ᐅ Single-family house floor plan (157 sqm) on a hillside with a basement
Created on: 10 May 2026 23:43
W
WBR
Hello dear forum members,
After some time of quietly following the discussions, it is now our turn to post: our first contribution.
We are a family of four, moving back to our home region near the Bavarian Lower Main after 20 years in Swabia. We have purchased a very nice plot on a hillside above the Main valley. We now want to build our new home there.
Zoning plan / restrictions
Plot size: 600 sqm (6460 sq ft)
Slope: yes, approximately 12% incline from west to east, see elevation plan as PDF
Floor-area ratio: 0.4
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 3 full floors (including basement)
Roof type: all roof shapes permitted
Orientation: see plan
Owners’ requirements
Style:
Basement, floors: basement + 2 full floors
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults (40), 2 children (10, 7)
Space needed on ground floor and upper floor: approx. 135 sqm (1453 sq ft)
Office: home office in basement for both private and work use
Guest stays per year: about 10 overnight stays/year, on average 3-4 guests
Open or closed layout: open
Kitchen: U-shaped
Number of dining seats: 4 - 6
Fireplace: yes (for comfort + emergency heating)
Garage, carport: carport + 1 additional parking space
Garden: partly for growing food, probably terraced
Other requirements: option to later convert the upper floor into a separate living unit
House design
Planned by: us + planner of the local house-building company (individual timber frame construction)
What do you like most? Why?
Everything we wanted is included. From our perspective, good utilization of the building’s outer dimensions. The option to separate the upper floor (or basement) as an independent living unit or granny flat if needed in the future.
What don’t you like? Why?
The transition from the entrance area into the kitchen/living/dining area is a bit awkward and there’s no clear separation. We are still thinking about whether/how to add a separation here and welcome any ideas.
Price estimate from architect/planner: €680,000 including additional construction costs
- House: €280k
- Basement + groundwork: €150k
- Heating & plumbing: €65k
- Electrical: €20k
- Floor and wall coverings: €40k
- Outdoor facilities: €60k
- Ventilation system: €15k
- Photovoltaics: €15k
- Carport: €15k
- Additional costs: €20k
We will do the following work ourselves: roof covering, installation of photovoltaic system & battery, wall and ceiling paneling, filling and smoothing, painting fleece & painting, flooring (except bathroom)
Preferred heating technology:
Air-to-water heat pump + underfloor heating
If you have to give up something, which details/features could you skip?
- Could skip: the fireplace/stove if absolutely necessary
- Cannot do without:
Why did the design turn out the way it did?
Originally, we planned a staircase with opposite landings along the long side of the house (this design was inspired by the “Bruckberg” house from Regnauer, which we still find visually and stylistically appealing). Then, the possibility to separate the upper floor later as an independent living unit became more important in our planning. This led us to replace the landing staircase with a quarter-turn staircase next to the front door and adjust the western part of the building accordingly.
We are happy to receive suggestions, constructive criticism, and improvement ideas!
If you need more input, we will gladly provide it!
Best regards,
WBR
After some time of quietly following the discussions, it is now our turn to post: our first contribution.
We are a family of four, moving back to our home region near the Bavarian Lower Main after 20 years in Swabia. We have purchased a very nice plot on a hillside above the Main valley. We now want to build our new home there.
Zoning plan / restrictions
Plot size: 600 sqm (6460 sq ft)
Slope: yes, approximately 12% incline from west to east, see elevation plan as PDF
Floor-area ratio: 0.4
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 3 full floors (including basement)
Roof type: all roof shapes permitted
Orientation: see plan
Owners’ requirements
Style:
Basement, floors: basement + 2 full floors
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults (40), 2 children (10, 7)
Space needed on ground floor and upper floor: approx. 135 sqm (1453 sq ft)
Office: home office in basement for both private and work use
Guest stays per year: about 10 overnight stays/year, on average 3-4 guests
Open or closed layout: open
Kitchen: U-shaped
Number of dining seats: 4 - 6
Fireplace: yes (for comfort + emergency heating)
Garage, carport: carport + 1 additional parking space
Garden: partly for growing food, probably terraced
Other requirements: option to later convert the upper floor into a separate living unit
House design
Planned by: us + planner of the local house-building company (individual timber frame construction)
What do you like most? Why?
Everything we wanted is included. From our perspective, good utilization of the building’s outer dimensions. The option to separate the upper floor (or basement) as an independent living unit or granny flat if needed in the future.
What don’t you like? Why?
The transition from the entrance area into the kitchen/living/dining area is a bit awkward and there’s no clear separation. We are still thinking about whether/how to add a separation here and welcome any ideas.
