Hello everyone!
After taking some time to consider our architect’s design and adjusting the ground floor to fit our ideas, I would now like to share the floor plan with you. Ideally, construction would start next year, but we are not in a real hurry.
The plans show a second preliminary draft from our architect, including an initial cost estimate. Unfortunately, dimensions are not included yet. The first draft was mainly to illustrate that our dreams cannot be realized within the original budget we had planned.
Development plan/restrictions
Plot size => approx. 450-500 m² (The exact size is not yet fixed as we are receiving the plot as a gift from my parents, and we are still unsure about the future boundaries.)
Slope => slight slope from west to east (approx. 1m (3 feet) over the house’s length)
[I]The house has an almost ideal north/south orientation. The entrance, carport, and driveway are therefore located on the north side.[/I]
- There is no development plan.
Homeowner requirements:
Style, roof type, building type => flat roof with roof terrace
Exterior dimensions => [I]11.80m x 7.2m (39 feet x 24 feet) with a bay window of 4.4m x 1.5m (14 feet x 5 feet) (no specification from us)
[/I]
Basement, floors => basement with a granny flat + 2 full floors + roof terrace
Number of people, age => 2 adults in the main living unit + 2 children expected soon + 1 person in the granny flat
Office: family use or home office? => My wife is a teacher and will regularly do some work at home. I will be working from home up to 4 days a week in the future.
Open or closed architecture => open living/kitchen/dining area
Conservative or modern design => modern design
Open kitchen, kitchen island => open, yes, but no island (if possible, without overhead cabinets)
Number of dining seats => 6-10 people (table 2.4m x 1.0m (8 feet x 3 feet) + 8-10 chairs)
Fireplace => undecided (my wife wants one, I don’t – leaning towards no)
Music/stereo wall => no
Balcony, roof terrace => roof terrace
Garage, carport => 2x carport
Utility garden, greenhouse => no
House design
Planning by:
- our trusted architect.
What do you like in particular?:
- open kitchen, cube on the roof with covered roof terrace, small utility room on the ground floor for washer and dryer
What do you dislike/what needs improvement?:
Basement – the layout needs optimization for a technical room.
Ground floor – should be mirrored west to east completely; we are also concerned that the living room width of 3.5m (11.5 feet) feels narrow and tunnel-shaped. I want the sofa on the north side and the TV on the south side.
Upper floor – 45° walls in the children’s bathroom
Preferred heating technology:
- gas boiler/solar vs. heat pump (air/water or geothermal) – still completely undecided, the floor plan should be finalized first, then heating load will be calculated.
If you had to do without certain features/extensions …
… what could you do without:
for now, the carport and basement finishing as well as expanding the children’s rooms + bathroom since we don’t have children yet. Otherwise, we would like everything included.
… what can’t you do without:
- open living area on the ground floor, granny flat, roof terrace
Since our architect is on vacation until early December, we are currently on a bit of a break, which we have used to reshape the ground floor according to our ideas.
[I][I]
We are now considering extending the longitudinal side by at least 50cm (preferably 1.0m (3 feet)) to increase the living room width from 3.5m (11.5 feet) to 4.0-4.5m (13-15 feet) (we extended the building by 1m (3 feet)).[/I]
We mirrored the plan from west to east to achieve a greater spatial separation between the living room and the granny flat. Additionally, we planned a niche for a side-by-side refrigerator – unfortunately at the expense of the already small utility room.
Sorry there are no measurements included yet, I will provide them as soon as possible. Please ask if you want specific dimensions.
Now to the architect’s cost estimate:
Site development: 7,000€
Surveying: 2,500€
Main house: 285,000€
Carport: 12,000€
Controlled ventilation system: 10,000€ (requested by us)
Sun protection: 7,500€
Ceiling spotlights: 2,000€ (requested by us)
Landscaping: 2,500€
Paved surfaces: 20,000€
Kitchen: 15,000€
Fireplace: 7,000€ (initially requested by us, now uncertain)
Architect fees approx.: 29,000€[/I]
Specialist experts, structural engineering, fire protection, energy saving regulations approx.: 11,000€
Total: 410,500€
The architect’s calculation assumes building costs of 326€/m³ (including VAT) of gross volume.
