ᐅ Questions about Floor Plan Optimization for a Single-Family House 8.5 x 11.5 m and Optimal Land Use
Created on: 22 Apr 2026 23:03
H
HausamSee
Dear community,
I have been following with interest for a year now – we have been tweaking our floor plan for just as long. On Monday, our building application will be reviewed with the planning office of our general contractor, so if possible, we would really appreciate some critical feedback now!
Location:
It concerns an infill development with heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic (30 km/h (19 mph) zone, school opposite, and a popular recreational area with sought-after parking spaces).
- Approximately 19 m (62 ft) tall building opposite on the west side, so no evening sun for about 4 months (terrace or living room on the west side therefore not an option)
- Building zone starts only 5 m (16 ft) behind the western property line, design regulations forbid floor-to-ceiling windows or light bands in areas visible from the street
Most pressing questions:
- Plot: How can it be used optimally, and where could a second parking space for guests be located without blocking the south side with a large garage or sacrificing light in the kitchen? Our idea is to apply for a second driveway along the north wall, but 3.5 m (11.5 ft) is quite tight for parking and the house entrance. It is also important to keep a shed or storage room of at least 15 m² (161 ft²) near the front for garden tools, car tires, bicycles.
- Ground floor: How can the layout of the office, a generously sized guest shower toilet, and the utility room (HAR) with pantry section be optimized?
We would prefer a connection from the utility room to the hallway rather than the kitchen (to avoid bringing dirt inside), but then the pantry part of the utility room would need to be separated to allow direct access to the kitchen.
- First floor: The idea is to create a laundry balcony above the bay window on the ground floor and possibly add an external staircase later, turning the bathroom and bedroom into a separate small apartment. However, this would require designing some sort of entrance area right away, so the balcony door shouldn’t open directly from the bathroom (which currently is not an issue due to the large tree ensuring privacy).
- Facade: What are your thoughts on the window arrangement on the north side? Are there too many window formats?
- Do you notice anything else?
Thanks!
Development Plan (none available, only preservation statutes)
Plot size: 544 m² (5859 ft²)
Slope: no
Floor area ratio: -
Plot ratio: -
Building zone, building line, and boundaries: same as neighboring plots, 5 m (16 ft) behind property boundary, 0.4 H (min. 3 m (10 ft)) clearance area
Edge development: garages and sheds up to 3 m (10 ft) height and max. 9 m (30 ft) length, unheated, no living space
Number of parking spaces: 1-2
Number of floors: 2-3
Roof type: gable roof
Style: neutral, as many older houses surround the site
Orientation: gable end facing the street, entrance possible from both courtyard and street side
Maximum heights/limits: ridge height up to 11 m (36 ft) (ours planned approx. 9.5 m (31 ft))
Other requirements: upright rectangular windows, wider formats must have sash subdivisions, symmetrical distribution, lower windows at least as large as windows above, no street-facing continuous glazing strips or floor-to-ceiling windows
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: solid gable roof house, 2 full floors + attic with 70 cm (28 inch) knee wall as expansion reserve
No basement, 2.5 floors
Number of occupants: 2 adults, 2 children (3 and 6 years old)
Total space required: 160 m² (1720 ft²) + attic, ground floor 85 m² (915 ft²), upper floor 7 m² (75 ft²)
Home office: 1 office on ground floor, 1 niche in master bedroom on upper floor
Guest stays per year: 8 weekends (1 to 4 people each)
Open or closed architecture: semi-open
Conservative or modern construction: conservative
Open kitchen, kitchen island: both
Number of dining seats: 6, expandable to 10
Fireplace: no
Music/speaker wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: roof of bay window at living room potentially extendable with railing, laundry balcony on bathroom on upper floor, French door to terrace on ground floor
Garage, carport: one carport space, adjacent shed up to property boundary, plus uncovered “overflow” guest parking preferred
Utility garden, greenhouse: decorative garden only
Other wishes/details/daily routine, including reasons for or against items
House Design
Planner: ourselves
What do you like most? Why?
- Maximum distance from neighbor on south side (more light and privacy)
- Staircase window on north side with unobstructed views of orchard and church
- Bathroom, bedroom, dining and living rooms on east side (busy street on west)
- Carport and shed as noise and privacy barrier to street
- Combination of separate toilet and laundry room on upper floor (backup option for simultaneous use, laundry done where it arises)
- Passage from kitchen to utility room for freezer, pantry cupboard, and multifunctional workspace
- Seating window in living room with garden view
- Living room arranged at an angle, somewhat separated from kitchen/dining area
- Large continuous coat wall in entrance area (for kids, storage)
- View into garden from main entrance door
- Space for wardrobes behind most doors
- Attic expansion reserve for additional storage and hobby/guest room
What don’t you like? Why?
