ᐅ Floor Plan Optimization for a Single-Family House of 140 m² on a Narrow Plot
Created on: 21 Aug 2024 22:51
J
JP_2024
Hello everyone,
We have the opportunity to purchase a plot of land including a house. However, the existing house is in such a condition that it requires demolition. Our plan is to build a new, small single-family home with approximately 140 m² (1,507 sq ft) of living space. Since we would like to include a basement and the current house already has one, our options for positioning the new house are somewhat limited.
We have already received a first draft from a prefabricated house manufacturer. I have incorporated this floor plan into the site plan and made a rough layout of the outdoor areas. Now, I would like to gather your expert opinions on this design. In the near future, I also plan to contact a local construction company or architect to get another offer – possibly with a more concrete idea of the floor plan.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 710 m² (7,645 sq ft)
Slope: no
Floor area ratio (FAR): -
Gross floor area ratio (GFAR): 2
Building window, building line, and boundary: marked building line does not officially exist according to the city building authority
Edge development: -
Number of parking spaces: -
Number of floors: -
Roof type: -
Architectural style: -
Orientation: -
Maximum height / restrictions: -
Other specifications: -
Homeowner Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: gable roof or hip roof
Basement, number of floors: basement plus 1.5 or 2 floors
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults (ages 30/31), 1 child (1 year old), with another child planned
Space needs on ground floor (GF) and upper floor (UF): GF ideally with office and pantry, UF bedroom with small dressing room, two children’s rooms, and a bathroom
Office: family use or home office: home office, should also accommodate a sofa bed (guest room) if possible
Overnight guests per year: 2-3
Open or closed architecture: -
Conservative or modern design: modern design
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen
Number of dining seats: minimum 4, expandable to about 12 for special occasions
Fireplace: not necessary
Music/sound wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: garage if budget allows
Utility garden, greenhouse: -
Additional wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons for preferences: house should be planned with a basement since cellar excavation will already be available after demolition.
House Design
Who created the plan: prefabricated house manufacturer
-planner from a construction company
-architect
-do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why?
The floor plan largely meets our wishes on the ground floor: an entrance on the north side, an office overlooking the driveway, a kitchen with an adjoining pantry, and an open living and dining area. On the upper floor, there is the option to set up a second home office space if both of us need to work from home at the same time.
What do you dislike? Why?
The straight staircase looks appealing but unfortunately takes up a lot of space on the upper floor, making the children’s rooms quite small. Additionally, the office on the ground floor does not have room for a sofa bed. The arrangement of doors in the entrance area and the staircase access from the living and dining area to the upper floor are also not ideal with children.
Price estimate according to architect/planner: €300,000 (from top of foundation slab, excluding flooring, painting, interior doors, etc.)
Personal budget limit for the house including equipment:
Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump
If you have to give up some details/features, which ones?
-can be given up: pantry / straight staircase
-cannot be given up: office, basement
Why has the design turned out this way? For example:
Standard design from the planner? Standard floor plan from the prefabricated house manufacturer?
Which wishes were implemented by the architect?
A mix of many examples from various magazines...
In your opinion, what makes it particularly good or bad?
Thank you very much for your opinions and support.
We have the opportunity to purchase a plot of land including a house. However, the existing house is in such a condition that it requires demolition. Our plan is to build a new, small single-family home with approximately 140 m² (1,507 sq ft) of living space. Since we would like to include a basement and the current house already has one, our options for positioning the new house are somewhat limited.
We have already received a first draft from a prefabricated house manufacturer. I have incorporated this floor plan into the site plan and made a rough layout of the outdoor areas. Now, I would like to gather your expert opinions on this design. In the near future, I also plan to contact a local construction company or architect to get another offer – possibly with a more concrete idea of the floor plan.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 710 m² (7,645 sq ft)
Slope: no
Floor area ratio (FAR): -
Gross floor area ratio (GFAR): 2
Building window, building line, and boundary: marked building line does not officially exist according to the city building authority
Edge development: -
Number of parking spaces: -
Number of floors: -
Roof type: -
Architectural style: -
Orientation: -
Maximum height / restrictions: -
Other specifications: -
Homeowner Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: gable roof or hip roof
Basement, number of floors: basement plus 1.5 or 2 floors
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults (ages 30/31), 1 child (1 year old), with another child planned
Space needs on ground floor (GF) and upper floor (UF): GF ideally with office and pantry, UF bedroom with small dressing room, two children’s rooms, and a bathroom
Office: family use or home office: home office, should also accommodate a sofa bed (guest room) if possible
Overnight guests per year: 2-3
Open or closed architecture: -
Conservative or modern design: modern design
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen
Number of dining seats: minimum 4, expandable to about 12 for special occasions
Fireplace: not necessary
Music/sound wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: garage if budget allows
Utility garden, greenhouse: -
Additional wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons for preferences: house should be planned with a basement since cellar excavation will already be available after demolition.
