ᐅ Floor Plan Optimization for a Single-Family Home with a Secondary Suite
Created on: 19 Jan 2026 10:26
D
DieHnnH
Hello everyone,
We are a couple (both 34 years old) looking to build our home in a rural area of Baden-Württemberg. Important preliminary information: no children planned, but a dog. A separate apartment (granny flat) is mandatory with at least 23sqm (250 sq ft).
We would appreciate your input to help us avoid making major mistakes.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 494sqm (5314 sq ft)
Slope: none
Site coverage ratio: 0.32
Edge building allowance: garage permitted
Number of parking spaces: 3
Number of stories: 2 full stories required
Roof style: gable roof with a pitch of 25–38°
Orientation: see plan
Additional requirement: separate apartment
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style: country house / modern Swedish style
Basement, floors: no basement, 2 full floors
Number of occupants, age: 2 adults (34), 1 planned dog, 1 person in separate apartment
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor: 120sqm (1292 sq ft) for us plus at least 23sqm (250 sq ft) for the separate apartment
Office: home office, 1 person working fully from home
Guest stays per year: total about 5–15 nights
Open or closed layout: open
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen with kitchen island or U-shape preferred
Number of dining seats: 4–6
Fireplace: desired for coziness, small in size, probably not really necessary
Garage, carport: carport plus 2 additional parking spaces
Kitchen garden, greenhouse: small greenhouse plus kitchen garden
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why certain things should or shouldn’t be: the most important space to us is the kitchen and living room combined as an open area. We want it to be cozy, which is very important. The building plot faces east on the edge of the village, with no further development planned in that direction. We really like this view, but we would also like the terrace to face south.
In general, we want to make the best possible use of the remaining garden and are looking for ideas on how to place the house on the plot to maximize garden usability. We understand the garden won’t be very large.
We both have home-centered hobbies that require space: my husband plays drums, I play piano—space needed upstairs. I enjoy baking, he enjoys cooking—space needed in the kitchen. I like to read—books require space too. We both enjoy gardening.
House Design
Designed by: architect (BU)
What do you like especially and why?
- Layout of the open space and size of the kitchen
- Location of the separate apartment
- Additional space gained upstairs. We originally considered a single-story extension for the separate apartment, but the architect said it’s more expensive than enlarging the whole house. This way, we can keep the technical room small downstairs and move the utility room completely upstairs. We would swap room usage upstairs: bedroom → utility room in the northeast, office → bedroom (this also allows a nice built-in wardrobe niche).
What do you dislike and why?
- The separate apartment has no room for a closet
- Unsure if the size of the open space is sufficient
- The bathroom is very large—like a ballroom. We considered extending the hallway to create a small extra storage room. However, this would reduce western light in the bathroom.
- We don’t like the windows and terrace doors at all yet
- Carport location: needs to be rotated and, in our opinion, moved to the boundary
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: €600,000 including secondary construction costs
Tasks we will do ourselves: roofing, purchase and installation of photovoltaic system & battery, wall and ceiling boarding, filling, painting, flooring, bathrooms
Preferred heating system: air-water heat pump with underfloor heating
If you have to give up some details / expansions
- Can give up: fireplace, so much space upstairs
- Cannot give up: separate apartment, large kitchen
Why has the design turned out this way?
Because this reflects our wishes, the separate apartment, and respects the development plan. We tried ourselves to design a squarer house to create space on the south side, but that didn’t work with the separate apartment.
We’re happy for you to roast the floor plan and welcome any improvement suggestions—thanks in advance.
Circled in green and oriented to north.
Sunny regards
We are a couple (both 34 years old) looking to build our home in a rural area of Baden-Württemberg. Important preliminary information: no children planned, but a dog. A separate apartment (granny flat) is mandatory with at least 23sqm (250 sq ft).
We would appreciate your input to help us avoid making major mistakes.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 494sqm (5314 sq ft)
Slope: none
Site coverage ratio: 0.32
Edge building allowance: garage permitted
Number of parking spaces: 3
Number of stories: 2 full stories required
Roof style: gable roof with a pitch of 25–38°
Orientation: see plan
Additional requirement: separate apartment
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style: country house / modern Swedish style
Basement, floors: no basement, 2 full floors
Number of occupants, age: 2 adults (34), 1 planned dog, 1 person in separate apartment
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor: 120sqm (1292 sq ft) for us plus at least 23sqm (250 sq ft) for the separate apartment
Office: home office, 1 person working fully from home
Guest stays per year: total about 5–15 nights
Open or closed layout: open
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen with kitchen island or U-shape preferred
Number of dining seats: 4–6
Fireplace: desired for coziness, small in size, probably not really necessary
Garage, carport: carport plus 2 additional parking spaces
Kitchen garden, greenhouse: small greenhouse plus kitchen garden
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why certain things should or shouldn’t be: the most important space to us is the kitchen and living room combined as an open area. We want it to be cozy, which is very important. The building plot faces east on the edge of the village, with no further development planned in that direction. We really like this view, but we would also like the terrace to face south.
