ᐅ Floor Plan Single-Family Home 136 m² with Garage and Basement
Created on: 12 Oct 2024 21:50
S
Sofia__Hello everyone,
we have been in the planning phase for our own home for some time now.
Since the floor plan was mostly designed by ourselves, we appreciate any constructive feedback. The plans have been reviewed and approved by a professional planner.
Of course, we are also interested to hear what you particularly like.
Important / Why does the design look the way it does?
I want to inform you about how this floor plan came to be and the key decisions we made.
I am extremely grateful to have inherited this plot of land (844 m² (9080 sq ft)), which makes our dream home possible.
Due to high land prices (market value of the plot >1 million €), we decided to build on only about half of the site, if possible, to leave space for one of our children to potentially build a house on the other half in the future.
Still, we didn’t want to compromise too much on our own house, since the second house is not guaranteed (who knows if the kids will even want to live next door).
--> That’s why our house is oriented to the west (and south), so that a second house could also be oriented westward.
--> These are not final plans yet. Minor changes such as the arrangement and size of the windows, bathroom layout, and general details are still open. The pool will not be implemented!
Zoning plan / Restrictions
Size of the plot: 844 m² (9080 sq ft)
Slope: no
Floor area ratio (FAR): 0.5
Number of parking spaces: 1x garage, 2x open spaces
Number of floors: 2
Roof type: gable roof 22°
Orientation: West (+South)
Other requirements: Requirements from the municipality: gable roof with ridge perpendicular to the street, FAR 0.5, "integrate parking spaces into the building," preserve existing trees
Client requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Classic + modern, gable roof
Basement, number of floors: 2 floors + partial basement
Number of residents, age: 2 adults + 2 children (1 & 2 years old)
Space requirements on ground floor: Kitchen including pantry + dining area + partially separated living area; guest toilet; hallway + wardrobe; office possible on ground floor as well
Space requirements on upper floor: Master bedroom with walk-in closet, bathroom (with toilet), 2 children’s rooms, office/guest room
Space requirements in basement: Utility room, laundry room, storage room, hobby room
Office use: Family use & home office (about once a week)
Overnight guests per year: 0 – 3
Open or closed layout: Closed; kitchen + island & dining table open
Conservative or modern construction: Classic, modern
Number of dining seats: 8, extendable to 10
Fireplace: Yes
Music/stereo wall: No
Balcony, roof terrace: Yes, but optional
Garage, carport: Garage + 1 parking space for bikes, etc.
Utility garden, greenhouse: Not decided yet
House design
Designed by: Own draft, adopted by a planner
What do you like most? Why? Appearance (masonry balcony railing), practical (short distances), kitchen + island + dining table arranged in parallel
What do you dislike? Why? Nothing, but still uncertain about south-facing windows (larger) and the arrangement of the living room wall + fireplace
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: General contractor: 850k € Builder + construction manager: 750k € (including ancillary costs such as pilings, connection fees, excavation, etc.)
Personal budget limit for the house, including fittings: 800k €
Preferred heating technology: Photovoltaics and air-source heat pump
If you had to cut back, on which details/extras
- you could do without: Balcony
- you could not do without: Everything else
we have been in the planning phase for our own home for some time now.
Since the floor plan was mostly designed by ourselves, we appreciate any constructive feedback. The plans have been reviewed and approved by a professional planner.
Of course, we are also interested to hear what you particularly like.
Important / Why does the design look the way it does?
I want to inform you about how this floor plan came to be and the key decisions we made.
I am extremely grateful to have inherited this plot of land (844 m² (9080 sq ft)), which makes our dream home possible.
Due to high land prices (market value of the plot >1 million €), we decided to build on only about half of the site, if possible, to leave space for one of our children to potentially build a house on the other half in the future.
Still, we didn’t want to compromise too much on our own house, since the second house is not guaranteed (who knows if the kids will even want to live next door).
--> That’s why our house is oriented to the west (and south), so that a second house could also be oriented westward.
--> These are not final plans yet. Minor changes such as the arrangement and size of the windows, bathroom layout, and general details are still open. The pool will not be implemented!