House Design
Who created the plan: prefabricated house manufacturer
-planner from a construction company
-architect
-do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why?
The floor plan largely meets our wishes on the ground floor: an entrance on the north side, an office overlooking the driveway, a kitchen with an adjoining pantry, and an open living and dining area. On the upper floor, there is the option to set up a second home office space if both of us need to work from home at the same time.
What do you dislike? Why?
The straight staircase looks appealing but unfortunately takes up a lot of space on the upper floor, making the children’s rooms quite small. Additionally, the office on the ground floor does not have room for a sofa bed. The arrangement of doors in the entrance area and the staircase access from the living and dining area to the upper floor are also not ideal with children.
Price estimate according to architect/planner: €300,000 (from top of foundation slab, excluding flooring, painting, interior doors, etc.)
Personal budget limit for the house including equipment:
Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump
If you have to give up some details/features, which ones?
-can be given up: pantry / straight staircase
-cannot be given up: office, basement
Why has the design turned out this way? For example:
Standard design from the planner? Standard floor plan from the prefabricated house manufacturer?
Which wishes were implemented by the architect?
A mix of many examples from various magazines...
In your opinion, what makes it particularly good or bad?
Thank you very much for your opinions and support.
M
motorradsilke23 Aug 2024 23:1411ant schrieb:
If it's wet, then yes. With a floor-to-ceiling height of 235cm (92 inches), the room height is probably around 210cm (83 inches), which doesn’t matter for both the jam jars and the person going to them. Except for laughter, you don’t go to the basement for anything enjoyable. The basement is just a substitute for a basement substitute room. You don’t put the trampoline there, you only store it.
You can use a basement for so many practical purposes: hobbies, parties, workshop, laundry, storage.
JP_2024 schrieb:
Unfortunately, the basement is damp, but I have pictures of this ready.
First, the exterior view (the facade is deceptive) In several places, it already looks poorly maintained, but a professional inspection could still be worthwhile (including scaffolding, covering the roof, and further dismantling). Quickly dismissing it and undervaluing the damaged parts is easy, and a demolition contractor will gladly offer a "cheap" deal that can be handled with inexpensive labor. I still maintain:
11ant schrieb:
I wouldn’t be available before October (except for a preliminary discussion), but I am definitely interested in the project. https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
motorradsilke schrieb:
A basement can be used for so many practical purposes: hobbies, parties, workshop, laundry, storage. I agree with you! Especially since I would like to set up my hobby workshop in the basement. Also, it might be worth considering having the access to the new basement open and heated, and possibly finishing one room to make it livable. But of course, everything ultimately depends on the budget.
11ant schrieb:
In several areas, it already doesn’t look well maintained, but a professional inspection could still be worthwhile (including scaffolding, covering the roof, and other dismantling work). Quickly knocking everything down and undervaluing the damaged components is easy, and a demolition contractor will gladly make a “cheap” offer that can be carried out with low-cost labor. I stick to my opinion: The neighbor has already been there and said that if it gets demolished, he would take the roof panels.
M
motorradsilke24 Aug 2024 10:04JP_2024 schrieb:
I agree with you! Especially because I would like to set up my hobby workshop in the basement. It’s also worth considering having the access to the new basement open and heated, and possibly converting an additional room into a living space. But of course, everything ultimately depends on the budget.
The neighbor has already been and said that if the building is demolished, they would take the roof panels.You can get rid of almost everything that’s still usable through classifieds or neighbors. This saves both costs and resources.
I would definitely heat the basement. A basement is far too valuable to be used merely as storage space. Therefore, I wouldn’t waste a second thought on demolishing this damp basement and would consider preserving it instead.
H
hanghaus202324 Aug 2024 11:06How old is the roof? It doesn’t look like it’s from 1955.
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
How old is the roof? It doesn't look like it dates back to 1955.Considering how recent and new this roofing seems, someone must have still valued the house enough to invest in it. Let's assume they were not careless and from that, we might conclude that the overall structure could still be worth a hopeful look.JP_2024 schrieb:
The neighbor already came by and said that if there was a demolition, he would take the roof tiles.A typical demolition turns everything into rubble. To make reuse possible, a roofer would need to be involved here, meaning a careful dismantling (ideally with scaffolding) rather than demolition.motorradsilke schrieb:
I would definitely heat the basement. A basement is far too valuable to be used only for storage. Therefore, I would not even consider preserving a damp basement like this.I think it’s worth checking whether the basement is objectively as run-down as it looks superficially; if so, I would dedicate it only to functional uses.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Similar topics