ᐅ Single-family house floor plan approximately 165 m² plus basement
Created on: 30 Aug 2022 21:16
G
Gregor_KHello everyone,
My wife and I purchased a plot of land last year and are now ready to start the construction project. Over the past few weeks, I have spoken with four general contractors and gathered quotes. In the coming weeks, I plan to choose one general contractor; at the moment, two are in the final running. Several floor plans have been developed, and I have posted the one we like best here. The floor plan currently does not include furniture, but once we decide on a contractor, I will finalize it with the contractor/architect unless a better plan comes up.
Of the two general contractors we are considering, one offers a planning contract for service phases HOAI 1-4. The other does not provide this, so we will need to hire a separate architect (HOAI 1-3).
Having followed various discussions in this forum for a while, I would appreciate your feedback on the floor plan. This is our first build; my knowledge so far comes from seminars by the Builders’ Protection Association and this housebuilding forum.
Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot No. 194
Plot size: 680m² (7,300 sq ft)
Slope: yes, descending about 1 to 1.5m (3 to 5 feet) from the access road
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: N/A
Building envelope, building line and boundary: see blue line on the development plan; approximately 12.95m x 20m (42.5 ft x 66 ft)
Setback from boundary: 3m (10 feet)
Parking spaces: 1 to 2
Maximum building height: 2 full floors
Roof style: no specification in the development plan
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Single-family house, gabled roof with purlins if possible
Basement, floors: 2 full floors plus basement
Number of occupants: 5 people, 2 adults and 3 children
Office: Home office room
Occasional guests: none or at most 1 to 2 per year
Open kitchen, kitchen island: Yes, open kitchen, but kitchen island not absolutely necessary
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: no
Balcony, roof terrace: not required
Garage, carport: Single garage to be located on the east side, plus at least 2 additional parking spaces on the northwest side of the property
House Design
Designer:
- Design by a prefabricated house supplier
What do you particularly like? Why?
We like the appearance of the house with the bay window; it looks stylish to us. Overall, it includes everything we need, such as a pantry, a relatively spacious dining area combined with the living room, 3 children’s rooms, and an office.
What do you dislike? Why?
The staircase could be positioned further from the entrance, but this is acceptable. The bathroom design still looks unfinished.
Price estimate according to architect/designer: €620,000 without ancillary building costs (no price negotiation)
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: €650,000 without ancillary building costs
If you had to give up certain details/extra features,
- what you could do without: Items we can omit have already been removed, e.g., walk-in closet and storage room
- what you cannot do without: 3 children’s rooms, pantry, office, landing staircase, basement
Why is the design as it is now? For example:
Design from the planner following these specifications:
- 2 full floors or 1.5 floors with a high knee wall (e.g., 180cm (70.9 inches))
- Flexible roof type; we like a gabled roof with purlins or alternatively a hip roof or flat roof
- Ground floor plus upper floor should be between 165m² and 175m² (1,776 to 1,884 sq ft)
- open kitchen + living room + dining area
- guest bathroom with shower
- entrance area should be usable for 5 people (space for shoe cabinets)
- pantry
- office room that can later be used as a bedroom in older age
- dining area close to the kitchen
- kitchen and dining area should be near the terrace
- 3 children’s rooms (2 rooms at least 15m² (161 sq ft), 1 room at least 12m² (129 sq ft))
- master bedroom with or without walk-in closet, depending on what fits better into the floor plan
- optional laundry chute would be great but not essential
- preferably no separate children’s bathroom
- bathroom at least 10m² (108 sq ft), better if 12 to 14m² (129 to 151 sq ft), depending on the layout
- staircase should not be located in the entrance’s dirt zone. A comfortable staircase would be great; ideally a landing staircase
- space for a single garage on the plot, i.e., no double garage
- access from the garage to the pantry would be nice but not essential
- no gallery
- no conservatory/glass extension
- covered access from garage to front door is not absolutely necessary
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Can the staircase be placed further away from the entrance? What do you think about making windows in the bathroom, master bedroom, and office narrower (window sill height)? Are the basement windows well positioned, especially those near the terrace?
My wife and I purchased a plot of land last year and are now ready to start the construction project. Over the past few weeks, I have spoken with four general contractors and gathered quotes. In the coming weeks, I plan to choose one general contractor; at the moment, two are in the final running. Several floor plans have been developed, and I have posted the one we like best here. The floor plan currently does not include furniture, but once we decide on a contractor, I will finalize it with the contractor/architect unless a better plan comes up.
Of the two general contractors we are considering, one offers a planning contract for service phases HOAI 1-4. The other does not provide this, so we will need to hire a separate architect (HOAI 1-3).