Zoning plan / Restrictions
Size of the plot: 844 m² (9080 sq ft)
Slope: no
Floor area ratio (FAR): 0.5
Number of parking spaces: 1x garage, 2x open spaces
Number of floors: 2
Roof type: gable roof 22°
Orientation: West (+South)
Other requirements: Requirements from the municipality: gable roof with ridge perpendicular to the street, FAR 0.5, "integrate parking spaces into the building," preserve existing trees
Client requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Classic + modern, gable roof
Basement, number of floors: 2 floors + partial basement
Number of residents, age: 2 adults + 2 children (1 & 2 years old)
Space requirements on ground floor: Kitchen including pantry + dining area + partially separated living area; guest toilet; hallway + wardrobe; office possible on ground floor as well
Space requirements on upper floor: Master bedroom with walk-in closet, bathroom (with toilet), 2 children’s rooms, office/guest room
Space requirements in basement: Utility room, laundry room, storage room, hobby room
Office use: Family use & home office (about once a week)
Overnight guests per year: 0 – 3
Open or closed layout: Closed; kitchen + island & dining table open
Conservative or modern construction: Classic, modern
Number of dining seats: 8, extendable to 10
Fireplace: Yes
Music/stereo wall: No
Balcony, roof terrace: Yes, but optional
Garage, carport: Garage + 1 parking space for bikes, etc.
Utility garden, greenhouse: Not decided yet
House design
Designed by: Own draft, adopted by a planner
What do you like most? Why? Appearance (masonry balcony railing), practical (short distances), kitchen + island + dining table arranged in parallel
What do you dislike? Why? Nothing, but still uncertain about south-facing windows (larger) and the arrangement of the living room wall + fireplace
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: General contractor: 850k € Builder + construction manager: 750k € (including ancillary costs such as pilings, connection fees, excavation, etc.)
Personal budget limit for the house, including fittings: 800k €
Preferred heating technology: Photovoltaics and air-source heat pump
If you had to cut back, on which details/extras
- you could do without: Balcony
- you could not do without: Everything else
Where are you building abroad?
Let’s be realistic: we’re talking about 136 sqm (1460 sq ft) plus a usable basement. So it’s understandable that some rooms only have widths typically found in townhouses (children’s rooms and office with 2.50/2.60 m (8.2/8.5 ft)?). The open-plan living area isn’t exactly spacious either, especially when it comes to the dining area and kitchen.
There are several shortcomings that will become very noticeable in daily life: inaccessible terrace door and windows, and a kitchen with hardly any usable countertop space. This makes the kitchen barely functional; warming up frozen food in the oven is possible, but preparing a cold snack platter is practically out of the question. Ventilating the space also disrupts its use, as the pantry door can’t be left open.
To start with the basics: the access to the open-plan living area is less than 80 cm (31.5 inches), so the door width is around 75 cm (29.5 inches) at best. That’s a bottleneck. If possible, it’s much better to have a double door around 130 cm (51 inches) wide to comfortably enter the room with groceries.
The storage room under the staircase feels very awkward and, in my opinion, should be removed. The cloakroom looks clever at first glance, but the narrow room width limits the usable space behind the entrance door and in front of the wardrobes.
If your budget is tight, you have to adjust your expectations, and that’s normal. However, the house is supposed to cost around 800,000 € (plus garage and ancillary costs), as the roof terraces, oversized garage, and basement are included. A standard house of this size with a basement would typically be around 500,000 € plus garage and additional costs. Your spatial requirements would be more realistically met with about 160 sqm (1720 sq ft).
Before investing in an expensive roof terrace or balcony, which compromises the privacy of the children’s and bedrooms, I would rather spend that money on well-proportioned rooms.
Basically, I would bring more natural light to the washbasin area and open the house more towards the south. The driveway takes up a lot of garden space, so I would move it slightly to the right according to the plan. A practical hallway of around 2.50 x 3 m (8.2 x 9.8 ft) or similar has more value.
I would probably remove the pantry (since vegetable growing doesn’t seem to be planned anyway) and reorient the kitchen so that it has enough workspace and that the dining table isn’t positioned right next to the terrace door.
