ᐅ New Single-Family House Construction ~160 m² plus Basement – Initial Design
Created on: 17 Feb 2020 07:58
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LukeLuuHello everyone, we have purchased a plot of land and would like to start planning the construction.
The plans were created by myself. We do not have any offers yet, but we plan to visit home builders in the next few weeks.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 1099m² (11825 sq ft)
Slope: no
Floor area ratio: -
Building coverage ratio: -
Building envelope, building line and boundary: -
Edge development: -
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of storeys: 1/2 - 2
Roof type: -
Architectural style: -
Orientation: South or North
Maximum heights / limits: -
Other requirements: There is no development plan. Almost all types of houses are present in the neighborhood. So there are no restrictions.
Homeowner Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Single-family house with a gable roof
Basement, floors: Basement, ground floor, attic
Number of people, ages: 2 x 29 years
Office: family use or home office? Home office for both
Overnight guests per year: 10-20
Open or closed architecture: Both
Conservative or modern build: Modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: Open kitchen with glass sliding doors to separate it, island included
Number of dining seats: 4-6
Fireplace: yes
Music / stereo wall: Sonos system available
Balcony, roof terrace: No
Garage, carport: Double carport with storage shed
Utility garden, greenhouse: Not for now
House Design
Planned by: Do-it-Yourself
What do you like most? Why?
What do you dislike? Why? The walk-in closet is not perfect.
Price estimate by architect/designer:
Personal price limit for the house, including equipment: €500,000
Preferred heating system: Ground-source heat pump
If you had to give up anything, which details or additions
- You could give up: basement, but then larger footprint
- You cannot give up: 2 workrooms
Why is the design the way it is now?
Standard design from a planner? The basic dimensions are based on the Maxime 610 model by Viebrockhaus, with additional influences
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
We already like the floor plan quite a bit. The walk-in closet upstairs is still not ideal. Possibly the entrance could be through the bedroom, which would create more space in the closet.
Windows in the basement have not yet been included in the plan but are, of course, intended.
We would just like to hear some opinions on this since we are completely new to building.
The plans were created by myself. We do not have any offers yet, but we plan to visit home builders in the next few weeks.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 1099m² (11825 sq ft)
Slope: no
Floor area ratio: -
Building coverage ratio: -
Building envelope, building line and boundary: -
Edge development: -
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of storeys: 1/2 - 2
Roof type: -
Architectural style: -
Orientation: South or North
Maximum heights / limits: -
Other requirements: There is no development plan. Almost all types of houses are present in the neighborhood. So there are no restrictions.
Homeowner Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Single-family house with a gable roof
Basement, floors: Basement, ground floor, attic
Number of people, ages: 2 x 29 years
Office: family use or home office? Home office for both
Overnight guests per year: 10-20
Open or closed architecture: Both
Conservative or modern build: Modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: Open kitchen with glass sliding doors to separate it, island included
Number of dining seats: 4-6
Fireplace: yes
Music / stereo wall: Sonos system available
Balcony, roof terrace: No
Garage, carport: Double carport with storage shed
Utility garden, greenhouse: Not for now
House Design
Planned by: Do-it-Yourself
What do you like most? Why?
What do you dislike? Why? The walk-in closet is not perfect.
Price estimate by architect/designer:
Personal price limit for the house, including equipment: €500,000
Preferred heating system: Ground-source heat pump
If you had to give up anything, which details or additions
- You could give up: basement, but then larger footprint
- You cannot give up: 2 workrooms
Why is the design the way it is now?
Standard design from a planner? The basic dimensions are based on the Maxime 610 model by Viebrockhaus, with additional influences
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
We already like the floor plan quite a bit. The walk-in closet upstairs is still not ideal. Possibly the entrance could be through the bedroom, which would create more space in the closet.
Windows in the basement have not yet been included in the plan but are, of course, intended.
We would just like to hear some opinions on this since we are completely new to building.
Hello LukeLuu,
for a first draft, I don’t think the floor plan is bad. Of course, there are still several points that can be improved.
Firstly, the drawn-in furniture seems a bit small, including the table. This leads me to the biggest issue (in my opinion): the living-dining room. A fireplace is nice and all, but in this position, it prevents you from setting up a large table. What if you ever need a big dining setup? At the same time, the living room is squeezed into a corner. Many people say the room depth should be at least 4 meters (13 feet). We will be slightly below that ourselves, but in your case, the walking space feels very tight. Despite this tightness, there is also a corner on the right side of the living room that seems to serve no purpose at all. According to the square meters, 33 sqm (355 sq ft) is sufficient for the room, but at least five of those square meters are simply unused. That won’t create a feeling of spaciousness.
Also tight is the dressing room with a 2-meter (6.5 feet) rough structural dimension. If you account for 60 cm (24 inches) wardrobe depth, it will be very cramped to get dressed in there.
Do you plan to have only one child? Does the child definitely need a separate bathroom, or could the situation upstairs possibly be eased by having a large family bathroom instead?
On the bright side: A floor plan like this is a process.
for a first draft, I don’t think the floor plan is bad. Of course, there are still several points that can be improved.
Firstly, the drawn-in furniture seems a bit small, including the table. This leads me to the biggest issue (in my opinion): the living-dining room. A fireplace is nice and all, but in this position, it prevents you from setting up a large table. What if you ever need a big dining setup? At the same time, the living room is squeezed into a corner. Many people say the room depth should be at least 4 meters (13 feet). We will be slightly below that ourselves, but in your case, the walking space feels very tight. Despite this tightness, there is also a corner on the right side of the living room that seems to serve no purpose at all. According to the square meters, 33 sqm (355 sq ft) is sufficient for the room, but at least five of those square meters are simply unused. That won’t create a feeling of spaciousness.
