I kindly ask you to review the floor plan of our future house and thank you in advance for your time and attention. The floor plan has not yet been reviewed by an architect.
--> Despite many efforts, I was unable to make the drawings larger. They originate from Sweet Home, were converted into a PDF, and then into a JPEG. If there is a better way to do this, please let me know. Otherwise, I hope it won't be too much trouble for you to enlarge the floor plans on your computer. It is possible, but as mentioned, I could not upload them in a larger size on this site. :-(
Now, here are the answers to the questionnaire:
QUESTIONNAIRE
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 567 sqm (almost rectangular, only slightly trapezoidal)
Slope: no (barely noticeable visually, maximum 1-2%)
Site coverage ratio: 0.35
Floor area ratio: 0.8
Single-family house / semi-detached allowed
Building type: detached
Building envelope, building line and boundary: to be measured yet, but the chosen house fits within it, as does a garage/carport for two cars
Setbacks: allowed for garage etc., otherwise the usual three meters (about 10 feet) distance
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of stories: two full stories
Roof type: hipped roof
Architectural style: unknown
Orientation: not yet determined
Maximum heights / limits: “Difference between finished floor level of ground floor and ridge height of main roof max. 11.5 meters (38 feet)“; “Difference between finished floor level of ground floor and eaves height of main roof max. 7.0 meters (23 feet)”
Other specifications: So far, we have only interpreted the development plan as laypersons. After the architect’s consultation, I will provide further details. For now, due to discretion, we do not want to publish the development plan, site plan, cadastral excerpt, etc. online, since we are currently only focusing on the house floor plan, not on its location on the plot. We also need to wait for the surveyor’s results on this.
Homeowners’ requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: unknown, hipped roof, single-family home for two adults
Basement, stories: no basement, two full stories
Number of occupants, age: 2 adults
Room requirements ground floor / upper floor:
GF – kitchen, guest bathroom with shower, living room, utility room for technical equipment and hobbies.
UF – master bathroom with sauna, bedroom, two “closet and storage rooms” (larger one also usable as guest room)
Office: family use or home office? Exclusively for the couple
Overnight guests per year: 10 nights
Open or closed architecture: ?
Conservative or modern design: ?
Open kitchen, kitchen island: closed kitchen
Number of dining seats: 2-4 in the kitchen, 6-8 in the living room
Fireplace: yes, in the living room
Music / stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: neither
Garage, carport: for two cars
Utility garden, greenhouse: neither, except for some tomatoes and possibly raspberries
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons for preferences or exclusions
House design
Planner:
- Do-it-yourself
What do you like most? Why?
Nothing particularly stands out; the floor plan is pragmatic and kept simple due to our financial situation. We emphasize brightness, openness, and transparency in every room, aiming for as many windows (or door windows) of the same shape and size as possible. Except for the main entrance side on the ground floor, all openings are floor-to-ceiling windows or patio doors, allowing direct outdoor access from every room. On the upper floor, the windows should be identically sized and arranged as symmetrically as possible. Due to budget constraints, practical reasons, and the extra cost and maintenance of window grilles (instead of mullions), we decided against using door windows upstairs.
What do you dislike? Why?
Everything is satisfactory and fits our budget. We would prefer more door windows.
Price estimate by architect/planner: fixed, already commissioned offer/order EUR 312,780.00 (house only, excluding garage/carport, landscaping, incidental construction costs, land, etc.)
Personal budget limit for the house including fittings: EUR 400,000.00
Preferred heating technology: gas condensing boiler plus solar thermal system (according to legal requirements)
If you have to give up something, which details/extras
- Can give up: possibly a new kitchen
- Cannot give up: window muntins (grids)
Why is the design as it is now?
There has been no architect consultation yet. The floor plan is a mix of example floor plans from various prefab home providers and our own ideas and requirements. Two special features for a relatively small house are, in our view, the somewhat larger utility room (which should be nearly like a second kitchen for hobbies) and the sauna in the master bathroom, which required a larger bathroom than we would need without the sauna.
What do you consider particularly good or bad about it?
