ᐅ Floor Plan Single-Family Home with Granny Flat as a Three-Unit Residence

florian93 schrieb:

We actually don’t need that. One shared office is more than enough. We completely agree with you. But of course, we don’t want to leave the granny flat empty for so long, so we would initially use it as an office. So, in theory, we wouldn’t need the office on the ground floor (currently labeled as "bedroom"). That made me think: what if we leave out the wall facing the living area for now and significantly enlarge the living space? If the area is needed as an office again later (after the parents move in), we could just add a drywall partition.

As I said, you are planning for the absolute maximum scenario. It’s a bit like people who pack three suitcases for a last-minute weekend trip without even knowing if it’s going to Italy or Spitzbergen.
I think you need to completely rethink the design and rather focus on two functional units. Perhaps my age has made me more realistic, facing the fact that many people don’t even reach 60 or 65, or that they might only have one child. But planning for 10 or 15 years with a 50 sqm (540 sq ft) office space when there’s already some vacancy is quite foreign to me.
Everyone is different, but even if money wasn’t an issue, I would find so much unused space rather impractical to live with.

Myrna_Loy schrieb:

As I wrote, you are planning for the absolute worst-case scenario. It’s a bit like people traveling on a last-minute weekend trip with three suitcases, without even knowing if they are going to Italy or Svalbard.
I think you need to completely rethink the design and rather aim for two practical living units. Maybe it’s also because of my age that I have been faced with the reality that many people simply don’t live to 60. Or 65. Or that they only have one child. But planning 50 sqm (540 sq ft) of office space for 10 or 15 years when I still have quite a bit of vacancy is very strange to me.
Everyone is different, but even if money wasn’t an issue, I would find such a large amount of unused space quite uncomfortable.

I understand there is no perfect solution. We just want to consider certain possibilities. For example, we are placing the staircase so that the house could be divided into two separate units with a ground floor and an upper floor if we wanted to. Will we ever do that? I have no idea! But this way of positioning the stairs doesn’t really bring significant disadvantages. At the end of the day, it’s all just a cost-benefit consideration. Without a crystal ball, I can’t say whether both my parents will move in. Maybe it will just be one of them in the end. Then the roughly 50 sqm (540 sq ft) in the granny flat will be more than enough.

Maybe we are overthinking trying to plan for every eventuality? I don’t know. Having three children’s bedrooms is definitely important for our future plans. A home office for working remotely or as a teacher is also essential. Not building the granny flat right away and adding it later would be reckless, considering the trend in construction costs. Sure, at the start we will have significantly more living space than we need. We’re aware of that.

Sorry to bring this up again:

florian93 schrieb:

Maybe in the end only one person moves in, so the just over 50 sqm (540 sq ft) in the secondary apartment are more than enough.

Maybe, but why are 50 sqm (540 sq ft) “more than enough”? You currently have one child, so 60 sqm (650 sq ft) would also be plenty. We have a family of five nearby, and a 90 sqm (970 sq ft) apartment is still sufficient for them. At first, I thought it might have happened impulsively in the excitement, but reading this, it becomes clear that there is no real awareness—only about the show kitchen and such.

Many things “are enough,” but for younger people nowadays, they often aren’t. I don’t think that’s a bad thing; it’s actually great if you can afford more. What I’m reading sounds like it’s about the older generation just living out their final years, for which “it’s definitely enough,” as long as I and even my unborn children get to live the dream house.

Sorry, as someone from the older generation, I react to this because I see it more and more... parents get put somewhere else, and they hardly have any dreams left (or the chance to have any).

So I’m probably a poor discussion partner here—I don’t understand how a young person could know—or be expected to know—what makes an older person satisfied.

If your parents say your house should be 50% smaller and nothing else expensive is needed, what do you say? “Sure, Mom & Dad, that’s definitely enough”? And when it comes to inheritance, you take 50% less because that’s also plenty? Certainly not—going that way, it’s never enough!

A strange development is spreading sometimes, sorry, but I had to say it—have fun!

In my opinion, you disregard an important principle in relationships, which is to prioritize your parents and hold yourself back... but maybe I’m dreaming too much.

If I were in their place, I’d sell my house, enjoy my money, and live alone the way I like... Sorry, but the phrase “50 sqm (540 sq ft) is more than enough” seems totally inappropriate to me and reveals a lot—or just makes me shake my head. I’ve witnessed too many developments like this myself... unfortunately, most parents lack self-confidence and end up pushed around or settled for cheaply.

By the way... this criticism was harsh and meant respectfully, even though we don’t know each other! Just so you know: I’m currently on YOUR PARENTS’ side, the place where you yourself should actually stand!!!

First of all, this design and house style is a bit of an eye-catcher for me... but I haven’t fully explored everything yet, so there might still be some additional thoughts to come.

I really like the overall design of the house. The concept of having rooms set forward, the clever arrangement of parking spaces, the shared hallway, and so on show a lot of planning. There is no unnecessary fuss with little corners or niches—just clear edges and walls.

