ᐅ Single-family house floor plan (157 sqm) on a hillside with a basement
Created on: 10 May 2026 23:43
W
WBRHello dear forum members,
After some time of quietly following the discussions, it is now our turn to post: our first contribution.
We are a family of four, moving back to our home region near the Bavarian Lower Main after 20 years in Swabia. We have purchased a very nice plot on a hillside above the Main valley. We now want to build our new home there.
Zoning plan / restrictions
Plot size: 600 sqm (6460 sq ft)
Slope: yes, approximately 12% incline from west to east, see elevation plan as PDF
Floor-area ratio: 0.4
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 3 full floors (including basement)
Roof type: all roof shapes permitted
Orientation: see plan
Owners’ requirements
Style:
Basement, floors: basement + 2 full floors
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults (40), 2 children (10, 7)
Space needed on ground floor and upper floor: approx. 135 sqm (1453 sq ft)
Office: home office in basement for both private and work use
Guest stays per year: about 10 overnight stays/year, on average 3-4 guests
Open or closed layout: open
Kitchen: U-shaped
Number of dining seats: 4 - 6
Fireplace: yes (for comfort + emergency heating)
Garage, carport: carport + 1 additional parking space
Garden: partly for growing food, probably terraced
Other requirements: option to later convert the upper floor into a separate living unit
House design
Planned by: us + planner of the local house-building company (individual timber frame construction)
What do you like most? Why?
Everything we wanted is included. From our perspective, good utilization of the building’s outer dimensions. The option to separate the upper floor (or basement) as an independent living unit or granny flat if needed in the future.
What don’t you like? Why?
The transition from the entrance area into the kitchen/living/dining area is a bit awkward and there’s no clear separation. We are still thinking about whether/how to add a separation here and welcome any ideas.
Price estimate from architect/planner: €680,000 including additional construction costs
- House: €280k
- Basement + groundwork: €150k
- Heating & plumbing: €65k
- Electrical: €20k
- Floor and wall coverings: €40k
- Outdoor facilities: €60k
- Ventilation system: €15k
- Photovoltaics: €15k
- Carport: €15k
- Additional costs: €20k
We will do the following work ourselves: roof covering, installation of photovoltaic system & battery, wall and ceiling paneling, filling and smoothing, painting fleece & painting, flooring (except bathroom)
Preferred heating technology:
Air-to-water heat pump + underfloor heating
If you have to give up something, which details/features could you skip?
- Could skip: the fireplace/stove if absolutely necessary
- Cannot do without:
Why did the design turn out the way it did?
Originally, we planned a staircase with opposite landings along the long side of the house (this design was inspired by the “Bruckberg” house from Regnauer, which we still find visually and stylistically appealing). Then, the possibility to separate the upper floor later as an independent living unit became more important in our planning. This led us to replace the landing staircase with a quarter-turn staircase next to the front door and adjust the western part of the building accordingly.
We are happy to receive suggestions, constructive criticism, and improvement ideas!
If you need more input, we will gladly provide it!
Best regards,
WBR
After some time of quietly following the discussions, it is now our turn to post: our first contribution.
We are a family of four, moving back to our home region near the Bavarian Lower Main after 20 years in Swabia. We have purchased a very nice plot on a hillside above the Main valley. We now want to build our new home there.
Zoning plan / restrictions
Plot size: 600 sqm (6460 sq ft)
Slope: yes, approximately 12% incline from west to east, see elevation plan as PDF
Floor-area ratio: 0.4
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 3 full floors (including basement)
Roof type: all roof shapes permitted
Orientation: see plan
Owners’ requirements
Style:
Basement, floors: basement + 2 full floors
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults (40), 2 children (10, 7)
Space needed on ground floor and upper floor: approx. 135 sqm (1453 sq ft)
Office: home office in basement for both private and work use
Guest stays per year: about 10 overnight stays/year, on average 3-4 guests
Open or closed layout: open
Kitchen: U-shaped
Number of dining seats: 4 - 6
Fireplace: yes (for comfort + emergency heating)
Garage, carport: carport + 1 additional parking space
Garden: partly for growing food, probably terraced
Other requirements: option to later convert the upper floor into a separate living unit
House design
Planned by: us + planner of the local house-building company (individual timber frame construction)
What do you like most? Why?
Everything we wanted is included. From our perspective, good utilization of the building’s outer dimensions. The option to separate the upper floor (or basement) as an independent living unit or granny flat if needed in the future.
What don’t you like? Why?
The transition from the entrance area into the kitchen/living/dining area is a bit awkward and there’s no clear separation. We are still thinking about whether/how to add a separation here and welcome any ideas.