In general, we want to make the best possible use of the remaining garden and are looking for ideas on how to place the house on the plot to maximize garden usability. We understand the garden won’t be very large.
We both have home-centered hobbies that require space: my husband plays drums, I play piano—space needed upstairs. I enjoy baking, he enjoys cooking—space needed in the kitchen. I like to read—books require space too. We both enjoy gardening.
House Design
Designed by: architect (BU)
What do you like especially and why?
- Layout of the open space and size of the kitchen
- Location of the separate apartment
- Additional space gained upstairs. We originally considered a single-story extension for the separate apartment, but the architect said it’s more expensive than enlarging the whole house. This way, we can keep the technical room small downstairs and move the utility room completely upstairs. We would swap room usage upstairs: bedroom → utility room in the northeast, office → bedroom (this also allows a nice built-in wardrobe niche).
What do you dislike and why?
- The separate apartment has no room for a closet
- Unsure if the size of the open space is sufficient
- The bathroom is very large—like a ballroom. We considered extending the hallway to create a small extra storage room. However, this would reduce western light in the bathroom.
- We don’t like the windows and terrace doors at all yet
- Carport location: needs to be rotated and, in our opinion, moved to the boundary
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: €600,000 including secondary construction costs
Tasks we will do ourselves: roofing, purchase and installation of photovoltaic system & battery, wall and ceiling boarding, filling, painting, flooring, bathrooms
Preferred heating system: air-water heat pump with underfloor heating
If you have to give up some details / expansions
- Can give up: fireplace, so much space upstairs
- Cannot give up: separate apartment, large kitchen
Why has the design turned out this way?
Because this reflects our wishes, the separate apartment, and respects the development plan. We tried ourselves to design a squarer house to create space on the south side, but that didn’t work with the separate apartment.
We’re happy for you to roast the floor plan and welcome any improvement suggestions—thanks in advance.
Circled in green and oriented to north.
Sunny regards
I also find the secondary apartment very small, both regarding the living/sleeping area and the bathroom. We recently viewed a similarly sized apartment for my brother and decided against it immediately after the tour because he couldn’t even arrange the few pieces of furniture he had from his previous place. I’m also not sure if it appeals to the target group you want to reach. In my experience, very few of my colleagues have moved for their jobs. Most preferred commuting instead of finding a new place for a relatively short time (unless the distance was extremely long). Rural areas in particular are not very attractive for such a move.
At the same time, the apartment takes up space on the ground floor. Based on your explanations,
I don’t think the floor plan really fits this. Where exactly will your books be placed? Where will the TV go, for example? I’m not sure if the room will still look “open” once furnished. We currently have a similarly sized living-dining room (with a separate kitchen) in our rental, and we find it noticeably too small. Take the advice about the dining table seriously — in our place, it’s almost impossible to move around, and our table is smaller.
What kind of dog are you thinking of? Our Golden Retriever takes up at least 1.5sqm (16 sq ft) of our living room with its basket, and I don’t see space here for water and food bowls either. Also, you have very little storage space in the hallway, which might be fine for two people initially, but where will you store leashes, harnesses, treats, and so on?
I seem to recall from your previous thread that you have to build the secondary apartment?
At the same time, the apartment takes up space on the ground floor. Based on your explanations,
the most important space for us is the kitchen and living room as an open area.
I don’t think the floor plan really fits this. Where exactly will your books be placed? Where will the TV go, for example? I’m not sure if the room will still look “open” once furnished. We currently have a similarly sized living-dining room (with a separate kitchen) in our rental, and we find it noticeably too small. Take the advice about the dining table seriously — in our place, it’s almost impossible to move around, and our table is smaller.
1 dog (planned)
What kind of dog are you thinking of? Our Golden Retriever takes up at least 1.5sqm (16 sq ft) of our living room with its basket, and I don’t see space here for water and food bowls either. Also, you have very little storage space in the hallway, which might be fine for two people initially, but where will you store leashes, harnesses, treats, and so on?
I seem to recall from your previous thread that you have to build the secondary apartment?
Kapet95 schrieb:
If I remember correctly from your previous thread, you have to build the granny flat? Exactly, the granny flat MUST be built.
And it goes against our desire for a garden. That’s why we want to keep the area as small as possible. Alternatively, we considered moving the granny flat to the attic, but that would be more expensive and would definitely require an external staircase, which is inconvenient.
Kapet95 schrieb:
What kind of dog do you want? Our Golden Retriever takes up at least 1.5sqm (16 sq ft) of our living room with a bed; I don’t see space here for a water bowl and food bowl either. Also, there is little storage space in the hallway, which might be enough for two people at first, but where do you plan to store leashes, collars, treats, etc.? We would like a knee-height street dog mix from an animal shelter. I also see a potential problem with the dog bed at the moment. It could be placed where a fireplace would be, if that’s removed. Leash and similar items could go just outside the apartment door.
Kapet95 schrieb:
Where exactly are your books going to be? And where would a TV potentially go? Books could go up high; for a TV, we’re thinking of a projector aimed at the northeast wall.