Regarding the upper floor, not much to say: I would give one of the children’s rooms a west-facing window, or rather, honestly, the whole façade 😉 Personally, I would prefer to have windows with parapets in the bedrooms, as this tends to create a cozier atmosphere, and a south orientation is actually quite unfavorable for sleeping.

florian93 schrieb:

I have already mentioned this: we’re still not 100% happy with the kitchen. We welcome all improvement suggestions from everyone—so please, bring them on.

Quite simply: if I count the left row of cabinets in the pantry as part of the kitchen, I would opt for a long island, but rotated 90 degrees. Facing the dining table while cooking or washing up.
The passage would be above the island (where the less deep shelves are), and for the floor-to-ceiling window, I would opt for an optical depth of 50cm (20 inches). Unfortunately, I can’t read the exact room dimensions on my computer, so I’m not sure how wide the room is...
Or:
Make the pantry internal, with kitchen access where the pantry is now, a super-long kitchen island facing the window...
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I noticed the cloakroom is quite small. But I assume that the main hallway is generally used as the family area.
Then, I’m looking for the utility room, where the laundry would be done... and I see a square in the guest toilet that appears to be the washing machine??? 🤨 Despite the dislike people often have for laundry, a house this nice and spacious should definitely include a 6 sqm (65 sq ft) laundry room where hand washing can also be hung to dry. I’d call this a typical architect’s mistake—not planning for that kind of space 🙂
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Regarding the granny flat:
Is it correct that your parents receive funding? Or if they are financing it and you’re calculating, could that cause any issues?

I find the living area too small. You basically can’t really relax or avoid each other there. I would want to move in there myself, even with a partner, if as a senior I traveled a lot and only needed an anchor point where I could wash laundry. But that’s a special case. If I were alone, with active hobbies, I would definitely miss a storage room, etc. But I also need space for myself in my 80s 😉 That would probably be the case if I were the age of your parents. But that’s also a special case. My parents, in their late 70s, still have their 160 sqm (1,722 sq ft) house and enjoy almost 110 sqm (1,184 sq ft) all on one level. When there is only one left, they have an 85 sqm (915 sq ft) city apartment. I think that is a good average for quality of life in old age.
I see this apartment more for a frail single person who doesn’t do much anymore.
I don’t know if your parents really understand what 50 sqm (538 sq ft) means or how they are currently living. By the way, I’m 53 😉

By the way: the hallway could have much more storage if you shift the door slightly to the right side of the plan, move the sliding door as well, and then install a built-in wardrobe on the left side of the plan. But the architect must have had a reason for this—the spot for the TV then wouldn’t be possible. However, that is a bit too far for older people.
I looked at the kitchen row again: it’s really only suitable for making a snack.

Myrna_Loy schrieb:

But planning for 10 or 15 years of 50 sqm (538 sq ft) office space, when I still have quite a bit of unused space, feels very strange to me.
Different people have different needs though, but even if money were no object, having so much unused space would feel uncomfortable to me.

I agree: then you also consider your idea of enlarging and remodeling the living room, and suddenly you could just plan and build differently from the start.

Neither unit has an adequate laundry area. The granny flat really needs to be carefully considered in terms of whether this is what the seniors want (and I assume they are definitely younger than me—I literally just built a house, and one third of our neighborhood consists of couples who built when they were over 55... well...).
It’s basically not tailored to the needs. How many children have been born now again?
I like the idea... yes... but are you sure your needs are really met with this planning?

I’m curious to see what you will do with this information and, even better, what the architect will come up with next 🙂

pagoni2020 schrieb:


Sorry, as a member of an older generation, I respond to this because I see it more and more often... parents get placed somewhere, ...

By the way... this criticism was harsh and not meant personally! Just to clarify: I’m definitely on YOUR parents’ side, where you really should be yourself!!!

I wouldn’t have worded it quite so strongly, but the term “retirement cottage” keeps coming to mind. Looking at the window layout and orientation, it doesn’t feel like it was designed with care or good living quality in mind. I would really suggest rethinking the entire house. Something more like a duplex – it doesn’t have to look like one! – with shared use of the upper floor of the parents’ side. But already plan for a solid 80 m² (860 sq ft) on the ground floor. That way, later on, the duplex could be used separately. There are definitely good solutions if you really want to build a multi-generational house. The design isn’t bad and I can imagine the architect could come up with a better plan.

And if I understand correctly, your parents have a yard? So plenty of space and things to do to avoid running into each other. If my parents were confined to 50 m² (540 sq ft), they’d be filing for divorce after three months at the latest – 🙂. My mother with her constant kitchen radio, my father’s TV that’s way too loud, and he CAN STILL HEAR PERFECTLY!!! – That’s how their marriage has lasted 50 years despite many age-related challenges. But I guess you’ve already understood that living like this won’t work.

I didn’t mean to offend, but rather to strongly challenge it.