Having followed various discussions in this forum for a while, I would appreciate your feedback on the floor plan. This is our first build; my knowledge so far comes from seminars by the Builders’ Protection Association and this housebuilding forum.
Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot No. 194
Plot size: 680m² (7,300 sq ft)
Slope: yes, descending about 1 to 1.5m (3 to 5 feet) from the access road
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: N/A
Building envelope, building line and boundary: see blue line on the development plan; approximately 12.95m x 20m (42.5 ft x 66 ft)
Setback from boundary: 3m (10 feet)
Parking spaces: 1 to 2
Maximum building height: 2 full floors
Roof style: no specification in the development plan
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Single-family house, gabled roof with purlins if possible
Basement, floors: 2 full floors plus basement
Number of occupants: 5 people, 2 adults and 3 children
Office: Home office room
Occasional guests: none or at most 1 to 2 per year
Open kitchen, kitchen island: Yes, open kitchen, but kitchen island not absolutely necessary
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: no
Balcony, roof terrace: not required
Garage, carport: Single garage to be located on the east side, plus at least 2 additional parking spaces on the northwest side of the property
House Design
Designer:
- Design by a prefabricated house supplier
What do you particularly like? Why?
We like the appearance of the house with the bay window; it looks stylish to us. Overall, it includes everything we need, such as a pantry, a relatively spacious dining area combined with the living room, 3 children’s rooms, and an office.
What do you dislike? Why?
The staircase could be positioned further from the entrance, but this is acceptable. The bathroom design still looks unfinished.
Price estimate according to architect/designer: €620,000 without ancillary building costs (no price negotiation)
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: €650,000 without ancillary building costs
If you had to give up certain details/extra features,
- what you could do without: Items we can omit have already been removed, e.g., walk-in closet and storage room
- what you cannot do without: 3 children’s rooms, pantry, office, landing staircase, basement
Why is the design as it is now? For example:
Design from the planner following these specifications:
- House with basement:
- 2 full floors or 1.5 floors with a high knee wall (e.g., 180cm (70.9 inches))
- Flexible roof type; we like a gabled roof with purlins or alternatively a hip roof or flat roof
- Ground floor plus upper floor should be between 165m² and 175m² (1,776 to 1,884 sq ft)
- Ground floor:
- open kitchen + living room + dining area
- guest bathroom with shower
- entrance area should be usable for 5 people (space for shoe cabinets)
- pantry
- office room that can later be used as a bedroom in older age
- dining area close to the kitchen
- kitchen and dining area should be near the terrace
- Upper floor:
- 3 children’s rooms (2 rooms at least 15m² (161 sq ft), 1 room at least 12m² (129 sq ft))
- master bedroom with or without walk-in closet, depending on what fits better into the floor plan
- optional laundry chute would be great but not essential
- preferably no separate children’s bathroom
- bathroom at least 10m² (108 sq ft), better if 12 to 14m² (129 to 151 sq ft), depending on the layout
- General:
- staircase should not be located in the entrance’s dirt zone. A comfortable staircase would be great; ideally a landing staircase
- space for a single garage on the plot, i.e., no double garage
- access from the garage to the pantry would be nice but not essential
- no gallery
- no conservatory/glass extension
- covered access from garage to front door is not absolutely necessary
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Can the staircase be placed further away from the entrance? What do you think about making windows in the bathroom, master bedroom, and office narrower (window sill height)? Are the basement windows well positioned, especially those near the terrace?
Very simple, which is not necessarily a disadvantage.
Personally, I find the entrance a bit narrow. That’s not a big issue and is manageable. However, you should be aware that the wardrobe niche is only 40cm (16 inches) deep, so it can’t fit a proper closet. For a neat and attractive hallway, a closet would be very beneficial. Unfortunately, that leaves no room for a dresser. As a bit of a perfectionist, I’m bothered by the misaligned sightlines between the staircase, dining area, and bay window.
On the upper floor, in the bedroom, where I don’t immediately see space for a 3-meter (10-foot) “family closet,” I would personally enlarge the corridor slightly. This wouldn’t make the upstairs feel cramped and would allow for a wardrobe niche in the bedroom. However, I’m not sure how you would arrange the bed. The floor-to-ceiling window is a bit inconvenient in that regard. The bathroom has potential, but I would set that aside for now.
I’m interested in the other designs. Please show them. Maybe we’ll find much more potential for optimization?!
Personally, I find the entrance a bit narrow. That’s not a big issue and is manageable. However, you should be aware that the wardrobe niche is only 40cm (16 inches) deep, so it can’t fit a proper closet. For a neat and attractive hallway, a closet would be very beneficial. Unfortunately, that leaves no room for a dresser. As a bit of a perfectionist, I’m bothered by the misaligned sightlines between the staircase, dining area, and bay window.
