ᐅ Floor plan single-family house with 2 full stories plus basement, approximately 130 m² of living space
Created on: 22 Nov 2021 10:47
H
HeinzzLöwe
Hello everyone,
my wife and I are currently planning our house. We have already visited several construction companies and have now decided on one. The company is a manufacturer of prefabricated solid construction. The project will take place in the suburban area of Stuttgart.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: approx. 400m² (4,306 sq ft)
Sloping site
Site coverage ratio
Floor area ratio
Building window, building line, and boundary: 2.5m (8 feet) distance to neighbors
Edge development: only for garage
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors:
Roof type: gable roof
Architectural style
Orientation
Maximum heights / limits
Additional specifications: Construction allowed according to §34
Homeowners’ Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: gable roof
Basement, floors: 2 floors + basement
Number of occupants, ages: currently 2 people, 31 and 26 years old; first child on the way and definitely planning another. Space for a third child should still be possible.
Room requirements on ground floor and upper floor: On the ground floor space for kitchen, living, dining, guest toilet; on the upper floor: 2 children’s rooms, master bedroom, large bathroom; in the basement a room for office/guest room/or third child’s room if needed
Office: family use or home office? No home office
Number of overnight guests per year:
Open or closed layout: on the ground floor, living room, dining room, and kitchen are open, but the hallway has a door
Conservative or modern construction style
Open kitchen, kitchen island: currently a kitchen island in the floor plan, but it takes too much space and requires reconsideration to design the kitchen as a U-shape
Number of dining seats: 6 with extension option
Fireplace: not planned
Music / stereo wall
Balcony, roof terrace: not planned
Garage, carport: in the plan but depends on cost
Kitchen garden, greenhouse
Additional wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why certain things are preferred or not
House Design
Planner: the plan is from the construction company’s planner
-Architect
-Do-it-Yourself
What do you like most? Why? Overall, we like the planning well
What do you dislike? Why?
The kitchen uses too much space with the island and offers too little workspace; sliding door in the kitchen should be replaced by a regular window to place a kitchen cabinet below it.
In the living room, we are uncertain about the full-height window. The sofa will be placed on the wall next to the staircase, at least initially, as the sofa is currently an inverted L-shape. We consider changing the window to two narrow full-height windows positioned further apart.
On the upper floor, we would appreciate suggestions for the bathroom, as it currently doesn’t feel quite right.
Price estimate according to architect/planner: 460,000€ (without additional construction costs and without excavation disposal). Basement finishing will be done by ourselves.
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: 550,000 to 600,000€
Preferred heating technology: the offer includes an air-to-water heat pump and photovoltaic system with battery storage.
If you have to give up something, which details or expansions
-can you live without: kitchen island, although the floor plan is already reduced to the essentials
-can you absolutely not live without: For us it is more about arranging the rooms cleverly and getting ideas about what makes sense.
Why did the design end up like it is now? For example
Standard design from the planner? Revised standard design
Which wishes were implemented by the architect?
A mix of many examples from various magazines...
What makes it particularly good or bad in your opinion? Overall we are very satisfied but look forward to suggestions of what might not be clever and what could be improved.
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Can the space be used better or differently organized? Initially, living room and kitchen were swapped, which gave us a too small kitchen. Kitchen and dining room are the most important rooms for us.
Can the bathroom on the upper floor also be arranged differently?
Thank you in advance for your suggestions. If you have any questions or if we have forgotten something, please let us know.
my wife and I are currently planning our house. We have already visited several construction companies and have now decided on one. The company is a manufacturer of prefabricated solid construction. The project will take place in the suburban area of Stuttgart.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: approx. 400m² (4,306 sq ft)
Sloping site
Site coverage ratio
Floor area ratio
Building window, building line, and boundary: 2.5m (8 feet) distance to neighbors
Edge development: only for garage
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors:
Roof type: gable roof
Architectural style
Orientation
Maximum heights / limits
Additional specifications: Construction allowed according to §34
Homeowners’ Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: gable roof
Basement, floors: 2 floors + basement
Number of occupants, ages: currently 2 people, 31 and 26 years old; first child on the way and definitely planning another. Space for a third child should still be possible.
Room requirements on ground floor and upper floor: On the ground floor space for kitchen, living, dining, guest toilet; on the upper floor: 2 children’s rooms, master bedroom, large bathroom; in the basement a room for office/guest room/or third child’s room if needed
Office: family use or home office? No home office
Number of overnight guests per year:
Open or closed layout: on the ground floor, living room, dining room, and kitchen are open, but the hallway has a door
Conservative or modern construction style
Open kitchen, kitchen island: currently a kitchen island in the floor plan, but it takes too much space and requires reconsideration to design the kitchen as a U-shape
Number of dining seats: 6 with extension option
Fireplace: not planned
Music / stereo wall
Balcony, roof terrace: not planned
Garage, carport: in the plan but depends on cost
Kitchen garden, greenhouse
Additional wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why certain things are preferred or not
House Design
Planner: the plan is from the construction company’s planner
-Do-it-Yourself
What do you like most? Why? Overall, we like the planning well
What do you dislike? Why?
