ᐅ Floor plan for a 190 m² single-family house with basement – any feedback?
Created on: 2 Oct 2022 22:26
B
BastianP
Dear community,
We are currently in the process of planning our house. The notary appointment for the plot is on October 7th, and after that, we want to decide as quickly as possible between one of the three potential builders. The plot is located in 95326 Kulmbach, and we aim to move in by May 2024 at the latest to enroll our son directly in the appropriate school.
Based on existing floor plans and various iterations and feedback rounds, we have developed this floor plan. Since we lack experience and the construction companies no longer provide useful suggestions for improvement, I hope for the collective feedback from this forum.
This is my first time collecting feedback – please be understanding if I have overlooked anything.
Zoning plan/restrictions
Plot size: 996 m2 (10,719 sq ft)
Slope: Yes – 5m (16 ft) height difference over 40m (131 ft) plot length, sloping down from the street (north) towards the south
Site coverage ratio: 0.3
Floor area ratio: 0.6
Building envelope, building line and boundaries: 5m (16 ft) from the street
Adjacent buildings: west, east, south
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2
Roof type: gable roof
Architectural style: two-story
Orientation: west <-> east
Maximum height/limits: 9m (30 ft)
Other requirements
Homeowners’ requirements
Style, roof type, building type: two-story, gable roof
Basement, floors: basement + 2 full floors
Number of occupants, ages: 39 y, 45 y, 4 y, newborn
Room requirements on ground floor and upper floor:
* Ground floor: large room for living, dining, and cooking, plus office and shower bathroom
* Upper floor: 3 children’s bedrooms, 1 master bedroom, large family bathroom
* Basement: utility room, workshop, guest room, storage
Office use: family use or home office? Home office
Number of overnight guests per year: 12 times per year
Open or closed architecture: open living areas, closed sleeping rooms
Conservative or modern construction style: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen with island
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: see-through fireplace between living and dining rooms
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: 2 parking spaces, undecided between garage or carport + bike shed
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: no
Other wishes/special features/daily routine, including reasons for or against certain features
House design
Origin of the design:
- Planner from a building company: initial idea
- Architect
- Do-it-yourself: significant modifications
What do you particularly like? Why? The room layout on the ground floor suits us very well
What do you not like? Why? Some rooms on the upper floor feel awkwardly arranged, bathroom is very elongated
Price estimate according to architect/planner: 650,000 €
Personal price limit for house, including equipment: 700,000 €
Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump
If you have to skip anything, which details/extensions
- can you do without:
- cannot do without: straight staircase, high ceilings, symmetrical façade, large living/dining/kitchen area
Why did the design turn out the way it is now? For example:
Standard design from the planner?
Which specific requests were implemented by the architect?
A mix of many examples from various magazines...
What makes it, in your opinion, particularly good or bad?
What is the most important/key question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
Feedback for refinement, critical questions, avoiding major mistakes
We are currently in the process of planning our house. The notary appointment for the plot is on October 7th, and after that, we want to decide as quickly as possible between one of the three potential builders. The plot is located in 95326 Kulmbach, and we aim to move in by May 2024 at the latest to enroll our son directly in the appropriate school.
Based on existing floor plans and various iterations and feedback rounds, we have developed this floor plan. Since we lack experience and the construction companies no longer provide useful suggestions for improvement, I hope for the collective feedback from this forum.
This is my first time collecting feedback – please be understanding if I have overlooked anything.
