ᐅ Floor plans for a single-family house with a separate apartment, 280 m² on a compact 320 m² plot
Created on: 29 Aug 2022 11:51
M
medow1982
Hello everyone,
attached is our project with a request for suggestions for improvement, especially regarding the interior layout. The building permit application is currently in process, so please avoid complete redesign proposals for the building envelope, entrance, etc. Doors and walls can still be adjusted inside.
And yes, we are fully aware that this is a small constrained plot with limited garden space, but this is all we have here and we’re happy with it!
Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 310 m2 (3,337 sq ft)
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 1.5–2
Roof type: 45-degree gable roof
Orientation: SW
Additional requirements: Must be attached to neighbors and adapted accordingly. Changes to roof shape, knee wall height, number of floors, etc. are not possible!
Owners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Attached house, adapted to neighbors. This is restricted. Open floor plan. Flexible for aging occupants.
Basement, floors: Basement = self-contained apartment according to regional building codes, with separate entrance for permanent rental in the basement.
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults + 2 children (4 and 1 year old), basement apartment: either 2 people or a shared office for 2 to max. 6 people
Space requirements on ground and upper floors: at least 120 m2 (1,292 sq ft). We have 165 m2 (1,776 sq ft) + 18 m2 (194 sq ft), so more than needed.
Office: Family use or home office? All three desired. One mixed-use room for home office and guests planned on the ground floor.
Guest sleepers per year: maximum 2, 1–3 times per year
Modern construction style
Open kitchen, kitchen island: possibly
Number of dining seats: 1
Fireplace: no
Balcony: yes, roof terrace: no due to neighbors
Garage, carport: no, only 2 parking spaces and storage rooms on the floors. One parking space will be realized with grass pavers and a sliding gate so that the garden visually appears larger.
House Design
Who designed the plan: 2 years of our own planning, final design approved by an architect as feasible.
- Planner from a construction company: yes
- Architect: yes
What do you particularly like? Why: We planned 3 separate living units so that we can live on the ground floor as we get older and the kids move upstairs or we can rent it out. A barrier-free ground floor was very important to us. In case of emergency, we can also rent out the ground and upper floors. Only the basement apartment is planned for rental; ground and upper floors for own use.
Estimated cost according to architect/planner: approx. 1 million €
Preferred heating system: Air-to-water heat pump, split system for cost reasons. 8 kWp solar system, 2 centralized ventilation systems. Basement made of concrete + Styrodur insulation, ground and upper floors with Poroton T7-MW 36.5 bricks. Soundproofing and increased living space were priorities, and unfortunately, we no longer qualify for KfW40+ funding. We simply didn’t have enough time for the KfW40+ NH standard because interest rates have risen sharply.
If you have to give up something, which details or expansions?
- Can give up: definitely the garage. We don’t own a car and use car sharing, which works well for the family. We can occasionally use a garage and shed on the neighboring property.
- Cannot give up: terrace, garden, balcony
Why is the design as it is now?
For example, standard design from planner? No, everything developed by us. Strong restrictions due to attachment to neighbors and limits on ridge height, roof shape, and height of the adjoining building. “Wish for” options are hardly possible here since the house must be attached to the neighbor.
Which wishes did the architect implement? Most of them.
What do you think makes it particularly good or bad? We have a very small plot and limited freedom in terms of shape, but in our opinion, we made the best of it. For cost reasons, we omitted Gutex insulation in the roof. We only have the attic peak, the bathroom, and one room with a sloping ceiling (knee wall height 1.38 m (4 ft 6 in)).
According to the site manager, this should not lead to extreme overheating, but we might still install it depending on feedback. The attic is open and connected to the ventilation system, so air in the basement will be mixed via the heat exchanger anyway. My parents also don’t have Gutex insulation in their prefab home from the 1980s, and yes, the attic gets quite warm but not over 35°C (95°F). We planned to compensate with blinds but are still unsure.
Additionally, we plan to convert the kitchen on the ground floor into a living room as we age and relocate the kitchen accordingly. Everything is optional, and planned with flexible plumbing. In the basement, we might still plan another room but are unsure of the location.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Is the size of the bathroom and hallway sufficient, or should we have it adjusted?
In the basement, we will add a south-facing window on the left side to brighten the basement apartment. This will reduce privacy and garden space but should please the basement occupants.
attached is our project with a request for suggestions for improvement, especially regarding the interior layout. The building permit application is currently in process, so please avoid complete redesign proposals for the building envelope, entrance, etc. Doors and walls can still be adjusted inside.
