Hello everyone,
I have been following this forum for some time now and would like to share a preliminary floor plan for discussion.
Here is the starting point: We want to start building this year. Our goal is to submit the building permit / planning permission application in the next few weeks and begin construction as soon as the weather allows, so that we can move in by the end of the year. A few weeks ago, we signed a contract with a local builder and are now working together on the final floor plan. Unfortunately, the builder doesn’t have their own architect, so the creativity in terms of proposals is somewhat limited, in my opinion. We have now received an interim version of the floor plan. The design is based on our wishes, which are:
I have attached all the documents we have (file names starting with "Entwurf02"). At first glance, this floor plan seemed quite okay. However, I am now not happy with it at all. The following points bother me:
I have now considered whether it could be done a bit better. After many hours and attempts, I have a preliminary result, which I have attached. The file names start with "Haus." The staircase is the same as the builder’s design but rotated 90° clockwise. The arrows indicate the walking direction. What I think I have improved in my design:
Of course, I had to make compromises and redistribute the space. The dining/living room might be too small for four people (at some point). The office is quite small. But I think we can live with that. The single-panel window in the office might make the room too dark. Upstairs, what bothers us most is that the bedroom can only be accessed through the walk-in closet. What is still missing is the chimney flue. So far, I haven’t found a good spot for it.
What do you think about all this? How do you find the original design? How about my revision? Is it going in the right direction? Is there a smart way to solve the issue with the walk-in closet and the bedroom? Any other suggestions for improvement? We are open to any kind of feedback.
Best regards,
Alex
I have been following this forum for some time now and would like to share a preliminary floor plan for discussion.
Here is the starting point: We want to start building this year. Our goal is to submit the building permit / planning permission application in the next few weeks and begin construction as soon as the weather allows, so that we can move in by the end of the year. A few weeks ago, we signed a contract with a local builder and are now working together on the final floor plan. Unfortunately, the builder doesn’t have their own architect, so the creativity in terms of proposals is somewhat limited, in my opinion. We have now received an interim version of the floor plan. The design is based on our wishes, which are:
- approximately 160 m² (1,722 sq ft) for four people in the future, no basement
- ground floor and first floor
- standard layout: common areas downstairs, private rooms upstairs
- no modern architectural style, more like a half-hipped roof or gable roof
- bay window
- office
- separate walk-in closet
- rooms as spacious and bright as possible
- kitchen facing east
- dining/living area facing south or west
- children’s rooms facing west
- semi-open kitchen with a sliding door to the dining/living area
- utility room reasonably sized
I have attached all the documents we have (file names starting with "Entwurf02"). At first glance, this floor plan seemed quite okay. However, I am now not happy with it at all. The following points bother me:
- entrance area too narrow, you stand directly in front of the staircase upon entering
- no cloakroom
- utility room too small and not very spacious
- would prefer a smaller office and a larger utility room instead
- guest toilet probably too small
- upstairs hallway could be smaller, with the rooms larger instead
- upstairs hallway feels like a corridor
I have now considered whether it could be done a bit better. After many hours and attempts, I have a preliminary result, which I have attached. The file names start with "Haus." The staircase is the same as the builder’s design but rotated 90° clockwise. The arrows indicate the walking direction. What I think I have improved in my design:
- larger and more spacious utility room
- larger and more spacious entrance hall with cloakroom
- larger and hopefully cozier guest toilet
Of course, I had to make compromises and redistribute the space. The dining/living room might be too small for four people (at some point). The office is quite small. But I think we can live with that. The single-panel window in the office might make the room too dark. Upstairs, what bothers us most is that the bedroom can only be accessed through the walk-in closet. What is still missing is the chimney flue. So far, I haven’t found a good spot for it.
What do you think about all this? How do you find the original design? How about my revision? Is it going in the right direction? Is there a smart way to solve the issue with the walk-in closet and the bedroom? Any other suggestions for improvement? We are open to any kind of feedback.
Best regards,
Alex
I would first consider the orientation and location. A shorter driveway, parking spaces/garage on the west side, and ideally more space facing south. You never know if the neighbor might eventually block your view of their garden with something unattractive. So, I would orient the house more towards the east and west! Windows facing south, yes, but no terrace or bay window there.
What bothers me about the floor plan is the entrance area and the very limited storage space! With 160 sqm (1,722 sq ft), you can create much more!
What bothers me about the floor plan is the entrance area and the very limited storage space! With 160 sqm (1,722 sq ft), you can create much more!
Thank you all for the responses.
Shoveling snow is a good point, I hadn’t considered it that way before.
What exactly do you mean by losing out and the long shape? I don’t quite understand.
Oh, really? How big should a proper wardrobe be then?
We will probably do that too, at least as additional storage space.
