ᐅ Is it practical to design the attic as a separate living unit?
Created on: 15 Mar 2013 08:50
R
reabsieHello everyone,
we have just purchased a plot of land in Stuttgart and are now planning our house.
The plan is for a single-family house with a basement apartment, which we will initially rent out and later my parents will move into.
The house measures 11.75 by 9.25 meters (38.5 by 30.3 feet). So far, the layout is as follows.
Basement: 50 sqm (538 sq ft) apartment
15.5 sqm (167 sq ft) storage room
6.6 sqm (71 sq ft) utility room
5.2 sqm (56 sq ft) room for drinks/recycling etc.
4.9 sqm (53 sq ft) hallway
5.0 sqm (54 sq ft) staircase
Ground floor: 2.7 sqm (29 sq ft) guest toilet
17.6 sqm (189 sq ft) bedroom
10.4 sqm (112 sq ft) bathroom
50.0 sqm (538 sq ft) dining/kitchen/living area
5.0 sqm (54 sq ft) staircase
6.6 sqm (71 sq ft) hallway
Top floor: 8.5 sqm (91 sq ft) bathroom
14 sqm (151 sq ft) guest room
12 sqm (129 sq ft) office
19.5 sqm (210 sq ft) children’s room
18.8 sqm (202 sq ft) children’s room
5.0 sqm (54 sq ft) staircase
7.5 sqm (81 sq ft) hallway
Our idea is that later, when the children have moved out or if one of them wants to live on the top floor independently, this floor can be converted into a fully separate apartment. The two children’s rooms would then become a large open space combining kitchen, dining, and living areas, the office would become a children’s bedroom, and the guest room would become the master bedroom.
Do you think this planning is sensible, regarding the separate housing units?
I look forward to your opinions.
Best regards
we have just purchased a plot of land in Stuttgart and are now planning our house.
The plan is for a single-family house with a basement apartment, which we will initially rent out and later my parents will move into.
The house measures 11.75 by 9.25 meters (38.5 by 30.3 feet). So far, the layout is as follows.
Basement: 50 sqm (538 sq ft) apartment
15.5 sqm (167 sq ft) storage room
6.6 sqm (71 sq ft) utility room
5.2 sqm (56 sq ft) room for drinks/recycling etc.
4.9 sqm (53 sq ft) hallway
5.0 sqm (54 sq ft) staircase
Ground floor: 2.7 sqm (29 sq ft) guest toilet
17.6 sqm (189 sq ft) bedroom
10.4 sqm (112 sq ft) bathroom
50.0 sqm (538 sq ft) dining/kitchen/living area
5.0 sqm (54 sq ft) staircase
6.6 sqm (71 sq ft) hallway
Top floor: 8.5 sqm (91 sq ft) bathroom
14 sqm (151 sq ft) guest room
12 sqm (129 sq ft) office
19.5 sqm (210 sq ft) children’s room
18.8 sqm (202 sq ft) children’s room
5.0 sqm (54 sq ft) staircase
7.5 sqm (81 sq ft) hallway
Our idea is that later, when the children have moved out or if one of them wants to live on the top floor independently, this floor can be converted into a fully separate apartment. The two children’s rooms would then become a large open space combining kitchen, dining, and living areas, the office would become a children’s bedroom, and the guest room would become the master bedroom.
Do you think this planning is sensible, regarding the separate housing units?
I look forward to your opinions.
Best regards
Definitely a good idea if your zoning plan allows it. Make sure to carefully check the parking space requirements beforehand, so you don’t end up unable to convert your residential units due to insufficient parking spaces or because no additional ones can be created.
Does the basement / garden level, meaning the granny flat, already have proper windows? My parents / in-laws would definitely have something to say if I tried to put them in a basement...
Does the basement / garden level, meaning the granny flat, already have proper windows? My parents / in-laws would definitely have something to say if I tried to put them in a basement...
Thank you for your response. The development plan allows for the implementation.
It would still be possible to add an extra parking space or pay a compensation fee so that a parking space does not have to be provided, according to the building authority.
Regarding the basement, it is not the typical underground cellar. We have a sloped plot of land, where on the east side the basement level is entirely above ground. On this side alone, 6 windows are planned, most of which are floor-to-ceiling.
It would still be possible to add an extra parking space or pay a compensation fee so that a parking space does not have to be provided, according to the building authority.
Regarding the basement, it is not the typical underground cellar. We have a sloped plot of land, where on the east side the basement level is entirely above ground. On this side alone, 6 windows are planned, most of which are floor-to-ceiling.
Flexible planning for living space is always advisable. After all, needs and lifestyles change over time.
With a granny flat, you can earn additional rental income, which could be used, for example, to make extra loan repayments. I wouldn’t include the rent in the monthly mortgage payments, as there could be periods without rental income. Also, you might be eligible for subsidies for the additional unit during financing, but I’m not sure about that since I’m not an expert.
With your square meter measurements, I can only infer so much, but at least you also have a ground-floor bedroom, which I think is very good (not just for older age). I would consider partitioning some space from the bathroom to create a storage room or pantry on the ground floor.
Otherwise, I see it as a challenge for the architect to design a “pleasant” house without the feel of a staircase landing. Apparently, you already have a plan; otherwise, you wouldn’t have those square meter figures, right?
With a granny flat, you can earn additional rental income, which could be used, for example, to make extra loan repayments. I wouldn’t include the rent in the monthly mortgage payments, as there could be periods without rental income. Also, you might be eligible for subsidies for the additional unit during financing, but I’m not sure about that since I’m not an expert.
With your square meter measurements, I can only infer so much, but at least you also have a ground-floor bedroom, which I think is very good (not just for older age). I would consider partitioning some space from the bathroom to create a storage room or pantry on the ground floor.
Otherwise, I see it as a challenge for the architect to design a “pleasant” house without the feel of a staircase landing. Apparently, you already have a plan; otherwise, you wouldn’t have those square meter figures, right?
reabsie schrieb:
The idea is that later, when the children have moved out or if one of the children wants to live in the attic themselves, it can be converted into a completely independent apartment. The two children’s rooms would then become a large open space for kitchen, dining, and living areas, the office would be turned into a children’s bedroom, and the guest room into a bedroom.
Do you think this kind of planning makes sense regarding separate living units?
Kind regardsI think your plan makes a lot of sense, especially considering the room dimensions. You never know what the future holds, and it’s wise to already think about different conversion options in advance.
Thank you for your responses. We also think it makes sense, which is why we had such a design created. I’m glad others find it reasonable as well :-)
Our uncertainty only arose when some friends said they would prefer to use the entire ground floor for living space and have the bedrooms upstairs, making the living area more spacious.
They said it makes more sense to plan for the current situation rather than for the future.
Our uncertainty only arose when some friends said they would prefer to use the entire ground floor for living space and have the bedrooms upstairs, making the living area more spacious.
They said it makes more sense to plan for the current situation rather than for the future.
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