or a TV room upstairs? Mr.’s study could be smaller, for example downstairs? I don’t quite understand that. Usually, we stay together on the ground floor. The two rooms upstairs are meant for clothing, additional computers, and some personal stuff, as well as crafts, my handbags, and my husband’s electronics. Basically two ‘children’s rooms’ for adults, just without beds.
ypg schrieb:
Do you have guests so often that a large dining table is worthwhile? Wouldn’t a folding table or a larger kitchen table be enough? The large table in the living room is not primarily for eating. I just called it that because large tables in living rooms are usually referred to as dining tables.
ypg schrieb:
Basically, I’d start with the location and then where the terrace will be. Then look at your daily routine: how you want to use the terrace most comfortably with which activities, and then decide on the kitchen location. If possible, we want a terrace that runs around the whole house, with a lower part in the back facing the garden/field/forest. It should be possible to access the terrace from every ground floor room, including the kitchen.
ypg schrieb:
At 57 years, one should also consider immobility: I built at 47 myself; my husband is your age. Our multipurpose room has already paid off due to a foot operation. Neighbors in their early 50s now have hip problems; they are no longer happy with the standard house from Viebrockhaus (same layout as yours) and although they don’t complain, they say it would be nice to have a bedroom downstairs. “But then we have two unnecessary rooms upstairs.” Possibly we will add a wall in the living room later to create a bedroom downstairs. But most likely, we will move to an accessible and senior-friendly apartment near a medical center eventually.
ypg schrieb:
My house blog should still be linked here. It probably won’t match your ideas since I broke symmetry about 20 years ago. I will check your blog and read it carefully with interest.
ypg schrieb:
Old-fashioned means only having one jacket? A wall-mounted coat rack is enough for both of us, and if guests come, a few coats and jackets will still fit. That’s how we manage it now.
ypg schrieb:
P.S. A master bathroom is located behind the bedroom and is often ‘trapped’, so other residents cannot use it. Otherwise, it’s just a bathroom. Thanks for the tip; I will change it right away. I thought a master bathroom was the main bathroom as opposed to a guest or shower room.
P
Pinkiponk5 Jan 2020 13:26michert schrieb:
I haven’t read all 14 pages, so I don’t know if this has been discussed already: is the whirlpool taken into account in the structural calculations? Thanks for your question. So far, it hasn’t been considered, but we will inform the structural engineer/architect if we decide to install a bathtub with a whirlpool function. At the moment, however, we are in the process of deciding against a bathtub with a whirlpool function.
H
hampshire5 Jan 2020 13:31Pinky0301 schrieb:
I wouldn’t recommend that. No one, not even a professional, knows what’s important to you. You need to put some thought into it yourself—ideally before the floor plan is finalized. Because if you only realize later that the cabinets don’t fit the way you want, it’s too late. To emphasize: Get advice from a professional about the kitchen and build the house to fit it. Sometimes just a few centimeters (inches) make a difference that may not affect the budget during planning and construction but will determine whether your kitchen wishes are feasible and the costs of custom sizes.
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