- Ground floor office awkwardly shaped (guest shower toilet on ground floor should also function as the only bathroom in old age and already offers sufficient space, which reduces office size)
- Window symmetry on north side feels too busy
- Main entrance on north side possibly too hidden? (Increased risk of break-in)
- Kitchen may be too dark due to carport on south side and tall building on street side (west)
Estimated price by architect/planner: 500,000 Euro
Personal price limit for house including fixtures: 650,000 Euro
Preferred heating system: air-to-water heat pump, underfloor heating, electricity from photovoltaic system
If you had to give up anything, which features or extensions would it be?
- Could give up: secondary entrance door, storage under stairs
- Cannot give up:
- Sufficient space in utility room for drinking water and buffer tank, ventilation system, battery storage (photovoltaic), connections
- Two children's rooms, each at least 14 m² (150 ft²)
- Half-turned staircase aligned with exterior wall (with continuation into attic during future expansion)
Why is the design as it is now?
One year of consideration and development, with technical input from general contractor
What makes it particularly good or bad in your view?
Suboptimal use of space due to restrictions (window formats, 5 m (16 ft) setback line, built-up west side with heavy foot traffic)
Good: forward-looking design of ground floor as sole living floor later in life (living room can later be separated into sleeping area, comfortable guest shower toilet on ground floor, stairs outside of living area)
I have been following with interest for a year now – we have been tweaking our floor plan for just as long. On Monday, our building application will be reviewed with the planning office of our general contractor, so if possible, we would really appreciate some critical feedback now!
Location:
It concerns an infill development with heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic (30 km/h (19 mph) zone, school opposite, and a popular recreational area with sought-after parking spaces).
- Approximately 19 m (62 ft) tall building opposite on the west side, so no evening sun for about 4 months (terrace or living room on the west side therefore not an option)
- Building zone starts only 5 m (16 ft) behind the western property line, design regulations forbid floor-to-ceiling windows or light bands in areas visible from the street
Most pressing questions:
- Plot: How can it be used optimally, and where could a second parking space for guests be located without blocking the south side with a large garage or sacrificing light in the kitchen? Our idea is to apply for a second driveway along the north wall, but 3.5 m (11.5 ft) is quite tight for parking and the house entrance. It is also important to keep a shed or storage room of at least 15 m² (161 ft²) near the front for garden tools, car tires, bicycles.
- Ground floor: How can the layout of the office, a generously sized guest shower toilet, and the utility room (HAR) with pantry section be optimized?
We would prefer a connection from the utility room to the hallway rather than the kitchen (to avoid bringing dirt inside), but then the pantry part of the utility room would need to be separated to allow direct access to the kitchen.
- First floor: The idea is to create a laundry balcony above the bay window on the ground floor and possibly add an external staircase later, turning the bathroom and bedroom into a separate small apartment. However, this would require designing some sort of entrance area right away, so the balcony door shouldn’t open directly from the bathroom (which currently is not an issue due to the large tree ensuring privacy).
- Facade: What are your thoughts on the window arrangement on the north side? Are there too many window formats?
- Do you notice anything else?
Thanks!
Development Plan (none available, only preservation statutes)
Plot size: 544 m² (5859 ft²)
Slope: no
Floor area ratio: -
Plot ratio: -
Building zone, building line, and boundaries: same as neighboring plots, 5 m (16 ft) behind property boundary, 0.4 H (min. 3 m (10 ft)) clearance area
Edge development: garages and sheds up to 3 m (10 ft) height and max. 9 m (30 ft) length, unheated, no living space
Number of parking spaces: 1-2
Number of floors: 2-3
Roof type: gable roof
Style: neutral, as many older houses surround the site
Orientation: gable end facing the street, entrance possible from both courtyard and street side
Maximum heights/limits: ridge height up to 11 m (36 ft) (ours planned approx. 9.5 m (31 ft))
Other requirements: upright rectangular windows, wider formats must have sash subdivisions, symmetrical distribution, lower windows at least as large as windows above, no street-facing continuous glazing strips or floor-to-ceiling windows
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: solid gable roof house, 2 full floors + attic with 70 cm (28 inch) knee wall as expansion reserve
No basement, 2.5 floors
Number of occupants: 2 adults, 2 children (3 and 6 years old)
Total space required: 160 m² (1720 ft²) + attic, ground floor 85 m² (915 ft²), upper floor 7 m² (75 ft²)
Home office: 1 office on ground floor, 1 niche in master bedroom on upper floor
Guest stays per year: 8 weekends (1 to 4 people each)
Open or closed architecture: semi-open
Conservative or modern construction: conservative
Open kitchen, kitchen island: both
Number of dining seats: 6, expandable to 10
Fireplace: no
Music/speaker wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: roof of bay window at living room potentially extendable with railing, laundry balcony on bathroom on upper floor, French door to terrace on ground floor
Garage, carport: one carport space, adjacent shed up to property boundary, plus uncovered “overflow” guest parking preferred
Utility garden, greenhouse: decorative garden only
Other wishes/details/daily routine, including reasons for or against items
House Design
Planner: ourselves
What do you like most? Why?