And yes, we are fully aware that this is a small constrained plot with limited garden space, but this is all we have here and we’re happy with it!
Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 310 m2 (3,337 sq ft)
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 1.5–2
Roof type: 45-degree gable roof
Orientation: SW
Additional requirements: Must be attached to neighbors and adapted accordingly. Changes to roof shape, knee wall height, number of floors, etc. are not possible!
Owners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Attached house, adapted to neighbors. This is restricted. Open floor plan. Flexible for aging occupants.
Basement, floors: Basement = self-contained apartment according to regional building codes, with separate entrance for permanent rental in the basement.
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults + 2 children (4 and 1 year old), basement apartment: either 2 people or a shared office for 2 to max. 6 people
Space requirements on ground and upper floors: at least 120 m2 (1,292 sq ft). We have 165 m2 (1,776 sq ft) + 18 m2 (194 sq ft), so more than needed.
Office: Family use or home office? All three desired. One mixed-use room for home office and guests planned on the ground floor.
Guest sleepers per year: maximum 2, 1–3 times per year
Modern construction style
Open kitchen, kitchen island: possibly
Number of dining seats: 1
Fireplace: no
Balcony: yes, roof terrace: no due to neighbors
Garage, carport: no, only 2 parking spaces and storage rooms on the floors. One parking space will be realized with grass pavers and a sliding gate so that the garden visually appears larger.
House Design
Who designed the plan: 2 years of our own planning, final design approved by an architect as feasible.
- Planner from a construction company: yes
- Architect: yes
What do you particularly like? Why: We planned 3 separate living units so that we can live on the ground floor as we get older and the kids move upstairs or we can rent it out. A barrier-free ground floor was very important to us. In case of emergency, we can also rent out the ground and upper floors. Only the basement apartment is planned for rental; ground and upper floors for own use.
Estimated cost according to architect/planner: approx. 1 million €
Preferred heating system: Air-to-water heat pump, split system for cost reasons. 8 kWp solar system, 2 centralized ventilation systems. Basement made of concrete + Styrodur insulation, ground and upper floors with Poroton T7-MW 36.5 bricks. Soundproofing and increased living space were priorities, and unfortunately, we no longer qualify for KfW40+ funding. We simply didn’t have enough time for the KfW40+ NH standard because interest rates have risen sharply.
If you have to give up something, which details or expansions?
- Can give up: definitely the garage. We don’t own a car and use car sharing, which works well for the family. We can occasionally use a garage and shed on the neighboring property.
- Cannot give up: terrace, garden, balcony
Why is the design as it is now?
For example, standard design from planner? No, everything developed by us. Strong restrictions due to attachment to neighbors and limits on ridge height, roof shape, and height of the adjoining building. “Wish for” options are hardly possible here since the house must be attached to the neighbor.
Which wishes did the architect implement? Most of them.
What do you think makes it particularly good or bad? We have a very small plot and limited freedom in terms of shape, but in our opinion, we made the best of it. For cost reasons, we omitted Gutex insulation in the roof. We only have the attic peak, the bathroom, and one room with a sloping ceiling (knee wall height 1.38 m (4 ft 6 in)).
According to the site manager, this should not lead to extreme overheating, but we might still install it depending on feedback. The attic is open and connected to the ventilation system, so air in the basement will be mixed via the heat exchanger anyway. My parents also don’t have Gutex insulation in their prefab home from the 1980s, and yes, the attic gets quite warm but not over 35°C (95°F). We planned to compensate with blinds but are still unsure.
Additionally, we plan to convert the kitchen on the ground floor into a living room as we age and relocate the kitchen accordingly. Everything is optional, and planned with flexible plumbing. In the basement, we might still plan another room but are unsure of the location.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Is the size of the bathroom and hallway sufficient, or should we have it adjusted?
In the basement, we will add a south-facing window on the left side to brighten the basement apartment. This will reduce privacy and garden space but should please the basement occupants.
S
SaniererNRW12329 Aug 2022 22:59medow1982 schrieb:
Could have, would have, should have 🙂 So many things happened that were beyond anyone’s control.That may be true. But the long wait didn’t make it any better. Just more expensive... You could have simply hired a general contractor who would have built the house. Then many things could happen beyond anyone’s control, but at least the house would have been built. However, sugarcoating things like processes and so on belongs in another thread.I’m out again, as I avoid discussing floor plans.
