ᐅ Floor Plan Design for a 230 sqm Urban Villa

Hello everyone,

In my last post, you pointed out that our plans, especially the idea of having a granny flat in a bungalow that didn’t really fit the plot, are not feasible as they stand. Therefore, we have decided that it will be a townhouse.

Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 579 sqm (6,230 sq ft)
Slope: no
Building envelope, building line, and boundaries: 23 m (75 ft) wide by 14 m (46 ft) deep. 3 m (10 ft) setback to the left and right; carport/garage allowed on the boundary. House in this design sized 13 m x 11.5 m (43 ft x 38 ft). Maximum buildable area is 150 sqm (1,615 sq ft), which we want to fully utilize.
Edge development: no
Number of parking spaces: 4
Number of storeys: 2
Roof style: hipped roof
Architectural style
Orientation: terrace facing south towards the street
Maximum height / limits: 9 m (30 ft) height
Additional requirements

Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: townhouse
Basement, floors: no basement, 2 floors, attic to be converted later
Number of people, ages: currently 2 adults (33 and 30), one baby, one more child possible
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor: approx. 115 sqm (1,237 sq ft) on the ground floor including approx. 40 sqm (430 sq ft) granny flat, approx. 115 sqm (1,237 sq ft) on the first floor, attic may be converted later, hence the stairs
Office: family use or home office?: home office
Number of overnight guests per year: overnight guests accommodated in the granny flat, otherwise holiday rentals
Open or closed layout: open
Traditional or modern design: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes, planned
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: no
Music / stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: later double carport
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Additional wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons for including or excluding certain elements: granny flat is intended for holiday rental, open concept with kitchen / living / dining desired.

House Design
Planner: ourselves
What do you particularly like? Why?: the open concept kitchen / dining / living area
What do you dislike? Why? the bathroom is very large, the layout / space feels wasted
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: not finalized yet
Personal budget limit including fixtures and fittings: open, for now it is just about the floor plan
Preferred heating system: air source heat pump

If you had to give up, which details / expansions
- can you give up: the sauna, more of a “spur of the moment” idea
- cannot give up: granny flat, open concept layout

Why is the design like it is now?
For example: our own (limited) creativity, continually “improved”.

What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Does this floor plan work for everyday life, are there major flaws, should we swap rooms?

We welcome your input and ideas. The floor plan currently just reflects our concept and is not yet planned to the centimeter. Walls and windows can still be moved.

Just to clarify: In the previous thread, you still had a maximum budget of 470,000 all-inclusive – has that increased significantly, or how do you now expect to build 230 m² (2,475 sq ft) with a granny flat and high-end features (sauna) given the current prices?

jonhebbe schrieb:

Just to clarify: In the previous thread, you had a maximum budget of 470,000 all-in—has that increased significantly, or how do you now plan to build 230 sqm (2,475 sq ft) with a granny flat and high-end features (sauna) at current prices?

We ended up getting more for the old house than expected and also received support from family. I’ve seen a sauna online for just under 3,000 euros (about $3,200), and I believe there are other things in housebuilding that count as more expensive luxury items. Of course, extra space costs more, but we’re happy to skip that if it results in a significantly better floor plan.

Sorry ... but there are issues everywhere, despite the 230 m² (2,480 sq ft) ... The bathroom in the granny flat is less than 2 m (6.5 ft) wide, and you want to place the toilet and bathtub opposite each other.
The children's rooms are narrow, 3 m (10 ft) deep corridors, and when you enter, you head straight toward the wardrobes.

And the main point ... the staircase ... 3 m (10 ft) long, have you looked into staircases at all? There's the usual pattern included in the pinned post https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/grundriss-planung-unbedingt-vor-beitrag-erstellung-lesen.11714/. And the staircase is then placed right in the living room. That alone is enough reason to end the layout discussion.

And I also read

Mathias2021 schrieb:

The attic might be converted later, so that’s why the staircase

I don’t understand that – I don’t see any staircase that would lead from the upper floor to the attic.

Mathias2021 schrieb:

Personal budget limit for the house, including fittings: open, for now it should only be about the floor plan

But unrealistic ideas don’t really need to be discussed. You see that, right?
From your previous (bungalow post):

Mathias2021 schrieb:

Personal budget limit for the house, including fittings: 470,000 EUR

… and now a plan of about 260 sqm (2800 sq ft)… 660,000 EUR just for the house…
Is there even KfW funding available for holiday apartments?
Why the insistence on a space-consuming granny flat?

There’s actually not much to say about the design: the staircase is far too short, and the bathroom is larger than the living room of a standard comfort apartment… a bit over the top overall 😉

kbt09 schrieb:

The room is less than 2m (6.6 ft) wide and you want to place the toilet and bathtub opposite each other.

The bathtub can also be left out, or the wall can be shifted slightly. We’re still not fully happy with the layout either.

kbt09 schrieb:

And the staircase nicely placed in the living room as well.

We actually like that very much, which is why there is a small hallway — because we specifically don’t want the staircase in the corridor.

kbt09 schrieb:

I don’t understand, I don’t see a staircase that could lead from the first floor to the attic.

The access is to the left of AZ1, basically above the (too short) staircase.

ypg schrieb:

But you don’t need to discuss castles in the air. You see that, don’t you?

I completely understand. Our financial situation has improved, but I want to focus here only on the floor plan.

ypg schrieb:

Why insist on a space-consuming granny flat?

It’s important for us because family members travel a long way. Having spatial separation for an extended visit is simply very important. Additionally, there’s the option to rent it out.

ypg schrieb:

The staircase is way too short, the bathroom is bigger than the living room in a comfort apartment… all a bit oversized.

I had hoped the staircase would fit since the example assumes a higher floor height. I will try a bigger staircase. We definitely don’t want to appear oversized. It just happened that the bathroom became that large and still fit a sauna. But it doesn’t have to be; if a smarter room layout is possible, then a smaller bathroom would be great.