Dear house building community,
After much consideration, I have decided to share our preliminary design here. As a longtime passive reader, I would like to give back to the community with this small contribution and perhaps even inspire some readers with our floor plan.
For context: We have completed the preliminary design phase with the architect and are currently gathering quotes. The house will be a prefabricated home with slightly upscale features (KfW-40 standard, Q3 plaster, ventilation system, motorized blinds, etc.) and will cost around 3000 € per square meter (about 280 per square foot). I appreciate any feedback and look forward to many comments. Feel free to critically question the design. One note: we are satisfied with the planning and do not wish to make any changes.
Let’s get started!
Basic data:
Requirements:
I have kept it brief on purpose and do not want to reveal what I like or dislike about the design just yet. Instead, I’m going to relax now and grab some popcorn. If you want to know more, feel free to visit my website (Name + “.de”).
I’m looking forward to your opinions!
After much consideration, I have decided to share our preliminary design here. As a longtime passive reader, I would like to give back to the community with this small contribution and perhaps even inspire some readers with our floor plan.
For context: We have completed the preliminary design phase with the architect and are currently gathering quotes. The house will be a prefabricated home with slightly upscale features (KfW-40 standard, Q3 plaster, ventilation system, motorized blinds, etc.) and will cost around 3000 € per square meter (about 280 per square foot). I appreciate any feedback and look forward to many comments. Feel free to critically question the design. One note: we are satisfied with the planning and do not wish to make any changes.
Let’s get started!
Basic data:
- Plot: approx. 470 m² (about 5050 sq ft) in a new development area with a slight south-facing slope (1 m (3 feet) over plot length, 0.5 m (1.5 feet) over house width)
- Neighboring plot to the north: unattractive, vacant three-story building
- Maximum budget for the construction project excluding land and possibly garden/terrace: 700,000 €
Requirements:
- 3 children’s bedrooms (each 12–14 m² (130–150 sq ft))
- Laundry or utility/laundry room
- Study room with space for double desk and guest bed
- Shower in guest bathroom
- Straight-run staircase
- Living-dining-kitchen area in an L-shape
- Space for hallway furniture
- Double garage
- 2 full stories
- Built on a slab foundation
I have kept it brief on purpose and do not want to reveal what I like or dislike about the design just yet. Instead, I’m going to relax now and grab some popcorn. If you want to know more, feel free to visit my website (Name + “.de”).
I’m looking forward to your opinions!
roteweste schrieb:
After much consideration, I have decided to share our preliminary design here. I find that rather unnecessary if you no longer want to allow any changes. That can only lead to dissatisfaction on all sides.
roteweste schrieb:
As a longtime passive reader, I want to give back a small contribution to the community as a thank you and maybe even inspire some readers with our floor plan. Well, thank you for your contribution, but I hope not the latter. As a longtime reader, you surely know the common mistakes made. Besides the ones already mentioned, I want to point out the door to the garage from the utility room, which consumes a lot of usable space considering the room size. Only the heating system with the storage tank and a washbasin are shown, if I read that correctly. Perhaps you could draw in all the technical equipment and mention what kind of heating system is installed. Is there an outdoor unit involved? The pictures are too small for me to read the labels.
Aside from that, access to the open living space is your biggest problem and has already been recognized as such. The narrowing of the hallway right in front of the stairs is anything but freeing. Forcing everyone to always pass through the kitchen in a zigzag to reach the chill-out area is not desirable and hopefully will not be copied by other readers. In general, access to the main living areas is dark and awkward – in my opinion, a dream home looks different.
Just so others don’t struggle with the same problem: One possible solution might look like this (sliding door and standard door shown as alternatives):
Still not a dream home, if you ask me, but at least you don’t immediately see the dirty dishes when entering the living room.
Hello Katja, thank you for the detailed response.
@Technical Room: So far, the feedback from the suppliers is that the plan works as is. A split heat pump system will be installed. Storage space in the technical room will most likely only be available under the stair landing. Alternatively, the garage could be moved forward a few centimeters (not much more is possible) and then the wall next to the stairs could be extended. This would allow, for example, a fuse box to be installed there. That would be the maximum:
@Entrance Open Plan Area: I had the same idea. You can even take it a step further by fully integrating the staircase into the open plan living area. We decided against this because we don’t want to rotate the couch, and it is important to us that the living room does not face the hallway. Also, we already own rather expensive furniture for the living room, with lengths of 2m (6.5 ft) and 3.5m (11.5 ft) (not couches), which we want to keep. I can understand your point, of course. You could argue, “Get rid of the furniture; the house will stand much longer anyway.” Sure. From my perspective, however, the rooms first need to function well individually. The hallway is quite functional accordingly and can certainly be nicely furnished. By the way, we currently live with a very similar hallway, and it works for us. Here is a rendered image I made of the hallway.
