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
Cinderella775 Jul 2015 17:40Thanks to you too, Olli, for the feedback.
The bathroom on the upper floor is just an idea. As mentioned before, we are open to suggestions for improvement. Or do the experts here think it’s not possible to arrange it at all? If so, then as laypeople, there’s no point in trying further.
The staircase makes or breaks the floor plan. Again, I ask the experts for advice: Setting aside that the room layout would be completely different, if we rotate the staircase and want a comfortable quarter-turn staircase instead of a half-turn staircase, can that even work in a house of this size, 9.20 m x 10.80 m (30 ft 2 in x 35 ft 5 in)?
The bathroom on the upper floor is just an idea. As mentioned before, we are open to suggestions for improvement. Or do the experts here think it’s not possible to arrange it at all? If so, then as laypeople, there’s no point in trying further.
The staircase makes or breaks the floor plan. Again, I ask the experts for advice: Setting aside that the room layout would be completely different, if we rotate the staircase and want a comfortable quarter-turn staircase instead of a half-turn staircase, can that even work in a house of this size, 9.20 m x 10.80 m (30 ft 2 in x 35 ft 5 in)?
Cinderella775 Jul 2015 20:54I have revised the floor plan again, straightened the walls, and redesigned the kitchen. The most challenging part is the bathroom on the upper floor because the door cannot be moved due to the staircase, and we are unsure where the best place for the shower would be. We’re probably a bit too close to the project to see it clearly, but I don’t want to give up quickly and start all over again. We have already invested so much time. What do you think?
Ground floor and upper floor variant 2:
Ground floor and upper floor variant 2:
Cinderella775 Jul 2015 21:09Oops, while editing the ground floor plan disappeared ops:
There is a huge opening in the kitchen, and the seating is squeezed into the corner.
The table placed across... that surprises me, because a table about 180cm (71 inches) long would only allow 60cm (24 inches) clearance at the top and bottom... hmm.
I still don’t understand the bay window at the top of the plan.
Could you achieve the single-story design with a ridge height of 9m (30 feet) by only using part of the attic space, but with standard ceiling height and a roof with a shallow pitch?
The table placed across... that surprises me, because a table about 180cm (71 inches) long would only allow 60cm (24 inches) clearance at the top and bottom... hmm.
I still don’t understand the bay window at the top of the plan.
Could you achieve the single-story design with a ridge height of 9m (30 feet) by only using part of the attic space, but with standard ceiling height and a roof with a shallow pitch?
Cinderella775 Jul 2015 23:22@kbt09: Yes, I also noticed the gap in the kitchen. So it’s definitely not narrow. I’m just missing that brilliant idea to make good use of all the space. The peninsula could still be moved a bit to the left.
I want to have plenty of storage because that’s what I lack in my current kitchen.
I’m not sure if reducing the size of the upper floor and having a flat roof would still keep it single-story. But it would definitely cost us important storage space in the attic.
If we extend the wall between the kitchen and living room straight into the bay window, we lose the space for the dining table. And the kitchen becomes even bigger.
Oh, and of course, we can rotate the dining table. There’s still enough room to walk past then.
I want to have plenty of storage because that’s what I lack in my current kitchen.
I’m not sure if reducing the size of the upper floor and having a flat roof would still keep it single-story. But it would definitely cost us important storage space in the attic.
If we extend the wall between the kitchen and living room straight into the bay window, we lose the space for the dining table. And the kitchen becomes even bigger.
Oh, and of course, we can rotate the dining table. There’s still enough room to walk past then.
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