Hello everyone,
After 10 months, we (my wife, daughter, and I) are now focusing more intensively on our building project.
We have received several offers by now. Since the floor plan I created myself had to be slightly adjusted by the architect due to structural requirements, I would like to get some suggestions from you.
It is very important to us to build naturally. Therefore, we have been in contact with several local timber construction companies. We plan a single-family wooden house with natural insulation materials (KfW 70 standard, preferably better), a basement with a separate entrance, pellet heating system, and a photovoltaic system. Approximately 140 m² (1,507 sq ft) of living space (we plan 3 children, one is already here at a proud 2.5 years old).
Half of the attic (up to the middle wall) will be available as an attic storage area, accessible via a retractable staircase in the hallway. The other half (above the children’s bedrooms) will partly have an exposed roof structure and partly a ceiling. The covered part will be accessible with the help of a step ladder and serve as a play and storage area.
Now to my main questions:
Basement utility room:
- Should the washing machine/dryer remain in the utility room, or as originally planned, be located in the shower/toilet room on the ground floor?
I need about 6-7 m³ (212-247 cubic feet) of space for pellet storage (this volume was sufficient for about 16 months in the house of my father). The rest of the room should be free for the heating system (so approximately 13.5 m² / 145 sq ft remain).
Living/dining room on the ground floor:
- Should the door to the hallway be moved about 1 meter (3 feet)? The idea is that moving it would give me more space for the TV wall/bookshelf.
- Should the wall next to the fireplace be aligned flush with the upper wall, meaning moved 30 cm (12 inches) to the left and shortened by 60 cm (24 inches) at the same time? According to the architect, this is doable and would open up the space.
- Should the kitchen be shortened by one unit (60 cm / 24 inches)? This would make room for, for example, 2 bar stools for a quick breakfast (a wish from my wife). There would still be enough space for the dining table, which would be moved into the corner with a corner bench.
- Large window area: double French doors or sliding doors? (In my opinion, double French doors would be more practical and cost-effective.)
Children’s rooms upstairs:
- Where should the ladder to the play area be placed? Fixed or movable?
Outside:
- Should the entire corner be clad with rusticated cladding or only the upper half? We are completely undecided.
- Windows made of larch wood or colored uPVC? (Clear wood would cost me almost 5,000 more, but we are still unsure.)
If anyone has questions or suggestions, please feel free to share.
Best regards,
Zeiti
After 10 months, we (my wife, daughter, and I) are now focusing more intensively on our building project.
We have received several offers by now. Since the floor plan I created myself had to be slightly adjusted by the architect due to structural requirements, I would like to get some suggestions from you.
It is very important to us to build naturally. Therefore, we have been in contact with several local timber construction companies. We plan a single-family wooden house with natural insulation materials (KfW 70 standard, preferably better), a basement with a separate entrance, pellet heating system, and a photovoltaic system. Approximately 140 m² (1,507 sq ft) of living space (we plan 3 children, one is already here at a proud 2.5 years old).
Half of the attic (up to the middle wall) will be available as an attic storage area, accessible via a retractable staircase in the hallway. The other half (above the children’s bedrooms) will partly have an exposed roof structure and partly a ceiling. The covered part will be accessible with the help of a step ladder and serve as a play and storage area.
Now to my main questions:
Basement utility room:
- Should the washing machine/dryer remain in the utility room, or as originally planned, be located in the shower/toilet room on the ground floor?
I need about 6-7 m³ (212-247 cubic feet) of space for pellet storage (this volume was sufficient for about 16 months in the house of my father). The rest of the room should be free for the heating system (so approximately 13.5 m² / 145 sq ft remain).
Living/dining room on the ground floor:
- Should the door to the hallway be moved about 1 meter (3 feet)? The idea is that moving it would give me more space for the TV wall/bookshelf.
- Should the wall next to the fireplace be aligned flush with the upper wall, meaning moved 30 cm (12 inches) to the left and shortened by 60 cm (24 inches) at the same time? According to the architect, this is doable and would open up the space.
- Should the kitchen be shortened by one unit (60 cm / 24 inches)? This would make room for, for example, 2 bar stools for a quick breakfast (a wish from my wife). There would still be enough space for the dining table, which would be moved into the corner with a corner bench.
- Large window area: double French doors or sliding doors? (In my opinion, double French doors would be more practical and cost-effective.)
Children’s rooms upstairs:
- Where should the ladder to the play area be placed? Fixed or movable?
Outside:
- Should the entire corner be clad with rusticated cladding or only the upper half? We are completely undecided.
- Windows made of larch wood or colored uPVC? (Clear wood would cost me almost 5,000 more, but we are still unsure.)
If anyone has questions or suggestions, please feel free to share.
