ᐅ Advice and Tips for House Floor Plans (1.5-Story Single-Family Homes)
Created on: 28 Jun 2015 18:57
C
Cinderella77
Hello fellow homeowners and experts,
After some time of quietly reading and learning, I have now registered and would like to discuss our floor plan design for our dream house.
It has been about six months since we bought our plot, and we have looked at what feels like thousands of floor plans and discarded them, ultimately designing one ourselves because none of the standard plans from homebuilders fit our needs. We have already sent the floor plan to various homebuilders to check and price it. The offers surprisingly didn’t differ much in price, but none gave constructive feedback on whether everything is feasible or practical in the end. As I have read before, every company praised the plan without any criticism, saying what a nice floor plan it is.
Before we sign a homebuilding contract, we would like to hear honest criticism and would be very grateful for advice, tips, ideas, and suggestions for improvement.
About the location of the plot: It is parcel 9 in a small new residential development with 11 plots, at the end of a private dead-end street (which still has to be built).
Unfortunately, the north arrow got lost on the attached graphics; north is at the top, east on the right, south at the bottom, and west on the left. Due to the drinking water protection zone, no further development is allowed to the east. Behind our garden is a northern neighbor’s garden, a stream, and then an open green area with a small path where dogs are walked.
The house elevations still need to be revised carefully in terms of window symmetry.
Now to the list of questions:
Zoning plan/restrictions: Yes
Plot size: 796 sqm (8570 sq ft)
Slope: No
Building coverage ratio: No (only 1 full storey permitted)
Floor area ratio: 0.25
Building envelope, building line and boundary: see below
Edge development
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of storeys: 1 full storey
Roof type: All permitted
Architectural style: All permitted
Orientation: East-West
Maximum height/limits: Ridge height max. 75.5 m above sea level, which for us is about 9 m (30 ft)
Other landscaping requirements: Shrubs along the northern plot boundary, 4 trees
Homeowners’ requirements
Style, roof form, building type: Classic single-family house, gable and half-hip roof
Basement/storeys: 1½ storeys without basement (high groundwater and drinking water protection zone), instead a converted attic
Number of residents, ages: 3 (39, 38, 2) + 3 cats
Space requirements ground floor, upper floor: approx. 140 - 150 sqm (1506 - 1615 sq ft). Ground floor: entrance hall, guest WC, utility/laundry room, kitchen, living room. Upper floor: bedroom, 1 child’s room, 1 study, bathroom
Office: Family use, not home office
Overnight guests per year: few, usually only for celebrations and so far accommodated in hotels
Open or closed architecture: Closed
Conservative or modern building style: Classic-conservative
Open kitchen with island: No
Number of dining places: Small prep and quick snack area in the kitchen, plus a separate dining area
Fireplace: Yes
Music/sound system wall: Yes
Balcony, roof terrace: Balcony
Garage, carport: Carport
Kitchen garden, greenhouse: No
Other wishes/features/daily routine: Entrance hall as a barrier for dirt and cats, a well-accessible staircase, pantry in the kitchen
House design
Who designed the plan:
- Planner from a construction company
- DIY by us
What do you especially like? Everything we wished for is included, bay window and balcony, large utility room
What do you dislike? Upper floor layout not yet optimal,
Bathroom layout (large bathroom but difficult to furnish),
House elevations need improvement,
We are debating the position of the window on the north side in the living room (whether it is necessary at all and if so, where best),
Possibly swapping the guest WC and entrance hall?
Possibly better without pantry in the kitchen?
Price estimate by architect/planner: 230,000 - 240,000
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: 250,000
Preferred heating system: Gas boiler and solar, geothermal not possible because of drinking water protection zone 3
If you had to give up certain details/extensions
- What could you do without: Basically nothing, maybe the pantry the most
- What could you not do without: Entrance hall
After some time of quietly reading and learning, I have now registered and would like to discuss our floor plan design for our dream house.
