ᐅ Floor Plan Optimization: Narrow 1,595 sq ft Single-Family Home on a 5,420 sq ft Lot
Created on: 10 Dec 2025 22:58
D
Drummer
Dear forum,
My wife and I purchased a plot of land in Hamburg in October. The financing is secured, a general contractor (production home builder) has been selected, and now we are working on the fine-tuning (or maybe a complete rethink?) of the floor plan. The 504 m2 (5,420 sq ft) parcel (lot 8370, see subdivision plan, lot 1778 in the development plan, TF) is part of a larger property and was found through a project developer who carried out the concept design. Here is the initial questionnaire:
Development Plan / Restrictions
Who designed the plan: We modified the first draft provided by the project developer several times according to our preferences.
What do you like most and why?
Personal price limit for the house including fittings: 450,000 € excluding landscaping, etc.
Preferred heating system: air-water heat pump (including photovoltaic, see above)
If you had to give up some details/extra features:
- What can you live without:
Carport, garage, basement, walk-in closet, two bathrooms upstairs and similar trends, pantry, large bathrooms, expensive kitchen (IKEA is completely sufficient for us; the location of the plot was more important)
- What you cannot do without:
Size of the living room (if possible, it could even be larger)
Why did the plan become as it is now?
We modified the project developer’s initial proposal several times according to our wishes. For example, the utility room was slightly enlarged, and the shape of the living room was adjusted. If interested, I can gladly share the original draft here.
After shifting the walls back and forth, we feel that a fresh look from more experienced people could be beneficial.
We look forward to your thoughts and critiques on this floor plan draft 🙂
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My wife and I purchased a plot of land in Hamburg in October. The financing is secured, a general contractor (production home builder) has been selected, and now we are working on the fine-tuning (or maybe a complete rethink?) of the floor plan. The 504 m2 (5,420 sq ft) parcel (lot 8370, see subdivision plan, lot 1778 in the development plan, TF) is part of a larger property and was found through a project developer who carried out the concept design. Here is the initial questionnaire:
Development Plan / Restrictions
- Plot size: 504 m2 (5,420 sq ft), dimensions as per subdivision plan
- Slope: no
- Site coverage ratio (floor area ratio): 0.2
- Floor area ratio: none specified in the development plan
- Building envelope, building line, and boundary: Based on the building envelope depth of 15 m (49 feet) and the plot width of 14 m (46 feet) after subdivision, minus setback distances (2.5 m / 8 feet on the right and 4 m / 13 feet on the left, as it is the end of the building envelope), a buildable area of 15 x 7.5 m (49 x 25 feet) results. Due to the site coverage ratio of 0.2, a house with external dimensions of 13.60 x 7.35 m (45 x 24 feet) can be constructed. The project developer who planned this (double) plot recommended leaving a 15 cm (6 inches) tolerance to the full width.
- Row development: allowed
- Number of parking spaces: 2
- Number of floors: 1.5
- Roof shape: no specifications in the development plan
- Architectural style: no specifications in the development plan
- Orientation: no specifications in the development plan
- Maximum heights / limits: no specifications in the development plan
- Other requirements: 30% of the roof area must be covered with photovoltaic panels (Hamburg)
- Style, roof shape, building type: To best utilize the buildable area, the “town villa” building type seemed most suitable. The standard roof solution for single-story town villas would be a 16° hip roof. To create some storage space, we instead chose a 35° gable roof with the highest possible knee wall height (1.85 m / 6 ft above the raw floor). We also prefer this look aesthetically.
- Basement, floors: ground floor, upper floor, crawl space for storage, no basement
- Number of occupants, ages: 2 persons, 28 (m) and 29 (f) years old, 2 children planned
- Space requirements on ground floor:
- Living/dining room, shower bathroom, utility room/technical room, kitchen, office/hobby room (space for a desk and a drum set approximately 2 x 2 m / 6.5 x 6.5 ft)
- Space requirements on upper floor:
- Bedroom, 2 children’s rooms, full bathroom, office/guest room (space for desk and a double guest bed, likely a fold-out sofa)
- Office: family use or home office: ground floor office as frequently used home office, upper floor office to be often used by future children as a play area or for homework, etc.
