ᐅ New single-family house, 170 sqm, for 4 people in Lower Saxony

Hello housebuilding community,

We would also like to make our dream of owning a home come true.
The layout planning is already quite advanced in our minds, and after initial discussions with builders, more concrete ideas are now taking shape. We would greatly appreciate ideas, criticism, feedback, and anything else you might have.

The presented drawings are not yet 100% finalized, we know that. However, we would like to speed up the process with the help of your input, so please bear with us. I will try to answer any open questions or issues promptly.

Based on the sketch (also available as an attachment), a detailed floor plan has been drawn. The garage is missing, and the door from the utility room to the garage is not yet correct. But overall—in terms of room layout, room sizes, windows, etc.—it is roughly right. We are looking for initial feedback here. Thanks in advance.

Development plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 756 sqm (8,133 sq ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: see image
Floor area ratio: see image
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: see image
Edge development: no
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of storeys: 2
Roof type: gable roof
Architectural style: modern
Orientation: south
Maximum heights / limits: 9.5 m (31 ft) ridge height
Additional requirements: 3.80 m (12.5 ft) eaves height, roof pitch 38–45 degrees

Owners’ requirements
Style, roof type, building type: modern gable roof with parapet and plastered bay window
Basement, storeys: no basement, 2 storeys
Number of people, ages: 4 people, 2 adults, 2 children (2.5 years old)
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor: GF = 95 sqm (1,022 sq ft); UF = 75 sqm (807 sq ft)
Office: family use or home office? Home office and guest room
Number of overnight guests per year: 20
Open or closed architecture
Conservative or modern construction method
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: yes
Music / stereo wall: TV wall
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: double garage with direct access to the house and storage area
Utility garden, greenhouse: beds and lawn
Additional wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons why some things are not desired:
- Gable side facing the street to have the living area including roof facing south
- Garage aligned at 90 degrees to the house
- No living rooms facing the Netto supermarket, which is northwest of the house
- So far no pantry, but we would like one
- Two equally sized children’s rooms facing south / bay window

House design
Who made the plan: Do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why? – Modern elements through bay window, living area, and guest room separated from bedrooms upstairs
What don’t you like? Why?
Estimated price according to architect/planner: approx. 380,000 EUR
Personal price limit for house including fittings: 420,000 EUR
Preferred heating technology: ground-source heat pump with drilling

If you had to give up something, which details or extensions would you omit?
- Could give up: pantry, second extension, utility room and technical room combined
- Cannot give up: open living/dining area, guest WC with shower, direct passage from utility room to garage

Why is the design like it is? For example:
Standard design from the planner? Inspired by a friend’s house which we like a lot
Which wishes were implemented by the architect? Yes
What makes it particularly good or bad in your opinion? Enough space to live on the ground floor, good storage space in the utility room, clear lines

What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
Separation of living area including office/guest room with shower WC on ground floor and sleeping area upstairs, clear lines, kitchen and living/dining area not in one row but slightly offset, south-facing orientation.
The upper floor is still giving us some headache as we currently don’t find it optimal.

The utility room currently has no connection to the rest of the ground floor. Is this intentional, or is it an error in the drawing?

Mistake in the drawing. The door opens into the hallway.

Thank you for the note. I had forgotten to mention that.

The current layout on the ground floor has problematic circulation paths. Around the table, the space is tight, making it difficult to access the bathroom from the terrace and also challenging to move from the kitchen to the living room. Considering the size of the hallway, the area around the table feels too cramped.

I find the bay window on the upper floor too narrow. It might only fit desks that are at most 1.20 m (4 feet) wide. That leaves the children with practically no space to put anything there. There isn’t really room for a shelf or a rolling drawer unit.

A mobile drawer unit was meant.