Best regards,
Zeiti
Zeiti schrieb:
Basement Utility Room:
- Should the washing machine/dryer stay in the utility room, or as originally planned in the bathroom/WC on the ground floor?I would place the washing machine in the 5m² (54 ft²) room in the basement and plan a laundry chute from the top floor all the way down. That way, you can send laundry directly to the washing machine from both bathrooms. Zeiti schrieb:
Living/Dining Room Ground Floor:
- Move the door to the hallway about 1 meter (3 feet) over or not? Reason: moving it would give me more space for the TV wall/bookcase...That’s not that simple. Try drawing the fireplace in first. What kind of unit will go there? If you move the door, you’ll probably want to reverse the door swing too. Then you’d be hiding the fireplace behind the door, which could be a fire hazard in the worst case. And that would be pointless since you want the fireplace or stove to be visible. I had the same issue and ended up having the door swing into the hallway. Our living room door is usually open anyway, so it’s not really in the way. I’d probably remove the wall that juts into the living room from the kitchen like a hook and plan a big fireplace there.Move the chimney flue above and below into the hallway. If you want to connect a pellet heating system there, it needs to be a double flue, right? Then I’d plan at least 20 cm (8 inches) extra for that.
But I can’t move the living room door any closer to the kitchen. The fireplace would have to completely change its position.
Zeiti schrieb:
- Shorten the kitchen by one module (60 cm / 24 inches)? Then there would be room for, e.g., two bar stools for quick breakfasts (my wife’s wish). There is enough space for the dining table anyway, since it’s pushed into the corner with a corner bench. 😉Well, if the lady of the house wants it, I’d give in, but with this floor plan, I find it totally unnecessary. The table is already right next to the kitchen. That would be like having a table next to the table. I think that’s nonsense. Zeiti schrieb:
- Large window area: double door or sliding door? (Double doors would be more practical and cheaper in my opinion) I find sliding doors annoying – but everyone will have their own opinion on that. Zeiti schrieb:
Children’s Room Upstairs:
- Where should the ladder to the play area be placed? Fixed or movable? I’m still not quite clear on this play loft. So the attic is fully converted? Which corner is supposed to be for the kids? Isn’t that a bit tight, such a quarter section? Directly under the roof, there’s probably hardly any usable space left. Only in the center, most likely. 😕A well-designed floor plan. Is the balcony on the upper floor really necessary? Accessible from both the children’s bedroom and the master bedroom? Apart from the occasional smoking child, no one will be outside there – people usually stay on the terrace anyway.
I would move the washing machine to the utility room – there is enough space, and the water and drainage connections are already there. Having it in the downstairs toilet just gets in the way. Whether to use a hinged door or a sliding door is purely a matter of taste – the thick sliding doors can be quite heavy and sluggish to operate, especially if they have triple glazing, which adds weight. For small children, regular doors are easier to open. Since the attic floor plan isn’t shown, it’s hard to say whether to choose a flexible or fixed ladder. I would recommend installing a play deck with a small climbing ladder and railing right away. If you need a railing upstairs anyway, a flexible ladder isn’t necessary. In that case, just install a fixed one.
I would move the washing machine to the utility room – there is enough space, and the water and drainage connections are already there. Having it in the downstairs toilet just gets in the way. Whether to use a hinged door or a sliding door is purely a matter of taste – the thick sliding doors can be quite heavy and sluggish to operate, especially if they have triple glazing, which adds weight. For small children, regular doors are easier to open. Since the attic floor plan isn’t shown, it’s hard to say whether to choose a flexible or fixed ladder. I would recommend installing a play deck with a small climbing ladder and railing right away. If you need a railing upstairs anyway, a flexible ladder isn’t necessary. In that case, just install a fixed one.
Thank you for the suggestion.
Yes, the balcony is planned that way.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a view of the attic (I only saw it in 3D on the architect’s computer).
I hadn’t thought about the railing on top at all. Although it really is necessary! Thank you. 🙂
By the way: My child will not smoke. I will make sure to prevent that through good education and awareness! 🙂
Yes, the balcony is planned that way.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a view of the attic (I only saw it in 3D on the architect’s computer).
I hadn’t thought about the railing on top at all. Although it really is necessary! Thank you. 🙂
By the way: My child will not smoke. I will make sure to prevent that through good education and awareness! 🙂
Zeiti schrieb:
BTW: My child will not smoke. I intend to prevent that through good education and awareness! 🙂Well, I’m curious how that’s supposed to work. I’m just thinking about who in our youth group back then didn’t smoke because mom or dad told them not to... 😉Sorry for the late reply. I’ve been a bit busy the last few days.
@kaho: I didn’t start smoking either 😉
Education is the most important approach here.
As for the attic, it’s almost full standing height in the middle.
The play area extends about 1.75m (5 feet 9 inches) from the interior wall (bedroom/bathroom). This results in roughly 4–5 m² (43–54 sq ft) of space, which can be used either as a play area or simply for storage.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas.
Best regards
Zeiti
@kaho: I didn’t start smoking either 😉
Education is the most important approach here.
As for the attic, it’s almost full standing height in the middle.
The play area extends about 1.75m (5 feet 9 inches) from the interior wall (bedroom/bathroom). This results in roughly 4–5 m² (43–54 sq ft) of space, which can be used either as a play area or simply for storage.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas.
Best regards
Zeiti
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