ᐅ Floor Plan / Design of a Single-Family House with a Secondary Apartment on the Upper Floor
Created on: 26 Aug 2020 21:38
O
Oimelwutz
Hello everyone,
we are currently focusing more intensively on the topic of building a house.
Therefore, I would like to present our floor plan and thoughts and I am looking forward to your feedback!
Background:
My wife and I currently live with our daughter in my parents’ house. My father lives above us, and we want to continue living in this arrangement. That means we need an apartment for us and one for my father.
Since we will need a barrier-free apartment for ourselves in the short to medium term and an age-appropriate apartment for my father, we considered renovation/conversion.
However, we ruled out renovation and conversion because the current building condition is very poor. We also contacted a local architect about this.
After visiting the house, he (although he normally focuses exclusively on renovation/conversion) came to the same conclusion. In his opinion, renovation/conversion would probably be more expensive than demolition and building new.
So that’s what we did. After several discussions with different companies, we ended up with a local masonry builder. A small company in its second generation with employed masons, where we feel well taken care of.
We already had a desired floor plan in mind and, together with the builder, the attached floor plan was developed. Overall, we are very satisfied with it. Financially, it looks good, and we even have some room for small extras.
About the sketches:
We are currently waiting for the new drawings from the builder.
The ground floor (GF) will be as shown in my sketch below. The upper floor (UF) will be larger, but the room layout will remain the same.
The house will be positioned parallel to the street, with the front door facing the street.
Now I am cautiously looking forward to criticism, questions, and hopefully lots of input from you!
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size 23.5 x 40 m (77 x 131 ft)
Slope no
No development plan
Client requirements
Style, roof shape, building type no special requirements
Basement, floors no basement; upper floor with 1 m (3 ft) knee wall
Number of people, age 4 (31, 34, 2, 62)
Space requirements on GF, UF main apartment completely on GF
Office: family use or home office? family use + guest bed
Overnight guests a few times a year
Open or closed architecture unknown
Conservative or modern construction rather conservative
Open kitchen, kitchen island should be a closed room, preferably with a sliding door to keep the option open
Number of dining seats 6
Fireplace no
Music / stereo wall no
Balcony, roof terrace balcony if there is a secondary apartment on the upper floor
Garage, carport double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse no
House design
Who designed the plan? basic idea by us, drawn by the builder
What do you particularly like? Why? basically we are satisfied. We like the “attic space” that can be converted later as needed
What do you not like? Why? bedroom facing the street, we would prefer office/guest room, but we think this does not really fit with the room sizes
Offer from the builder: house 335,000 €; additional features 16,500 €; photovoltaic system 11,000 €; double garage 36,500 €
Walls and ceilings plastered to Q2 finish; tiles included, the rest additional
Personal price limit for the house, including features: 550,000 €
Preferred heating system: heat pump
we are currently focusing more intensively on the topic of building a house.
Therefore, I would like to present our floor plan and thoughts and I am looking forward to your feedback!
Background:
My wife and I currently live with our daughter in my parents’ house. My father lives above us, and we want to continue living in this arrangement. That means we need an apartment for us and one for my father.
Since we will need a barrier-free apartment for ourselves in the short to medium term and an age-appropriate apartment for my father, we considered renovation/conversion.
However, we ruled out renovation and conversion because the current building condition is very poor. We also contacted a local architect about this.
After visiting the house, he (although he normally focuses exclusively on renovation/conversion) came to the same conclusion. In his opinion, renovation/conversion would probably be more expensive than demolition and building new.
So that’s what we did. After several discussions with different companies, we ended up with a local masonry builder. A small company in its second generation with employed masons, where we feel well taken care of.
We already had a desired floor plan in mind and, together with the builder, the attached floor plan was developed. Overall, we are very satisfied with it. Financially, it looks good, and we even have some room for small extras.
About the sketches:
We are currently waiting for the new drawings from the builder.
The ground floor (GF) will be as shown in my sketch below. The upper floor (UF) will be larger, but the room layout will remain the same.
The house will be positioned parallel to the street, with the front door facing the street.