M
medow198229 Aug 2022 23:17Myrna_Loy schrieb:
I get the feeling the original poster doesn’t want criticism, but here are a few comments on the floor plan. Why place the bathtub in the ground floor bathroom, which is usually the guest bathroom? If you want to enjoy a relaxing bath, do you really want to walk through the hallway just inside the front door? In a narrow bathroom with only a small window? And the kitchen offers limited countertop and storage space for four people and no real pantry. (Unless the basement apartment is never going to be a separate unit but rather a questionable home office or commercial use where you can easily add storage rooms, meaning you don’t need storage space upstairs… but in that case, you don’t even need to discuss floor plans intended only for the building permit / planning permission.) Why is there another office on the ground floor? You are building nearly 300 sqm (3,230 sq ft) and still have space like in a flat? Just to finance the building through rental income via your wife’s association? What’s wrong with planning a separate basement apartment to generate extra income? How it’s ultimately used doesn’t matter. I realize I may have unnecessarily alarmed some people. Of course, it’s open who will move in, and the room layout hasn’t been finalized yet. We will decide that once the shell we’re bound to is approved.
What speaks against placing the kitchen in the lower right dead corner of the basement? Then all the kitchens and rooms (office, utility room, whatever) would be on top of each other. We think the ground floor kitchen is large enough. Of course, there will still be a large pantry cabinet, and the rest goes in the storage room, which will be at least 1 sqm (11 sq ft) larger.
You can already see that everyone has their own preferences. Women always want a walk-in closet, a separate laundry room, and a large bathroom, while men care more about the big TV 🙂
On the upper floor and attic, we don’t want to change anything except the chamber door and the storage space under the attic staircase — it really works perfectly for us. Of course, you could plan a light well in the hallway, but how often do you actually spend time in the hallway? Similarly sized rooms were requested. Also, the toilet on the upper floor doesn’t really bother us. Something important we sadly forgot: the drawn-in furniture and their arrangement were not our ideas. Of course, we would never place a bed opposite a toilet on the upper floor, for example. I understand that placing a toilet away from other rooms is sensible. But we are a family up there, and the adjacent room with 17.5 cm (7 inches) walls is unlikely to be disturbed all night by noise. The central ventilation system doesn’t filter exhaust odors 100% either; it also transfers them to the fresh air rooms through the heat recovery exchanger. Anyone with a ventilation system knows the problem when cooking dishes like raclette. It’s not that bad. I agree that a bathroom shouldn’t be next to the dining table — I get that. But I don’t see any big unpleasant odor cloud following you around. Dirty diapers from kids stink way more.
The ground floor staircase along the exterior wall works, only the bathroom is less than ideal. Of course, we would like to have an additional room on the ground floor later, but should we really plan for that now at the expense of natural light? Probably not. The bathtub doesn’t have to be on the ground floor or basement either, even though that’s how it was initially planned.
M
medow198229 Aug 2022 23:38How about this option for the basement level, is this better?
M
medow198229 Aug 2022 23:51Option with the bedroom above the kitchen on the ground floor. However, no one will be happy if the dishwasher runs upstairs in the evening.
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medow198230 Aug 2022 00:06SaniererNRW123 schrieb:
That may be true. But the long time did not improve anything. Just made it more expensive... You could have just hired a general contractor (GC) who would have built it. Then all kinds of things could happen that are beyond your control, but the house would have built itself. However, sugarcoating things, processes, etc., belongs in another thread.
I’m out again because I avoid floor plans.Please stick to the question; otherwise, there will be no progress. A GC can only start building once the appropriate building permit / planning permission has been granted. Just because ideas are shared early here doesn’t necessarily mean those permits are in place. Please, no fundamental discussion. Just this much: building is currently unpredictable, with or without a GC. Look at timber prices, fixed price only with building permit / planning permission and for a limited time. Rising construction costs and skilled labor shortages, lack of building materials, war, inflation, interest rate fixes for 2 weeks versus banks’ 2-month processing times. Building authorities take at least 6 months, at least in our area. Unpredictable government incentives like KfW funding and false promises, missing, unwilling, or uncertified energy consultants or auditors who only focus on large projects. Changes in the zoning plan, etc.
S
SaniererNRW12330 Aug 2022 07:21medow1982 schrieb:
Please stick to the question, otherwise we’ll never make progress. Sorry, of course. But you missed your chance to move forward a few years ago and didn’t follow any advice. Now you’re going in circles again — on one hand, you could build much more cheaply; on the other, you want (or have to) create an apartment in the basement for financial support. And once again, you’re questioning whether and how it will be used. And that’s supposed to be a dream home?
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