Price estimate from architect/planner: €680,000 including additional construction costs
- House: €280k
- Basement + groundwork: €150k
- Heating & plumbing: €65k
- Electrical: €20k
- Floor and wall coverings: €40k
- Outdoor facilities: €60k
- Ventilation system: €15k
- Photovoltaics: €15k
- Carport: €15k
- Additional costs: €20k
We will do the following work ourselves: roof covering, installation of photovoltaic system & battery, wall and ceiling paneling, filling and smoothing, painting fleece & painting, flooring (except bathroom)
Preferred heating technology:
Air-to-water heat pump + underfloor heating
If you have to give up something, which details/features could you skip?
- Could skip: the fireplace/stove if absolutely necessary
- Cannot do without:
Why did the design turn out the way it did?
Originally, we planned a staircase with opposite landings along the long side of the house (this design was inspired by the “Bruckberg” house from Regnauer, which we still find visually and stylistically appealing). Then, the possibility to separate the upper floor later as an independent living unit became more important in our planning. This led us to replace the landing staircase with a quarter-turn staircase next to the front door and adjust the western part of the building accordingly.
We are happy to receive suggestions, constructive criticism, and improvement ideas!
If you need more input, we will gladly provide it!
Best regards,
WBR
WBR schrieb:
We’re still not completely happy with the floor plan. WBR schrieb:
Having the option, WBR schrieb:
In the end, it’s a matter of weighing the pros and cons. To conclude:
The options are what make the house as it is difficult to live in, unsatisfactory, and unhappy.
@Noxmortana:
You’ve summarized the pain points we’ve also encountered quite well (and even found a few additional ones).
For use as a separate unit, we were primarily thinking about renting it out to holiday guests (“Airbnb”). That would also cover the case of “children visiting with family” (though I know that requires some planning).
As a second (temporary) scenario, we considered “child moves in with partner.” This would probably happen before the visiting children scenario.
Regarding the bathroom:
Yes, it does look quite tight when looking at the floor plan. The passages to the toilet and shower are each 80 cm (31.5 inches) wide. The door to the toilet in our current rental is 70 cm (27.5 inches). So we felt 80 cm (31.5 inches) would be sufficient. We even had the sanitary supplier visualize it, and we didn’t find it unreasonable.
Regarding the “three corners to the kitchen”: you’re absolutely right, we don’t like that much either (as already mentioned in the first post).
Also, the route from the basement entrance “through the kitchen” is not ideal; that’s correct.
We are quite satisfied overall with the kitchen (with the enlarged niche and indeed a peninsula extended by 25 cm (10 inches), which is not yet included in the current design). The pantry is large, that’s true; it could possibly be reduced in depth. It’s intended to store the freezer, pantry items, kitchen utensils that are not used weekly and would take up space in the kitchen (e.g., large cake domes, raclette equipment, etc.).
Clients don’t come to the office there.
It is primarily intended for professional use (home office as an employee).
You are absolutely right on the other points: it doesn’t quite fit.
We are starting to consider that as well...
Thank you very much, Noxmortana, for your input!
It’s too late today to reply in detail, but your suggestions have really broadened our perspective! Thank you so much for that.
I’ll get back to you tomorrow.
A harsh statement, but I see your point. We’ll keep that in mind.
Good night for today and best regards,
WBR
You’ve summarized the pain points we’ve also encountered quite well (and even found a few additional ones).
Noxmortana schrieb:
On the upper floor:
You minimized the hallway area, which is understandable and good for the sleeping zone—but if it were to become a separate apartment, a proper entrance area with a cloakroom would be necessary...
Each bedroom has a built-in closet niche, which might limit the flexibility of the rooms (because you can hardly furnish them differently than filling those niches with wardrobes—reminds me a bit of North American built-in closets). This might bother your children in the coming years and definitely makes separating the space into its own apartment difficult for me. Also, the layout complicates using it as a 2-bedroom apartment: either you have a relatively large kitchen with dining area and a relatively large living room (both considering the possible number of occupants) and only one bedroom, or you squeeze cooking, dining, and living into one room to get two bedrooms—who exactly would be the target tenant for this unit?
The bathroom actually has a good amount of square meters, but it doesn’t feel spacious to me, especially because the passage to the toilet isn’t even door-width; also, the bathtub shown looks quite small (dimensions?), and if it were slightly bigger, the access to the shower might get tight.
For use as a separate unit, we were primarily thinking about renting it out to holiday guests (“Airbnb”). That would also cover the case of “children visiting with family” (though I know that requires some planning).
As a second (temporary) scenario, we considered “child moves in with partner.” This would probably happen before the visiting children scenario.
Regarding the bathroom:
Yes, it does look quite tight when looking at the floor plan. The passages to the toilet and shower are each 80 cm (31.5 inches) wide. The door to the toilet in our current rental is 70 cm (27.5 inches). So we felt 80 cm (31.5 inches) would be sufficient. We even had the sanitary supplier visualize it, and we didn’t find it unreasonable.
