ᐅ Positioning the house, garage, or carport on the property

Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 883m² (9500 sq ft)
Slope: gentle slope, about 1m (3.3 ft) rise over 10m (33 ft)
Building window, building line and boundary: standard
Edge construction: possible for garage
Number of parking spaces: 2 in the garage
Number of floors: 2 full stories
Roof type: hipped roof
Style: modern
Orientation: south
Maximum heights/limits: based on the existing terrain according to the district office

Client Requirements
The floor plan of the house is fixed, but it will be completely mirrored from west to east

House Design
Designed by:
- Architect
What do you particularly like? Why? The front door located between the garage and the house
What do you dislike? Why?
Estimated price according to architect/planner: 420,000 (our estimate about 500,000 all in)
Personal price limit for the house, including fixtures: 500,000
Preferred heating system: air-source heat pump

If you have to give up something, which details or additions
- can you give up: nothing
- cannot give up: garage, workshop

What is the most important fundamental question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
The floor plan is basically fixed, but for noise (street) and privacy reasons, we want to mirror the whole house so the garage, front door, bay window, house, and terrace are positioned from west to east.

Unfortunately, this has sparked many discussions because the plot was gifted to us by family whose house behind is slightly elevated (about 3m (10 ft), on the north side). They fear their house will no longer be visible from the south if we move the garage to within 2–3m (6.5–10 ft) of the western boundary. However, if we move it back 6–7m (20–23 ft) to where the current house corner is, there is about 80m² (860 sq ft) of "wasted space" between the boundary, street, driveway, and garage. Do you have any ideas on how to make use of this space or avoid it altogether without compromising the rest of the design?

The images still show the old version, as we will only redesign once we find a solution...

Thank you very much!

I would create a precise elevation plan and work it out together with your dear relatives to determine where the garage should be placed so that their property still receives enough sunlight. If you move the house a bit further south, the land to the north isn’t wasted because of that! Especially with the expected hot summers, at least three green shoots will still grow there.

Good morning Katja,

that is exactly the problem. If we place the garage on the west side, they will have only 4.50 meters (15 feet) of building height in front of their house instead of 8.30 meters (27 feet). However, they insist that their house can still be seen from the intersection to the southwest. Actually, it’s mainly about being able to see who is walking down there from the kitchen window.

So, it’s less about the height and more about the west-east shift.

Grantlhaua schrieb:
Actually, it’s mainly about being able to see who is walking below from the kitchen window.
So it’s less about the height and more about the west-east shifting.

Oh my goodness. Those are some issues. Maybe you should take their house and have the relatives build a new one downstairs?

Seriously, once your house is built, no matter where, they will naturally see less of the street. If that’s really that important, you could install a camera. You could also adjust the buildings a bit together, but insisting on seeing whether Aunt Erna or Uncle H. is walking by—that’s a bit silly.

kaho674 schrieb:
Seriously, once your house is built, no matter where, they’ll naturally see less from the street. If that’s really important, you could just install a camera. You can also shift the buildings a bit together, but needing to see whether Aunt Erna is coming or Uncle H. is walking by—that’s just silly.

That’s exactly the problem! Everyone else thinks it’s silly, except them. Then come the arguments like the house (which, mind you, is over 50 years old) will be worth less, and back when it was built everyone visited and admired it because it was so beautiful... That the future owner (possibly my brother) might actually be happy not to be sitting on the terrace in full view, like on a show plate, isn’t considered an argument at all. This issue is driving me crazy. I just measured it, and it’s actually about an angle that covers less than 3m (10 feet) of their line of sight.

I can’t even move the current floor plan on the east side up to the property line because they have arranged a right of way there, in case they ever receive deliveries of wood or similar materials...

I don’t quite understand the intention. They gave you the land as a gift so you could build on it, but now you’re asked not to build because otherwise their house wouldn’t be visible from the road?

I would seriously consider finding another plot of land somewhere else before being responsible for a family dispute.