Purely a matter of taste. In all the show homes where we saw something like this, we liked it.
How would you mirror the kitchen? So that the terrace door is on the bottom, okay. Should the upper suggested row then move down and the peninsula go up against the wall? As for the view, a carport or garage is planned north of the utility room. Whether it will be attached to the house, I don’t know yet. But then the view wouldn’t really matter, right?
We’ve also discussed removing one of the doors. It would increase walking distances, but some compromise is necessary. You would remove the door to the kitchen. Why not the one to the hallway?
There will likely be a small second terrace on the east as well. I’d prefer double doors too. But at the expense of a kitchen cabinet? I’m not sure...
Does that have specific advantages or is it just a matter of taste? My wife and I prefer the walk-in closet to be the “holding room”.
That was just a temporary idea that somehow got saved in the document.
We actually thought we already considered orientation and location carefully.
It’s under consideration.
Do you mean in general or referring to this specific case?
Unfortunately, not much more is possible. That’s where the neighbor’s lot starts.
Do you mean the neighbor to the south? To the west, there is (still) no one.
What exactly do you mean by that? Should the rooms be arranged so windows face east and west?
I think the ground floor already has enough south-facing windows, but the upper floor unfortunately doesn’t. But the roof has to go somewhere.
Yes, that bothers us too. We also think that with so much space, much more can be done. Do you have any examples of better solutions?
Best regards,
Alex
ypg schrieb:
This driveway to the house would be a no-go for me: shoveling snow (which happens quite often every year), driving in reverse, lighting in the dark, openness to the main garden from visitors...
Shoveling snow is a good point, I hadn’t considered it that way before.
ypg schrieb:
If I had to choose between yours and BT’s, I would still go with BT’s. The living space definitely loses out due to its long shape, and whether you get a bigger wardrobe... ?
What exactly do you mean by losing out and the long shape? I don’t quite understand.
ypg schrieb:
The small cabinet looks more like a shoe or telephone cabinet
Oh, really? How big should a proper wardrobe be then?
ypg schrieb:
I would generally use the stairwell as a wardrobe... close it off from below, add risers and a door – that’s enough for 4 people.
We will probably do that too, at least as additional storage space.
ypg schrieb:
Why do young people choose an expensive and unnecessary bay window from the 80s?
Purely a matter of taste. In all the show homes where we saw something like this, we liked it.
ypg schrieb:
I would definitely mirror the kitchen, including the terrace door (improves the view).
How would you mirror the kitchen? So that the terrace door is on the bottom, okay. Should the upper suggested row then move down and the peninsula go up against the wall? As for the view, a carport or garage is planned north of the utility room. Whether it will be attached to the house, I don’t know yet. But then the view wouldn’t really matter, right?
ypg schrieb:
Remove the door to the utility room. Then a whole wall in the utility room is free for storage cabinets, and in the kitchen for tall units.
We’ve also discussed removing one of the doors. It would increase walking distances, but some compromise is necessary. You would remove the door to the kitchen. Why not the one to the hallway?
ypg schrieb:
I’ll add one more thing: move the house forward and create a second terrace to the east from the kitchen with double doors. !!!
There will likely be a small second terrace on the east as well. I’d prefer double doors too. But at the expense of a kitchen cabinet? I’m not sure...
ypg schrieb:
Upstairs, of course, remove the door to the bedroom and access through the walk-in closet at the front.
Does that have specific advantages or is it just a matter of taste? My wife and I prefer the walk-in closet to be the “holding room”.
ypg schrieb:
Straighten the bathtub.
That was just a temporary idea that somehow got saved in the document.
milkie schrieb:
I would first focus on orientation and location.
We actually thought we already considered orientation and location carefully.
milkie schrieb:
Shorter driveway
It’s under consideration.
milkie schrieb:
Parking spaces/garage to the west
Do you mean in general or referring to this specific case?
milkie schrieb:
Create as much space as possible facing south
Unfortunately, not much more is possible. That’s where the neighbor’s lot starts.
milkie schrieb:
Who knows, the neighbor might eventually block your view of their garden (with something ugly).
Do you mean the neighbor to the south? To the west, there is (still) no one.
milkie schrieb:
I would orient the house more toward east and west!
What exactly do you mean by that? Should the rooms be arranged so windows face east and west?
milkie schrieb:
South-facing windows yes, but no terrace or bay window.
I think the ground floor already has enough south-facing windows, but the upper floor unfortunately doesn’t. But the roof has to go somewhere.
milkie schrieb:
What bothers me about the floor plan is the entrance area and far too little storage space! With 160 sqm (1,722 sq ft) you can achieve much more!
Yes, that bothers us too. We also think that with so much space, much more can be done. Do you have any examples of better solutions?