The living area currently is approx. 156m² (1,680 sq ft) + 38m² (410 sq ft) granny flat + 30m² (320 sq ft) usable space in the basement.
Calculating only on living area, that equates to around 1,470€/m² (137 USD/sq ft).
Including all costs, it comes to 2,110€/m² (197 USD/sq ft).
Does this seem realistic to you?
What do you think about the design? What would you improve?
I look forward to your suggestions!
Best regards, Mathias
After taking some time to consider our architect’s design and adjusting the ground floor to fit our ideas, I would now like to share the floor plan with you. Ideally, construction would start next year, but we are not in a real hurry.
The plans show a second preliminary draft from our architect, including an initial cost estimate. Unfortunately, dimensions are not included yet. The first draft was mainly to illustrate that our dreams cannot be realized within the original budget we had planned.
Development plan/restrictions
Plot size => approx. 450-500 m² (The exact size is not yet fixed as we are receiving the plot as a gift from my parents, and we are still unsure about the future boundaries.)
Slope => slight slope from west to east (approx. 1m (3 feet) over the house’s length)
[I]The house has an almost ideal north/south orientation. The entrance, carport, and driveway are therefore located on the north side.[/I]
- There is no development plan.
Homeowner requirements:
Style, roof type, building type => flat roof with roof terrace
Exterior dimensions => [I]11.80m x 7.2m (39 feet x 24 feet) with a bay window of 4.4m x 1.5m (14 feet x 5 feet) (no specification from us)
[/I]
Basement, floors => basement with a granny flat + 2 full floors + roof terrace
Number of people, age => 2 adults in the main living unit + 2 children expected soon + 1 person in the granny flat
Office: family use or home office? => My wife is a teacher and will regularly do some work at home. I will be working from home up to 4 days a week in the future.
Open or closed architecture => open living/kitchen/dining area
Conservative or modern design => modern design
Open kitchen, kitchen island => open, yes, but no island (if possible, without overhead cabinets)
Number of dining seats => 6-10 people (table 2.4m x 1.0m (8 feet x 3 feet) + 8-10 chairs)
Fireplace => undecided (my wife wants one, I don’t – leaning towards no)
Music/stereo wall => no
Balcony, roof terrace => roof terrace
Garage, carport => 2x carport
Utility garden, greenhouse => no
House design
Planning by:
- our trusted architect.
What do you like in particular?:
- open kitchen, cube on the roof with covered roof terrace, small utility room on the ground floor for washer and dryer
What do you dislike/what needs improvement?:
Basement – the layout needs optimization for a technical room.
Ground floor – should be mirrored west to east completely; we are also concerned that the living room width of 3.5m (11.5 feet) feels narrow and tunnel-shaped. I want the sofa on the north side and the TV on the south side.
Upper floor – 45° walls in the children’s bathroom
Preferred heating technology:
- gas boiler/solar vs. heat pump (air/water or geothermal) – still completely undecided, the floor plan should be finalized first, then heating load will be calculated.
If you had to do without certain features/extensions …
… what could you do without:
for now, the carport and basement finishing as well as expanding the children’s rooms + bathroom since we don’t have children yet. Otherwise, we would like everything included.
… what can’t you do without:
- open living area on the ground floor, granny flat, roof terrace
Since our architect is on vacation until early December, we are currently on a bit of a break, which we have used to reshape the ground floor according to our ideas.
[I][I]
We are now considering extending the longitudinal side by at least 50cm (preferably 1.0m (3 feet)) to increase the living room width from 3.5m (11.5 feet) to 4.0-4.5m (13-15 feet) (we extended the building by 1m (3 feet)).[/I]
We mirrored the plan from west to east to achieve a greater spatial separation between the living room and the granny flat. Additionally, we planned a niche for a side-by-side refrigerator – unfortunately at the expense of the already small utility room.
Sorry there are no measurements included yet, I will provide them as soon as possible. Please ask if you want specific dimensions.
