ᐅ Floor plan of a new country house in a large garden under Section 34 (including demolition)

Created on: 19 Jan 2025 18:39
M
marcoblu
Hello dear community,

Last year, we purchased a house in Brandenburg. Initially, we planned to renovate and remodel the existing building. After receiving initial quotes exceeding 500,000€ (approximately 500,000 USD), we decided to change course and are now planning a new build.

We first contacted a few prefabricated house providers, but were not satisfied with the proposed plans. So, we downloaded the app Home Design 3D and kept designing until we achieved a result we were really happy with.

We would appreciate any feedback, ideas, and criticism. Our next step is to find a suitable contractor based on the floor plan. Attached are the questionnaire and some additional thoughts behind the planning.

Zoning plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 3000 sqm (approximately 32,000 sq ft)
Further requirements: §34, details not yet known

Client requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: rather country house style, gable roof
Basement, floors: No basement, 1.5 floors
Number of people, ages: 2 adults, 1 child, possibly +1 child
Space needs on ground and upper floors: –
Office: family use or home office? Home office
Guests per year: occasional
Open or closed layout: rather closed
Conservative or modern design: rather conservative
Open kitchen, kitchen island: closed kitchen
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: yes
Music/sound wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: balcony
Garage, carport: existing garage stays, carport for camper
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: large garden

House design
Who created the plan: Self-designed using iPad app
- Planner from a construction company
- Architect
- Do-it-yourself
What do you like most? Why? Orientation of all main rooms to the south
What don’t you like? Why? Bedroom entrance from hallway
Estimated cost according to architect/planner: in progress

Personal price limit for the house including fixtures: 500,000€ (approximately 500,000 USD)
Preferred heating technology: heat pump

If you have to give up something, which details/features could you do without? Balcony
Which are essential? Terrace, easy access to the garden

Why is the design the way it is now?
For example, standard design from planner? We refined it until we really liked it.

Which of your wishes were realized by the architect?
A mixture of many examples from various magazines...

What makes this design particularly good or bad in your opinion?
Maximum space optimization

Additional notes from us:

General
  • Gable roof with east-west solar panels
  • Similar to neighboring buildings

Ground Floor

General
  • Wide doors on the ground floor, at least 1 m (3.3 ft) wide
  • The ground floor is wheelchair accessible
  • Patio roof in front of kitchen and half of the living room

Hallway
  • Entrance area offers a niche for coats and shoes
  • Space under the stairs usable as storage
  • Stairwell and hallway on the first floor receive natural light

Utility Room
  • Large utility room planned with at least 12 m² (130 sq ft)
  • Northeast orientation, so the heat pump can be placed behind the carport

Bathroom
  • Adjacent to the utility room
  • Outdoor water tap

Kitchen
  • Short walking distances:
  • Kitchen accessible from entrance and dining room
  • Pantry accessible through a cupboard in the kitchen
  • Patio door leading from kitchen to garden
  • Sliding door to separate kitchen acoustically and for odors from living room
  • Small seating area in kitchen with enough space for quick meals (possible with a window seat?)
  • Outdoor water tap

Living Room
  • Floor-to-ceiling windows in living and dining area
  • Fireplace planned
  • Space for TV in a niche
  • Area for cabinets
  • One lift-and-slide door

Guest Room
  • Option to use as bedroom
  • At least 12 m² (130 sq ft)

Upper Floor:

General
  • Balcony on the first floor facing south
  • Accessible from two rooms

Bathroom
  • Separate toilet and bathroom
  • Bathroom has a bathtub
  • Built-in cabinet behind the sink

Bedroom
  • Floor-to-ceiling windows in living and sleeping areas, i.e., all south-facing rooms
  • Does not border directly on the toilet or bathroom

Study
  • Two almost equally sized rooms on the first floor serve as studies

Guest Room
  • Another room on the upper floor can be used as a guest or hobby room

Detailed floor plan of a house with kitchen, dining area, living room, and bedroom.

Floor plan of an apartment with two bedrooms, living room, balcony, and bathroom.

Top view of a house: living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, stairs, terrace.

Isometric floor plan of a house with living room, bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, hallway, terrace.

Two-story house with red tiled roof, wooden facade, and glazed wooden veranda.

Two-story house with wooden facade, gray base, red roof, carport with car.

Two-story house with red tiled roof, wooden cladding, gray base, and carport.

Living room with dining table, sofa, armchair, fireplace, TV, plant, and garden view.

Isometric floor plan of a house: living room, kitchen, hallway, bathroom, bedroom, balcony.

