ᐅ Floor Plan of an Urban Villa in Saxony-Anhalt – Review and Suggestions

Good evening everyone,

My partner and I have reserved a plot of land in Saxony-Anhalt (P38a – see attachment Grundstück_P38a_001) with an almost north-south orientation, measuring 873 sqm (9,395 sq ft) (we have the option to withdraw from the reservation). The plot is tied to a developer. The start of construction is planned for Q3/2021. For about six months, we have been considering our wishes and how we want our house to look. We have looked at some floor plans from friends and received various layouts from homebuilders. From this, our first draft was created with the plot in mind. The developer prepared the initial designs based on sketches and our requests. We are currently in the preliminary planning stage to receive an offer for the realization of the entire project.

We have also already met with a financial advisor to get an overview of different financing models and to discuss our budget of 500,000 €.

Now, about our house. We will have neighbors on the west and south sides. The plot measures 25 m (width west-east) x 35 m (length north-south) (82 ft x 115 ft). It has almost a north-south alignment. The building envelope on the plot measures 17 m x 22 m (56 ft x 72 ft). A 3 m (10 ft) setback from the street must be maintained. We are allowed to build the garage on the property line next to the neighbor. That is why we have placed the garage there, so we do not "lose" any space. However, due to our floor plan and the garage's position, we were not able to create a direct connection between the utility room and the garage. We would like to build an urban villa.

We appreciate any tips and suggestions. We have concerns about the staircase and the two hallways. We would like to integrate a pantry into the kitchen and reconsider the position of the fireplace. Also, we are uncertain about the window arrangement and whether the house might be too dark.

Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 873 sqm (9,395 sq ft). 25x35 m (82x115 ft)
Slope: No
Site coverage ratio (Grundflächenzahl): 0.2
Floor area ratio (Geschossflächenzahl): 0.4
Building envelope, building line and boundary: Building envelope: 17x22 m (56x72 ft), 3 m (10 ft) from the street
Border development: No. We have neighbors to the south and west
Number of parking spaces: 2 in front of the garage, 1 next to the garage, and one double garage
Number of floors: 2 – maximum ridge height allowed is 9.6 m (31.5 ft)
Roof type: Hipped roof. Any roof shape is allowed. If a flat roof is chosen, it must be greened (vegetated)
Architectural style: We prefer an urban villa, but all styles are permitted in the development area
Orientation: Almost north-south
Maximum heights/limits: maximum ridge height 9.6 m (31.5 ft) allowed
Other requirements: The garage must have a green roof, and a tree must be planted on the north side by the street.

Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Urban villa with hipped roof and attic, usable as storage
Basement, floors: Two floors without a basement
Number of occupants, age: 2 adults (32 and 27 years old), 2 children planned
House size: approximately 150-165 sqm (1,615-1,775 sq ft)
Space requirements, ground floor (GF), upper floor (UF):
GF: Kitchen, pantry (not yet shown), utility room, bathroom, living-dining area
UF: 2 children's rooms, 1 guest room, 1 bathroom, 1 master bedroom
Office: For guests
Overnight guests per year: Occasionally
Open or closed architecture: Closed
Conservative or modern construction: Conservative
Open kitchen, kitchen island: Kitchen should be separable from the living-dining area by sliding doors. We are undecided about the kitchen island.
Number of dining seats: 8
Fireplace: Yes. Still unsure about the position. Ideally, it would be next to the door to the living-dining area.
Music/Stereo wall: No
Balcony, roof terrace: No
Garage, carport: Double garage, masonry
Utility garden, greenhouse: No
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons why some things are wanted or not:
We separated the garage from the house because we think otherwise the living-dining area will be too dark. We want the kitchen on the east side to catch the morning sun.

House Design
Planner:
- Planner from a construction company: Yes, based on our initial drafts
- Architect: No
- Do it yourself: Yes
What do you like most and why?:
The living area and the window front, because this is supposed to be our main living space.
What don’t you like and why?:
- Fireplace position, because it divides the living-dining area too much
- Hallway and staircase situation. We are not sure if it will work as currently arranged.
- Lighting conditions. We are uncertain if the layout will be bright enough.

Price estimate from architect/planner: Not available yet
Personal price limit for house, including equipment: 500,000 €, including land
Preferred heating system: Geothermal with drilling

If You Have to Cut Back, on which details/features?
- Can do without: sliding door in the living-dining area
- Cannot do without: double garage, guest room, large living-dining area, shower on the ground floor

Why is the design like this?
We have been thinking about our wishes and how the house should look for about six months. We reviewed some floor plans from friends and various house designs from homebuilders. Our first draft was created with the plot in mind. The developer made the initial designs based on our sketches and requests. We are still in preliminary planning to obtain an offer for the overall project.

What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Please provide suggestions for the floor plan. How can we improve the staircase and two hallways? Arrangement of fireplace and size of pantry? What works well? What doesn’t?

ViPlan_20201210_auf_Grundstück_002 shows the view of the plot. It still depicts the ground floor, but it shows the wrong ground floor. That version was too large for us.

Thank you very much for your suggestions.

martbir_2021