Good:
Bad:
--> Despite many efforts, I was unable to make the drawings larger. They originate from Sweet Home, were converted into a PDF, and then into a JPEG. If there is a better way to do this, please let me know. Otherwise, I hope it won't be too much trouble for you to enlarge the floor plans on your computer. It is possible, but as mentioned, I could not upload them in a larger size on this site. :-(
Now, here are the answers to the questionnaire:
QUESTIONNAIRE
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 567 sqm (almost rectangular, only slightly trapezoidal)
Slope: no (barely noticeable visually, maximum 1-2%)
Site coverage ratio: 0.35
Floor area ratio: 0.8
Single-family house / semi-detached allowed
Building type: detached
Building envelope, building line and boundary: to be measured yet, but the chosen house fits within it, as does a garage/carport for two cars
Setbacks: allowed for garage etc., otherwise the usual three meters (about 10 feet) distance
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of stories: two full stories
Roof type: hipped roof
Architectural style: unknown
Orientation: not yet determined
Maximum heights / limits: “Difference between finished floor level of ground floor and ridge height of main roof max. 11.5 meters (38 feet)“; “Difference between finished floor level of ground floor and eaves height of main roof max. 7.0 meters (23 feet)”
Other specifications: So far, we have only interpreted the development plan as laypersons. After the architect’s consultation, I will provide further details. For now, due to discretion, we do not want to publish the development plan, site plan, cadastral excerpt, etc. online, since we are currently only focusing on the house floor plan, not on its location on the plot. We also need to wait for the surveyor’s results on this.
Homeowners’ requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: unknown, hipped roof, single-family home for two adults
Basement, stories: no basement, two full stories
Number of occupants, age: 2 adults
Room requirements ground floor / upper floor:
GF – kitchen, guest bathroom with shower, living room, utility room for technical equipment and hobbies.
UF – master bathroom with sauna, bedroom, two “closet and storage rooms” (larger one also usable as guest room)
Office: family use or home office? Exclusively for the couple
Overnight guests per year: 10 nights
Open or closed architecture: ?
Conservative or modern design: ?
Open kitchen, kitchen island: closed kitchen
Number of dining seats: 2-4 in the kitchen, 6-8 in the living room
Fireplace: yes, in the living room
Music / stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: neither
Garage, carport: for two cars
Utility garden, greenhouse: neither, except for some tomatoes and possibly raspberries
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons for preferences or exclusions
House design
Planner:
- Do-it-yourself
What do you like most? Why?
Nothing particularly stands out; the floor plan is pragmatic and kept simple due to our financial situation. We emphasize brightness, openness, and transparency in every room, aiming for as many windows (or door windows) of the same shape and size as possible. Except for the main entrance side on the ground floor, all openings are floor-to-ceiling windows or patio doors, allowing direct outdoor access from every room. On the upper floor, the windows should be identically sized and arranged as symmetrically as possible. Due to budget constraints, practical reasons, and the extra cost and maintenance of window grilles (instead of mullions), we decided against using door windows upstairs.
What do you dislike? Why?
Everything is satisfactory and fits our budget. We would prefer more door windows.
Price estimate by architect/planner: fixed, already commissioned offer/order EUR 312,780.00 (house only, excluding garage/carport, landscaping, incidental construction costs, land, etc.)
Personal budget limit for the house including fittings: EUR 400,000.00
Preferred heating technology: gas condensing boiler plus solar thermal system (according to legal requirements)
If you have to give up something, which details/extras
- Can give up: possibly a new kitchen
- Cannot give up: window muntins (grids)
Why is the design as it is now?
There has been no architect consultation yet. The floor plan is a mix of example floor plans from various prefab home providers and our own ideas and requirements. Two special features for a relatively small house are, in our view, the somewhat larger utility room (which should be nearly like a second kitchen for hobbies) and the sauna in the master bathroom, which required a larger bathroom than we would need without the sauna.
What do you consider particularly good or bad about it?
Good:
- We live as a couple only, so each of us has one closet and “storage” room
- The guest bathroom on the ground floor will also include a shower
- We own few pieces of furniture and value pictures and plants more, which allows us to have many windows and glazed doors
Bad:
- Relatively narrow hallways What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
- For now, our concern refers only to the house floor plan, not its placement on the plot, as we are still waiting for information from the surveyor and architect. We welcome suggestions for improvements, additions, and criticism. It is important to us that the house looks harmonious, balanced, and “pleasing” from the outside. Due to lack of expertise in architectural harmony or facade design, we initially focused only on symmetry in the exterior facade. We do not want a house that looks unstructured or chaotic from the outside. Nor do we want too many different window shapes and sizes. On the ground floor, every room should allow access to the garden.