Aerial view of a plot with buildings and garden; red outline marks the site.
N
nordanney
20 Jan 2025 10:25
marcoblu schrieb:

Does anyone have a rough estimate of how large the house needs to be to include a closed kitchen and a guest room on the ground floor?
60-70sqm (650-750 sq ft) per floor is more than enough for that.
12sqm (130 sq ft) kitchen, 10sqm (110 sq ft) guest room, 25-30sqm (270-320 sq ft) living/dining area, 4sqm (43 sq ft) guest bathroom, 10sqm (110 sq ft) heating/utility room, plus a few square meters for the hallway.
Upstairs, three rooms plus a bathroom are possible. If the upper floor is a full story as planned, then an attic with a standard pitched roof can still accommodate a nice studio. So overall, a 2E3K layout is comfortably livable.
You just have to want it...
Y
ypg
20 Jan 2025 10:45
marcoblu schrieb:

Does anyone have a rough estimate of how large the house needs to be to include a closed kitchen and a guest room on the ground floor? One of our main issues was that the ground floor always seemed too small, while the upper floor was rather too large.
marcoblu schrieb:

Overnight guests per year: occasional

Honestly: occasional overnight guests could take a taxi home, sleep on the sofa, or use a sofa bed in an 8sqm (86 sq ft) office.
And you can have a closed kitchen in a double-line or L-shape layout starting at about 10sqm (108 sq ft).
You’re planning a kitchen over 16sqm (172 sq ft) without added value. On the contrary: it’s not ergonomic. The countertop can’t be used because it’s too close to the wall, and there is unnecessary space in the lower-right corner of the plan.
And then there’s a pantry, which is not absolutely necessary but only wanted to follow the mainstream trend of walking through the kitchen cupboard.
By the way, a closed kitchen with a countertop bar is the most space-consuming kitchen layout of all.
M
marcoblu
20 Jan 2025 17:07
Thanks again for the feedback.
Of course, we had some ideas about the floor plan, but admittedly it was a bit of a wishlist.

Our question now is: what next?

As mentioned, we have already been in contact with prefab home manufacturers and told them we would get back to them.
You are probably right that they won’t be very willing to seriously work on the floor plan for free.

Does anyone have advice on a reasonable approach?
For example:
  • Find an architect to properly design the floor plan first, and then look for a manufacturer with a finished plan?
  • Take the floor plan to manufacturers, get another quote, and see what they say?
  • Choose a manufacturer and go into the planning phase with them?
  • ... ???

As far as we understand, prefab home manufacturers only proceed to planning after the contract has been signed? We also contacted two other manufacturers who would charge separately for the planning phase, either 2000€ or 8000€.
N
nordanney
20 Jan 2025 17:13
marcoblu schrieb:

Does anyone have a suggestion for a sensible approach?
Take a look at the house building schedule from @11ant (use the search function). You can also find various threads under the keyword "dough resting."
He will probably add his "two cents" on the topic as well...
11ant20 Jan 2025 18:27
marcoblu schrieb:

As I mentioned, we have already contacted prefabricated house suppliers and said that we would get back to them later.
Now you are probably right that they won’t be very willing to seriously work on the floor plan for free.
Does anyone have a tip for a sensible approach?
For example:
  • Find an architect to create the floor plan properly, then look for a supplier with the finished floor plan?
  • Take the floor plan to suppliers and request another offer / hear what they say?
  • Choose a supplier and enter the planning phase with them?
  • …???

If we understand correctly, prefabricated house suppliers only start planning once the contract is signed? We also contacted two other suppliers who would charge separately for the planning phase at 2000€ or 8000€.
nordanney schrieb:

Take a look at 11ant’s house building roadmap (use the search function). Or under the keyword “resting the dough” you will definitely find various threads.
He will probably share his “two cents” shortly…

My “House Building Roadmap, also for you: the HOAI phase model!” can best be found (since it is external) by searching for the exact phrase including quotation marks. The “resting the dough” concept is explained there and here as well. Then:
1. Find or have someone find an architect (also explained there) and don’t ask for a “finished floor plan,” but work through “Module A” – the “preliminary draft” is the interim result, with which you set the direction during the “resting the dough” phase; that means
2. take the preliminary draft to a suitable selection of suppliers (about half a dozen in total — for example, two timber-frame, two masonry, and one more from either group; feel free to include some from the first round);
3. based on the outcome of the directional decision, continue working with the independent architect in service phase 3 or the entire “Module B.”
If you conduct the directional-decision bidding round according to my model, in step 2 you ask for similarly proven designs (catalog houses, customer houses). Paying the general contractor’s draftsmen separately only makes very limited sense. The issue is less about paying for what I would call “acquisition phase drafts” and more about the unclear likelihood of a contract conclusion.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
H
hanghaus2023
20 Jan 2025 19:34
I haven’t read anything about a slope. Or I might have missed it.