ᐅ Single-family house floor plan with basement, 150 sqm, only one single-story level permitted

GeraldG schrieb:

I already clarified this with the local authorities. They are usually quite flexible when it comes to modifications or exemptions. Here, the official said that exemptions are practically never granted for the number of storeys, and since a justification is explicitly included in the "document preceding the development plan" (I forgot the exact term) for single-storey buildings, she ruled it out.

"Justification" is indeed the correct term for this document. Then please quote a passage from it here. Not least because the justification only recognizes the factual basis up to the eaves line. In the justifications for Franconian vacuum cleaner knee walls, it is usually stated that they serve to preserve the regionally typical local character.

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GeraldG schrieb:

My wife’s wishes: kitchen on the right side, living room on the left side (viewed from the street). We only have neighbors on the right, and on the left side there is no one in sight who wants to build. They should see us more in the kitchen than in the living room.

Are those really all the wishes your wife has? Those should definitely be possible to implement and are quite understandable.

GeraldG schrieb:

At the same time, we were advised against having a centrally positioned bay window at the back because of the sun.

You don’t build a bay window just because you want one, but only if there are solid reasons or a real necessity. It’s not like ordering a sunroof for a car. The foundation has to be YOUR floor plan that makes life there better for you. In this sense, the choice “with or without bay window” doesn’t add much unless you just always wanted one for some reason.

GeraldG schrieb:

For the shower, we prefer solutions that don’t require cleaning a lot of panes.

I agree, because bending down to wipe off water afterward would be a torture for me. That’s why we always have shower walls built halfway up, with a glass panel on top and no doors; a certain minimum size is necessary, of course. I find this much more comfortable on a daily basis, and you should list these kinds of preferences and definitely make sure they get implemented. Gables and bay windows can happen but should not be demands.

GeraldG schrieb:

She does not want a separate storage room. My suggestion was to replace the walk-in closet upstairs with a kids’ bathroom (right now, we store all clothes, bed linen, and seldom-used clothing in a 2.6m (8.5 ft) long wardrobe), and reduce the ground floor to just one toilet, making room for a broom closet beside the pantry, but she also rejected that.

I don’t know your wife, but these objections seem reasonable to me. Are broom closets even allowed in new builds nowadays? I also think your real needs are not fully clarified yet—that very list of requirements. How should the shower function—no colors, just function? What cleaning or maintenance supplies do you need upstairs/downstairs (vacuum cleaner, laundry baskets, etc.)? From that, the floor plan evolves, which is why exact furniture dimensions are extremely important.
Why do you have/have to/want a basement? How will you use it, or could it be done differently and cheaper?
Right now I “fear” that you (and your planner) will eventually get fed up and just build, no questions asked. That would be a pity—so you really need to examine your daily life carefully without dreaming, and jointly clarify what is truly needed or not.
Maybe you should examine your “we” a bit more closely, since your wife says SHE definitely wants a walk-in closet, and you respond that “we” don’t need it. Aha… that can be seen as stubbornness or as a clear, practical expression of her actual needs.
Regarding storage rooms, I’d also consider whether you’re just accumulating too much stuff. Maybe it could become a small toilet attached to the main bathroom instead, to save costs, rather than a “kids’ bathroom” next to the already oversized bathroom upstairs. Wasn’t “kids’ bathroom” once suggested as the non-word of the year? Along with “sliding door,” “pantry,” and “direct access to the garage”?

Unfortunately, the document is not publicly accessible, but she showed it to me.

The gist of it was:
"For the southern plots, a single-story building design is recommended due to the adjacent sloping terrain."

It should also be mentioned that the entire area, developed in the 1970s, consists of about 50 plots, and only the southern five are single-story. The one directly next to us is still vacant, while the other three are built on.

Arauki11 schrieb:

Are broom closets still allowed in new constructions?

What reasons do you see that would argue in favor of such a ban?

Arauki11 schrieb:

"Children’s bathroom" was once suggested as an unpopular word of the year, wasn’t it? Along with "sliding door," "pantry," and "direct garage access."

I wouldn’t go that far.

GeraldG schrieb:

Unfortunately, the document is not publicly accessible, but she showed it to me.

If it hasn’t been digitized yet, I would request a "transcript" in your place.

GeraldG schrieb:

“For the southern lots, a single-story design is suitable due to the sloping terrain directly adjacent.”
It should also be mentioned that the entire area developed in the 1970s consists of about 50 parcels, and only the southern five are single-story. The one directly next to us is still vacant; the other three are built on.

You’re only concerned about the knee wall height, not the overall building height; with a plan that’s half a century old, something might be possible. But this definitely needs to be clarified before anyone proceeds with further planning.

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11ant schrieb:

What reasons do you see for such a ban?

Of course, that is exaggerated, but as I said, too many of these current trends pop into my mind instead of looking for the "true" needs.

11ant schrieb:

I wouldn’t go that far.

