ᐅ Feedback on the first floor plan draft (single-family house, urban villa, basement plus two full stories)
Created on: 29 Mar 2026 20:57
M
Messi_37
Hello everyone,
we would like to present our first floor plan draft and ask for your honest feedback.
The house is planned for 2 adults and possibly 2 children in the future and will be built on a plot in the second row in a rural area. We are currently in the design phase and welcome all constructive comments and suggestions for improvement.
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: approx. 1,000m2 (10,764 sq ft)
Slope: no, flat terrain
Floor area ratio: 0.4
Plot ratio: 0.5
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: 6m (20 ft) behind neighboring buildings
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of stories: 2 full floors
Roof style: gable or hip roof
Client requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: detached single-family house with hip roof, townhouse style
Basement, floors: basement (for technical room, utility room) plus 2 full floors
Number of occupants, age: 2 adults + 2 young children
Space requirements on the ground floor: open kitchen with dining area, separable living room, office for home office and possibly later a bedroom on the ground floor, guest WC ideally with shower, mudroom (direct access to the garage)
Space requirements on the upper floor: bathroom, master bedroom with walk-in closet, 2 children’s rooms
Office: for family use or home office? Needed for home office
Number of overnight guests per year: none
Open or closed architecture: open ground floor (except living room), closed upper floor
Conservative or modern design: rather conservative
Kitchen: open kitchen with cooking island, living room separable
Number of dining seats: 6-8
Fireplace: not required
Music/stereo wall: not required
Balcony, roof terrace: not required
Garage, carport: desire for a double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: yes, sufficient space available. Terrace facing south and west
House design
Planner: architect
What do you especially like? South-/west-facing living area on the ground floor
What do you not like? Layout of office/guest room, children’s rooms upstairs very large
Cost estimate by architect/planner: not yet available
Personal budget limit including equipment: 750k
Preferred heating system: ground source heat pump with floor heating
What could you do without?
- Can give up: mudroom/direct access to garage, shower in guest WC (no space in current plan anyway), pantry in dining area (could possibly be relocated to the entrance area)
- Cannot give up:
Why is the plan like it is now?
Standard design from the planner? no
Which requests have been implemented by the architect? Almost all, except for the shower in the guest WC
What do you consider particularly good or bad?
Positive: south-/west orientation of living/dining area, all “desired rooms” included
Negative: house overall already somewhat generous despite basement, children’s rooms too large, office on ground floor poorly shaped, kitchen (U-shape) a bit narrow, bathroom upstairs also not small, possibly more windows on ground floor (south/west) possible
We are aware that the problem of the large children’s rooms could be solved relatively easily (giving up basement, moving utility room upstairs), but if the budget allows, we prefer not to give up the basement.
We look forward to your honest feedback!
What would you improve or arrange differently?
Thanks in advance for your time and suggestions!!
we would like to present our first floor plan draft and ask for your honest feedback.
The house is planned for 2 adults and possibly 2 children in the future and will be built on a plot in the second row in a rural area. We are currently in the design phase and welcome all constructive comments and suggestions for improvement.
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: approx. 1,000m2 (10,764 sq ft)
Slope: no, flat terrain
Floor area ratio: 0.4
Plot ratio: 0.5
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: 6m (20 ft) behind neighboring buildings
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of stories: 2 full floors
Roof style: gable or hip roof
Client requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: detached single-family house with hip roof, townhouse style
Basement, floors: basement (for technical room, utility room) plus 2 full floors
Number of occupants, age: 2 adults + 2 young children
Space requirements on the ground floor: open kitchen with dining area, separable living room, office for home office and possibly later a bedroom on the ground floor, guest WC ideally with shower, mudroom (direct access to the garage)
Space requirements on the upper floor: bathroom, master bedroom with walk-in closet, 2 children’s rooms
Office: for family use or home office? Needed for home office
Number of overnight guests per year: none
Open or closed architecture: open ground floor (except living room), closed upper floor
Conservative or modern design: rather conservative
Kitchen: open kitchen with cooking island, living room separable
Number of dining seats: 6-8
Fireplace: not required
Music/stereo wall: not required
Balcony, roof terrace: not required
Garage, carport: desire for a double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: yes, sufficient space available. Terrace facing south and west
House design
Planner: architect
What do you especially like? South-/west-facing living area on the ground floor
What do you not like? Layout of office/guest room, children’s rooms upstairs very large
Cost estimate by architect/planner: not yet available
Personal budget limit including equipment: 750k
Preferred heating system: ground source heat pump with floor heating
What could you do without?
- Can give up: mudroom/direct access to garage, shower in guest WC (no space in current plan anyway), pantry in dining area (could possibly be relocated to the entrance area)
- Cannot give up:
Why is the plan like it is now?
Standard design from the planner? no
Which requests have been implemented by the architect? Almost all, except for the shower in the guest WC
What do you consider particularly good or bad?
Positive: south-/west orientation of living/dining area, all “desired rooms” included
Negative: house overall already somewhat generous despite basement, children’s rooms too large, office on ground floor poorly shaped, kitchen (U-shape) a bit narrow, bathroom upstairs also not small, possibly more windows on ground floor (south/west) possible
We are aware that the problem of the large children’s rooms could be solved relatively easily (giving up basement, moving utility room upstairs), but if the budget allows, we prefer not to give up the basement.
We look forward to your honest feedback!
What would you improve or arrange differently?
Thanks in advance for your time and suggestions!!
What kind of neighbors are those whose terrace has the unfortunate view – a thrice-removed cousin involved in a mixed marriage?
If I already hid my house from the mail carrier through such convoluted paths, blocking out the light would be the last thing I would consider. Therefore, I suspect there are reasons that are hard for a reasonable person to understand.
I was already familiar with air-raid shelters, but privacy shelters are new to me ;-)
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
If I already hid my house from the mail carrier through such convoluted paths, blocking out the light would be the last thing I would consider. Therefore, I suspect there are reasons that are hard for a reasonable person to understand.
I was already familiar with air-raid shelters, but privacy shelters are new to me ;-)
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
Without a basement, the budget will be sufficient. And without a basement, Mr. Hanghaus?H
hanghaus202331 Mar 2026 14:50ypg schrieb:
And no basement, Mr. Hanghaus? The architect will find a place to accommodate the technical installations somehow.
ypg schrieb:
And no basement, Mr. Hanghaus? No basement (and only like that, if I understand correctly – a smart move I agree with) seems possible within the budget.
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
The architect will still find a place to accommodate the technical equipment. Precisely because of these components, which may serve merely as a justification for a luxury basement but are actually necessary for daily living, a basement cannot simply be dismissed. Those interested in a luxury basement (the so-called mancave users) are happy in a way, as they can claim the basement is indispensable, thereby somewhat absolving themselves.
However, it should be noted for all readers that the smart conclusion is quite different: the basement question must be clarified as a key issue in the overall building design very early in the planning process.
By the way, the word ‘technical’ has two syllables: tech and nical – and that’s exactly how the technical installations can be arranged, meaning ducts, control systems, and service entries do not necessarily have to be housed together in a single compact room. Keeping this in mind can relieve a lot of headaches. Cars that have the battery in the trunk aren’t necessarily the worst example.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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