ᐅ South-facing sloped plot, 700 sqm, single-family house about 150 sqm, looking for design ideas?
Created on: 28 May 2025 22:52
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Hanger1
Hello everyone,
We have been working for some time now on how best to position our future single-family home on our plot. We want to utilize the existing slope as efficiently as possible and avoid losing too much green space.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size approximately 700 sqm (8,400 sq ft)
Slope: yes, 10% south-facing slope
Site coverage ratio (Floor Area Ratio) 0.3
Floor space index 0.6
Number of parking spaces: 2 (garage or carport)
Orientation: Ridge direction can be freely chosen
Maximum heights / limits: The eaves height on the valley side must not exceed 6.65 m (21.8 ft)
Maximum 2 full floors
Setback distances according to the regulations of the Bavarian building code
Attached garages to the boundary are only permitted where garages are built together within the areas designated in the development plan
For other garages, a minimum distance of 1.20 m (4 ft) from the property boundary applies
Client Requirements
Approximately 150 sqm (1,615 sq ft) of living space
Basement, floors: open. However, due to the slope, a basement is likely. Possibly using the basement as a garage.
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults, 2 children
House Design
Designer: Do-it-yourself
Could you please provide some input on the preliminary planning of a single-family home?
The building site has a south-facing slope of about 10%.
The road is located on the north and west sides.
I have already marked the key points by laser. Zero point at northeast. The measurements are given in centimeters and should actually be negative since it is a south-facing slope.
The plan is for a single-family home of about 150 sqm (1,615 sq ft) with a garage or carport.
Option I a
5 m (16.4 ft) from north and west
House approximately 10 x 10 m (33 x 33 ft)
Garage integrated into the basement. Driveway access from south/west.
Guest entrance on the north side.
Advantage:
Everything fits within the 10 x 10 m (33 x 33 ft) footprint.
Disadvantage:
The garage driveway must be in front of the house, which results in a substantial loss of green space since there is only 7.5 m (24.6 ft) width available on the east side.
Option I b
House is positioned 5 m (16.4 ft) from north and east, leaving 7.5 m (24.6 ft) on the west street side. However, the driveway to the basement garage would definitely be too steep here.
Option II
Build the basement slightly higher and place the sleeping and bathroom areas in the basement so that the garden can be accessed directly from this level.
The upper floor has the main entrance on the north side, accessed by several steps. This floor contains the kitchen, dining, and living areas.
The garage or carport is built beside the house.
There is a balcony terrace on the upper floor, accessible from the dining area. The garden is reachable via stairs.
Advantage: Much more green space remains on the south side.
Disadvantage: Significantly more earthworks required. Overall less green area preserved.
Similar properties in the neighborhood:
2 full floors + basement + garage: In my opinion, the basement is only used as unnecessary storage space here. The costs are too high for this.
Slab foundation + 2 full floors + garage: Due to the slope, this requires extensive earthworks.
Attached are the height measurements, sketches of the options, and an excerpt from the development plan.
I would appreciate any input or other ideas very much.
We have been working for some time now on how best to position our future single-family home on our plot. We want to utilize the existing slope as efficiently as possible and avoid losing too much green space.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size approximately 700 sqm (8,400 sq ft)
Slope: yes, 10% south-facing slope
Site coverage ratio (Floor Area Ratio) 0.3
Floor space index 0.6
Number of parking spaces: 2 (garage or carport)
Orientation: Ridge direction can be freely chosen
Maximum heights / limits: The eaves height on the valley side must not exceed 6.65 m (21.8 ft)
Maximum 2 full floors
Setback distances according to the regulations of the Bavarian building code
Attached garages to the boundary are only permitted where garages are built together within the areas designated in the development plan
For other garages, a minimum distance of 1.20 m (4 ft) from the property boundary applies
Client Requirements
Approximately 150 sqm (1,615 sq ft) of living space
Basement, floors: open. However, due to the slope, a basement is likely. Possibly using the basement as a garage.
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults, 2 children
House Design
Designer: Do-it-yourself
Could you please provide some input on the preliminary planning of a single-family home?
The building site has a south-facing slope of about 10%.
The road is located on the north and west sides.
I have already marked the key points by laser. Zero point at northeast. The measurements are given in centimeters and should actually be negative since it is a south-facing slope.
The plan is for a single-family home of about 150 sqm (1,615 sq ft) with a garage or carport.
Option I a
5 m (16.4 ft) from north and west
House approximately 10 x 10 m (33 x 33 ft)
Garage integrated into the basement. Driveway access from south/west.
Guest entrance on the north side.
Advantage:
Everything fits within the 10 x 10 m (33 x 33 ft) footprint.
Disadvantage:
The garage driveway must be in front of the house, which results in a substantial loss of green space since there is only 7.5 m (24.6 ft) width available on the east side.
Option I b
House is positioned 5 m (16.4 ft) from north and east, leaving 7.5 m (24.6 ft) on the west street side. However, the driveway to the basement garage would definitely be too steep here.