Now to the architect’s cost estimate:
Site development: 7,000€
Surveying: 2,500€
Main house: 285,000€
Carport: 12,000€
Controlled ventilation system: 10,000€ (requested by us)
Sun protection: 7,500€
Ceiling spotlights: 2,000€ (requested by us)
Landscaping: 2,500€
Paved surfaces: 20,000€
Kitchen: 15,000€
Fireplace: 7,000€ (initially requested by us, now uncertain)
Architect fees approx.: 29,000€[/I]
Specialist experts, structural engineering, fire protection, energy saving regulations approx.: 11,000€
Total: 410,500€
The architect’s calculation assumes building costs of 326€/m³ (including VAT) of gross volume.
The living area currently is approx. 156m² (1,680 sq ft) + 38m² (410 sq ft) granny flat + 30m² (320 sq ft) usable space in the basement.
Calculating only on living area, that equates to around 1,470€/m² (137 USD/sq ft).
Including all costs, it comes to 2,110€/m² (197 USD/sq ft).
Does this seem realistic to you?
What do you think about the design? What would you improve?
I look forward to your suggestions!
Best regards, Mathias
I like it and think the split-level design is a practical solution *thumbs up*
Regarding the bathroom issue: I wouldn’t separate an anteroom but choose a highly soundproof door instead, and I wouldn’t make the bathroom any larger.
For the master bathroom, I would plan it as soon as possible with care – a nice large shower, and then decide the exact window position. Also consider whether the bathroom window really needs to be full height. (Guests in the garden and someone in the bathroom)
I find the window in the children’s bathroom too wide… a sensible bathroom furniture layout should come first. Possibly a very narrow, full-height window would be better there. Also, I think a shower of at least 90cm x 90cm (35 inches x 35 inches) is useful.
If you are thinking of a sauna on the roof terrace, then maybe include a shower facility up there, possibly also an outdoor shower.
Regarding the bathroom issue: I wouldn’t separate an anteroom but choose a highly soundproof door instead, and I wouldn’t make the bathroom any larger.
For the master bathroom, I would plan it as soon as possible with care – a nice large shower, and then decide the exact window position. Also consider whether the bathroom window really needs to be full height. (Guests in the garden and someone in the bathroom)
I find the window in the children’s bathroom too wide… a sensible bathroom furniture layout should come first. Possibly a very narrow, full-height window would be better there. Also, I think a shower of at least 90cm x 90cm (35 inches x 35 inches) is useful.
If you are thinking of a sauna on the roof terrace, then maybe include a shower facility up there, possibly also an outdoor shower.
Thanks for your replies!
Yes, we really like the house type!
The cloakroom is currently planned to the left of the door to the utility room, where there is space for a 2.40m (7 ft 10 in) wide wardrobe. The door to the storage room under the stairs is also far enough to the right. At the same time, there is the option to install a glass partition between the two windows on the north side to create an entrance vestibule, but that is optional.
The dressing room layout includes a 4m (13 ft 1 in) wardrobe wall, with space next to it on the left under the window for a 2m (6 ft 7 in) dresser. In the wider area north of the bathroom, there is also room for a mirror and a chair. As @kbt09 correctly pointed out, there is also space for shallower cabinets behind the door at the bottom of the plan. Attached is a picture showing how we imagine it.
We are still quite unsure about the master bathroom; my wife wants a special solution, while I would simply arrange the fixtures along the left and right walls. The window in the bathroom would be a sort of clerestory window, but that is not yet fixed. The door to the south terrace will have frosted glass, which also solves the privacy issue.
Attached are two examples of how we roughly envision it. In one of these, the door would be located on the west wall. Nothing is finalized yet. Besides kitchen planning, this is now our top priority.
I chose the door to the master bathroom too small, but it will be a standard size—thanks! Yes, the issue with the small passageway to the toilet is still puzzling me. Beans are often eaten but are not the problem. We definitely need to address this.
We also plan to have a water connection on the roof terrace, and it will be structurally designed so that you could possibly place a hot tub up there someday. We had considered locating a shower in the children's bathroom, since there likely won’t be enough space for an inside shower, and an outside one would not be very useful in winter... :|
The façade design and exact window dimensions are not fixed yet either. Thanks for the tip about the children’s bathroom; we will go over that as well.
Yes, we really like the house type!
