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!
M
MachsSelbst2 Feb 2025 22:38Again, a reminder: for a kitchen of this size, it is advisable to include at least a second cavity for an oven or other built-in appliances.
Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m genuinely asking because it’s not entirely clear to me yet—not because I want to keep going over the topic: Are you placing the kitchen around the corner specifically so it’s not visible from the living room? Are there any other reasons? So would rotating the house and arranging it in a straight line (“I” shape) with corresponding walls also be an option?
There is no direct door to the living room to make it more relaxed? The compromise means you have to enter the living area through the kitchen, right?
There is no direct door to the living room to make it more relaxed? The compromise means you have to enter the living area through the kitchen, right?
@Katja: No. We have just started planning our kitchen and found that an L-shaped layout with an island is more cost-effective than a U-shaped one. The main advantage is the shared workspace for the large family and the direct access to the sink/trash from the dining room/south-facing terrace. You don’t have to walk all around the U each time.
M
Maulwurfbau3 Feb 2025 09:16As I mentioned before, we have a similar floor plan, especially in the kitchen area, and deliberately created an open-plan space. It never occurred to us to design the kitchen in a U-shape. We really dislike features like those rounded arches. They remind us of 1970s and 1980s elements from low-cost apartment blocks or older single-family homes with brown bathroom fixtures. But well, if someone likes that style, fair enough.
This is currently our plan or idea for the kitchen, and it will be implemented about 95% as shown.
This is currently our plan or idea for the kitchen, and it will be implemented about 95% as shown.
K a t j a schrieb:
I wasn’t referring to the kitchen, but rather the layout of the rooms. Could you please relate your previous post to that and respond? You mean why is the living-dining-kitchen area arranged in an L-shape, or why not swap the kitchen with the living room? It was just a gut feeling! We visited many, many model homes and felt most comfortable in the L-shaped room. Also, we liked it best when the living room is somewhat separate from the kitchen-dining area and has a view outside rather than into the room or a wall.
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