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Pinkiponk5 Jan 2020 23:01ypg schrieb:
...
The link is right at the top there.Thanks, I’ve found your blog now. I really, really like your house. For a house like that, I would also deviate from perfect symmetry.Pinkiponk schrieb:
Thank you, I have now found your blog. I really, really like your house. For a house like that, I would also depart from symmetry.Oh.... thank you
Pinkiponk schrieb:
Thanks, I just found your blog. I really, really like your house. For a house like that, I would also be willing to deviate from symmetry.Do you mean you would get used to it?
Pinkiponk schrieb:
Single-family house / duplex allowed So, practically only single-family houses are allowed in your area if I interpret the "cadastral map" correctly, since apparently there are detached houses on both neighboring lots.
Pinkiponk schrieb:
I mixed up east and west in the drawings. Thirty years after the reunification of the “new federal states,” I’d call that a successful reunification. And take comfort, I’m the same: when the highways below me reach “western standards,” I know I’ve crossed through Hessian Siberia and am now in Thuringia.
Pinkiponk schrieb:
Symmetry or rather external harmony is quite important to us. If you explain the purpose behind this preference, we can adjust our advice accordingly. On its own, symmetry is just a pattern without inherent value.
Pinkiponk schrieb:
I still need some time to process the zoning plan for online use. Most municipalities have already processed their zoning plans "for online use."
Pinkiponk schrieb:
to anonymize the zoning plan That would be the most ill-advised idea because it would shift the balance between qualified responders and those expressing only opinions to your disadvantage.
Pinkiponk schrieb:
The offer was based on the floor plans including windows and patio doors (and small details like outdoor faucets, etc.). Those suitable as a basis for the offer would appear earliest around post #180 in this thread (?)
Pinkiponk schrieb:
It is a "promotional house" that we have modified slightly. Oh dear, you really don’t want to know what nightmares that phrase gives me.
Pinkiponk schrieb:
The house can also be cost-neutral if rectangular, but we'd prefer it square. Secondly: see the symmetry aspect; and first: that would render the basis of the "promotional house" absurd, if you ask me.
Pinkiponk schrieb:
according to which criteria forum members decide which floor plans to comment on and in which order. I can, of course, only speak for myself, and I think everyone handles this differently:
For question 1) if the degree of hopelessness of the plans is high, the sympathy for the original poster is low, and their resistance to advice is high, then possibly not at all; otherwise, question 2) applies: first in - first out, otherwise I would hardly be able to keep up with the new posts list.
Pinkiponk schrieb:
But I’m probably on many ignore lists. Good gracious, that was mostly joking.
Pinkiponk schrieb:
The floor plan is pragmatic and simple, based on our financial situation. Pinkiponk schrieb:
Well, in the worst case we’ll cancel the contract again, which costs about as much as a double garage’s worth, and we’ll have to live with that. Pinkiponk schrieb:
The number and size of the windows also depend on whether we decide for shutters (a substantial cost factor) or against. Pinky0301 schrieb:
You don’t want to be annoyed for the rest of your life about, for example, the sink being in the wrong place. If there is one thing more certain than the pension (as Norbert Blüm said), it is this: that shutters (for a house about the size of what you call an “Anstattvilla” measuring 940) do not cost as much as a double garage.
Overall, I have to say: I am extremely disappointed. First, you appear here as someone who almost kills themselves gathering information in countless individual threads, and then this: a “replacement villa” with the minor modification of reinterpreting kids’ rooms as “the kids are already out of the house” rooms; and after many weeks of intensive reading, an incredible ignorance of the absolute basic principle that with wastewater the darker the color on the plans, the more literally "downpipe" should be interpreted as vertical — because in this example it looks as if only one of the two floors was mirrored east-west. My cry of anguish nearly woke the whole house when I saw this thread :-(
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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Pinkiponk6 Jan 2020 09:07opalau schrieb:
You mean you would get used to it? No, I find YPG’s house impressive both immediately and in the long term. In my opinion, it is outstanding, fascinating, and exciting in a positive way. When you see the house, you want to meet the owners and, at least I do, inquisitively ask them about their experiences and inner world.