Kapet95 schrieb:
Take the tips about the dining table seriously We’ll get to that later. We usually don’t eat at the dining table—only around twice a month when guests come over.
M
MachsSelbst19 Jan 2026 14:03Oh man, what a frustrating forum... In the past, your entire post wouldn’t disappear when you switched pages to look at the floor plan again.
If you have to build the granny flat, then so be it. Will this be inspected?
I think it’s a pity that you have a lot of space upstairs and don’t make use of it. 18m² (195 sq ft) for a guest who only stays 10 nights a year? The rest of the time, it’s just a huge storage room.
It clearly calls for a large bathroom with a freestanding tub, a proper walk-in closet… a drum set… and then a granny flat where you want to rent to a student? He’ll go crazy trying to study while someone is playing drums upstairs for 2-3 hours every day.
Your bedroom is also poorly placed directly above the granny flat, not ideal unless you just want to use it for sleeping with your hands folded over the duvet...
This also applies to your student—he’s unlikely to go to bed every night at 9:30 pm and lie in bed in a praying position until 7:30 am...
Either use the space upstairs efficiently with amenities that only childless couples can afford... or make the whole thing smaller and find an alternative to the granny flat, maybe one spread over two floors with a small spiral staircase. Young people find that stylish and modern.
Because all that extra dancing space upstairs is basically useless and just costs a lot of money.
If you have to build the granny flat, then so be it. Will this be inspected?
I think it’s a pity that you have a lot of space upstairs and don’t make use of it. 18m² (195 sq ft) for a guest who only stays 10 nights a year? The rest of the time, it’s just a huge storage room.
It clearly calls for a large bathroom with a freestanding tub, a proper walk-in closet… a drum set… and then a granny flat where you want to rent to a student? He’ll go crazy trying to study while someone is playing drums upstairs for 2-3 hours every day.
Your bedroom is also poorly placed directly above the granny flat, not ideal unless you just want to use it for sleeping with your hands folded over the duvet...
This also applies to your student—he’s unlikely to go to bed every night at 9:30 pm and lie in bed in a praying position until 7:30 am...
Either use the space upstairs efficiently with amenities that only childless couples can afford... or make the whole thing smaller and find an alternative to the granny flat, maybe one spread over two floors with a small spiral staircase. Young people find that stylish and modern.
Because all that extra dancing space upstairs is basically useless and just costs a lot of money.
It's a pity that the apartment has to be a separate unit.
Even if you only rearrange furniture twice a month, it’s still inconvenient.
Have you considered placing the kitchen, dining area, a cozy chaise lounge, and an office on the ground floor, and having a living room with TV and a music corner upstairs?
That way, you could host a Tupperware party—or is it Pampered Chef now—and upstairs the men could watch soccer matches.
Setting up the electric piano every time isn’t much fun either. For a house meant for two people, hobbies should definitely be taken into account. I’d also suggest planning some bookshelves.
The separate apartment is quite small. Do you think it would be possible to rent it out?
Even if you only rearrange furniture twice a month, it’s still inconvenient.
Have you considered placing the kitchen, dining area, a cozy chaise lounge, and an office on the ground floor, and having a living room with TV and a music corner upstairs?
That way, you could host a Tupperware party—or is it Pampered Chef now—and upstairs the men could watch soccer matches.
Setting up the electric piano every time isn’t much fun either. For a house meant for two people, hobbies should definitely be taken into account. I’d also suggest planning some bookshelves.
The separate apartment is quite small. Do you think it would be possible to rent it out?
MachsSelbst schrieb:
If you have to build the granny flat, then that’s how it is. Is it checked? Yes, it is checked. In theory, there is also a requirement that you have a tenant with their primary residence there for 5 years – but that can’t really be guaranteed.
MachsSelbst schrieb:
18m² (194 sq ft) for a guest who comes 10 nights a year? The rest of the time it’s just a huge storage room. Yes, it is also supposed to include a utility room because otherwise there is no space for that.
MachsSelbst schrieb:
He’s going to lose it if he wants to study and upstairs someone’s playing drums for 2-3 hours daily. 😀 We thought the same. That’s why we swapped the rooms, see the original post, sorry if it was written unclearly.
MachsSelbst schrieb:
Alternative to the granny flat, maybe spread it over 2 floors or something, with a small spiral staircase. We’ve thought about that too, because yes: we really don’t need all that space upstairs, but have to pay for it. We dismissed dividing the granny flat over 2 floors again after a friend advised us it would waste too much living area.
haydee schrieb:
Have you ever thought about having a cozy chaise lounge and an office in the kitchen and dining area on the ground floor, and a living room with TV and music corner upstairs? No, we haven’t considered that yet. Not because we can’t imagine it, but because the open-plan area downstairs definitely needs to stay open, otherwise it will get too dark.
I can see we really need to draw out EVERYTHING first and then at least check if it even fits on the ground floor.
We will also revise the granny flat and see how it works with two stories.
Similar topics