Zoning plan/restrictions
Plot size: 996 m2 (10,719 sq ft)
Slope: Yes – 5m (16 ft) height difference over 40m (131 ft) plot length, sloping down from the street (north) towards the south
Site coverage ratio: 0.3
Floor area ratio: 0.6
Building envelope, building line and boundaries: 5m (16 ft) from the street
Adjacent buildings: west, east, south
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2
Roof type: gable roof
Architectural style: two-story
Orientation: west <-> east
Maximum height/limits: 9m (30 ft)
Other requirements
Homeowners’ requirements
Style, roof type, building type: two-story, gable roof
Basement, floors: basement + 2 full floors
Number of occupants, ages: 39 y, 45 y, 4 y, newborn
Room requirements on ground floor and upper floor:
* Ground floor: large room for living, dining, and cooking, plus office and shower bathroom
* Upper floor: 3 children’s bedrooms, 1 master bedroom, large family bathroom
* Basement: utility room, workshop, guest room, storage
Office use: family use or home office? Home office
Number of overnight guests per year: 12 times per year
Open or closed architecture: open living areas, closed sleeping rooms
Conservative or modern construction style: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen with island
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: see-through fireplace between living and dining rooms
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: 2 parking spaces, undecided between garage or carport + bike shed
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: no
Other wishes/special features/daily routine, including reasons for or against certain features
House design
Origin of the design:
- Planner from a building company: initial idea
- Architect
- Do-it-yourself: significant modifications
What do you particularly like? Why? The room layout on the ground floor suits us very well
What do you not like? Why? Some rooms on the upper floor feel awkwardly arranged, bathroom is very elongated
Price estimate according to architect/planner: 650,000 €
Personal price limit for house, including equipment: 700,000 €
Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump
If you have to skip anything, which details/extensions
- can you do without:
- cannot do without: straight staircase, high ceilings, symmetrical façade, large living/dining/kitchen area
Why did the design turn out the way it is now? For example:
Standard design from the planner?
Which specific requests were implemented by the architect?
A mix of many examples from various magazines...
What makes it, in your opinion, particularly good or bad?
What is the most important/key question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
Feedback for refinement, critical questions, avoiding major mistakes
First of all: Thank you very much for your interest and the time invested! :-)
The construction companies of course each offer planning services. After we brought our floor plan, they initially made minor comments which we then incorporated. Afterwards, they mostly adopted what we proposed and did not provide any further useful suggestions.
The plan so far: The plot is 40m (130 ft) long and drops by almost 5m (16 ft) in height. We plan to build the ground floor at street level and fill in the terrace and parking spaces. The parking areas will be retained at the rear by a retaining wall (but none of the construction companies offer this at a fixed price), and the terrace will also be retained by retaining walls on the sides and rear. The second level would then be about two meters (6.5 ft) lower. On the south side of the plot, we would increase and fill in by around 1.5m (5 ft) with a wall. There is still excavation material from the neighbors on the plot, which we would use for filling.
We would fill in the parking areas (hence the retaining wall on the floor plan). Unfortunately, we haven’t met the neighbors yet since we currently live about 4 hours away. I expect we will get to know them sometime soon. What exactly is meant by “plot” (sorry for the naive question)?
We currently have 2 children. In the future, there may be 3 children and/or an au pair; the parents live about 3 hours away and visit regularly. The guest room would be used about 12 weekends per year. Initially, we would use the 3rd room on the upper floor for guests – if a 3rd child or an au pair arrives, we would finish the basement room (transforming “Hobby” into “Guest”).
Do you have an alternative suggestion for locating the guest room in the basement while avoiding an elevated terrace?
Follow-up question: One of the construction companies builds waterproof basement walls with watertight windows which are very expensive. They recommend omitting the light wells to save money. After all, the basement needs light anyway and the ventilation system serves the basement too. This seems a bit odd to me. What do you think?
How can we estimate a rough figure to properly include these costs? So far, we are planning with 650K for the house plus 73K for additional costs (about 25K for “the usual” and the rest for making the garden usable).
We plan to have an external entrance to the basement at garden level in the southeast corner. The retaining wall supports the filled-in terrace above.
Fair enough – unfortunately, I do not yet have any views showing the garden. As soon as I put something together, I will share. The construction companies are very discreet and focus only on the house.
Best regards
Bastian
K a t j a schrieb:
What, why? What did they say or not say? Who is supposed to create the plan?
The construction companies of course each offer planning services. After we brought our floor plan, they initially made minor comments which we then incorporated. Afterwards, they mostly adopted what we proposed and did not provide any further useful suggestions.