It has been about six months since we bought our plot, and we have looked at what feels like thousands of floor plans and discarded them, ultimately designing one ourselves because none of the standard plans from homebuilders fit our needs. We have already sent the floor plan to various homebuilders to check and price it. The offers surprisingly didn’t differ much in price, but none gave constructive feedback on whether everything is feasible or practical in the end. As I have read before, every company praised the plan without any criticism, saying what a nice floor plan it is.
Before we sign a homebuilding contract, we would like to hear honest criticism and would be very grateful for advice, tips, ideas, and suggestions for improvement.
About the location of the plot: It is parcel 9 in a small new residential development with 11 plots, at the end of a private dead-end street (which still has to be built).
Unfortunately, the north arrow got lost on the attached graphics; north is at the top, east on the right, south at the bottom, and west on the left. Due to the drinking water protection zone, no further development is allowed to the east. Behind our garden is a northern neighbor’s garden, a stream, and then an open green area with a small path where dogs are walked.
The house elevations still need to be revised carefully in terms of window symmetry.
Now to the list of questions:
Zoning plan/restrictions: Yes
Plot size: 796 sqm (8570 sq ft)
Slope: No
Building coverage ratio: No (only 1 full storey permitted)
Floor area ratio: 0.25
Building envelope, building line and boundary: see below
Edge development
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of storeys: 1 full storey
Roof type: All permitted
Architectural style: All permitted
Orientation: East-West
Maximum height/limits: Ridge height max. 75.5 m above sea level, which for us is about 9 m (30 ft)
Other landscaping requirements: Shrubs along the northern plot boundary, 4 trees
Homeowners’ requirements
Style, roof form, building type: Classic single-family house, gable and half-hip roof
Basement/storeys: 1½ storeys without basement (high groundwater and drinking water protection zone), instead a converted attic
Number of residents, ages: 3 (39, 38, 2) + 3 cats
Space requirements ground floor, upper floor: approx. 140 - 150 sqm (1506 - 1615 sq ft). Ground floor: entrance hall, guest WC, utility/laundry room, kitchen, living room. Upper floor: bedroom, 1 child’s room, 1 study, bathroom
Office: Family use, not home office
Overnight guests per year: few, usually only for celebrations and so far accommodated in hotels
Open or closed architecture: Closed
Conservative or modern building style: Classic-conservative
Open kitchen with island: No
Number of dining places: Small prep and quick snack area in the kitchen, plus a separate dining area
Fireplace: Yes
Music/sound system wall: Yes
Balcony, roof terrace: Balcony
Garage, carport: Carport
Kitchen garden, greenhouse: No
Other wishes/features/daily routine: Entrance hall as a barrier for dirt and cats, a well-accessible staircase, pantry in the kitchen
House design
Who designed the plan:
- Planner from a construction company
- DIY by us
What do you especially like? Everything we wished for is included, bay window and balcony, large utility room
What do you dislike? Upper floor layout not yet optimal,
Bathroom layout (large bathroom but difficult to furnish),
House elevations need improvement,
We are debating the position of the window on the north side in the living room (whether it is necessary at all and if so, where best),
Possibly swapping the guest WC and entrance hall?
Possibly better without pantry in the kitchen?
Price estimate by architect/planner: 230,000 - 240,000
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: 250,000
Preferred heating system: Gas boiler and solar, geothermal not possible because of drinking water protection zone 3
If you had to give up certain details/extensions
- What could you do without: Basically nothing, maybe the pantry the most
- What could you not do without: Entrance hall
K
karismasen29 Jun 2015 10:24I'm not a structural engineer, but I don't see any load-bearing walls on the upper floor!?
Cinderella7730 Jun 2015 23:37Thank you all for your ideas. I really appreciate the honest feedback. When I have access to my computer again and a bit more time, I’ll try moving some walls around. During the week, unfortunately, I don’t get to it, especially because my little night owl is currently going through a sleepless phase.