PS: Somehow the images seem to be compressed here. On my website, at least, the measurements are legible.
@Technical Room: So far, the feedback from the suppliers is that the plan works as is. A split heat pump system will be installed. Storage space in the technical room will most likely only be available under the stair landing. Alternatively, the garage could be moved forward a few centimeters (not much more is possible) and then the wall next to the stairs could be extended. This would allow, for example, a fuse box to be installed there. That would be the maximum:
@Entrance Open Plan Area: I had the same idea. You can even take it a step further by fully integrating the staircase into the open plan living area. We decided against this because we don’t want to rotate the couch, and it is important to us that the living room does not face the hallway. Also, we already own rather expensive furniture for the living room, with lengths of 2m (6.5 ft) and 3.5m (11.5 ft) (not couches), which we want to keep. I can understand your point, of course. You could argue, “Get rid of the furniture; the house will stand much longer anyway.” Sure. From my perspective, however, the rooms first need to function well individually. The hallway is quite functional accordingly and can certainly be nicely furnished. By the way, we currently live with a very similar hallway, and it works for us. Here is a rendered image I made of the hallway.
K a t j a schrieb:From my side, I don’t see it that way. I am open to discussion, and I have a really, really thick skin (otherwise I would never have posted). I have been following the forum for a while and have gotten to know the regulars pretty well. However, we will no longer be changing the design. You will have to knowingly accept that decision. If you can’t handle it, you can look away.
I find that rather unnecessary if you don’t want to permit any more changes. That can only lead to dissatisfaction on all sides.
PS: Somehow the images seem to be compressed here. On my website, at least, the measurements are legible.
A split system usually means an outdoor unit as well, right? Where is that located?
Having the staircase fully open to the living area is not very advisable with three children.
Your thick skin will certainly come in handy. I can also tell you that I find the view into the hallway quite unsettling. It makes you want to turn around immediately.
In the end, the house is not uninhabitable but terribly uncomfortable. I would already insist on confirming that the wall, which would have to be removed to open up the hallway including the staircase, is not load-bearing.
Having the staircase fully open to the living area is not very advisable with three children.
Your thick skin will certainly come in handy. I can also tell you that I find the view into the hallway quite unsettling. It makes you want to turn around immediately.
In the end, the house is not uninhabitable but terribly uncomfortable. I would already insist on confirming that the wall, which would have to be removed to open up the hallway including the staircase, is not load-bearing.
S
SliPkNoT184810 Nov 2024 11:19roteweste schrieb:
For the appropriately insulated foundation slab, we have received quotes around 30,000 euros. That means an increase of about 150 to 200 euros per square meter. Have you requested quotes from local companies? We have offers ranging from 60,000 to 70,000 euros for a 144 m² (1,550 sq ft) floor area + 17,000 euros for 56 m² (600 sq ft) garage, totaling about 85,000 euros, plus 4,000 euros for drainage pipes, 3,000 euros for drainage, 2,000 euros for an inspection shaft, 6,000 euros for insulation to KfW40 standard, and 2,000 euros for gravel driveway and terrace—about 100,000 euros in total. That seems very high to me at the moment. The soil report is still pending; hopefully, it will have a positive impact.
K a t j a schrieb:
A split system also means an outdoor unit, right? Where is that located? On the garage. (See upper floor)
K a t j a schrieb:
Having the staircase completely open to the living area is not very advisable with three children. We agree. I, personally, don’t find it that problematic. My wife is more concerned. The kids will eventually be out of the house anyway.
K a t j a schrieb:
Your thick skin is certainly helpful. Then I can also tell you that I find the view into the hallway quite dreadful. You’d almost want to turn right back around. I let my computer run for another five minutes and tripled the light intensity for you.
K a t j a schrieb:
Ultimately, the house isn’t uninhabitable but terribly uncomfortable. In my opinion, that sums up pretty well the problem I see in many posts here. Personal preferences tend to be absolutized. I don’t think that’s a good tone, neither online nor offline.
What do you find uncomfortable for yourself?
roteweste schrieb:
From my point of view, the rooms first need to function well on their own. The hallway is functional accordingly and can certainly be decorated nicely. The hallway should invite you into the main rooms and living areas. I only see a closed-off feeling – it just doesn’t open up. And as you can see, it is very dark.
roteweste schrieb:
That’s enough for us Enough.. okay.
A 90 x 90 cm (36 x 36 inches) shower with sliding door, etc., is certainly sufficient as well.
I would make the hallway on the upper floor a bit more spacious, simplify the entrance niche in the bathroom, and move the bedroom door inward. This would also have a residential advantage if, like here, the bed is placed against the inner wall. The hallway gains size and feels more welcoming, without compromising the rooms. This would improve the entire upper floor. However, for me, the bedroom furniture arrangement (wardrobe/bed) would still be rather interchangeable.
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