ᐅ Single-Family House Design – Future Conversion to a Duplex Possible
Created on: 28 Nov 2016 13:36
P
Paulus16
Hello,
we are a family of five planning to build a single-family house in Lower Saxony next year. The house might be divided in about 15 years so that my wife and I will live on the ground floor and the upper floor could either be sold or stay for the younger generation of the family.
The plot is a gap in the row of buildings, there is no zoning plan.
The plot size is 911 sqm (9,800 sq ft).
The exterior dimensions of the house are 12.5 x 10 m (41 x 33 ft).
Roof type: gable roof
No basement, ground floor and attic with knee wall of 1.5 m (5 ft)
Number of residents: my wife and I, three children aged 7, 10, and 13 years
Room requirements on ground floor and upper floor
Office: family use or home office?
Guest bedrooms per year
Open or closed floor plan
Conservative or modern architectural style
Open kitchen: no
Number of dining seats
Fireplace: not decided yet, probably no.
A conservatory is planned on the west side of the living-dining area, facing south and west.
Garage: planned as a prefabricated garage, carport: opposite the north side (next to the utility room side entrance).
House design
Planning by: Do-it-Yourself
Preferred heating system: gas condensing boiler
Please share your opinions.
we are a family of five planning to build a single-family house in Lower Saxony next year. The house might be divided in about 15 years so that my wife and I will live on the ground floor and the upper floor could either be sold or stay for the younger generation of the family.
The plot is a gap in the row of buildings, there is no zoning plan.
The plot size is 911 sqm (9,800 sq ft).
The exterior dimensions of the house are 12.5 x 10 m (41 x 33 ft).
Roof type: gable roof
No basement, ground floor and attic with knee wall of 1.5 m (5 ft)
Number of residents: my wife and I, three children aged 7, 10, and 13 years
Room requirements on ground floor and upper floor
Office: family use or home office?
Guest bedrooms per year
Open or closed floor plan
Conservative or modern architectural style
Open kitchen: no
Number of dining seats
Fireplace: not decided yet, probably no.
A conservatory is planned on the west side of the living-dining area, facing south and west.
Garage: planned as a prefabricated garage, carport: opposite the north side (next to the utility room side entrance).
House design
Planning by: Do-it-Yourself
Preferred heating system: gas condensing boiler
Please share your opinions.
I don’t think anyone would sell the attic space of a property they’ve lived in for around 20 years, only to have “strangers” living above them in their later years.
When the first child leaves, the mother is happy to have a sewing room. When the second leaves, the father gets the second room, or perhaps grandchildren move in who have a claim to it.
Honestly, people will grow fond of the available rooms; they might stop using them regularly, rent them out, or keep them reserved for family, but they won’t sell them.
Family members who move back in with their parents won’t have issues sharing the common entrance, which is closed off on the ground floor by a partition wall separating it from the hallway.
This is completely standard practice, at least in our area—similar designs everywhere... somewhat like the townhouse layout, but with a quarter-turn staircase and a roof terrace (loggia) under the attic.
Best regards
When the first child leaves, the mother is happy to have a sewing room. When the second leaves, the father gets the second room, or perhaps grandchildren move in who have a claim to it.
Honestly, people will grow fond of the available rooms; they might stop using them regularly, rent them out, or keep them reserved for family, but they won’t sell them.
Family members who move back in with their parents won’t have issues sharing the common entrance, which is closed off on the ground floor by a partition wall separating it from the hallway.
This is completely standard practice, at least in our area—similar designs everywhere... somewhat like the townhouse layout, but with a quarter-turn staircase and a roof terrace (loggia) under the attic.
Best regards
D
Doc.Schnaggls29 Nov 2016 09:17Hello,
@Paulus 16:
Skylights:
I mean that you could install a glass panel (possibly frosted glass) in the space between the top of the door frame and the ceiling, at least for two doors, so that some light from the rooms can reach the hallway.
Door arrangement Hallway / Utility room / Kitchen:
What do you think about a sliding door built into the wall leading to the utility room? Built into the wall so you don’t lose any wall space either in the utility room or in the hallway. For this, the wall would just need to be doubled. I would completely remove the front door between the hallway and the resulting short corridor then.
However, if the heating system is also located in the utility room, I would be cautious with this solution—a sliding door does not block sound nearly as well as a standard door…
Best regards,
Dirk
@Paulus 16:
Skylights:
I mean that you could install a glass panel (possibly frosted glass) in the space between the top of the door frame and the ceiling, at least for two doors, so that some light from the rooms can reach the hallway.
Door arrangement Hallway / Utility room / Kitchen:
What do you think about a sliding door built into the wall leading to the utility room? Built into the wall so you don’t lose any wall space either in the utility room or in the hallway. For this, the wall would just need to be doubled. I would completely remove the front door between the hallway and the resulting short corridor then.
However, if the heating system is also located in the utility room, I would be cautious with this solution—a sliding door does not block sound nearly as well as a standard door…
Best regards,
Dirk
ypg schrieb:
I don’t think anyone would sell the attic space in their property, where they’ve lived for around 20 years, just to have “strangers” living above them in old age.For me, that wouldn’t be an option either, but I also can’t imagine the children living up there for an extended period. Most of them want some distance from their parents and more space for their own family. I would rather design the house for my current needs and possibly sell it later if it no longer meets my requirements.
Best regards,
Sabine
Curly schrieb:
For me, that wouldn’t be an option either, but I also can’t imagine the children living up there for a long time. Most want some distance from their parents and more space for their own family. I would prefer to design the house for my current needs and possibly sell it later if it no longer meets the requirements.
Best regards,
SabineExactly! With relatives, you either become dependent again or create new problems, at least in the upstairs/downstairs arrangement. A multi-generation house looks different to me.
Even if a longer financial bottleneck or having too much space makes you consider selling one half (in this case the upper), you tend to want to sell the entire property rather.
Regards
What just occurred to me, you mentioned planning a gas condensing boiler; if I’m not mistaken, that requires a chimney, which of course can also be an external one.
My space requirements in the utility room won't help you, as I don’t have a house but only a condominium with central heating, etc.
My space requirements in the utility room won't help you, as I don’t have a house but only a condominium with central heating, etc.
Thank you for the responses.
Regarding the separation of the house, in my opinion the discussion is going in the wrong direction. The idea that we would separate in 15-20 years is just a possibility, and we understand that with this floor plan it would only be possible through a compromise. However, the question is a simple one: Assuming the technical systems are separated, do you consider this floor plan to be divisible, as shown in the ground floor image with the separation, or not?
@Doc.Schnaggls
Thank you, so you mean interior doors with transom windows. Sounds reasonable.
Because of sound insulation, the idea of using a sliding door will not work.
Regarding the separation of the house, in my opinion the discussion is going in the wrong direction. The idea that we would separate in 15-20 years is just a possibility, and we understand that with this floor plan it would only be possible through a compromise. However, the question is a simple one: Assuming the technical systems are separated, do you consider this floor plan to be divisible, as shown in the ground floor image with the separation, or not?
@Doc.Schnaggls
Thank you, so you mean interior doors with transom windows. Sounds reasonable.
Because of sound insulation, the idea of using a sliding door will not work.
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