Best regards,
Alex
First of all, you should read through the other floor plan discussions briefly: in the initial replies, you can often already identify fundamental mistakes in builder’s floor plans and apply useful tips.
A room does not gain value if it is planned too long. The proportion to the width must be right.
Calculate it yourself: rain jacket, winter coat, everyday jacket, light jacket, times four people. It’s no different with shoes, even more so with children. Bags, scarves...
Something like this.
The door to the hallway is central for short routes for laundry and daily tasks, craftsmen, garden access toward the toilet, etc. If you only keep the kitchen door, then every path—whether with laundry or dirty shoes—goes through the kitchen. That wouldn’t make much sense. You usually have only a few supplies and kitchen appliances in the utility room, and if there are more, they can be quickly fetched before cooking.
In my opinion, you are trying to push everything a bit thoughtlessly onto the plot. There is more potential there.
My answer:
You gain that back by removing the utility room door.
If you want to keep disturbing each other every time you get up...
Hmm, then please upload the layout of your plot again with planting, structure, and possible later subdivision.
You can still tweak the design a bit, but for me the question remains: Is the house location really well considered? For example, I would never buy such an extremely narrow and deep lot. Leaving aside legal issues with the street house in front (no right of way, responsibilities, which can be regulated in the contract, but some people want to cause trouble, and one can become difficult oneself), I don’t want to live in a second row. This obviously isn’t a main road, right?
If the house stays where it is (everyone has different preferences), the rear carport gets the best evening sun in summer—if the house in the north didn’t block it. For that reason alone, I would probably position it differently. Probably differently, since I’m not in the situation of pondering for weeks whether I will need that subdivision sometime.
Nevertheless, I would consider a completely different house, because @milkie is right that at 160 sqm (1720 sq ft) there is more potential.
The question then is: for what? Do you even have any other options?
abertram schrieb:
What exactly do you mean by losing and long shape? I unfortunately don’t understand.
A room does not gain value if it is planned too long. The proportion to the width must be right.
abertram schrieb:
Oh, really? How large should a practical cloakroom be?
Calculate it yourself: rain jacket, winter coat, everyday jacket, light jacket, times four people. It’s no different with shoes, even more so with children. Bags, scarves...
abertram schrieb:
How would you mirror the kitchen?
abertram schrieb:
We also discussed the idea of removing one of the doors. That would increase walking distances, but some compromise will be necessary. You would remove the door to the kitchen. Why not the one to the hallway?
The door to the hallway is central for short routes for laundry and daily tasks, craftsmen, garden access toward the toilet, etc. If you only keep the kitchen door, then every path—whether with laundry or dirty shoes—goes through the kitchen. That wouldn’t make much sense. You usually have only a few supplies and kitchen appliances in the utility room, and if there are more, they can be quickly fetched before cooking.
abertram schrieb:
There is a carport or garage planned on the northern side in front of the utility room.
abertram schrieb:
Regarding the elevation, there is a carport or garage planned on the northern side in front of the utility room. I’m not yet sure if it will be attached directly to the house. But then, the elevation wouldn’t really matter, right?
In my opinion, you are trying to push everything a bit thoughtlessly onto the plot. There is more potential there.
My answer:
abertram schrieb:
Purely a matter of taste.
abertram schrieb:
There will probably be a small second terrace on the east side as well. I would prefer double doors too. But at the cost of a kitchen cabinet?
You gain that back by removing the utility room door.
abertram schrieb:
Does that have specific advantages or is it just a matter of taste? My wife and I prefer if the walk-in closet is the sort of ‘prison cell’.
If you want to keep disturbing each other every time you get up...
abertram schrieb:
Actually, we have already given thought to the orientation and location, or so I thought.
Hmm, then please upload the layout of your plot again with planting, structure, and possible later subdivision.
You can still tweak the design a bit, but for me the question remains: Is the house location really well considered? For example, I would never buy such an extremely narrow and deep lot. Leaving aside legal issues with the street house in front (no right of way, responsibilities, which can be regulated in the contract, but some people want to cause trouble, and one can become difficult oneself), I don’t want to live in a second row. This obviously isn’t a main road, right?
If the house stays where it is (everyone has different preferences), the rear carport gets the best evening sun in summer—if the house in the north didn’t block it. For that reason alone, I would probably position it differently. Probably differently, since I’m not in the situation of pondering for weeks whether I will need that subdivision sometime.