The kitchen uses too much space with the island and offers too little workspace; sliding door in the kitchen should be replaced by a regular window to place a kitchen cabinet below it.
In the living room, we are uncertain about the full-height window. The sofa will be placed on the wall next to the staircase, at least initially, as the sofa is currently an inverted L-shape. We consider changing the window to two narrow full-height windows positioned further apart.
On the upper floor, we would appreciate suggestions for the bathroom, as it currently doesn’t feel quite right.
Price estimate according to architect/planner: 460,000€ (without additional construction costs and without excavation disposal). Basement finishing will be done by ourselves.
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: 550,000 to 600,000€
Preferred heating technology: the offer includes an air-to-water heat pump and photovoltaic system with battery storage.
If you have to give up something, which details or expansions
-can you live without: kitchen island, although the floor plan is already reduced to the essentials
-can you absolutely not live without: For us it is more about arranging the rooms cleverly and getting ideas about what makes sense.
Why did the design end up like it is now? For example
Standard design from the planner? Revised standard design
A mix of many examples from various magazines...
What makes it particularly good or bad in your opinion? Overall we are very satisfied but look forward to suggestions of what might not be clever and what could be improved.
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Can the space be used better or differently organized? Initially, living room and kitchen were swapped, which gave us a too small kitchen. Kitchen and dining room are the most important rooms for us.
Can the bathroom on the upper floor also be arranged differently?
Thank you in advance for your suggestions. If you have any questions or if we have forgotten something, please let us know.
Let's assume that at HeinzLöwe's place there are no plates with leftover food lying around, but everything goes straight to the property… then the design is very solid.
Personally, I don’t like some aspects, but they are not worth mentioning because it will work. I checked the height of the basement and the windows for a living room, the placement of the light wells to ensure they don’t interfere with the terrace.
The lighting situation inside the house, especially on the west side, could be improved by rotating the entire house slightly counterclockwise. This would provide more garden space on the west side and give the house a bit more character, which is somewhat lacking.
I would also design the pantry more straightforwardly – it looks out of place in this otherwise simple style.
The upper floor feels a bit tight regarding the hallway and the space for bedroom closets. But that is the compromise for everything else.
The shower partition wall can even be omitted.
Personally, I don’t like some aspects, but they are not worth mentioning because it will work. I checked the height of the basement and the windows for a living room, the placement of the light wells to ensure they don’t interfere with the terrace.
The lighting situation inside the house, especially on the west side, could be improved by rotating the entire house slightly counterclockwise. This would provide more garden space on the west side and give the house a bit more character, which is somewhat lacking.
I would also design the pantry more straightforwardly – it looks out of place in this otherwise simple style.
The upper floor feels a bit tight regarding the hallway and the space for bedroom closets. But that is the compromise for everything else.
The shower partition wall can even be omitted.
ypg schrieb:
The lighting situation in the house, especially on the west side, could be improved by rotating the entire house slightly counterclockwise. This would allow for a bit more garden space on the west side. Additionally, the house would gain some character, which is somewhat lacking at the moment.
I would also make the pantry more straightforward in design – in this otherwise simple style, it feels somewhat out of place. Funny enough, that was my first thought as well: aligning the house along the right property boundary and making the carport triangular, tapering to a point or something similar. I tend to be quite rigid in my thinking, but a bit of variation wouldn’t hurt here.
Personally, I would swap the kitchen and living areas and wouldn’t worry about the kitchen becoming too small. The living area would then feel more spacious and easier to arrange. I also like having the kitchen near the entrance. But if it absolutely has to remain as shown, I would probably arrange it like this, with the upper cabinets replacing the pantry (of course, the window would need to be adjusted accordingly):
P
pagoni202022 Nov 2021 14:33Somehow, the staircase feels out of place to me. A spacious entrance is nice, but here it seems rather cramped, and I miss a corresponding sense of spaciousness in the living area. In that respect, I would allocate more of the floor space from the entrance to the living area.
Perhaps you should also reconsider the often-discussed square floor plan for your needs and preferences.
I’m not very happy with the proportions between the entrance, kitchen, and living areas. So far, the floor plan feels somewhat impersonal rather than tailored to your wishes (which I don’t know in detail), and there’s definitely potential for improvement.
On the ground floor, I would add a small shower to the guest bathroom; once the children get older, this will be appreciated (for example, by partly using some of the entrance space). The bathroom upstairs could also be expanded by about 2 sqm (20 sq ft) and still be a nice bathroom—size alone doesn’t guarantee quality. The current design with a door swinging into the shower area is not ideal, nor is the position of the toilet.
The children’s rooms are quite large, but even here, compared to the sizes of other rooms, perhaps 2 sqm (20 sq ft) less each could be sufficient, creating storage space or a dressing/wardrobe area.