That also includes the sudden appearance of the "children’s bathroom," which never existed before, as a counterbalance to the dressing room??? Again here: Real need?
I am somewhat concerned that the first draft is now supposed to be the leading one again, even though it was clearly commented on here and even met with elaborate alternative proposals, and in my opinion, these detailed discussions have now moved away from it, even though both woman and man seemed to like it quite well.
I want to point out the sudden changes and the possibly lost thorough consideration of the real needs because of them. Words like “stubborn” or “we don’t need that, I say” probably won’t lead to a result that is satisfying in the long term.
I see too little of statements like: “We need a sofa for 8 people in front of the TV because we watch football twice a week, or I like gaming, or I read Kant and want a quiet room for that, we sometimes sleep separately, I work shifts and sleep during the day, I go hunting and want a freezer, and so on—just all those things that should be reflected in an individual floor plan. That can also include a children’s bathroom or even a children’s sauna (I have seen that), but always based on a truly identified need, not ‘I want a broom closet’ without a plan for what should reasonably go in there.”
I hope the original poster understands this in this way. Lazy compromises between woman and man are probably the worst starting point for the build—for both sides equally. Whether it’s stubbornness or justifiable/affordable needs, I would want to clarify that on both sides.

Arauki11 schrieb:

Does your wife really have no more wishes?

She rather has “implicit wishes” that she only expresses if they are not fulfilled. It’s hard to explain. We currently live in a 3-room apartment without a basement, and she is always somewhat worried that the rooms might not be large enough. It’s not easy to put into words because she tends to argue very much based on “feelings,” which I find difficult to relate to. Her spatial imagination is also limited, so I always have to show her examples.

For example, she rejected placing the staircase in the bay window next to the front door (like in the previously linked Aura house). Initially, because she thought it would feel “cramped.” After I showed her pictures, her reason changed to the fact that you wouldn’t be able to go to the “office” with dirty shoes without walking through the entire hallway. The “office” is in quotation marks because, although I am officially supposed to plan my home office there, she already decided it will be used to store things that are needed often but not all the time. Certain shoes, thick winter jackets, the vacuum cleaner. Plus a closet for everything you need on the ground floor. Sometimes we even call it a “utility room.”

That’s why I am already planning my office in the basement.

Arauki11 schrieb:

Nobody builds a bay window just because they absolutely want a bay window in life.

My wife wants one. With a single-story layout, it’s also appreciated because it increases the floor area on the ground floor. I like it too. I imagine a bay window for purely practical reasons could be complicated overall. I assume it is usually built mostly for aesthetic reasons.

11ant schrieb:

But this must be clarified before anyone continues planning.

As mentioned, this has been clarified. She also said I could still try with the building permit / planning permission inquiry, but for her the answer is clear, even if she fully understands my arguments (old floor plan, dormers were later allowed to create more living space, with dormers the house is even lower, which looks odd next to a two-story house, etc.).

Arauki11 schrieb:

Of course, that’s exaggerated, but as I wrote, too many current trends pop up in my considerations instead of focusing on “real” needs.

I can’t relate to that. Everyone I know who has a broom closet loves it. It allows you to store exactly those things you use daily but don’t want on display. That’s nothing new.

Arauki11 schrieb:

That also includes the sudden appearance of the “children’s bathroom.”

I explained that. Two bathrooms in the house are clear. Currently, one is on the ground floor, one upstairs. You can shift the second bathroom to the upper floor, thereby creating space on the ground floor to store what my wife had planned in the dressing room, which then wouldn’t exist anymore. Of course, we don’t need it now. But in 10 years, with a teenager, it might be more convenient. And installing plumbing somewhere later is not easy, so you regret not having planned it earlier.

Arauki11 schrieb:

Thinking through the actual needs

It’s difficult to know what these will be for the next twenty years. I know what I know, but I don’t know what I don’t know.

Arauki11 schrieb:

I’m almost a bit shocked that the first draft is supposed to be the leading one again.

As I wrote multiple times, I am first waiting to see what comes from Katja’s plan. In the end, I would put at least two plans side by side. So I wouldn’t discard the (supposedly worse) option without documentation.

Arauki11 schrieb:

“We need a sofa for eight people in front of the TV because we watch football twice a week, or I like to game or read Kant and want a separate, quiet room for that, sometimes we sleep apart, I work shifts and sleep during the day, I go hunting and want a freezer, and so on—basically all the things reflected in an individual floor plan. That can also be a children’s bathroom or even a children’s sauna (I’ve seen one), always based on the actual identified needs and not on wanting a broom closet without a plan for what should reasonably go in there.”

That’s a very good point, but I can’t really deliver on that. As you noticed, my wife likes to store things somewhere without putting them in the basement. Otherwise, I have a few things, which will only be reflected in the basement where I have my freedom (workshop corner, electronics corner, etc.). Even my office will probably be downstairs.

Of course, we are quite restricted by the current 3-room apartment without a basement when it comes to such “quirks.”

While typing, this occurs to me: We practically never have overnight guests because we are very local. Our guests usually go home overnight. What we do have is many siblings with children, so it would be good if, for a birthday party, the immediate family (parents and siblings with partners and children, about 12 adults and currently 6 children) can fit. But that can always be managed somehow.