The cloakroom is currently planned to the left of the door to the utility room, where there is space for a 2.40m (7 ft 10 in) wide wardrobe. The door to the storage room under the stairs is also far enough to the right. At the same time, there is the option to install a glass partition between the two windows on the north side to create an entrance vestibule, but that is optional.
The dressing room layout includes a 4m (13 ft 1 in) wardrobe wall, with space next to it on the left under the window for a 2m (6 ft 7 in) dresser. In the wider area north of the bathroom, there is also room for a mirror and a chair. As @kbt09 correctly pointed out, there is also space for shallower cabinets behind the door at the bottom of the plan. Attached is a picture showing how we imagine it.
We are still quite unsure about the master bathroom; my wife wants a special solution, while I would simply arrange the fixtures along the left and right walls. The window in the bathroom would be a sort of clerestory window, but that is not yet fixed. The door to the south terrace will have frosted glass, which also solves the privacy issue.
Attached are two examples of how we roughly envision it. In one of these, the door would be located on the west wall. Nothing is finalized yet. Besides kitchen planning, this is now our top priority.
I chose the door to the master bathroom too small, but it will be a standard size—thanks! Yes, the issue with the small passageway to the toilet is still puzzling me. Beans are often eaten but are not the problem. We definitely need to address this.
We also plan to have a water connection on the roof terrace, and it will be structurally designed so that you could possibly place a hot tub up there someday. We had considered locating a shower in the children's bathroom, since there likely won’t be enough space for an inside shower, and an outside one would not be very useful in winter... :|
The façade design and exact window dimensions are not fixed yet either. Thanks for the tip about the children’s bathroom; we will go over that as well.
This bathroom layout:
definitely appeals to me more. The shower will still need a door. I would have it hinged at the top of the plan and open inward.
However, I would probably leave out the window at the bottom of the plan. It’s hard to clean anyway with the bathtub in front of it. And if it’s absolutely necessary, it should have fixed glazing.
In the basement, I wouldn’t plan a vestibule or similar. Why make everything unnecessarily small?
definitely appeals to me more. The shower will still need a door. I would have it hinged at the top of the plan and open inward.
However, I would probably leave out the window at the bottom of the plan. It’s hard to clean anyway with the bathtub in front of it. And if it’s absolutely necessary, it should have fixed glazing.
In the basement, I wouldn’t plan a vestibule or similar. Why make everything unnecessarily small?
@kbt09 We would prefer a shower without glass. I actually assumed that with this shower size, a little water would splash outside the entrance, but placing a towel on the floor would prevent any problems. How large would the shower need to be roughly for that to work?
@tomtom79 Yes, almost. Why?
The maximum is 410. At most 430. Architect’s estimate:
- Private access road: 8,000€
- House with 770m³ (27,200 ft³) of enclosed space at 326€ per m³: 251,000€
- Double carport flat rate: 12,000€
- Controlled residential ventilation flat rate: 10,000€
- Sun protection flat rate: 7,500€
- Built-in lighting: 2,000€
- Outdoor areas: 23,000€
- Kitchen: 15,000€
- Additional construction costs including fees: 40,000€
Totaling just under 370,000€
We also have a 40,000€ buffer, and if worst comes to worst, 60,000€.
Converted to living area, the estimate amounts to 1,880€/m² (approximately 175 USD/sq ft).
From my online research, this should be realistic, right?
@tomtom79 Yes, almost. Why?
The maximum is 410. At most 430. Architect’s estimate:
- Private access road: 8,000€
- House with 770m³ (27,200 ft³) of enclosed space at 326€ per m³: 251,000€
- Double carport flat rate: 12,000€
- Controlled residential ventilation flat rate: 10,000€
- Sun protection flat rate: 7,500€
- Built-in lighting: 2,000€
- Outdoor areas: 23,000€
- Kitchen: 15,000€
- Additional construction costs including fees: 40,000€
Totaling just under 370,000€
We also have a 40,000€ buffer, and if worst comes to worst, 60,000€.
Converted to living area, the estimate amounts to 1,880€/m² (approximately 175 USD/sq ft).
From my online research, this should be realistic, right?
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