Now I am cautiously looking forward to criticism, questions, and hopefully lots of input from you!
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size 23.5 x 40 m (77 x 131 ft)
Slope no
No development plan
Client requirements
Style, roof shape, building type no special requirements
Basement, floors no basement; upper floor with 1 m (3 ft) knee wall
Number of people, age 4 (31, 34, 2, 62)
Space requirements on GF, UF main apartment completely on GF
Office: family use or home office? family use + guest bed
Overnight guests a few times a year
Open or closed architecture unknown
Conservative or modern construction rather conservative
Open kitchen, kitchen island should be a closed room, preferably with a sliding door to keep the option open
Number of dining seats 6
Fireplace no
Music / stereo wall no
Balcony, roof terrace balcony if there is a secondary apartment on the upper floor
Garage, carport double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse no
House design
Who designed the plan? basic idea by us, drawn by the builder
What do you particularly like? Why? basically we are satisfied. We like the “attic space” that can be converted later as needed
What do you not like? Why? bedroom facing the street, we would prefer office/guest room, but we think this does not really fit with the room sizes
Offer from the builder: house 335,000 €; additional features 16,500 €; photovoltaic system 11,000 €; double garage 36,500 €
Walls and ceilings plastered to Q2 finish; tiles included, the rest additional
Personal price limit for the house, including features: 550,000 €
Preferred heating system: heat pump
O
Oimelwutz30 Aug 2020 22:57We have already found a local company for the demolition. They charge just under €20,000 for the demolition and filling the hole.
We will handle the clearing out and gutting mostly ourselves.
Farmhouse?
At the moment, we are somewhat undecided about how to proceed.
With an open kitchen and giving up the bathtub, we could address some of the criticism points mentioned here in the thread.
A higher knee wall would make the upstairs apartment more usable. The stairlift remains an issue.
This raises an uncomfortable question: if he can no longer independently access the apartment with the lift, will I be able to manage his care at all?
We will definitely meet soon with a "building consultant." We know him through mutual contacts, and he has offered free assistance. I hope we will find a good dialogue partner in him.
We will handle the clearing out and gutting mostly ourselves.
Farmhouse?
At the moment, we are somewhat undecided about how to proceed.
With an open kitchen and giving up the bathtub, we could address some of the criticism points mentioned here in the thread.
A higher knee wall would make the upstairs apartment more usable. The stairlift remains an issue.
This raises an uncomfortable question: if he can no longer independently access the apartment with the lift, will I be able to manage his care at all?
We will definitely meet soon with a "building consultant." We know him through mutual contacts, and he has offered free assistance. I hope we will find a good dialogue partner in him.
Hello,
as I have mentioned several times before, your current floor plan isn’t ideal when considering a possible wheelchair. But even without a wheelchair, I find it rather uncomfortable. The dining area feels like a cave.
In the end, we decided on an L-shaped kitchen. Where an island would normally be nowadays, we only have our dining table. I originally wanted a separate living room. Now, for the sake of our daughter’s wheelchair, we have a fully open kitchen/dining/living area with as few corners and edges as possible. Very practical. Also, we don’t have a classic long corridor leading to the private rooms. The kids’ rooms, bathroom, and bedroom are all accessible from the end of the living room. It’s kind of like your kitchen doesn’t have a wall to the bottom and right sides of the plan. Saves a lot of square meters.
I would only leave out the bathtub if you are 100% sure about it. A wheelchair-accessible bathroom doesn’t necessarily have to be large, just well laid out...
If you want a height-adjustable sink – I searched forever until I found a nice one. You can’t really tell it has that function, and as long as you don’t need it with a stool or wheelchair in front of it, you don’t have to use the height adjustment yet...
We initially really wanted a garage and a connecting door into the house. Now I’m glad we have a very open carport. The usable width is increased because we omitted both the entire wall with the doors and the wall that would extend the house wall.
To be honest, the upper floor doesn’t impress me either. The corridors seem quite narrow up there, among other things.
The basic idea of having the mother downstairs and the father upstairs seems sensible to me.