- Maximum distance from neighbor on south side (more light and privacy)
- Staircase window on north side with unobstructed views of orchard and church
- Bathroom, bedroom, dining and living rooms on east side (busy street on west)
- Carport and shed as noise and privacy barrier to street
- Combination of separate toilet and laundry room on upper floor (backup option for simultaneous use, laundry done where it arises)
- Passage from kitchen to utility room for freezer, pantry cupboard, and multifunctional workspace
- Seating window in living room with garden view
- Living room arranged at an angle, somewhat separated from kitchen/dining area
- Large continuous coat wall in entrance area (for kids, storage)
- View into garden from main entrance door
- Space for wardrobes behind most doors
- Attic expansion reserve for additional storage and hobby/guest room
What don’t you like? Why?
- Ground floor office awkwardly shaped (guest shower toilet on ground floor should also function as the only bathroom in old age and already offers sufficient space, which reduces office size)
- Window symmetry on north side feels too busy
- Main entrance on north side possibly too hidden? (Increased risk of break-in)
- Kitchen may be too dark due to carport on south side and tall building on street side (west)
Estimated price by architect/planner: 500,000 Euro
Personal price limit for house including fixtures: 650,000 Euro
Preferred heating system: air-to-water heat pump, underfloor heating, electricity from photovoltaic system
If you had to give up anything, which features or extensions would it be?
- Could give up: secondary entrance door, storage under stairs
- Cannot give up:
- Sufficient space in utility room for drinking water and buffer tank, ventilation system, battery storage (photovoltaic), connections
- Two children's rooms, each at least 14 m² (150 ft²)
- Half-turned staircase aligned with exterior wall (with continuation into attic during future expansion)
Why is the design as it is now?
One year of consideration and development, with technical input from general contractor
What makes it particularly good or bad in your view?
Suboptimal use of space due to restrictions (window formats, 5 m (16 ft) setback line, built-up west side with heavy foot traffic)
Good: forward-looking design of ground floor as sole living floor later in life (living room can later be separated into sleeping area, comfortable guest shower toilet on ground floor, stairs outside of living area)
HausamSee schrieb:
Whether your offer is suitable for us, we will consider afterward if necessary. First come, first served – it’s not a strict rule, but it holds to a large extent. There is a shortage of skilled workers, and additional vacation is planned in May.
Medium schrieb:
I just find the extreme negative points mentioned somewhat far-fetched, ... I don’t, but I still generally advise against letting a plan be shaped mainly by negative aspects or avoidance wishes. “You should start the day positively,” as Dr. Eberlein already said. :-)
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
HausamSee schrieb:
Poorly utilized space just because we didn’t expand it right away? I agree that it’s a (initially) missed opportunity to place the home office there immediately and thus save on the total floor area of the entire house from the start. I’m always amazed at how taken for granted it is to use the attic space of a family house merely as a large, gradually cluttered, empty yoga room with full basement coverage. Having some reserve space is fine, but in principle, enclosed space should also be put to good use and help cover the otherwise never freely available space requirements. I would try to preserve a garden shed and repurpose it, among other things, as a home office or playroom.
K a t j a schrieb:
Regarding the floor plan itself: the amateur planning is obvious. Cutting corners on planning reduces the house’s value even before construction. Absolutely, you can clearly see the amateur planning conceptually at many points right from the start (not just at critical ones). You should only save on architects if they are the type that “@Gerddieter warns” about – and then save completely. Otherwise, phase 5 of the architectural services is by far the most valuable, even though its price only misleadingly suggests otherwise: it only seems expensive. Anyone who understands the house-building process will combine phases 1, 2, and 5 accordingly.