Noxmortana schrieb:
I don’t find the entrance area, which leads into the kitchen through three corners, very attractive. I would prefer to separate the hallway so that you basically have a cloakroom and entrance space—but even then, I don’t think it’s really well solved because: you already mention it will probably just be a guest entrance, and you’ll usually come through the basement, so do you really need that much space?
In your kitchen layout visualization, the workspace seems tight (you usually don’t work directly in corners but on straight countertop sections). That would change if you widen the niche as planned, but then, with your desire for a raised dishwasher, you still wouldn’t have a single tall cabinet for storage in the kitchen... On the other hand, the pantry is spacious but only shown with a few shelves in the sketch—how is it supposed to be used? Overall, I feel the kitchen isn’t quite right, but of course, that also depends on individual usage habits... Without knowing the exact room dimensions: I’d consider making the peninsula longer, removing the corner countertop in the niche, instead putting in a normal door to the pantry, and planning the rest of the wall with tall cabinets (fridge, dishwasher, possibly oven again). That would create more straight countertop space and additional storage.
Regarding the “three corners to the kitchen”: you’re absolutely right, we don’t like that much either (as already mentioned in the first post).
Also, the route from the basement entrance “through the kitchen” is not ideal; that’s correct.
We are quite satisfied overall with the kitchen (with the enlarged niche and indeed a peninsula extended by 25 cm (10 inches), which is not yet included in the current design). The pantry is large, that’s true; it could possibly be reduced in depth. It’s intended to store the freezer, pantry items, kitchen utensils that are not used weekly and would take up space in the kitchen (e.g., large cake domes, raclette equipment, etc.).
Noxmortana schrieb:
In the basement:
I understood “professional use” to mean that clients would come there—then I find the toilet in the laundry room inappropriate.
The washing machine and laundry chute are shown in the utility room, but the drying rack (or is that something else??) is in the technical room; that seems inconvenient in the long run?!
The basement entrance you expect to use most often is quite narrow and has no cloakroom—so everyone walks upstairs with wet jackets and dirty shoes, through the kitchen, to the cloakroom area to change??
You’re considering accommodations for elderly family members in the basement? Once climbing stairs becomes difficult, that’s completely isolated from the rest of family life? With a bathroom lacking privacy because it’s also your laundry room? To put it bluntly: is your mother-in-law really that mean?
And living there in old age, when the children have moved out and the upper floor is rented out, always means stairs between sleeping areas and living/kitchen—this might work for a while, but would you really want to “move to the basement” at that stage, or would you rather happily spread out in the children’s rooms and pursue hobbies for which there’s finally time? And enjoy the children still visiting on weekends? Downsizing and renting out part of the house usually happens only when really necessary, doesn’t it? By then, the stairs to the basement bedroom might already be too much...
If I were to continue with your basement usage ideas, I would suggest: enlarge the entrance area since you expect to use it as your main entrance and plan a cloakroom (using some space from the utility room); keep only a proper guest bathroom with a shower in what used to be the utility room, perhaps enlarge the technical room and place the washing machine there along with the drying rack—unfortunately, the laundry chute idea would have to be sacrificed.
Clients don’t come to the office there.
It is primarily intended for professional use (home office as an employee).
You are absolutely right on the other points: it doesn’t quite fit.
Noxmortana schrieb:
But overall, I see your requirements (at least as I understand them) so poorly met in the current floor plan that you might want to reconsider the quite different floor plan options mentioned above...
We are starting to consider that as well...
Thank you very much, Noxmortana, for your input!
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
hanghaus2023
It’s too late today to reply in detail, but your suggestions have really broadened our perspective! Thank you so much for that.
I’ll get back to you tomorrow.
Medium schrieb:
To conclude:
The options make the house, as it is, difficult to live in, leaving you dissatisfied and unhappy.
A harsh statement, but I see your point. We’ll keep that in mind.
Good night for today and best regards,
WBR
Hello hanghaus2023,
As I mentioned yesterday, I think the idea of fitting everything into just two floors is definitely worth considering. We hadn’t thought about that at all until now. However, I don’t think the floor area you mentioned would be sufficient.
The basement would need to include two children’s bedrooms plus an office, all with natural daylight, meaning facing west/(north). The main entrance would also have to be on the west side. In the rear part, there would be the children’s bathroom and technical rooms. That sounds very tight, doesn’t it?
Upstairs, the living/dining/kitchen area plus the master bedroom and bathroom would probably fit.
Do you think such a solution would be less expensive than the three-story option mentioned earlier?
