ᐅ Floor Plan Silverager New Single-Family House with Option to Upgrade to a Two-Family House
Created on: 15 Nov 2025 20:20
U
Underdog
Hello everyone,
As our planned construction project is gradually taking shape, I would like to share a first draft for discussion.
The plot is already secured, and we want to make full use of the space to maximize potential living area. Retirement is foreseeable for both of us, but after 28 years, we still want to build once more.
Our eldest daughter has made us grandparents twice over, and we often enjoy having the grandchildren stay during the day so their mother can go to work. Our younger daughter will be studying for about four more years and is planned to have her own space in the basement, which could later be converted into a guest room, office, etc. The plan includes a separate entrance via a generous lightwell, but with access to the ground floor (maximum of two living units).
The attic is not intended to be finished right away but will be designed for potential future development. Whether this will ever be implemented remains uncertain.
The ground floor should offer approximately 125 sqm (1,345 sq ft) within a 10x15m (33x49 ft) building envelope. The open kitchen/dining/living area should accommodate many guests, as we frequently host large family gatherings and groups of friends. The bathroom should be en suite, and the guest toilet should include a shower. A multipurpose room is planned as a utility/laundry room with direct access to the garden, serving as a mudroom with an integrated sink and/or washing machine. In emergencies, this room can also serve as a guest bedroom. This will be less necessary once the basement is available.
The ground floor is optimized for a couple without children but should also work well for families without needing to use the attic. The attic is designed to function as a fully independent living unit, which we consider important for maintaining property value.
Families with young children could use the utility room as a children's bedroom, while older children could occupy two bedrooms with a bathroom in the basement.
Our main request is constructive feedback on the draft. We like the ground floor layout so far but are open to improvements.
We haven’t spent much time on the attic plan yet; we find the concept acceptable for now. We do like the idea of accessing the attic via an external staircase, ensuring completely separate entrances for the attic and ground floor. If more information is needed, I am happy to provide it.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 677 sqm (7,284 sq ft)
Slope: 1m (3 ft) decline from sidewalk to field path
Floor area ratio:
Floor space index:
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: Exact building envelope for garage and house as shown in the draft
Adjacent buildings: Gap site with similar neighboring plots on left and right, development plan
Parking spaces: Double garage
Number of floors: 1
Roof type: Gable roof
Style: Modern
Orientation: Sketch shows southwest at the top
Maximum heights/limits: Ridge line max 8m (26 ft) above ground floor level, side exterior walls max 4m (13 ft)
Additional requirements
Owners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type:
Basement, floors: Basement yes, attic planned but not to be finished
Number of occupants, ages: Couple nearing retirement on ground floor, daughter (with partner) in basement until end of studies in about 4 years
Space needs on ground floor and upper floor: approx. 125 sqm (1,345 sq ft) ground floor, potential about 100 sqm (1,076 sq ft) upper floor, approx. 60 sqm (646 sq ft) finished basement
Office: Family use or home office?
Number of overnight guests per year: about 2–3 times per year
Open or closed architecture: Open
Conservative or modern building style: Modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: Yes
Number of dining seats: Many, at least for 8, preferably 12
Fireplace: Somewhat
Music/sound system: Large TV, but not a priority
Balcony, roof terrace: Balcony planned facing northwest, as this side overlooks open fields
Garage, carport: Double garage, wide covered side walkway to the main entrance, effectively functioning as a carport
Utility garden, greenhouse: Raised beds for herbs and various berries (for grandchildren)
Further wishes, special features, daily routine, including reasons for choices or exclusions
As our planned construction project is gradually taking shape, I would like to share a first draft for discussion.
The plot is already secured, and we want to make full use of the space to maximize potential living area. Retirement is foreseeable for both of us, but after 28 years, we still want to build once more.
Our eldest daughter has made us grandparents twice over, and we often enjoy having the grandchildren stay during the day so their mother can go to work. Our younger daughter will be studying for about four more years and is planned to have her own space in the basement, which could later be converted into a guest room, office, etc. The plan includes a separate entrance via a generous lightwell, but with access to the ground floor (maximum of two living units).
The attic is not intended to be finished right away but will be designed for potential future development. Whether this will ever be implemented remains uncertain.
The ground floor should offer approximately 125 sqm (1,345 sq ft) within a 10x15m (33x49 ft) building envelope. The open kitchen/dining/living area should accommodate many guests, as we frequently host large family gatherings and groups of friends. The bathroom should be en suite, and the guest toilet should include a shower. A multipurpose room is planned as a utility/laundry room with direct access to the garden, serving as a mudroom with an integrated sink and/or washing machine. In emergencies, this room can also serve as a guest bedroom. This will be less necessary once the basement is available.
The ground floor is optimized for a couple without children but should also work well for families without needing to use the attic. The attic is designed to function as a fully independent living unit, which we consider important for maintaining property value.
Families with young children could use the utility room as a children's bedroom, while older children could occupy two bedrooms with a bathroom in the basement.
Our main request is constructive feedback on the draft. We like the ground floor layout so far but are open to improvements.