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Pinkiponk6 Jan 2020 09:5411ant schrieb:
So for you, it’s practically only detached houses, if I’m interpreting the “cadastral plan” correctly, since on the neighboring plots on both sides there apparently are detached houses.Yes, I should have mentioned that. It will be a detached single-family house. I once considered two semi-detached houses with a shared wall in the middle (which would be allowed according to the development plan), but that turned out to be too expensive.11ant schrieb:
Thirty years after the reunification of the "new federal states," I’d call that a successful reunification. And, take comfort, I’m the same: when the highways beneath me have "western standard," I know I’ve just crossed Hessian Siberia and entered Thuringia. Now I have a mnemonic for the directions: NS and Wo. Otherwise, I agree with you completely. I love the highways in the East, and so many still without speed limits.
Off topic: If you don’t know it yet, you can look up “Olaf Schubert golden guardrails” on YouTube, really funny, in my opinion.
11ant schrieb:
If you explain the reasoning behind this preference, we can adjust our thinking accordingly. Symmetry by itself is just a pattern without value.For me, symmetry in housebuilding represents calm, appealing, classic, harmonious architecture; maybe even “pleasing,” which isn’t necessarily a compliment but suits my taste.11ant schrieb:
Most municipalities have already “digitized” their development plans for the internet. Once we have the architect’s plans and they are recorded in the land registry, I will upload all plans and documents here without anonymization. That will be linked with an invitation to visit the construction site.11ant schrieb:
That would be the worst possible idea, because it would shift the balance between qualified responses and mere opinions to your disadvantage.Okay, I’ll keep your advice in mind.11ant schrieb:
Those suitable as a basis for offers will have appeared no earlier than post #180 in this thread (?)I don’t understand that.11ant schrieb:
Oh dear, you really don’t want to know what nightmares I had after those words.I know people who find nightmares exciting because they’re thrilling. I agree with you that there isn’t much left of that “pre-configured house.” Essentially, everything except the square shape is different, so I shouldn’t really call it that anymore. It’s not stated anywhere in the offer or the contract.11ant schrieb:
I can only answer for myself, everyone handles it differently:
To question 1) if the degree of hopelessness of the plans is high, the degree of sympathy for the OP is low, and the degree of resistance to advice is high, then maybe not at all; otherwise, proceed to question 2) first in – first out, otherwise I couldn’t keep up with the list of new posts.I am very grateful for every tip and comment from you and the other forum members. I will implement most of them. I hope I can come back here with the architect’s plans/development plan, as I trust you all more. I’m also very glad I gave up the whirlpool bathtub. I absolutely don’t want it anymore, and I have already agreed on this with my husband.
11ant schrieb:
Good Goddess, that was mostly sarcasm.Not entirely off base; at the beginning, I did get, hmm, two rather grumpy comments about my mistakes.11ant schrieb:
If there is one thing that is even more certain than the pension (according to Norbert Blüm), it’s this: that functioning shutters (for a house the size of a villa) do not cost the equivalent of a double garage.I don’t know what you mean. Functional shutters cost around 25,000 to 30,000 euros. (Decorative shutters are, of course, cheaper, but not by much.) I thought the comparison was roughly correct, though I haven’t analyzed every detail.11ant schrieb:
Overall, I have to say: I am extremely disappointed.I’m sorry to hear that, especially coming from you.11ant schrieb:
First you appear here as someone who is almost half-totally informed in countless individual threads, and then this: a villa with a small modification, interpreting children’s rooms as “the children have already left the house” rooms; and with an incredible ignorance after many weeks of intensive reading of the absolute basic fact that darker colors in wastewater should be interpreted literally, the term “soil pipe” to be understood as vertical—because this example looks as if only one of the two floors has been mirrored east-west.I don’t understand the wastewater issue. Presumably, the architect will explain it to me.11ant schrieb:
My cry of pain almost woke the whole house when I saw this thread :-(Please don’t torment yourself; it’s just the standard house of a stranger.I’m building a house for the first time, and my husband and I currently only have a roughly suitable floor plan as a basis for the discussion with the architect. We know that on the ground floor there should be only French doors (patio doors) so that from every room you can step out into the garden or the surrounding terrace. Upstairs, considering the shutters, the corresponding number of windows. If there are no shutters, then more windows and French doors. That makes the floor plan design a bit tricky for me, but I rely on the professional support of the architect.
A rough idea (red roof, no bay window, only French doors on the ground floor, and somewhat larger windows upstairs) is shown in the attached photo. Probably boring, but I like it.
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