On the upper floor, in the bedroom, where I don’t immediately see space for a 3-meter (10-foot) “family closet,” I would personally enlarge the corridor slightly. This wouldn’t make the upstairs feel cramped and would allow for a wardrobe niche in the bedroom. However, I’m not sure how you would arrange the bed. The floor-to-ceiling window is a bit inconvenient in that regard. The bathroom has potential, but I would set that aside for now.
I’m interested in the other designs. Please show them. Maybe we’ll find much more potential for optimization?!
So, I have a simple question: Where has the slope gone? Can you provide more detailed information about the terrain? Many regions offer geoportals where you can check the contour lines for your plot.
This is a solid design for a flat site. So, I assume for now that the general contractor will add fill. When building with a basement, it’s a shame to lose the option of natural light. It’s also expensive, and often the house doesn’t integrate well with the plot. Of course, it depends on the situation at the construction site. Additionally, the basement windows are placed by the terrace here. That seems a bit clumsy or underdeveloped. Understandable if this is just an initial selection process. Therefore, I’m not sure it makes sense to start the floor plan discussion with this design.
I wouldn’t share Yvonne’s “Monk-like” concerns about sightlines. What bothers me more is the zigzag route from the front door to the kitchen. When a wall appears to stand uselessly in the room, something is usually off. I’d also consider deeper closet space in the wardrobe important. If you don’t want to increase the house width, I would probably make the staircase a bit narrower and move it along the walls until you can fit the 60cm (24 inches) closet depth. But all of this becomes irrelevant if the site is more sloped than expected and you build with the slope instead of against it.
This is a solid design for a flat site. So, I assume for now that the general contractor will add fill. When building with a basement, it’s a shame to lose the option of natural light. It’s also expensive, and often the house doesn’t integrate well with the plot. Of course, it depends on the situation at the construction site. Additionally, the basement windows are placed by the terrace here. That seems a bit clumsy or underdeveloped. Understandable if this is just an initial selection process. Therefore, I’m not sure it makes sense to start the floor plan discussion with this design.
I wouldn’t share Yvonne’s “Monk-like” concerns about sightlines. What bothers me more is the zigzag route from the front door to the kitchen. When a wall appears to stand uselessly in the room, something is usually off. I’d also consider deeper closet space in the wardrobe important. If you don’t want to increase the house width, I would probably make the staircase a bit narrower and move it along the walls until you can fit the 60cm (24 inches) closet depth. But all of this becomes irrelevant if the site is more sloped than expected and you build with the slope instead of against it.
K a t j a schrieb:
So, I have a really basic question: Where did the slope go?That's true. I overlooked the slope due to the simplicity of the floor plan. It’s also no longer visible in the section. Most likely the area is going to be filled in? The original situation would be interesting to know, as it might allow better use of the basement.A full-size wardrobe must definitely fit into the niche in the hallway, as storage space for shoes and jackets is needed for five people. I hadn’t noticed it was only 40cm (16 inches). Thanks!
@katja You’re right, we should first clarify whether we are building with or against the slope. My neighbor (plot 193) to the west is definitely adding fill, and his garage is not on our west side. So if I add fill on my west side as well, we’ll have a nice open area, but overall it is still quite a steep hill. I took some pictures of the plot for you and the others to show how much my neighbor is filling in; we’re only allowed slightly less. I also tried to sketch the slope on a piece of paper—I hope it helps a bit. I know how to access the geoportal but can’t figure out where to see the contour lines there; can you or someone else help me with that?
@Yvonne If it’s okay with you, I would prefer not to show the other floor plans yet due to the slope issue. By the way, the slope is not visible in the cross-section because it was just a first selection process. Basically, the floor plan is just a marketing drawing. I find it generally very difficult to find good floor plans with three children’s bedrooms, so I was already glad to have this one.
@katja You’re right, we should first clarify whether we are building with or against the slope. My neighbor (plot 193) to the west is definitely adding fill, and his garage is not on our west side. So if I add fill on my west side as well, we’ll have a nice open area, but overall it is still quite a steep hill. I took some pictures of the plot for you and the others to show how much my neighbor is filling in; we’re only allowed slightly less. I also tried to sketch the slope on a piece of paper—I hope it helps a bit. I know how to access the geoportal but can’t figure out where to see the contour lines there; can you or someone else help me with that?
@Yvonne If it’s okay with you, I would prefer not to show the other floor plans yet due to the slope issue. By the way, the slope is not visible in the cross-section because it was just a first selection process. Basically, the floor plan is just a marketing drawing. I find it generally very difficult to find good floor plans with three children’s bedrooms, so I was already glad to have this one.
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