We haven’t spent much time on the attic plan yet; we find the concept acceptable for now. We do like the idea of accessing the attic via an external staircase, ensuring completely separate entrances for the attic and ground floor. If more information is needed, I am happy to provide it.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 677 sqm (7,284 sq ft)
Slope: 1m (3 ft) decline from sidewalk to field path
Floor area ratio:
Floor space index:
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: Exact building envelope for garage and house as shown in the draft
Adjacent buildings: Gap site with similar neighboring plots on left and right, development plan
Parking spaces: Double garage
Number of floors: 1
Roof type: Gable roof
Style: Modern
Orientation: Sketch shows southwest at the top
Maximum heights/limits: Ridge line max 8m (26 ft) above ground floor level, side exterior walls max 4m (13 ft)
Additional requirements
Owners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type:
Basement, floors: Basement yes, attic planned but not to be finished
Number of occupants, ages: Couple nearing retirement on ground floor, daughter (with partner) in basement until end of studies in about 4 years
Space needs on ground floor and upper floor: approx. 125 sqm (1,345 sq ft) ground floor, potential about 100 sqm (1,076 sq ft) upper floor, approx. 60 sqm (646 sq ft) finished basement
Office: Family use or home office?
Number of overnight guests per year: about 2–3 times per year
Open or closed architecture: Open
Conservative or modern building style: Modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: Yes
Number of dining seats: Many, at least for 8, preferably 12
Fireplace: Somewhat
Music/sound system: Large TV, but not a priority
Balcony, roof terrace: Balcony planned facing northwest, as this side overlooks open fields
Garage, carport: Double garage, wide covered side walkway to the main entrance, effectively functioning as a carport
Utility garden, greenhouse: Raised beds for herbs and various berries (for grandchildren)
Further wishes, special features, daily routine, including reasons for choices or exclusions
Nida35a schrieb:
Open-plan living with cooking, dining, and living areas, one bedroom, a guest/office/children’s/grandchildren’s room,
washing machine, dryer, freezer are located in the utility/heating room.
We don’t want to clean and have more than 200+ sqm (2,153+ sq ft) standing empty in the future,
we have 125 sqm (1,345 sq ft) just for ourselves. Okay, but in reality, it’s more like four rooms plus a basement.
Much of my approach comes from the idea of having everything on one level, with the roof included.
This leads to additional conditions or limitations, and even if the attic is not developed, it still costs money.
I don’t want to give up the basement, and making something for the daughter there is a must if there’s no provision for it on the ground floor.
Then the whole family will probably need to reconsider, but changing to living on two floors only makes sense if it becomes significantly cheaper.
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
When I analyze the contour lines, I get about a 1.6m (5.2 ft) difference in elevation. That shouldn’t be a problem with a basement.
Which plot is it exactly?
How high have the neighbors built? Did they also use the entire building plot? Please show a section with an aerial view.It is number 21.
On the left is a semi-detached house that fully utilizes the building plot (garage shifted). On the right, the detached house does not use the entire building plot.
Underdog schrieb:
A multigenerational house is definitely an option, but what exactly do you mean by that? By that, I mean—and this is how I implemented it with my parents—a building with two equally nice apartments. The sizes and details can be completely different, since one part might be occupied by a potentially growing family while the other part is for the rather “shrinking” household.
For example, my parents initially wanted only a small apartment in the basement, but I convinced them to move into the attic, where they lived generously, with plenty of sunlight and a rooftop terrace. That was their living arrangement for their entire lives; it worked wonderfully, and I would do it that way again without hesitation.
The equally important aspect that must be defined is the interpersonal agreement, which we, for example, also formalized in a notarized contract (called “care and maintenance,” but not full-time caregiving). As the younger generation, we essentially took responsibility for our parents and provided care as needed according to our capabilities. In return, we received a clear financial advantage, and the house has belonged to us from the start, with the parents having a right to live there. There are many different models for this, which need to fit the specific situation and depend on both parties being willing to commit.
What is crucial is that everyone contributes their part; in the best case, everyone benefits from one another. We had much more freedom with the children because the parents were always at home—my mother usually cooked, and my father took care of the garden, while we drove them to medical appointments, checked on them regularly, and later helped with caregiving duties. In other words, we always supported each other.
Underdog schrieb:
For me, this would actually be option 2. But only if BOTH parties keep the living space they want to have permanently, even if—for example—the younger family grows; that is, a multigenerational bond between parents and children with respective obligations and for the long term, not just temporarily. Would the younger generation (possibly with children?) really want to live permanently on the upper floor?
Underdog schrieb:
Well, actually it’s more like 4 rooms plus a basement. No, it’s 3 rooms without a basement,
living all on one level.
As @ypg and @Arauki11 already mentioned, others are leaving these large houses and downsizing.
Let the kids build and plan,
and wish for a granny flat (in-law unit).
Nida35a schrieb:
Let the children build and plan,
and wish for a granny flat / accessory dwelling unit...and make it a truly fantastic apartment with everything that matters to you, equally so!Nida35a schrieb:
No, 3 rooms without a basement, living all on one level. For me, dining room/kitchen/living room count as more than one room.
Living on one level means everything happens on that level: washing, ironing, storing supplies/drinks.
I can understand downsizing, but more from around 80 square meters (860 square feet). It should still be a home for silver agers.
Strange, here no one talks about house building. Everyone just defends their own lifestyles?
Is that the purpose of the forum?
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