Also tight is the dressing room with a 2-meter (6.5 feet) rough structural dimension. If you account for 60 cm (24 inches) wardrobe depth, it will be very cramped to get dressed in there.
Do you plan to have only one child? Does the child definitely need a separate bathroom, or could the situation upstairs possibly be eased by having a large family bathroom instead?
On the bright side: A floor plan like this is a process.
I think it's quite good overall, with a few issues:
1. Is that supposed to be the fireplace on the ground floor? If so, please extend the chimney all the way up to the roof. That could cause problems. Also, the chimney is usually not placed on the eave side of the roof.
2. I would move the door to the home office upstairs a bit further toward the top of the plan to allow for a straight wall.
3. Move the doors leading from the walk-in closet into the bedroom and bathroom forward so you don’t have to walk through the closet first. This should improve the situation. Also, have the entrance door to the master area swing the other way. The window in the walk-in closet might need to be a bit narrower. (I hope that was clear.)
4. All the windows upstairs are too small. The windows on the ground floor are probably not ideal for the exterior appearance – there is definitely room for improvement.
5. For the large basement rooms, I would plan for light wells.
1. Is that supposed to be the fireplace on the ground floor? If so, please extend the chimney all the way up to the roof. That could cause problems. Also, the chimney is usually not placed on the eave side of the roof.
2. I would move the door to the home office upstairs a bit further toward the top of the plan to allow for a straight wall.
3. Move the doors leading from the walk-in closet into the bedroom and bathroom forward so you don’t have to walk through the closet first. This should improve the situation. Also, have the entrance door to the master area swing the other way. The window in the walk-in closet might need to be a bit narrower. (I hope that was clear.)
4. All the windows upstairs are too small. The windows on the ground floor are probably not ideal for the exterior appearance – there is definitely room for improvement.
5. For the large basement rooms, I would plan for light wells.
Thanks in advance for the answers
Lenschke schrieb:The furniture should all actually be at original size. The table is 170x90cm (67x35 inches). But yes, I understand what you mean. Maybe move the fireplace to the center.
On one hand, the drawn furniture seems a bit small. The same goes for the table. This leads me to the biggest issue (in my opinion): the living-dining area. A fireplace is nice and all, but in this position, it prevents you from placing a large table. What if you need a big dining setup once in a while?
Lenschke schrieb:The width of the living area is 3.65m (12 feet). The sofa is about 2.50m (8 feet) wide and 3.50m (11.5 feet) long. I used our current setup as a reference.
At the same time, the living room is squeezed into a corner. Many say that the room depth should be at least 4 meters (13 feet). We will be just under that ourselves, but for your layout, the circulation space seems really tight.
Lenschke schrieb:I had planned to put an armchair there. And if there’s a baby at some point, a playpen or similar could go there.
And despite the tightness, there is a corner on the right side of the living room that seems completely unused? The room size of 33 sqm (355 sq ft) is sufficient – but at least five sqm (54 sq ft) are just empty. That won’t create a generous feel.
Lenschke schrieb:Yes, as I said, actually only one wardrobe fits there, and that’s it.
Also tight: the walk-in closet with 2m (6.5 feet) raw dimensions. Consider 60cm (24 inches) wardrobe depth – it will be very cramped to get dressed in between.
Lenschke schrieb:Actually just one, but you never know what might happen. That’s why there are two similar rooms upstairs, so the office could move to the guest room on the ground floor.
Do you plan for only one child? Does that child definitely need their own bathroom, or could the upstairs layout maybe be simplified with one large family bathroom?
kaho674 schrieb:Okay, I hadn’t thought that far yet. Maybe move the fireplace to the middle of the room.
I think it’s fine with a few issues:
1. Is that the fireplace on the ground floor? Then please draw the chimney all the way up to the roof. That could cause problems. Also, the flue is usually not placed on the eaves side of the roof.
kaho674 schrieb:Yes, I get that.
2. I would shift the door to the office upstairs slightly towards the top of the plan to straighten the wall.
kaho674 schrieb:Yes, I see that too. But then the bathroom gets very tight. How best to design the shower then? The window might get in the way.
3. Consider moving the doors from the walk-in closet to the bedroom and bathroom forward, so you don’t have to walk through the closet first. That should ease the situation. Also, reverse the entrance door swing into the master area. The window in the walk-in closet might need to be a bit narrower. (I hope this came across clearly.)
kaho674 schrieb:They are all 1 m (39 inches) wide. What do you mean regarding the ground floor?
4. All windows upstairs are too small. Windows on the ground floor may not be ideal for aesthetics – improvements are probably possible.
kaho674 schrieb:Yes, as already mentioned, these are not shown in the drawings yet, but of course planned.
5. I would plan large basement rooms with light wells.
LukeLuu schrieb:
Okay, I hadn’t thought that far yet. Maybe then place the fireplace in the center of the room. I don’t see the fireplace working easily here. Better to leave it out.
LukeLuu schrieb:
Yes, I understand that too. But then the bathroom will be very tight. How is it best to build the shower in that case? Since the window might get in the way. My standard solution under a sloped ceiling is this:
The dimensions fit exactly:
100 cm (40 inches) shower + 175 cm (69 inches) bathtub + 90 cm (35 inches) toilet = 365 cm (144 inches).
LukeLuu schrieb:
They are all 1 meter wide. That’s not sufficient. Best to at least double or maximize the width. Knee wall height and roof slope are unknown—so no precise advice is possible.
LukeLuu schrieb:
What do you mean in the ground floor? With the gable of a pitched roof, symmetry is quite important. Or at least some other aesthetic arrangement that matches the upper floor.
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