K a t j a schrieb:
One piece of advice right away: Anyone building a house and investing hundreds of thousands of euros should not make the planning dependent on an existing driveway unless it is mandated by the building authority (building permit / planning permission). The whole area will end up completely torn up anyway and everything will be shifted around. Relocating the driveway is relatively simple. In any case, in my opinion, you should never let your house be spoiled by this. You can also cut down a pear tree without permission – you could plant a new one later. It has to go. Vehemently on the contrary!
Besides that, I would not remove the tree – especially not with occasional car users. Few things are as forward-looking as adapting today to the decreasing dominance of the private car. A tree doesn’t spoil anything, and any replacement tree takes too long to restore what the predecessor provided. It is part of a property’s character not just to have a foundation slab but to be the organic foundation of a paradise. Only fools destroy this (unfortunately many times every year). Especially as a family that has already used the plot as a garden, I would not kill my own memories there.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
11ant schrieb:
A tree doesn’t spoil anything, and every replacement tree takes too long to restore what the original provided. Elefant, I fully respect your fight for the tree. I’m certainly one of the last people to want to cut down trees. But this is a fruit tree. Sometimes you have to keep things in perspective. If it were an oak, I would see the situation very differently (kind regards to @Oakland). Also, bikes need to be stored. You’d be surprised how much space they take up, along with the lawn mower and garden tools. One might still consider it if there was already a perfectly maintained and stunning enclosure. But even then, a gate can be moved in no time.
H
HausamSee26 Apr 2026 21:38K a t j a schrieb:
Regarding the floor plan itself: it clearly shows an amateur design. Cutting corners on the planning reduces the house’s value even before construction begins. In this case, I would immediately reduce the resale value by about 30%. Therefore, it’s best to shred this draft and then consult an architect who actually studied this. Thanks for the quick review! We were fortunate to have a family architect visit our plot this weekend, who didn’t recommend rotating the house but did suggest rearranging the rooms. We will invest the time and money to get professional advice here and also thank you for confirming that there is still a lot of untapped potential.
11ant schrieb:
The design shown is packed with critical issues, so much so that it’s better to skip paying for an analysis of them (which I do professionally) and instead develop a new design. Note — a new and developed design, NOT just debugging the current one. I really appreciate how thoroughly you considered our requirements. The longer I looked at floor plans, the clearer it became that there are many more variables than just moving interior walls. “Radical” but logical steps like adjusting the building’s footprint and relocating the two neglected “work niches” to the attic were also impulses we needed. We have now listed and prioritized our wishes and will bring this list to our meeting tomorrow.
K a t j a schrieb:
One might still consider if there was already a perfectly maintained and stunning enclosure From our perspective, there is at least that — the entire west side, except for the current gate at the existing driveway, is lined with a well-maintained hornbeam hedge that is now about 3m (10 feet) high, in front of a wooden fence that is still in good condition.
11ant schrieb:
A tree doesn’t spoil anything, and any replacement tree takes too long to restore what the predecessor provided. It is part of a property’s character not just to support a foundation slab but to be the organic basis of a paradise. We agree — the existing mature trees give this plot its soul and distinguish it from a new development, which we cannot imagine as a building site.
K a t j a schrieb:
And bicycles need to be accommodated too. A detached bike shed won’t be obstructed by the pear tree. The distance between the trunk and the north side is 2.5m (8 feet), enough for a pedestrian gate, which we plan to install anyway. Even now, there would be enough space in the front part of the 3.5m (11.5 feet) wide strip on the north side for a bike shed, although it might partially block the view from the entrance to the pedestrian gate.
M
motorradsilke26 Apr 2026 22:5911ant schrieb:
11ant wrote:
It’s a pity that besides Yvonne (already earlier), Katja has also given up.
I just received a like from Katja – that makes me happy, so at least she is still following along :-) I suspect that Yvonne is also still posting here, just under a different name.
HausamSee schrieb:
The longer I searched for floor plans, the clearer it became to me that there are so many more variables to adjust than just moving interior walls. This really shouldn’t happen to someone who reads a lot,
HausamSee schrieb:
I have been following with interest for a year now - right?
I’m not in favor of rotating the house, nor do I see the point of cutting down a tree.
The house has a nice orientation, and a hedge or wall can separate the carport from the garden without nosy people being able to peek through.
It’s better to realize this late than not at all.
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