We will move the fireplace because it really makes the area too tight. Then we can also shift the passage between the kitchen and dining area to the left. We’re considering not installing a door there at all but instead creating an open passage with an arch.
The kitchen layout is still a topic to work on. I haven’t thought about cross-ventilation yet, so thanks for pointing that out. At the moment, the seating area by the pantry is supposed to be a bench, which I’ve already imagined as pretty cozy. Regarding the pantry, I’m still weighing the pros and cons. It will probably have to give way to the vestibule. But we still have space in the utility room. If the pantry goes, that also opens up new options for placing things.
Bathroom planning… yes, that’s something we really need to focus on. Moving the staircase will be difficult without completely reworking the floor plan. And I’m not keen on half-turn staircases anyway.
The bay window on the north side is "just" there to create more space in the living room. About the orientation again: our current living room only has windows facing east, and we find the natural light sufficient. That’s what we have based our plans on.
We will move the fireplace because it really makes the area too tight. Then we can also shift the passage between the kitchen and dining area to the left. We’re considering not installing a door there at all but instead creating an open passage with an arch.
The kitchen layout is still a topic to work on. I haven’t thought about cross-ventilation yet, so thanks for pointing that out. At the moment, the seating area by the pantry is supposed to be a bench, which I’ve already imagined as pretty cozy. Regarding the pantry, I’m still weighing the pros and cons. It will probably have to give way to the vestibule. But we still have space in the utility room. If the pantry goes, that also opens up new options for placing things.
Bathroom planning… yes, that’s something we really need to focus on. Moving the staircase will be difficult without completely reworking the floor plan. And I’m not keen on half-turn staircases anyway.
The bay window on the north side is "just" there to create more space in the living room. About the orientation again: our current living room only has windows facing east, and we find the natural light sufficient. That’s what we have based our plans on.
Cinderella775 Jul 2015 11:39Hello dear forum community,
I’m done.
However, we are not completely satisfied yet. We think the fireplace has moved to a much better position. The bay window is 1.5 meters deep (5 feet) and 3 meters wide (10 feet) inside. A larger table fits now, and we can still get through the patio door (distance between chairs and wall about 0.7 meters (2 feet 3 inches)). The entrance hall is now wider and less awkwardly shaped. The layout in the guest shower bathroom is very tight. The distance between the sink and the toilet is 0.3 meters (1 foot), and between the shower and the toilet is 0.44 meters (1 foot 5 inches). Is that really enough? The shower measures 0.8 by 0.8 meters (2 feet 7 inches by 2 feet 7 inches).
I redesigned the kitchen based on kbt09's suggestion, but somehow I don’t like it. Neither the exterior view of the gable with the small window facing the garden nor the interior. The pantry was removed in favor of the entrance hall, although I’m still unsure whether there will be enough cabinet space to store provisions properly. The window on the south side downstairs has become wider. I wanted to be able to look out the window while washing up, so the sink is placed all the way to the left. However, this results in a very large distance—3 meters (10 feet)—to the cooktop. I think that’s too much for practical kitchen ergonomics. I believe I once read about a distance of 1.2 meters (4 feet) between stove and sink. I probably have to redesign the entire kitchen plan.
What do you think about the upper floor, especially the bathroom?
I look forward to your comments (if anyone is still inside in this heat ). Now my little one is calling for me first.
I’m done.
However, we are not completely satisfied yet. We think the fireplace has moved to a much better position. The bay window is 1.5 meters deep (5 feet) and 3 meters wide (10 feet) inside. A larger table fits now, and we can still get through the patio door (distance between chairs and wall about 0.7 meters (2 feet 3 inches)). The entrance hall is now wider and less awkwardly shaped. The layout in the guest shower bathroom is very tight. The distance between the sink and the toilet is 0.3 meters (1 foot), and between the shower and the toilet is 0.44 meters (1 foot 5 inches). Is that really enough? The shower measures 0.8 by 0.8 meters (2 feet 7 inches by 2 feet 7 inches).