Best regards,
Johannes
As I mentioned yesterday, I think the idea of fitting everything into just two floors is definitely worth considering. We hadn’t thought about that at all until now. However, I don’t think the floor area you mentioned would be sufficient.
The basement would need to include two children’s bedrooms plus an office, all with natural daylight, meaning facing west/(north). The main entrance would also have to be on the west side. In the rear part, there would be the children’s bathroom and technical rooms. That sounds very tight, doesn’t it?
Upstairs, the living/dining/kitchen area plus the master bedroom and bathroom would probably fit.
Do you think such a solution would be less expensive than the three-story option mentioned earlier?
Best regards,
Johannes
H
hanghaus202314 May 2026 18:30WBR schrieb:
Do you think this kind of solution would be cheaper than the previously mentioned three-story option? If you can dispose of the excavation material, which isn’t included in the mass balance, at a low cost, definitely.
You need to ask the earthworks contractor right away if they can dump the material nearby. Otherwise, landfill fees and possibly higher transport costs will apply. Be sure to ask about these as well.
We’re talking about roughly 20 large truckloads. That’s between 5,000 and 15,000 kg (11,000 and 33,000 lbs) depending on conditions. Your third floor easily costs 150,000 + excavation removal 3,000–10,000.
I would contract the basement in waterproof concrete (WU concrete) to a basement specialist and then request a carpenter for the upper floors. Your general contractor wouldn’t handle it differently anyway.
I would first consider whether placing the living area on the ground floor makes more sense. That way, there’s less structure to build upwards.
Thank you for your response!
One of the most important criteria for us is that the living area receives sunlight throughout most of the day. Therefore, having the living floor on the ground level is not an option due to the orientation (west/northwest).
The basement contractor has provided a very detailed quote.
In the quote for the current basement, earthworks and sewer installation are budgeted at 25,000 euros net, of which roughly 9,000 euros net are allocated to excavation (700 m³ (925 cubic yards)) and disposal at the landfill (40 hours of articulated truck). The landfill costs for 500 m³ (655 cubic yards) are about 10,000 euros net. We are currently checking whether the excavated soil can be reused elsewhere as fill material.
The actual construction of the basement, including 10 cm (4 inches) of XPS insulation, amounts to 66,000 euros net.
My question:
Am I making a rough mistake in estimating the costs for the larger basement if I simply scale the costs for concrete, steel, and excavation proportionally based on the volume of the larger basement?
For the wooden house above, we strongly favor a local carpentry company specialized in timber house construction that has an excellent reputation here. They also gave us the best offer for the house planned so far.
It is more difficult to estimate the costs here, as we do not yet have such a detailed quote.
The basement contractor and the house builder work together as a well-coordinated team.
We would very likely stick with both providers because we had a very good feeling with each of them—no pressure, very transparent, and family-oriented.
Best regards,
WBR
One of the most important criteria for us is that the living area receives sunlight throughout most of the day. Therefore, having the living floor on the ground level is not an option due to the orientation (west/northwest).
The basement contractor has provided a very detailed quote.
In the quote for the current basement, earthworks and sewer installation are budgeted at 25,000 euros net, of which roughly 9,000 euros net are allocated to excavation (700 m³ (925 cubic yards)) and disposal at the landfill (40 hours of articulated truck). The landfill costs for 500 m³ (655 cubic yards) are about 10,000 euros net. We are currently checking whether the excavated soil can be reused elsewhere as fill material.
The actual construction of the basement, including 10 cm (4 inches) of XPS insulation, amounts to 66,000 euros net.
My question:
Am I making a rough mistake in estimating the costs for the larger basement if I simply scale the costs for concrete, steel, and excavation proportionally based on the volume of the larger basement?
For the wooden house above, we strongly favor a local carpentry company specialized in timber house construction that has an excellent reputation here. They also gave us the best offer for the house planned so far.
It is more difficult to estimate the costs here, as we do not yet have such a detailed quote.
The basement contractor and the house builder work together as a well-coordinated team.
We would very likely stick with both providers because we had a very good feeling with each of them—no pressure, very transparent, and family-oriented.
Best regards,
WBR
Thank you all for your honest feedback.
We are increasingly recognizing the advantages of the two-story designs. Even during the very first sketches, we were able to find better solutions to some of the site challenges than after half a year of struggling with three-story options.
...and we ask ourselves why this idea hadn’t occurred to us earlier.
If it’s okay, I would like to upload a sketch of a two-story design here.
Best regards,
WBR
We are increasingly recognizing the advantages of the two-story designs. Even during the very first sketches, we were able to find better solutions to some of the site challenges than after half a year of struggling with three-story options.
...and we ask ourselves why this idea hadn’t occurred to us earlier.
If it’s okay, I would like to upload a sketch of a two-story design here.
Best regards,
WBR
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