Price estimate from architect/planner: €680,000 including additional construction costs
- House: €280k
- Basement + groundwork: €150k
- Heating & plumbing: €65k
- Electrical: €20k
- Floor and wall coverings: €40k
- Outdoor facilities: €60k
- Ventilation system: €15k
- Photovoltaics: €15k
- Carport: €15k
- Additional costs: €20k
We will do the following work ourselves: roof covering, installation of photovoltaic system & battery, wall and ceiling paneling, filling and smoothing, painting fleece & painting, flooring (except bathroom)
Preferred heating technology:
Air-to-water heat pump + underfloor heating
If you have to give up something, which details/features could you skip?
- Could skip: the fireplace/stove if absolutely necessary
- Cannot do without:
Why did the design turn out the way it did?
Originally, we planned a staircase with opposite landings along the long side of the house (this design was inspired by the “Bruckberg” house from Regnauer, which we still find visually and stylistically appealing). Then, the possibility to separate the upper floor later as an independent living unit became more important in our planning. This led us to replace the landing staircase with a quarter-turn staircase next to the front door and adjust the western part of the building accordingly.
We are happy to receive suggestions, constructive criticism, and improvement ideas!
If you need more input, we will gladly provide it!
Best regards,
WBR
H
hanghaus202311 May 2026 12:05Is the access from the south? Are all other access points not possible?
Sheds and car parking then in front of the office windows?
Is there a development plan / building permit?
Two entrances? One each in the basement and on the ground floor? The stairs to the ground floor don’t make much sense there.
Who came up with the placement on the property?
Sheds and car parking then in front of the office windows?
Is there a development plan / building permit?
Two entrances? One each in the basement and on the ground floor? The stairs to the ground floor don’t make much sense there.
Who came up with the placement on the property?
H
hanghaus202311 May 2026 12:27That works well even without a basement.
H
hanghaus202311 May 2026 13:17WBR schrieb:
Home office in the basement, both private and business use Where is that shown on the floor plan? I only see a utility room.
The slope is more like 15-16%.
WBR schrieb:
in case it is needed at some point. That can be a good life motto for someone who does not want to commit. It either costs a lot of money or requires compromises.
WBR schrieb:
Then, in our plans, the future separability of the upper floor as a separate dwelling unit has become more of a focus, WBR schrieb:
or basement) as a separate living unit or granny flat Neither is feasible. How could a granny flat be created in the basement given the technical room and utility room layout?
And separating the upper floor as a granny flat when you can’t even have a shower on the ground floor doesn’t seem realistic to me either.
If the basement allows for windows on the west side, then it could be planned more usefully so that actual living space can be created there. For that, meaning also for an office, the basement would have to be technically upgraded. If it is, you are basically building a house with almost 240 square meters (2,583 square feet).
If you plan a kitchen garden, I would also plan the kitchen there with garden access. You don’t need a south-facing window just for watching TV.
If you have a basement, you can skip the pantry. I find the kitchen size inadequate. Where is a tall cabinet planned?
I would put the carport immediately to the right of the driveway and make the west side more suitable as living space. I find the attic floor by Regnauer nicer and more inviting. There would also be space for a large wardrobe there.
Hello everyone,
First of all, thank you very much for your responses so far. I really appreciate how quickly feedback is given here. I will try to answer the points one by one:
Yes, the access is from the south at the small "tip" (only about 7 m (23 feet) driveway). No other access is possible. To the north and west around the property there is only a footpath/agricultural track.
That is indeed not ideal in the current design and something we would like to change. The entire carport including the shed should be moved further south toward the street. Moving it all the way to the front property line does not seem possible from our point of view, because there still needs to be a second parking space to the right after the driveway, and otherwise the space would be too tight.
Yes.
Yes. We have thought a lot about this and decided that we don’t want the entrance only via the basement. We understand, however, that the basement entrance will probably be used more frequently in everyday life.
We did. The idea was to have some space in front of the house for a (shared) south-facing terrace.
With that elevation difference?
All experts we have spoken to have told us otherwise.
The smaller of the two rooms labeled "basement" is intended to be the office.
That may well be. It’s quite a significant slope.
It doesn’t have to be a life motto right away.
But circumstances can change—for example, children move out and parents end up living in a house that is too large. I know this from my own parents. Having the option to separate a living unit is, in that respect, not unreasonable.
In the end, it’s a matter of weighing pros and cons.
Calling it a basement apartment is misleading. It would rather be the possibility to accommodate a parent (there are four in the close area) in our house if needed. That would be one room plus a bathroom.