I redesigned the kitchen based on kbt09's suggestion, but somehow I don’t like it. Neither the exterior view of the gable with the small window facing the garden nor the interior. The pantry was removed in favor of the entrance hall, although I’m still unsure whether there will be enough cabinet space to store provisions properly. The window on the south side downstairs has become wider. I wanted to be able to look out the window while washing up, so the sink is placed all the way to the left. However, this results in a very large distance—3 meters (10 feet)—to the cooktop. I think that’s too much for practical kitchen ergonomics. I believe I once read about a distance of 1.2 meters (4 feet) between stove and sink. I probably have to redesign the entire kitchen plan.
What do you think about the upper floor, especially the bathroom?
I look forward to your comments (if anyone is still inside in this heat ). Now my little one is calling for me first.
I will just say a few words about the kitchen... if the room layout is changed, then the kitchen needs to be completely rethought.
Considering the room size and the location of the tall cabinets, I can imagine a full island placed across the room, with the countertop overhanging at the bottom left side and fitted with a corner bench for seating. Then, on the right side, it might even be possible to create a terrace exit directly from the kitchen. However, some fine-tuning of the walls would be necessary for that.
I still don't understand the upper bay window.
In general, the structural engineering should also be reconsidered. The central walls on the upper floor do not align with the central walls on the ground floor.
Considering the room size and the location of the tall cabinets, I can imagine a full island placed across the room, with the countertop overhanging at the bottom left side and fitted with a corner bench for seating. Then, on the right side, it might even be possible to create a terrace exit directly from the kitchen. However, some fine-tuning of the walls would be necessary for that.
I still don't understand the upper bay window.
In general, the structural engineering should also be reconsidered. The central walls on the upper floor do not align with the central walls on the ground floor.
Cinderella775 Jul 2015 14:22@kbt09: Thanks for your feedback. An island in the middle of the kitchen? I can’t really imagine that. Is it practical if you always have to walk all the way around it? How do you arrange it sensibly? Isn’t that more suited for open floor plans?
Yes, the structural integrity needs to be checked. We are close to signing the house-building contract, but with a company where the architect only reviews it after the contract is signed.
At the moment, I’m considering reducing the kitchen size in favor of the entrance area and the living room. We’ll see when I get back to my computer.
Yes, the structural integrity needs to be checked. We are close to signing the house-building contract, but with a company where the architect only reviews it after the contract is signed.
At the moment, I’m considering reducing the kitchen size in favor of the entrance area and the living room. We’ll see when I get back to my computer.
Hello,
I didn’t find the first draft very impressive, and in my opinion, shifting some walls hasn’t improved it.
Probably due to the staircase location, both the bathroom on the upper floor and the kitchen on the ground floor are long and narrow, making them difficult to furnish. The kitchen involves long walking distances, and the shower in the bathroom is poorly positioned. With a shower tray and a high floor construction, proper drainage is still possible, but a walk-in shower without a tray isn’t feasible.
There are also many corners that hinder furnishing, which are quite common in the living and dining areas.
I would start again with a clean sheet of paper and avoid placing the staircase against a gable wall.
Olli
I didn’t find the first draft very impressive, and in my opinion, shifting some walls hasn’t improved it.
Probably due to the staircase location, both the bathroom on the upper floor and the kitchen on the ground floor are long and narrow, making them difficult to furnish. The kitchen involves long walking distances, and the shower in the bathroom is poorly positioned. With a shower tray and a high floor construction, proper drainage is still possible, but a walk-in shower without a tray isn’t feasible.
There are also many corners that hinder furnishing, which are quite common in the living and dining areas.
I would start again with a clean sheet of paper and avoid placing the staircase against a gable wall.
Olli
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