- Occasional overnight guests per year: 2 people about 4 times annually, sometimes 4 people at once every 1-2 years
- Open or closed architecture
- Conservative or modern construction style
- Open kitchen, kitchen island: no
- Number of dining seats: permanently 6, preferably expandable to 10
- Fireplace: no
- Music / stereo wall: yes
- Balcony, roof terrace: no
- Garage, carport: 2 open parking spaces planned; possibly a carport if budget allows
- Utility garden, greenhouse: no
- The office/hobby room on the ground floor is only 2 m (6.5 ft) wide as it mainly needs to fit a drum set roughly under 2 x 2 m (6.5 x 6.5 ft) and a desk.
- Additional storage space is planned under the stairs on the ground floor and in a niche to the left of the stairs on the upper floor, to be enclosed with drywall partitions later as a DIY project. This is not currently shown in the floor plan.
Who designed the plan: We modified the first draft provided by the project developer several times according to our preferences.
What do you like most and why?
- L-shaped living room
- Room layout upstairs (bedroom not directly adjacent to children’s rooms)
- Elongated kitchen shape – we do not like corner cabinets :p
- Space for wardrobe (to the right of the entrance)
- All required rooms are included
- The kitchen could be somewhat larger
- Access routes to the ground floor office/hobby room and the upper floor office/guest room and second child’s room require relatively large circulation space. We are currently looking for ways to use the available floor area more efficiently.
Personal price limit for the house including fittings: 450,000 € excluding landscaping, etc.
Preferred heating system: air-water heat pump (including photovoltaic, see above)
If you had to give up some details/extra features:
- What can you live without:
Carport, garage, basement, walk-in closet, two bathrooms upstairs and similar trends, pantry, large bathrooms, expensive kitchen (IKEA is completely sufficient for us; the location of the plot was more important)
- What you cannot do without:
Size of the living room (if possible, it could even be larger)
Why did the plan become as it is now?
We modified the project developer’s initial proposal several times according to our wishes. For example, the utility room was slightly enlarged, and the shape of the living room was adjusted. If interested, I can gladly share the original draft here.
After shifting the walls back and forth, we feel that a fresh look from more experienced people could be beneficial.
We look forward to your thoughts and critiques on this floor plan draft 🙂
From my own experience: as I already mentioned, it’s really annoying in daily life to go from the kitchen to the dining room like that.
The dirty area is exactly by the guest toilet.
The basement hobby room is really cramped. The corner upstairs for guests is also quite tight. Do you usually have just individual guests, or sometimes a couple as well?
The experts can comment on the rest :-)
The dirty area is exactly by the guest toilet.
The basement hobby room is really cramped. The corner upstairs for guests is also quite tight. Do you usually have just individual guests, or sometimes a couple as well?
The experts can comment on the rest :-)
Thank you all so far for the feedback! 🙂
Below is my attempt to address everything:
Topic layout office/hobby room, utility room, toilet, kitchen on the ground floor:
As @Gerddieter, @Papierturm, and @Joedreck have pointed out, this area still offers quite a bit of potential for optimization and is currently causing me the most headaches. Thanks also here for the tip regarding shell dimensions and enough allowance in width!
Walking route kitchen-dining area:
We are still not satisfied with the current situation here.
We could of course shorten this important walking route with a door between the kitchen and dining area.
We would definitely prefer that over a fully open kitchen.
Topic knee wall and single-storey design:
Thanks for the hint, @kbt09, with a knee wall of approximately less than 1.70 m (5.6 ft) above finished floor level, the shower really doesn’t make sense there.
Unfortunately, a second full floor is prohibited by the development plan (see post #1). With each degree less roof pitch, the rising knee wall offers more flexibility. Therefore, I am currently considering lowering the roof pitch from 35° to 30° and raising the knee wall further.
Windows:
So far, we have been very focused on optimizing the room layout, so the windows have hardly been considered.
As @11ant described, the result resembles Frankenstein quite well 😀
This definitely needs attention.
Size of utility room:
Compared to the original design (I will post this in the next message), we have increased the utility room by 1.25 m² (13.5 sq ft).
We are currently planning without a dryer and ventilation system. I will clarify soon with our general contractor whether the space is still sufficient.
Guests:
@Joedreck, the guests who visit us about 4 times a year always come as couples.
The bed shown in the office/guest room in the attic is meant to symbolize a sofa bed that can then be extended to double the size if needed.