The staircase needs space at the bottom and top for the stairlift seat. In my opinion, it’s hardly possible to get through properly with a wheelchair downstairs if both the rails for the lift run along the floor and the seat is at the bottom. Please look into the stairlift and the space it requires very carefully.
Also, the staircase should be quite wide for this, and the wall must be able to support the lift’s mounting. Don’t forget to consider electrical supply for the lift as well. Of course, you may never need the stairlift. But if you do, it shouldn’t be in the way and must be easy to install.
A platform lift requires significantly more space. A wheelchair could be driven up with one. But it only makes sense to plan for this if the upper floor is wheelchair accessible too. I would at least make sure the upper floor is suitable for a walker. Using a walker can greatly extend independence because it provides stability when someone can still do many things but walks a bit unsteadily...
Honestly, I would completely throw out your current floor plan and start again from scratch.
Sorry, I realize my criticism is harsh and only somewhat constructive.
By the way, what are the cardinal directions? Is the main entrance facing east?
If you have questions, feel free to contact me directly via private message once you have enough posts.
@haydee: Nice that you’re thinking of me. Please write me sometime.
as I have mentioned several times before, your current floor plan isn’t ideal when considering a possible wheelchair. But even without a wheelchair, I find it rather uncomfortable. The dining area feels like a cave.
In the end, we decided on an L-shaped kitchen. Where an island would normally be nowadays, we only have our dining table. I originally wanted a separate living room. Now, for the sake of our daughter’s wheelchair, we have a fully open kitchen/dining/living area with as few corners and edges as possible. Very practical. Also, we don’t have a classic long corridor leading to the private rooms. The kids’ rooms, bathroom, and bedroom are all accessible from the end of the living room. It’s kind of like your kitchen doesn’t have a wall to the bottom and right sides of the plan. Saves a lot of square meters.
I would only leave out the bathtub if you are 100% sure about it. A wheelchair-accessible bathroom doesn’t necessarily have to be large, just well laid out...
If you want a height-adjustable sink – I searched forever until I found a nice one. You can’t really tell it has that function, and as long as you don’t need it with a stool or wheelchair in front of it, you don’t have to use the height adjustment yet...
We initially really wanted a garage and a connecting door into the house. Now I’m glad we have a very open carport. The usable width is increased because we omitted both the entire wall with the doors and the wall that would extend the house wall.
To be honest, the upper floor doesn’t impress me either. The corridors seem quite narrow up there, among other things.
The basic idea of having the mother downstairs and the father upstairs seems sensible to me.
The staircase needs space at the bottom and top for the stairlift seat. In my opinion, it’s hardly possible to get through properly with a wheelchair downstairs if both the rails for the lift run along the floor and the seat is at the bottom. Please look into the stairlift and the space it requires very carefully.
Also, the staircase should be quite wide for this, and the wall must be able to support the lift’s mounting. Don’t forget to consider electrical supply for the lift as well. Of course, you may never need the stairlift. But if you do, it shouldn’t be in the way and must be easy to install.
A platform lift requires significantly more space. A wheelchair could be driven up with one. But it only makes sense to plan for this if the upper floor is wheelchair accessible too. I would at least make sure the upper floor is suitable for a walker. Using a walker can greatly extend independence because it provides stability when someone can still do many things but walks a bit unsteadily...
Honestly, I would completely throw out your current floor plan and start again from scratch.
Sorry, I realize my criticism is harsh and only somewhat constructive.
By the way, what are the cardinal directions? Is the main entrance facing east?
If you have questions, feel free to contact me directly via private message once you have enough posts.
@haydee: Nice that you’re thinking of me. Please write me sometime.
We had a farmhouse demolished.
No matter how the house is designed, home care is not always feasible. Providing care is physically, mentally, and time-consuming. On top of that, there is your wife’s health condition.
Don’t become fixated on the idea that your father won’t need a care home if you build the house “correctly” now. Aging is very individual.
No matter how the house is designed, home care is not always feasible. Providing care is physically, mentally, and time-consuming. On top of that, there is your wife’s health condition.
Don’t become fixated on the idea that your father won’t need a care home if you build the house “correctly” now. Aging is very individual.