K a t j a schrieb:
Wow, and they just leave you on your own with that? Even some experienced planners struggle with building on a slope. Trying to solve something like this as a layperson is, in my opinion, a recipe for trouble. Thinking that the basement will save you from all the slopes on the land is a misconception. Also, there is the financial question and the issue of garden landscaping. Let me ask openly: What will your terrace be built on? Is it floating in the air? Or do you really want to fill in huge amounts of material against the slope to bring this gigantic terrace next to the living room? How will the slope from the terrace down to the garden be designed?
The plan so far: The plot is 40m (130 ft) long and drops by almost 5m (16 ft) in height. We plan to build the ground floor at street level and fill in the terrace and parking spaces. The parking areas will be retained at the rear by a retaining wall (but none of the construction companies offer this at a fixed price), and the terrace will also be retained by retaining walls on the sides and rear. The second level would then be about two meters (6.5 ft) lower. On the south side of the plot, we would increase and fill in by around 1.5m (5 ft) with a wall. There is still excavation material from the neighbors on the plot, which we would use for filling.
K a t j a schrieb:
You have about 1m (3 ft) height difference over 8m (26 ft). Plus 5m (16 ft) distance to the street — so the parking spaces would have to be partially basement space if you want to avoid a sloped driveway. Your neighbor on the left side has already done this, if the excerpt is correct. How did they solve it? I’d suggest ringing their doorbell and inviting yourself for coffee. A great test to see what you like and what you don’t. Where is their terrace? How is the garden connection? Did they level their plot within the building area or also basement it?
We would fill in the parking areas (hence the retaining wall on the floor plan). Unfortunately, we haven’t met the neighbors yet since we currently live about 4 hours away. I expect we will get to know them sometime soon. What exactly is meant by “plot” (sorry for the naive question)?
K a t j a schrieb:The street is “above” and the plot slopes downward to the south. An elevated terrace (aka balcony) is not an option for us, so we would have the terrace filled in. Unfortunately, this means there is only one room left that can be used as a guest room. On the floor plan, it is currently labeled as “Hobby” since we wouldn’t initially finish it.
What is intended here for whom? Why 3 kids’ rooms – I only count 2 children. Is the office also meant to serve as a guest room? I see no guest room in the basement. But there is an unnecessary light well to illuminate precisely the room on the slope side. That’s putting the cart before the horse. Or did I misread:
So the street is above and the house below, correct?
We currently have 2 children. In the future, there may be 3 children and/or an au pair; the parents live about 3 hours away and visit regularly. The guest room would be used about 12 weekends per year. Initially, we would use the 3rd room on the upper floor for guests – if a 3rd child or an au pair arrives, we would finish the basement room (transforming “Hobby” into “Guest”).
Do you have an alternative suggestion for locating the guest room in the basement while avoiding an elevated terrace?
Follow-up question: One of the construction companies builds waterproof basement walls with watertight windows which are very expensive. They recommend omitting the light wells to save money. After all, the basement needs light anyway and the ventilation system serves the basement too. This seems a bit odd to me. What do you think?
K a t j a schrieb:
That will be the crux. The 650K is probably only the house with a standard basement from the manufacturer. But you are on a slope and want to use the basement as a hobby room, etc. Plus the costs for outdoor landscaping, which will probably shock you. Terrace, paths, stairs, and retaining walls — those will cost a significant amount of money.
How can we estimate a rough figure to properly include these costs? So far, we are planning with 650K for the house plus 73K for additional costs (about 25K for “the usual” and the rest for making the garden usable).
K a t j a schrieb:
That brings you to the next question – how do you use and arrange the rooms in the basement sensibly? Can you really afford to build 50 sqm (540 sq ft) of storage space that otherwise serves no specific purpose? Which hobby deserves its own room of this size? What exactly should these retaining walls support? Especially the wall on the south side, in my opinion, makes no real sense.
We plan to have an external entrance to the basement at garden level in the southeast corner. The retaining wall supports the filled-in terrace above.