In that case, the upper floor (second floor) would be one unit and the ground floor plus basement another. The bathroom would then be in the basement next to the bedroom.
It’s true that compromises are involved. We are working to make them good compromises, not poor ones.
At the moment, I don’t see it as costing a lot of money.
If by "technical upgrades" you mean heating/insulation, then yes.
We would definitely be interested in more efficient planning—maybe by now we are a bit too close to it to see clearly.
I don’t at all agree that having a basement means you can do without a pantry.
What exactly do you mean by the kitchen size being inappropriate? Too large? Too small?
I’ve added an initial draft image from a kitchen designer.
The corner niche will probably be about one element wider. The dishwasher will move to the left, and the oven will move down under the niche.
That was our initial plan as well, but we could not find a sensible solution that still allows for a second parking space.
Generally:
We are not completely happy with the floor plan yet. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have come to the forum 🙂 So we are very grateful for constructive criticism and suggestions.
Best regards,
WBR
First of all, thank you very much for your responses so far. I really appreciate how quickly feedback is given here. I will try to answer the points one by one:
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
Is the access from the south? Are all other access options impossible?
Yes, the access is from the south at the small "tip" (only about 7 m (23 feet) driveway). No other access is possible. To the north and west around the property there is only a footpath/agricultural track.
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
Shed and carport in front of the office windows???
That is indeed not ideal in the current design and something we would like to change. The entire carport including the shed should be moved further south toward the street. Moving it all the way to the front property line does not seem possible from our point of view, because there still needs to be a second parking space to the right after the driveway, and otherwise the space would be too tight.
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
Is there a zoning plan / building permit?
Yes.
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
2 entrances? One each in the basement and on the ground floor? The stairway to the ground floor doesn’t make much sense.
Yes. We have thought a lot about this and decided that we don’t want the entrance only via the basement. We understand, however, that the basement entrance will probably be used more frequently in everyday life.
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
Who decided on the placement of the house on the plot?
We did. The idea was to have some space in front of the house for a (shared) south-facing terrace.
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
This works well without a basement.
With that elevation difference?
All experts we have spoken to have told us otherwise.
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
Where is this shown in the building plan? I only see a utility room (HWR).
The smaller of the two rooms labeled "basement" is intended to be the office.
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
Slope is rather 15-16%
That may well be. It’s quite a significant slope.
Medium schrieb:
That can be a good life motto for someone who doesn’t want to commit. But it either costs a lot of money or compromises.
It doesn’t have to be a life motto right away.
But circumstances can change—for example, children move out and parents end up living in a house that is too large. I know this from my own parents. Having the option to separate a living unit is, in that respect, not unreasonable.
In the end, it’s a matter of weighing pros and cons.
Medium schrieb:
Neither condition is met. How can a separate apartment be created in the basement given the technical equipment and utility room location?
Calling it a basement apartment is misleading. It would rather be the possibility to accommodate a parent (there are four in the close area) in our house if needed. That would be one room plus a bathroom.
Medium schrieb:
And separating the upper floor as a separate living unit while you can’t even shower on the ground floor, I don’t see that working either.
In that case, the upper floor (second floor) would be one unit and the ground floor plus basement another. The bathroom would then be in the basement next to the bedroom.
Medium schrieb:
It either costs a lot of money or compromises.
It’s true that compromises are involved. We are working to make them good compromises, not poor ones.
At the moment, I don’t see it as costing a lot of money.
Medium schrieb:
The basement may allow windows on the west side, but then it can be planned more usefully so that living space can actually be created there. For that, including an office, the basement would need technical upgrades. If it has them, you’re building a house with almost 240 square meters (2,583 square feet).
If by "technical upgrades" you mean heating/insulation, then yes.
We would definitely be interested in more efficient planning—maybe by now we are a bit too close to it to see clearly.
Medium schrieb:
If you have a basement, you can do without a pantry. I find the kitchen size inappropriate. Where is a tall cabinet planned?
I don’t at all agree that having a basement means you can do without a pantry.
What exactly do you mean by the kitchen size being inappropriate? Too large? Too small?
I’ve added an initial draft image from a kitchen designer.
The corner niche will probably be about one element wider. The dishwasher will move to the left, and the oven will move down under the niche.
Medium schrieb:
I would put the carport immediately on the right of the driveway and make the west side more “livable.”
That was our initial plan as well, but we could not find a sensible solution that still allows for a second parking space.
Medium schrieb:
I find the attic floor by Regnauer more attractive and friendly. There would also be space for a large wardrobe.
Generally:
We are not completely happy with the floor plan yet. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have come to the forum 🙂 So we are very grateful for constructive criticism and suggestions.
Best regards,
WBR
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