Option II
Build the basement slightly higher and place the sleeping and bathroom areas in the basement so that the garden can be accessed directly from this level.
The upper floor has the main entrance on the north side, accessed by several steps. This floor contains the kitchen, dining, and living areas.
The garage or carport is built beside the house.
There is a balcony terrace on the upper floor, accessible from the dining area. The garden is reachable via stairs.
Advantage: Much more green space remains on the south side.
Disadvantage: Significantly more earthworks required. Overall less green area preserved.
Similar properties in the neighborhood:
2 full floors + basement + garage: In my opinion, the basement is only used as unnecessary storage space here. The costs are too high for this.
Slab foundation + 2 full floors + garage: Due to the slope, this requires extensive earthworks.
Attached are the height measurements, sketches of the options, and an excerpt from the development plan.
I would appreciate any input or other ideas very much.
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
The bolded paragraph does not apply to you. Your site is at a lower elevation. What else does the zoning plan say about heights?Regarding height / roof, it only states: The eave height on the valley side must not exceed 6.65 meters (22 feet).
Roof pitch 30–40 degrees, gable roof. Some neighbors have hip roofs, so a deviation will likely be accepted here.
The roof overhang at the eave must not exceed 1.2 meters (4 feet).
At the village entrance, the roof overhang must not exceed 1.4 meters (4.5 feet).
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
If split-level, then possibly like this.
Thank you for your input. We have sketched a floor plan for the split-level house and have already noticed that it is significantly more challenging, since only about half of each floor’s footprint is available. Often, there is too much length/width for one room and too little for two rooms.
Hanger1 schrieb:
We sketched a rough floor plan for the split-level house and already noticed that it is noticeably more difficult because only about half of the floor area is available per level. Often, the length or width is too large for one room and too small for two rooms. Nowhere does it say that the split in a split-level house must be 50/50. However, there are reasons why many planners (myself included – although there are "fans" like @ypg) tend to dislike it. One reason is that it often leads to a strongly offset shed roof.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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hanghaus20234 Jun 2025 22:12With 3 levels, each measuring 5 x 11.4 m (16.4 x 37.4 ft), you get about 130 m² (1,399 ft²) of living space. That’s definitely doable. The architect will make it look good for you.
I believe a split-level design suits this plot better than you might think, especially with only a 10% slope on the land. However, don’t think of the classic two-story layout, but rather a more staggered arrangement. This increases the structural complexity since more exterior walls are needed for support, so you have to plan more generously. There are many row houses with split-level designs, but whether they are practical or desirable to replicate is another matter altogether.
That said, I admit a split-level home doesn’t make the most of compact living space. If budget constraints require careful space management, I would not recommend a split-level.
This is roughly how it could fit. The floor plan is quite rough—I just wanted to illustrate the offset levels. My software can’t handle this easily, or rather it’s a huge effort to work with multiple ceiling heights on one floor. My advice: don’t bother unless you’re ready to invest at least a million. A 10% slope is always manageable as a flat build.
Basically, you can fill out the questionnaire for the floor plan discussion if you are thinking this through or already have an architect’s plan.
That said, I admit a split-level home doesn’t make the most of compact living space. If budget constraints require careful space management, I would not recommend a split-level.
This is roughly how it could fit. The floor plan is quite rough—I just wanted to illustrate the offset levels. My software can’t handle this easily, or rather it’s a huge effort to work with multiple ceiling heights on one floor. My advice: don’t bother unless you’re ready to invest at least a million. A 10% slope is always manageable as a flat build.
Basically, you can fill out the questionnaire for the floor plan discussion if you are thinking this through or already have an architect’s plan.
H
hanghaus20235 Jun 2025 09:41Here are the sketches of the floor plans for the SL. On the lower level are the living, dining, and kitchen areas, as well as the entrance level with bedrooms, etc. Above the living area is the children’s level. With a building footprint of about 11.4 * 10m (37.4 * 32.8 ft), this should provide approximately 130 m2 (1,400 sq ft) of living space. Alternatives are available on the fourth floor. Structurally, I don’t see many issues. The main challenge is the additional work required due to the concrete pour sections.
As @ypg already mentioned, there are certainly very good designs available here without the SL.
As @ypg already mentioned, there are certainly very good designs available here without the SL.
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motorradsilke5 Jun 2025 09:51hanghaus2023 schrieb:
Here are the sketches of the SL floor plans. The lower level includes living, dining, and kitchen areas; the entrance level has the bedrooms, etc. Above the utility area is the children’s level. With a building footprint of about 11.4 * 10m (37.4 * 32.8 ft), this should provide approximately 130 m² (1,400 sq ft) of living space. Alternatives are available on the fourth level. Structurally, I see fewer problems; the main challenge is the extra work caused by the concrete pouring sections.
As @ypg already mentioned, there are definitely very good designs without an SL here as well. I would then swap the garage and the house and position the driveway on the north side. This way, the southwest garden remains more spacious.
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