Nevertheless, I would consider a completely different house, because @milkie is right that at 160 sqm (1720 sq ft) there is more potential.
abertram schrieb:
We signed with a local developer a few weeks ago
The question then is: for what? Do you even have any other options?
ypg schrieb:
First of all, you should read through the other floor plan discussions to get an idea: in the initial responses, you can usually already spot fundamental mistakes in BT floor plans and apply some tips.I have been doing that for a while now, both here and on various other sites. With every piece of information, I look at the design more critically.
ypg schrieb:
A room does not gain value just because it’s planned to be too long. The proportion to the width must be right.Are there any general guidelines on what a “healthy” proportion should be?
ypg schrieb:
Do the math yourself: raincoat, good coat, all-purpose jacket, light jacket, multiply that by four people, shoes are no different, even more so with kids. Bags, scarves...Yes, I think I understand...
ypg schrieb:
Something like thatI’ve figured it out in the meantime. By the way, the idea is great—I’ll show it to my wife this evening, thanks a lot for that! We met with a kitchen planner this week. I’m surprised they didn’t suggest something like that...
ypg schrieb:
But you’re pushing everything a bit thoughtlessly onto the plot, in my opinion. There’s more potential.We’re not doing it without thinking. The carport makes sense, for example, if you come home with groceries. Then you park right in front of the side entrance. When it rains, it’s all the better if the carport isn’t too far away.
ypg schrieb:
If you want to keep bothering each other every time you get up...Good point.
ypg schrieb:
Hmm, then please upload the layout of your plot again with planting, structure, and possible future subdivision.That doesn’t exist yet. We basically only know that there is enough space behind the house, from the street view, for a garden, a garden shed, and so on.
ypg schrieb:
Is the location of the house really well thought out?We believe so. Shoveling snow is the best argument against this location for me so far.
ypg schrieb:
For example, I would never buy such an extreme flag lot. Let’s leave aside the legal hassle with the streethouse outside (no right of way, who has which responsibilities—you can regulate that in the contract, but there are people who want trouble, and you yourself can also get difficult)Maybe I should have mentioned that we already own the plot. We inherited it. So we have no choice in that regard.
ypg schrieb:
I personally wouldn’t want to live in a back lot. This doesn’t seem to be a major road anyway?!If that’s the case, I’d rather live in a back lot, at least in this instance. Nothing beyond to the east. There’s a small lake.
ypg schrieb:
If the house stays where it is (everyone has their own preferences), the carport in the back will be in the best evening sun during summer—if the house wasn’t on the north side. That’s the main reason why I would probably place it differently. Probably, because I’m not currently in a position to spend weeks thinking about whether I might need this subdivision someday.There’s no house to the north yet. But a small workshop of my father-in-law will be built there. Its look will align with the house, so that’s why it shares the same line.
ypg schrieb:
Still, I would consider a completely different house since @milkie is right that you could get more out of 160 sqm (square meters).Do you perhaps have an example of what you have in mind? I’m sure you’re right that more can be made from the 160 m² (1722 sq ft). But I’m probably so used to this pattern that I try to project every house onto it. As said, I’m open to any suggestions.
ypg schrieb:
The question then is: for what? Do you even have any other options?We’re expecting a child and will have to expand during the year anyway. So why not just move into our own house? The company gave us a very good offer, so we basically had to take it. And as long as no building permit / planning permission application has been submitted yet, basically everything is still possible.
Regards,
Alex
If there is a lake to the east and you actually want to divide the property, I would also build further towards the east. However, first check whether a division is even possible and, if so, what needs to be considered.
As a basic idea, I have this plan. A terrace on the east side facing the lake and on the west side (evening sun).
Carport next to the utility room on the west side. This was just drawn quickly. Whether it would actually fit like this needs to be reviewed by a professional.
Regards
As a basic idea, I have this plan. A terrace on the east side facing the lake and on the west side (evening sun).
Carport next to the utility room on the west side. This was just drawn quickly. Whether it would actually fit like this needs to be reviewed by a professional.
Regards
abertram schrieb:
We are expecting a child and were going to need more space during the year anyway. So why not move straight into our own house? The company made us a very good offer, so we basically had to take it. And as long as no building permit / planning permission has been submitted, basically everything is still possible.The question referred to the term developer. A developer offers you a piece of a house on a piece of land for purchase. And if you say a signature has already been given, then you simply have to ask whether there is any flexibility in the building design.
But if it is already your land, then it’s probably a general contractor that you have commissioned to build your house. I do find it surprising, though, that a) there is no architect employed there and b) that you have awarded the contract to such a company.
Well, at least the information that you are still free regarding the designs is positive. What standard house models does the general contractor offer? I could imagine that free planning might not be desired, or you should orient yourselves to grids or existing dimensions so that the calculated structural engineering can be adopted...
milkie schrieb:
If there is a lake to the east and you actually want to split the property, I would also build far toward the east. But first, check whether dividing the property is even possible and, if so, what must be considered.I see it the same way: house with a view of the lake, windows on the west side for the sun, possibly an east-facing living area… if you can even see the lake at all?
For snow removal, you should consider hiring a seasonal service; otherwise, you won’t get to work on time.
Similar topics