Let’s be realistic: we’re talking about 136 sqm (1460 sq ft) plus a usable basement. So it’s understandable that some rooms only have widths typically found in townhouses (children’s rooms and office with 2.50/2.60 m (8.2/8.5 ft)?). The open-plan living area isn’t exactly spacious either, especially when it comes to the dining area and kitchen.
There are several shortcomings that will become very noticeable in daily life: inaccessible terrace door and windows, and a kitchen with hardly any usable countertop space. This makes the kitchen barely functional; warming up frozen food in the oven is possible, but preparing a cold snack platter is practically out of the question. Ventilating the space also disrupts its use, as the pantry door can’t be left open.
To start with the basics: the access to the open-plan living area is less than 80 cm (31.5 inches), so the door width is around 75 cm (29.5 inches) at best. That’s a bottleneck. If possible, it’s much better to have a double door around 130 cm (51 inches) wide to comfortably enter the room with groceries.
The storage room under the staircase feels very awkward and, in my opinion, should be removed. The cloakroom looks clever at first glance, but the narrow room width limits the usable space behind the entrance door and in front of the wardrobes.
If your budget is tight, you have to adjust your expectations, and that’s normal. However, the house is supposed to cost around 800,000 € (plus garage and ancillary costs), as the roof terraces, oversized garage, and basement are included. A standard house of this size with a basement would typically be around 500,000 € plus garage and additional costs. Your spatial requirements would be more realistically met with about 160 sqm (1720 sq ft).
Before investing in an expensive roof terrace or balcony, which compromises the privacy of the children’s and bedrooms, I would rather spend that money on well-proportioned rooms.
Basically, I would bring more natural light to the washbasin area and open the house more towards the south. The driveway takes up a lot of garden space, so I would move it slightly to the right according to the plan. A practical hallway of around 2.50 x 3 m (8.2 x 9.8 ft) or similar has more value.
I would probably remove the pantry (since vegetable growing doesn’t seem to be planned anyway) and reorient the kitchen so that it has enough workspace and that the dining table isn’t positioned right next to the terrace door.
Thank you for your detailed feedback!
I would like to add a few comments:
Unfortunately, construction costs are relatively high here. The stated costs refer to a standard level of construction – not luxury. Another general contractor we visited offered a price of €950,000 without a balcony, with an upscale standard.
When creating the plans, we tried to keep the floor area as small as possible. Scaling up is always possible and probably advisable here and there – I agree with you on that.
Our primary concern is whether anything conflicts with the overall concept. The rest is fine-tuning. Coordination with the stove maker and kitchen builder is still needed.
Thanks again and best regards
- Building location is Vorarlberg / Austria
- Attached is the ground floor plan again
I would like to add a few comments:
Unfortunately, construction costs are relatively high here. The stated costs refer to a standard level of construction – not luxury. Another general contractor we visited offered a price of €950,000 without a balcony, with an upscale standard.
When creating the plans, we tried to keep the floor area as small as possible. Scaling up is always possible and probably advisable here and there – I agree with you on that.
- Children’s room about 14 m² (150 sq ft) is fine, in my opinion.
- The office is also sufficiently sized for us – it’s mainly just for working on the computer.
- The common area could be a bit larger in our opinion.
- We will try to widen the access to the common area where possible. A sliding door is planned here, which allows the full width to be used.
- Kitchen: There is a niche in the “cabinet wall” planned as additional workspace. The island could also be extended, but that would make the room smaller.
- Storage room under the stairs: Possibly the door should open in the other direction here.
- More natural light at the washbasin: That’s exactly what we thought too. There is definitely a better solution, perhaps with a larger instead of a small window.
- Hallway / wardrobe: There may be a better arrangement of the furniture or pantry here. The room is basically large enough.
- Driveway: The garage cannot be moved further to the right (setback requirement). The driveway is currently aligned with the garage – it would then have to be shifted off-center.
Our primary concern is whether anything conflicts with the overall concept. The rest is fine-tuning. Coordination with the stove maker and kitchen builder is still needed.