In the basement, you have three larger rooms, which is a luxury missing upstairs. Maybe some bedrooms could be relocated down there to create more open space on the ground floor.
If I were you, I would also try a more rectangular floor plan—you can easily find thousands of examples online.
Windows? I’m currently sitting in our half-finished “glass box” looking outside through large windows onto greenery, and we love it.
Well now… could the chicken sometimes come before the egg here? 😀 But it’s true that you should really pay attention to your own habits and preferences; there’s no absolute right or wrong. I always enjoy seeing different lifestyles and routines, even if some sound funny to me at times. Diversity is great, which is why I keep emphasizing that you should find your own path instead of conforming too much to a more uniform way of thinking and living that some other homeowners follow. For example, from the very beginning, we wanted an open living concept with large windows, and friends come over without appointments.
For me, the kind of hectic activity that happens when guests arrive immediately takes away the joy—I would simply go to bed and let the guests continue celebrating on their own. In that sense, I’m never stressed by visitors.
Perhaps you should also reconsider the often-discussed square floor plan for your needs and preferences.
I’m not very happy with the proportions between the entrance, kitchen, and living areas. So far, the floor plan feels somewhat impersonal rather than tailored to your wishes (which I don’t know in detail), and there’s definitely potential for improvement.
On the ground floor, I would add a small shower to the guest bathroom; once the children get older, this will be appreciated (for example, by partly using some of the entrance space). The bathroom upstairs could also be expanded by about 2 sqm (20 sq ft) and still be a nice bathroom—size alone doesn’t guarantee quality. The current design with a door swinging into the shower area is not ideal, nor is the position of the toilet.
The children’s rooms are quite large, but even here, compared to the sizes of other rooms, perhaps 2 sqm (20 sq ft) less each could be sufficient, creating storage space or a dressing/wardrobe area.
In the basement, you have three larger rooms, which is a luxury missing upstairs. Maybe some bedrooms could be relocated down there to create more open space on the ground floor.
If I were you, I would also try a more rectangular floor plan—you can easily find thousands of examples online.
Windows? I’m currently sitting in our half-finished “glass box” looking outside through large windows onto greenery, and we love it.
Tom1978 schrieb:
But you can’t tell that to a Polish wife. She wouldn’t let anyone in if the kitchen isn’t tidy or lockable.
Well now… could the chicken sometimes come before the egg here? 😀 But it’s true that you should really pay attention to your own habits and preferences; there’s no absolute right or wrong. I always enjoy seeing different lifestyles and routines, even if some sound funny to me at times. Diversity is great, which is why I keep emphasizing that you should find your own path instead of conforming too much to a more uniform way of thinking and living that some other homeowners follow. For example, from the very beginning, we wanted an open living concept with large windows, and friends come over without appointments.
For me, the kind of hectic activity that happens when guests arrive immediately takes away the joy—I would simply go to bed and let the guests continue celebrating on their own. In that sense, I’m never stressed by visitors.
H
hampshire22 Nov 2021 15:57pagoni2020 schrieb:
An activity that feels rather hectic to me when guests arrive immediately takes away my enjoyment of it.When we still lived in a terraced house and were sometimes overwhelmed with work (me) and children (everyone), and the balance between clutter and space negatively affected the overall order, I occasionally invited guests—not necessarily because I really wanted to see them, but because I knew that it would lead to some tidying up. The resulting drop in mood in the house during the cleaning efforts wasn’t directed at me, yet part of my discomfort was removed while I was in the office. You could call this “strategic inviting.”H
hampshire22 Nov 2021 16:45When the surprised looks appear in response to my "strategic invitation," I offer a small reading tip: My wife laughed a lot about it (more than once). She also has her own ways of influencing me toward "desired behavior," and I can hardly resist finding the humor in that. We have happily been together for thirty-three years—not only in love but also in deep friendship and a thorough understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses. When she was asked what the secret to our long relationship is, she replied, "A mix of comfort and lack of imagination." I could have laughed myself silly.
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pagoni202022 Nov 2021 17:04@hampshire
Isn't that what you would call a purely result-oriented approach?
In my profession, I have often been "impressed" by resourceful people who always managed to find a way and happily went through life, while all the highly educated and well-paid experts had long failed.
Still, I find a certain meanness in your method, yuck. 😱
This reminds me that I haven’t invited my mother-in-law for a while; I’ll tell my wife right away and then excuse myself so I don’t have to hear the noise from the vacuum cleaner.
Isn't that what you would call a purely result-oriented approach?
In my profession, I have often been "impressed" by resourceful people who always managed to find a way and happily went through life, while all the highly educated and well-paid experts had long failed.
Still, I find a certain meanness in your method, yuck. 😱
This reminds me that I haven’t invited my mother-in-law for a while; I’ll tell my wife right away and then excuse myself so I don’t have to hear the noise from the vacuum cleaner.
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