K a t j a schrieb:
Regarding the floor plan itself, I wouldn’t comment yet – it’s pointless until the plan is fully integrated into the slope. Show the exterior views including the slope, paths, terrace, and retaining walls.
Fair enough – unfortunately, I do not yet have any views showing the garden. As soon as I put something together, I will share. The construction companies are very discreet and focus only on the house.
Best regards
Bastian
haydee schrieb:
Do you have a site plan with an elevation profile? Only a sketch, which I unfortunately cannot share. However, the terrain slopes fairly evenly from 4.8m (16 feet) at the street to 0m at the south side. The west side is about 0.3m (1 foot) lower than the east side.
haydee schrieb:
Your budget is missing the landscaping and the basement. The basement is included in the €650k, and we have allocated €72k for landscaping and other additional construction costs. Unfortunately, we have not yet found a reliable way to substantiate this number. Do you have any suggestions?
fromthisplace schrieb:
1. Lots of space for the kitchen and dining area on the south side. I like that. Living room in the north. That fits well. However, I don’t understand the kitchen island (?). I would plan it parallel to the tall cabinets. We would prefer the kitchen island extending from the dining table and facing outside. This way, we can plan a 3m (10 feet) kitchen island without having to raise the room height by 3 + 1 × 1.2m (10 + 1 × 4 feet).
fromthisplace schrieb:
2. What is this recess for? Is it for the fridge? Due to the corridor behind it, I wouldn’t plan it like that. Yes, it’s for a freestanding double-door refrigerator. In the corridor, we will build built-in cupboards or a built-in coat closet to use the space efficiently.
fromthisplace schrieb:
3. What is the space between dining and living? It’s a partition wall with a see-through fireplace and chimney. On the left, we’ll install a fixed glass panel; on the right, a frameless, floor-to-ceiling glass door.
fromthisplace schrieb:
4. I wouldn’t plan a front door with a window beside it separated by a wall, but choose a front door with a window without a wall in between. I’ve since learned this is called a “front door with a sidelights.” Good suggestion, we will do it that way.
fromthisplace schrieb:
5. How wide is the hallway/entrance downstairs? 1.2 m (4 feet)
fromthisplace schrieb:
6. In my opinion, consider moving the staircase slightly south to reduce the hallway on the ground floor and the rooms upstairs, and enlarge the bathroom upstairs instead. The bathroom upstairs is 2 m (6.5 feet) wide. What width would you recommend?
fromthisplace schrieb:
7. Also, I would divide the narrow bathroom into a parents’ bathroom and a children’s bathroom, and would reconsider the need for a shower on the ground floor in the process. We’ve been thinking about that for a while, but so far haven’t found a good solution.
fromthisplace schrieb:
8. I would never place the master bedroom between two children’s rooms. As I wrote, the room allocation upstairs is a compromise we are not entirely happy with. With one less room, it would look much better—but then the additional room would have to move to the basement, and that would conflict with the filled terrace layout.
fromthisplace schrieb:
9. A personal question: Are you sure you need a third children’s bedroom? The third room would initially be the guest room until either a third child or an au pair joins the family. In that case, we would convert the hobby room in the basement into a guest room.
kati1337 schrieb:
Two things to consider:
- The niche for the refrigerator: In my opinion, freestanding refrigerators are currently trendy. But will that always be the case, or might you want something different later? Then you’d have an unused niche in the wall, or it could become a broom closet, depending on the situation. We have been living with freestanding refrigerators for many years and, for practical reasons, would never want to go back to built-in ones. Since a freestanding refrigerator doesn’t fit into a closed cabinet wall and we also don’t want to just place it out in the room, the niche is a good solution. In the hallway, we use the space for built-in cupboards and a built-in coat rack.
kati1337 schrieb:
- Child 2 / Parents: The child’s room hardly benefits from the narrow entrance, but the parents’ bedroom might gain from a bit more space. I would shift the door to the child’s room slightly to the left and give the parents’ bedroom a wider entrance. Good tip—on a second look, it’s obvious. Thank you!
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