ᐅ Floor plan designed first for personal living, then for renting out—how to approach this?

Hello everyone,

My partner and I are currently planning our house and want to design it in a way that, later in life when the children have moved out and we can limit ourselves to the ground floor, the first floor can be rented out as two separate living units.
We like this idea, but the layout needs to be mostly fixed before renting, as I personally do not want to remove and rebuild walls once the time comes.

I have already searched the forum but haven’t found any examples of someone who has tried something like this.
Maybe you have a link to a discussion that matches my request?

Otherwise, I can share our floor plan sketch. Unfortunately, it is currently intended only for rental purposes, but we are not yet sure how to adapt it so that private use and renting in the future can almost go hand in hand.

We would appreciate any tips or advice. Many thanks and best regards,
Nils and Lisa

Does the land use plan allow for 3 residential units on the property? That would then be considered a multi-family house…
This is also one reason why people can spend ages searching on Google, because they’re looking for something that is very rare.

nils123 schrieb:

We appreciate any tips and suggestions

1. The floor plan on the upper floor largely depends on the layout of the ground floor (load-bearing walls, water/sewage).
2. Preparation also means setting everything up for three units right from the start (electrical sub-distributions, electricity and water meters, etc.).
3. How is access from below arranged? You need a fully enclosed staircase.
4. Zoning plan requirements? Usually, you are only allowed to build where a maximum of two units are permitted.

These are just a few of many points.

But now for my opinion. Build a house that fits your needs. Once the kids have moved out and the house feels too big, sell it and move to something smaller. I wouldn’t want tenants upstairs looking into my garden (where are the balconies for the upstairs apartments?), especially when I feel like relaxing naked by the pool with my partner...

P.S. When drawing plans, always include walls. They are not just lines but thick masonry. That often clears up many floor plan issues...

nils123 schrieb:

I have already used the forum search but unfortunately could not find if anyone has ever tried something like this.

This idea comes up regularly. We also considered it at one point. In practice, you end up with either a poor single-family house or a poor two-family house. So far, I haven't seen any floor plan that handles both well and uses space efficiently.

nils123 schrieb:

My girlfriend and I are currently planning our house and want to design it so that in old age, when the children have moved out and we can limit ourselves to the ground floor, the first floor can be rented out as two separate living units.
We like this idea, but the layout on that floor must be mostly fixed before renting it out because I personally don’t want to remove and rebuild all the walls later if the time comes.

I’ve already searched the forum but unfortunately couldn’t find whether anyone has tried something like this before.
Maybe you have a link to a post that fits my concern?

Here you go, on the topic of “aging in place” I have something here and in the linked references:

11ant schrieb:

Yes, I recommend you - unfortunately you will have to google externally, preferably with the quotation marks - “The upper floor takes priority,” also considering your floor-level shower on the ground floor, “Missteps in forward-looking house planning,” as well as “When is it time to think about ‘aging in place’?”

11ant schrieb:

On “building now” I’ve written about the keyword “aging in place” in two posts, sharing my thoughts. In my view, one or even two potential secondary apartments are blind spots in the house design within the given possibilities.

Do you already have the plot of land and the children who will move out in the future?

nils123 schrieb:

Otherwise, I can upload our floor plan sketch. Unfortunately, the current state is only focused on the rental aspect, but we’re not yet sure how to adapt it so that personal use and renting out in the future can go almost hand in hand.

It is even very certain that a universal life-phase house would be neither fish nor fowl. Designing the upper floor first is already a good approach ;-)

KarstenausNRW schrieb:

P.S. By the way, people always draw walls. They aren’t just lines, but thick blocks. Many issues with floor plans are solved that way...

Well, yes and no. I also start by drawing lines: walls initially get a layer, and only then a material and a thickness. To avoid having floor plans become meaningless, the wall thicknesses must be considered—generally, 12cm (5 inches) for the width and depth of the house is a practical value.

---

https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/

KarstenausNRW schrieb:

By the way, walls are always drawn in as well.

As long as you are still in sketch mode, rough scribbles are sufficient.

11ant schrieb:

Does the plot of land and the children who will move out in the future even exist yet?

And yes, that’s exactly what I thought: not yet married, no children, just mentally building a nest on paper, dreaming about how to pursue goals together – all of that is completely legitimate.

But sooner or later, reality sets in: searching for a plot, financing… then you can be glad to afford even a small house for your own use. Before the mortgage is fully paid off after 30 years, most couples have already separated or, based on the original plan with too many or too few children, have long since moved somewhere else.
If you’re lucky financially and manage to get a plot without restrictive conditions, of course, the goal is to combine a cozy living atmosphere with a staircase. Usually, at this point, people say: I’m planning just for myself and won’t make compromises.
If you think like an investor or believe it’s smart to create many housing units, then please ensure living space with quality of life for everyone involved. Functional planning regarding shared bathrooms and water pipes, fire protection, storage rooms, etc. Last but not least, keep in mind that strangers will live above you, using the same entrance and driveway, including noise pollution and parked cars on your property, so you need to offer them something rather than a direct view of your own terrace. Otherwise, strangers will change too often and cause wear and tear on your own house.