O
Oimelwutz31 Aug 2020 15:47@Anitra
Thank you very much for your message and your advice.
I am indeed interested in the sink, and the harsh criticism is unfortunately justified, so I’m actually glad about that.
I will definitely come back to you with a few questions via private message. Thanks for your offer.
@haydee
Ah!
That’s exactly the idea I was aiming for with my question.
We will follow your advice and discard the current floor plan to redesign or have it redesigned.
I have already noted many points raised in this thread as must-haves. I will add to this list and then use it as a basis for planning.
Let’s see if we can include the granny flat on the ground floor; otherwise, we will keep it on the upper floor and prepare it as well as possible.
Thank you all for your feedback! I will get back to you with the new plans and hope that we will have better results then.
Thank you very much for your message and your advice.
I am indeed interested in the sink, and the harsh criticism is unfortunately justified, so I’m actually glad about that.
I will definitely come back to you with a few questions via private message. Thanks for your offer.
@haydee
Ah!
That’s exactly the idea I was aiming for with my question.
We will follow your advice and discard the current floor plan to redesign or have it redesigned.
I have already noted many points raised in this thread as must-haves. I will add to this list and then use it as a basis for planning.
Let’s see if we can include the granny flat on the ground floor; otherwise, we will keep it on the upper floor and prepare it as well as possible.
Thank you all for your feedback! I will get back to you with the new plans and hope that we will have better results then.
O
Oimelwutz16 Sep 2020 11:39Hello everyone,
in a few weeks, we have an appointment with a "building consultant" who had already offered to support us. Whether we will work with him, whether he will help us find other companies/architects, or if he will simply act as a discussion partner, remains to be seen. For now, we have slowed down the whole process a bit.
Nevertheless, we think about it every day, and since we do not want to completely discard the construction company that has already given us an offer, we have drawn a new floor plan ourselves. Some elements from the old floor plan have been incorporated, but we also tried to include your feedback.
For now, we are quite satisfied again, and therefore I would like to have you review the new floor plan once more. We have left out the upper floor for the time being. The knee wall height and roof shape do not matter to us at this point. We have various ideas about that.
What bothers us about the floor plan are the following points:
- Passage to the children’s room
Later on, our daughter will probably like that the parents are not standing right in the middle of the room, but unfortunately, a bit of space is lost here
- Hallway
It will be dark; we hope to improve this somewhat with glass doors towards the stairwell and living room. Still not ideal, but we could live with it
- Utility/technical room
Due to the angle and circulation paths, we lose a lot of usable space. Maybe the technical equipment could be moved to the upper floor?
I hope you see our new floor plan as a step in the right direction and I look forward to your honest feedback.
P.S.: The windows are not yet drawn in their final positions (one is definitely missing above the sink). And can you tell me when it will be possible to send messages here?
in a few weeks, we have an appointment with a "building consultant" who had already offered to support us. Whether we will work with him, whether he will help us find other companies/architects, or if he will simply act as a discussion partner, remains to be seen. For now, we have slowed down the whole process a bit.
Nevertheless, we think about it every day, and since we do not want to completely discard the construction company that has already given us an offer, we have drawn a new floor plan ourselves. Some elements from the old floor plan have been incorporated, but we also tried to include your feedback.
For now, we are quite satisfied again, and therefore I would like to have you review the new floor plan once more. We have left out the upper floor for the time being. The knee wall height and roof shape do not matter to us at this point. We have various ideas about that.
What bothers us about the floor plan are the following points:
- Passage to the children’s room
Later on, our daughter will probably like that the parents are not standing right in the middle of the room, but unfortunately, a bit of space is lost here
- Hallway
It will be dark; we hope to improve this somewhat with glass doors towards the stairwell and living room. Still not ideal, but we could live with it
- Utility/technical room
Due to the angle and circulation paths, we lose a lot of usable space. Maybe the technical equipment could be moved to the upper floor?
I hope you see our new floor plan as a step in the right direction and I look forward to your honest feedback.
P.S.: The windows are not yet drawn in their final positions (one is definitely missing above the sink). And can you tell me when it will be possible to send messages here?
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