Thanks again and best regards
- The storage room under the stairs on the ground floor isn’t really a storage room... that’s actually the access to the stairs leading down to the basement, right?
- The pantry should have an entrance outside the kitchen; otherwise, a countertop in the tall cabinet wall is of little use. Also, a "furniture-hidden" pantry passage is not only a waste of space but also expensive.
Sofia__ schrieb:
We will try to widen the access to the open-plan living area if possible. A sliding door is planned here, which allows the full width to be used.That’s often misleading; a sliding door also protrudes slightly into the doorway to have something to grip when closing it. And a door frame is also required.- Living area... you should consider rearranging a bit, perhaps change something by the windows. I wouldn’t place a TV cabinet as a room divider but keep the area as open as possible. So, a sofa shaped like an L with the long side on the right side of the living room and the short side at the top; the TV would then fit better in the top left corner.
- Although the entrance is nicely located under the roof now, I would still consider placing it on the south side, more to the left in the hallway, to save having the passage to the garage. Then the entire right side of the hallway can be used for coat storage and other storage needs (vacuum cleaner for upper floors, mop, etc.).
- I would rather eliminate the pantry since you have a basement. This would benefit the kitchen. Maybe then a good solution can be found to keep the entrance on the right side under the garage overhang.
kbt09 schrieb:
The storage room under the staircase on the ground floor isn’t really a storage room... that’s actually the access to the stairs leading down to the basement, right? You’re right. The vestibule near the stairs exists because the basement stairs are accessed from the hallway. I know old houses where cleaning cloths and brooms were hung on the wall nearby for easy reach. The problem here is that a corner or turn is built just before the basement stairs, making it difficult to carry a ladder or other bulky items up and down.
Sofia__ schrieb:
Unfortunately, construction costs are relatively high here. The stated costs refer to a standard build – not luxury. But that’s exactly why cost drivers should be avoided in the planning: covered roof terraces cost much more compared to living space. The ground floor has to be additionally insulated upwards, and the terrace floor needs moisture protection as well. Then you get many extra corners everywhere, which can be potential causes for construction defects.
And who would even use them if there is a garden?
Sofia__ schrieb:
Kitchen: A niche in the “cabinet wall” is planned as additional workspace. A niche? Who works in a niche? You set things down in a niche; you don’t work there. Also, you don’t work inside a pantry: a pantry is just a storage room, nothing more.
Unfortunately, the kitchen is not well thought out and too small. Handling two baking sheets at once, setting them down, and baking cookies alongside isn’t really possible here. But I already mentioned that. For a single-family home, I personally expect at least one meter (3.3 feet) of clear and uninterrupted countertop workspace.
Sofia__ schrieb:
The island could also be extended, but that would make the room smaller. Rather less. The room becomes overcrowded. The concept isn’t well thought through.
Sofia__ schrieb:
Basically, the room is large enough. Basically, you’ve assigned a lot of square meters to the chill-out area. Separation by the fireplace and blocking furniture prevents enlarging the dining table for 10 people. Forty square meters (430 square feet) is not small, but it’s distributed completely wrongly here.
Sofia__ schrieb:
Our main concern is whether there’s anything against the overall concept. The rest is fine tuning. Because of the kitchen and hallway issues, I don’t see this as a fine tuning phase at all. The staircase is very dominant, and I’m not even sure if its current position makes sense, or if the open-plan area including pantry space is sufficient. The basic house dimensions might need reconsideration.
Sofia__ schrieb:
Further coordination with the stove installer and kitchen fitter is still necessary. I don’t see the interior trades phase starting yet.
kbt09 schrieb:
The entrance is nicely under the roof now, but I’d still consider placing it on the south side, rather left in the hallway, to avoid the passage to the garage. Then the entire right side of the hallway could be used for closets and other storage (vacuum cleaner, mops, etc.). I thought the same this morning: access to the hallway from the south, closet on the right side of the plan, and then the kitchen has more space. But basically, several issues remain problematic, so while this can serve as a starting draft, it should only be the beginning of the planning process — possibly even just to reconsider everything entirely.
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