ᐅ Single-family house floor plan approximately 165 m² plus basement
Created on: 30 Aug 2022 21:16
G
Gregor_K
Hello 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?
@kbt09
To be honest, at this point, I’m not sure how I would arrange the children’s rooms. I was thinking of the following solution, see also the picture. I don’t find placing a desk directly in front of a window ideal. For the ground floor, I wouldn’t worry; that can be resolved.
To be honest, at this point, I’m not sure how I would arrange the children’s rooms. I was thinking of the following solution, see also the picture. I don’t find placing a desk directly in front of a window ideal. For the ground floor, I wouldn’t worry; that can be resolved.
The door position in your floor plan drawing doesn’t match the layout from post 107. Have you changed it again?
Also, the desks in your drawing are slightly in front of the full-height windows—why are they placed away from the wall?
This is just a quick and rough sketch, not measured—only approximate furniture sizes. I usually try to plan children’s rooms with a 140 cm (55 inch) bed. That’s what most want once they reach their teenage years.
My conclusion: I find full-height windows on the upper floor, which are fixed glass at the bottom, somewhat impractical. From the outside, it often looks like the balcony has been forgotten.
Also, the desks in your drawing are slightly in front of the full-height windows—why are they placed away from the wall?
This is just a quick and rough sketch, not measured—only approximate furniture sizes. I usually try to plan children’s rooms with a 140 cm (55 inch) bed. That’s what most want once they reach their teenage years.
My conclusion: I find full-height windows on the upper floor, which are fixed glass at the bottom, somewhat impractical. From the outside, it often looks like the balcony has been forgotten.
kbt09 schrieb:
The door position in your layout drawing does not match the floor plan from post 107. Have you changed it again? Yes, I just noticed that too. I had started a post yesterday referring to the cabinets behind the doors, but with the current unfurnished floor plan, that’s no longer relevant.
What I want to say is: small changes can prevent some planned furnishings from working. If someone asks how you want to arrange things, you have to refer to the current plan.
kbt09 schrieb:
My conclusion: I find floor-to-ceiling windows on the upper floor, which are fixed at the bottom, somehow always pointless, and from the outside, it often looks like the balcony was forgotten. Yes, that fits some house styles and certain locations, and it depends on the room. Never in bedrooms.
I don’t understand the windows on the front facade at all—I would try repositioning them, including the bathroom window and those on the ground floor. But currently, I don’t have a clear overview of what would be feasible. Personally, I would spend more than an hour thinking about something like this: drawing, photographing, drawing, photographing… and eventually comparing the photos.
kbt09 schrieb:
The door position in your layout doesn’t match the floor plan from post 107. Have you changed it again?
Also, the desks in your drawing are a bit in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows—why not place them against the wall?
This is just a quick and rough sketch without exact measurements, roughly based on furniture sizes. I always try to plan children’s rooms with a 140cm (55 inches) bed, which is what most want once they reach their teenage years.
My conclusion: I find floor-to-ceiling windows on the upper floor, which are fixed at the bottom, somehow impractical, and from the outside it always looks a bit like the balcony was forgotten. It’s true that the door positions from post #107 don’t match those in #121. It was just an example to give you an idea of how I imagine furnishing the three children’s rooms. I don’t want to change the doors at this stage.
In my floor plan, there is more than 2m (6.5 feet) between the wall and the floor-to-ceiling window, so there should be enough space to place a desk without it standing in front of the window. By the way, I would also push the desk directly against the wall.
A 140cm (55 inches) bed fits in but will always be positioned in front of a window.
On Friday, I informed the general contractor that as an additional feature, we want a fall protection system mounted on the outside (French balcony). However, your post has made me reconsider whether it’s better to avoid floor-to-ceiling windows on the upper floor altogether. The windows likely wouldn’t be wider than about 1m (40 inches) anyway because of the desks in children's rooms 1 and 3. I also agree with YPG’s comment below that a floor-to-ceiling window in the bedroom is pointless. Also, the second children's room on the upper floor with its floor-to-ceiling window has more of an office feel.
Do I understand you correctly that for children’s rooms and bedrooms on the upper floor, you would only plan floor-to-ceiling windows if there is a balcony attached from the outside? Regardless of whether it’s a French balcony or not?
ypg schrieb:
Yes, it fits some house styles and locations and depends on the room. Never for bedrooms. Thanks, that’s a good point. Having a floor-to-ceiling window in the bedroom isn’t ideal, even if it’s not right next to the bed.
@kbt09 @ypg
I need to process this first. Maybe I’ll remove the floor-to-ceiling windows entirely from the upper floor without making the windows any wider at the same time. Would that be a viable solution from your perspective?
Why does the ground floor have no east-facing window?
I wouldn’t want to do without one! Where will the carport be located?
Regarding the windows on the upper floor: the north window in the bedroom is quite unusual. Probably a continuous window strip was intended, and the architect drew a placeholder?!
If so, I would create a proper window strip of 3 meters (10 feet) and align it flush above the entrance door.
I would mirror the entrance door with a window and change the door swing. The WC door should open upwards. Then a sideboard can easily fit along the stair wall.
Upstairs: windows should follow a 1 meter / 2 meter (3 feet / 6 feet) grid.
I would allocate three linear meters (10 feet) for the children’s rooms. As arranged, it needs to be tested in practice. Personally, I find the south facade quite boring. You could experiment by swapping some windows within the 1/2 grid with the gable windows. But that’s just my opinion. Others may find such a facade calming.
I wouldn’t want to do without one! Where will the carport be located?
Regarding the windows on the upper floor: the north window in the bedroom is quite unusual. Probably a continuous window strip was intended, and the architect drew a placeholder?!
If so, I would create a proper window strip of 3 meters (10 feet) and align it flush above the entrance door.
I would mirror the entrance door with a window and change the door swing. The WC door should open upwards. Then a sideboard can easily fit along the stair wall.
Upstairs: windows should follow a 1 meter / 2 meter (3 feet / 6 feet) grid.
I would allocate three linear meters (10 feet) for the children’s rooms. As arranged, it needs to be tested in practice. Personally, I find the south facade quite boring. You could experiment by swapping some windows within the 1/2 grid with the gable windows. But that’s just my opinion. Others may find such a facade calming.
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