Below is my attempt to address everything:
Topic layout office/hobby room, utility room, toilet, kitchen on the ground floor:
As @Gerddieter, @Papierturm, and @Joedreck have pointed out, this area still offers quite a bit of potential for optimization and is currently causing me the most headaches. Thanks also here for the tip regarding shell dimensions and enough allowance in width!
Walking route kitchen-dining area:
We are still not satisfied with the current situation here.
We could of course shorten this important walking route with a door between the kitchen and dining area.
We would definitely prefer that over a fully open kitchen.
Topic knee wall and single-storey design:
Thanks for the hint, @kbt09, with a knee wall of approximately less than 1.70 m (5.6 ft) above finished floor level, the shower really doesn’t make sense there.
Unfortunately, a second full floor is prohibited by the development plan (see post #1). With each degree less roof pitch, the rising knee wall offers more flexibility. Therefore, I am currently considering lowering the roof pitch from 35° to 30° and raising the knee wall further.
Windows:
So far, we have been very focused on optimizing the room layout, so the windows have hardly been considered.
As @11ant described, the result resembles Frankenstein quite well 😀
This definitely needs attention.
Size of utility room:
Compared to the original design (I will post this in the next message), we have increased the utility room by 1.25 m² (13.5 sq ft).
We are currently planning without a dryer and ventilation system. I will clarify soon with our general contractor whether the space is still sufficient.
Guests:
@Joedreck, the guests who visit us about 4 times a year always come as couples.
The bed shown in the office/guest room in the attic is meant to symbolize a sofa bed that can then be extended to double the size if needed.
As announced, here is also the initial draft from the project developer.
This originates from the time when the planned plot was advertised, so it was created before we provided our input regarding requirements.
@11ant the house is based on the "Stadtvilla V145" by Virtus Massivhaus.
Overall, the planned room layout fits our requirements well, but as often, the devil is in the details.
What we liked very much
What we liked less
This originates from the time when the planned plot was advertised, so it was created before we provided our input regarding requirements.
@11ant the house is based on the "Stadtvilla V145" by Virtus Massivhaus.
Overall, the planned room layout fits our requirements well, but as often, the devil is in the details.
What we liked very much
- minimal "wasted" hallway/circulation space in the attic
- utility room instead of a WC in the muddy area near the entrance door
- less complicated room layout
- few issues with sloping ceilings due to the 2.20 m (7 ft 3 in) knee wall and the 16° hipped roof
What we liked less
- limited space in the cloakroom area
- impractical, nearly square shape of the living room
- utility room (still) smaller than currently
- attic office too small for a (double) guest bed
- bedroom wall shared with the children’s room
- open kitchen
- very little storage space
11ant schrieb:
Honestly, the facade layout reminds me of Dr. Frankenstein’s work, which bothers me.That’s a suggested clinker brick look, and it can certainly turn out to be a stylish brick facade. The windows could be adjusted a bit.Drummer schrieb:
Number of storeys: 1.5Actually 1 storey.Excerpt from the Hamburg Building Code, Section 2:
(6) Storeys above ground are those whose ceiling upper edges protrude on average more than 1.40 m (4 ft 7 in) above ground level; otherwise, they are basement storeys. Full storeys are those whose ceiling upper edge protrudes on average more than 1.40 m (4 ft 7 in) above ground level and have a clear height of at least 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in). The top storey and storeys within the roof space count as full storeys if they meet this height over at least two-thirds of the floor area of the storey below.
With the 2.30 m (7 ft 7 in) height line drawn here, the upper floor qualifies as a full storey, which is not permitted according to the development plan.
Drummer schrieb:
If anyone is interested, I can share the original design here.Gladly. Or is it the downsized version? I find that one better than the current one.Drummer schrieb:
Currently, we are looking for ways to plan the available space more efficiently.In my opinion, there are too many complicated layouts here. The entrance to the ground floor office is a joke and just a disguised corridor extension. The office on the upper floor promises more than it can deliver: the bed niche is not suitable for adults.Papierturm schrieb:
I would rather plan 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in).5 cm (2 inches) is still too little for plaster and baseboards.Papierturm schrieb:
If you want to plan it as a closed room, I would optimize the path a bit.I would agree.Papierturm schrieb:
3. The utility room seems very small to me. Are you sure everything that needs to fit in there will fit?It’s definitely very small. Laundry will have to be done there after all.Overall, it does not convince me.
- Under the staircase there could be a nice usable room.
