ᐅ Single-family home, 145 sqm, with garage, no basement

Hello everyone!

We are currently finalizing the plans for our new home.

We would really appreciate your opinions, tips, suggestions, and constructive criticism!

We basically like the design a lot, but I’m not happy with the staircase situation on the upper floor. Downstairs there is a landing staircase that then continues as a quarter-turn staircase (due to limited space) leading up to the attic. I don’t find this combination visually appealing. We tried planning a straight staircase, but didn’t make much progress. We’re not big fans of winding staircases, and this seems to be the biggest challenge right now.

The staircase should also not be located in the entrance area or visible from the entrance.
Both staircases are open to the back (does that make sense?). There is an open space in the hallway reaching all the way to the top. A brick parapet (or railing) is planned there.
The staircase should be accessible from the opposite direction.

Upstairs, I would prefer to have the washer and dryer in the bathroom. However, the solution of placing them in the walk-in closet is also okay for us.

Is there generally enough storage space? The garage is very large at 4.5 x 9m (15 x 30 feet), but it will also be used as a workshop, so the only storage areas available are the basement storage room, the space under the stairs, and the attic.

The hallway upstairs feels too narrow at 115cm (45 inches) and will be widened to about 130-140cm (51-55 inches).

The attic will be fully finished since my small office will be located there. The rest of the space will be for storage – this is not yet reflected in the plans.

Thanks so much in advance for your feedback. Here are the key details:

Zoning/Planning Restrictions

Plot size: 509 sqm (5,478 sq ft)
Slope: no
Floor area ratio: 0.4
Building line and building boundary: 3 m (10 feet) setback from property boundary
Edge development: garage on the north side, over 9 m (30 feet) long
Parking spaces: 2 (in front of the garage and under the kitchen window)
Number of floors: 2
Roof type: gable roof with 38-48° pitch
Style
Orientation: ridge runs east/west
Maximum heights/limits: 9.5 m (31 feet)
Eaves height: 4.2 m (14 feet)
Other regulations

Homeowners’ Requirements

Style: modern
Roof type: gable roof without overhangs
Building type: single-family house
Basement: no
Number of floors: 1.5 plus attic
Number of occupants: 4
Ages: 44, 37, 4, 2
Ground floor spaces: living room, kitchen with dining area, cloakroom, guest toilet, storage room
Upper floor: 2 children’s bedrooms, master bedroom, separate walk-in closet with washer/dryer, bathroom
Attic: utility room, office
Office use: family use or home office – home office
Number of guest stays per year: 4-10
Open or closed layout: open
Traditional or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes, yes
Number of dining seats: 8
Fireplace: yes
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: yes, no
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: no
Additional wishes/special features/daily routine: landing or straight staircase, staircase in the living/dining area, living room no larger than 25 sqm (270 sq ft), access from garage to house, large kitchen/dining area, large children’s bedrooms (approx. 15 sqm (160 sq ft)) facing the garden (west), master bedroom no larger than 12-14 sqm (130-150 sq ft), separate walk-in closet and bedroom due to different wake-up times, walk-in closet with washer/dryer, large bathroom (with washer/dryer as alternative to the walk-in closet), proper staircase to the attic because it will be used as an office

House Design

Who created the design: planner from a building company and do-it-yourself
What we like most: children’s bedrooms, bathroom size, utility room on the ground floor with access to garage and garden, spacious entrance area, staircase in dining area
What we don’t like: staircase from upper floor to attic, street view (east)
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
Personal budget limit for the house including fittings:
Preferred heating system: gas, controlled ventilation with heat recovery

If you have to give up anything, what would it be?

- Could give up: nothing
- Cannot give up: nothing

Thank you very much!

XeNiA

First of all, before I forget: the kitchen window should be positioned slightly to the right according to the plan, so it is aligned flush on the left with the upper window – this way, two tall cabinets can be placed side by side.
What are you planning under the stairs on the ground floor? Will there be a wall? A built-in cupboard?
I would omit one door in the utility room, specifically the one leading to the garage. The entrance is close enough, so it’s unnecessary.

I love large windows, but I think the living room has too many, which reduces the sense of coziness. Somehow, the energy flows out everywhere and is not contained by the lack of walls...
The exterior view also suffers.

How wide is the hallway upstairs?

Best regards

Thank you for your reply!

The kitchen window is currently wide enough to have two tall cabinets side by side on both the left and right sides. I’m just not sure yet if that will look too symmetrical in the kitchen. But it will definitely be adjusted to better match the upper window for a more harmonious look.

I would like to have a built-in cupboard under the stairs, but my husband prefers a storage room. We haven’t reached an agreement yet ;-)

The same goes for the door from the garage to the utility room. I would prefer to leave it out, but my husband really wants it. That still needs to be discussed.

The hallway upstairs is currently 1.15 m (3 ft 9 in) wide but will be expanded to 1.30–1.40 m (4 ft 3 in–4 ft 7 in). This has already been discussed and will be changed. Will that be wide enough?

Regarding the living room, I haven’t really considered the possibility that it might feel uncomfortable due to the many windows :-/ How would you change it? Remove one or two windows entirely? Avoid floor-to-ceiling windows? Or relocate them?

Thanks so much in advance for the food for thought!

Best regards

I like it! Are those the large windows required by the energy saving regulations / KFW funding? Who lives to the left of you? How close are they?

Since you have space for the washing machine on the upper floor, there should be enough room in the utility room. I’m a big fan of having direct access to the garage (in houses without a basement), so I would keep the door. Alternatively, with a well-designed canopy, you could create a comfortable and dry path, especially since you wouldn’t need to open the garage door, just a regular door.

I know you can manage with just a shower, but with two kids, it’s worth reconsidering 😉

Otherwise, I agree with my predecessors and you:
I would also make the hallway upstairs wider, and I think too many windows in the living room might feel a bit too "airy."
Do you put all your clothes in the dryer? Otherwise, the question is: where do you hang the laundry? 🙂

Regarding the kitchen, I would rethink whether having four seats is necessary in the first place, and second, if all four really need to be side by side (if the kitchen is planned that way). The dining table is right next to the island, and having four people lined up like “chickens on a perch” isn’t very sociable—I find it better when people face each other. Also, you should consider swapping the sink and cooktop because, especially when frying, it can really reduce comfort for those sitting nearby. Grease splatters and heat aren’t very pleasant 😉

Bieber0815 schrieb:
I like it! Are those the large windows for the energy saving regulations / KfW? Who lives to the left of you? How close are they?

Since you have space for the washing machine on the upper floor, there should be enough room in the utility room. I’m a big fan of direct access to the garage (in houses without a basement), so I would keep that door. Alternatively, you could create a convenient and dry path with a well-designed canopy (especially since then you wouldn’t have to open the garage door, just a regular door).

Thank you!

Yes, those are the large windows for the energy saving regulations / KfW.
To our west, the neighbor’s house stands about 8m (26 feet) away.
I think and hope that the floor-to-ceiling windows will still be fine.

My husband wants the door between the garage and utility room mainly because he often comes home very dusty or dirty from work. That way, he can park his bike in the garage and change clothes in the utility room, so he doesn’t track dirt into the main entrance. Sounds good, but since we have two small boys who won’t really follow these rules, the main hallway probably won’t stay completely clean anyway ;-)
Another reason for the door is that we would only need a sink in the utility room, not an additional one in the garage (my husband needs water access in the garage).

We definitely want a canopy. We just don’t know yet what it will look like. The idea to design it so it also covers the garage entrance is great! Thanks for that!