- A 120 cm (47 inches) coat rack wall won’t be enough for four people.
- The shower on the ground floor is only about 75 x 75 cm (30 x 30 inches).
- Children’s rooms are better located on a southwest side.
- The bedroom is large but has no space for a 3-meter (10 ft) wardrobe.
- The guest room upstairs looks like an afterthought... at best suitable for a bathroom with a predetermined zoning.
- The side windows are 167 cm (66 inches) high. Okay, there’s not much you can do about that with a “maximized knee wall” height, that’s just the disadvantage here. However, with skylights and a lower knee wall, e.g., 150 cm (59 inches), combined with a steeper roof pitch, it might work better. Closets can be planned within the knee walls; you need storage space anyway. Plus, you get a useful attic space that is easier to access.
This width of 7.35 m (24 ft 2 in) is very awkward. Neither one thing nor the other. And vegetarians have deficiencies that need to be compensated for.
From a planning perspective, it probably makes more sense to start from the top floor.
M
MachsSelbst11 Dec 2025 22:45The kitchen is definitely not final yet; it clearly needs a cooking peninsula. Please remove the storage room on the upper floor and add that niche to Child 2’s room, so the rooms will actually be almost the same size. This also saves you from the completely unnecessary window in the storage room, since a shelf will need to be placed on the wall opposite the door.
I like the reasonably small office; one window in the bathroom seems too little to me.
We could argue endlessly about the guest room, but I find it completely unnecessary in a house with 140m² (1,507 sq ft). It ultimately becomes a very expensive storage space for stuff that would be better off thrown away. And if you really need it, make it small according to how often guests actually visit. A few times a year, parents can easily stay in a 6m² (65 sq ft) room instead of 15m² (161 sq ft). That way you gain 10m² (108 sq ft) for the kitchen/living area — the space where life actually happens 365 days a year, especially when grandparents come to visit. They’re not going to spend 24/7 locked in the guest room...
If you reduce the size of the guest room and build a cooking peninsula between the dining area and kitchen, adding a second door from the hallway into the kitchen also makes sense. After just two days in the house, you’ll be annoyed that trash, drinks, groceries, etc. have to be carried through the living room to the front door and vice versa. A kitchen should always have the shortest possible connection to the hallway or front door. After all, that’s where you’ll be carrying your groceries for your whole life... usually straight to the fridge.
I like the reasonably small office; one window in the bathroom seems too little to me.
We could argue endlessly about the guest room, but I find it completely unnecessary in a house with 140m² (1,507 sq ft). It ultimately becomes a very expensive storage space for stuff that would be better off thrown away. And if you really need it, make it small according to how often guests actually visit. A few times a year, parents can easily stay in a 6m² (65 sq ft) room instead of 15m² (161 sq ft). That way you gain 10m² (108 sq ft) for the kitchen/living area — the space where life actually happens 365 days a year, especially when grandparents come to visit. They’re not going to spend 24/7 locked in the guest room...
If you reduce the size of the guest room and build a cooking peninsula between the dining area and kitchen, adding a second door from the hallway into the kitchen also makes sense. After just two days in the house, you’ll be annoyed that trash, drinks, groceries, etc. have to be carried through the living room to the front door and vice versa. A kitchen should always have the shortest possible connection to the hallway or front door. After all, that’s where you’ll be carrying your groceries for your whole life... usually straight to the fridge.
Drummer schrieb:
@11ant the house is based on the "Town Villa V145" by Virtus Massivhaus.However, this is quite a liberal interpretation, converting an originally square floor plan into one with an aspect ratio close to 2:1. Because of this, I feel that the connection to the original catalog house is lost, which affects the advantages of a proven construction proposal.ypg schrieb:
With the marked 2.30-meter (7.5-foot) height line, the upper floor counts as a full story, which is not permitted according to the development plan.Unfortunately, I share the skepticism regarding the upper floor not being a full story.I think—although I have to agree with Yvonne that a semi-detached house would make more sense here—that the project developer’s design for a house in this demand situation is good. However, in my opinion, you went too far with the complexity in your adjustments; the developer’s original version is more coherent (even though I also find the façades need balancing). We will have to see what remains of the design after a building permit inquiry, which I expect will challenge the relative size of the upper floor.
The sharp corner along the property boundary line doesn’t make sense to me. I assume the project developer has a vested interest in you building on the plot with Virtus (?)
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