ᐅ Single-family house, 2,370 sq ft, with a basement on a 7,530 sq ft plot of land

Created on: 8 Jul 2020 21:17
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EFH2020
Hello everyone,

We have a 750 m² (8,073 sq ft) plot where we plan to build approximately 220 m² (2,368 sq ft) plus a basement and garages.

After initial discussions with builders, we find the following floor plan quite good, as it reflects our desired room sizes on both the ground floor and upper floor.

Ground Floor:
Two main questions still concern us:
1) Should the kitchen/dining area be on the left, or should the living room be located there instead?
The recessed kitchen on the left works well for natural light and especially because otherwise, we can't properly fit the staircase. Having the living room on the left would be nice since there is sun there until about 9:30 pm in summer, while the right side is in the shade by 6:30 pm. It’s a matter of preference when and where you want sunlight, but we’d be interested in your opinions.
2) Where should the staircase be placed, and how can we avoid losing much space on the upper floor?
So far, we have only found one solution. We prefer a 180-degree staircase; a 90-degree staircase would also work, ideally with a landing, as we want to avoid angled stair treads.

Other notes:
The plan lacks a pantry. We initially considered placing it in the passageway from the garage to the hallway, but there isn’t enough space for that. So the pantry will now go into the basement. Additionally, the hallway doesn’t have a particularly large cloakroom, so we are considering taking some space from the kitchen/guest room. The guest bathroom on the ground floor could be a bit larger.

Upper Floor:
We need the space upstairs for two children’s bedrooms, a study, two bathrooms, a master suite, and a utility room. With the current staircase placement and some restrictions regarding the master dressing room and bathroom, everything fits well, and we like the room sizes and their layouts.

Basement:
Yes, we need a “white tank” (watertight concrete basement). We want it for storage and technical equipment, which cannot be accommodated upstairs. Other rooms like a home gym are nice to have but not essential. Nevertheless, we want the basement for possible resale value and flexibility. Due to costs, we plan to only partially finish the basement. So the basement layout is less important for now.

We would very much appreciate hearing your thoughts on our ideas, what you like, and especially what you find problematic in the floor plan.

Many thanks in advance!

Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 750 m² (8,073 sq ft)
Flat terrain
Floor area ratio - no development plan
Plot ratio - no development plan
Building envelope: 12 x 15 m (39 x 49 ft), we plan to build about 12 x 12 m (39 x 39 ft)
Setbacks: 3 meters (10 ft) on all sides
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 1-2 full stories
Roof type: Pitched roof preferred, flat gable roof also acceptable (preliminary building approval planned)
Style:
Orientation: Garden faces southwest
Maximum height/restrictions: approx. 8 meters (26 ft) (survey pending)
Other requirements

Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type - no bay windows or balconies, pitched roof
Basement: yes
Number of occupants, age - 2 adults and 2 small children
Space requirements on ground/upper floors: like the rooms shown in the plan
Office use: family use or home office? Both work about 50% from home
Annual overnight guests: regularly guest stays with children
Open or closed layout: closed upstairs, open downstairs
Conservative or modern style: undecided
Open kitchen, kitchen island - kitchen island with 2 seats
Dining seats: 6
Fireplace: yes (no coal)

House Design
Who created the design:
- Planner from a construction company, modified by us

What do we like? Room sizes
What do we dislike? Master area – dressing room and bathroom are cramped. Is the hallway with the staircase practical? Kitchen on the left side is practical regarding light, but the living room won’t have sun after 7 pm in summer? Possibly rearrange the sofa in the living room for the TV
Estimated price according to architect/planner: €700,000 including basement, garages, and additional construction costs (excluding land)
Personal budget limit for house including fittings: €750,000 (€50,000 for kitchen, landscaping)
Preferred heating system: Ground-source heat pump with cooling option

Why is the design as it is?
Upstairs we need the space for 2 children’s bedrooms, a study, two bathrooms, and a utility room.

Floor plan of a house with kitchen, dining room, living room, guest room, hallway, WC, and two garages


Floor plan of a house with children’s rooms, master bedroom, study, corridor, utility room


Floor plan: Central corridor with rooms for miscellaneous uses, fitness, storage, technical room, TV/guest, workshop
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KEVST
10 Jul 2020 00:41
One should not overlook the topic of electric vehicles. Especially during the cold season, having a garage offers significant advantages, particularly regarding energy consumption, range, and battery lifespan.
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Alessandro
10 Jul 2020 07:51
I believe that with this house size, you can get more out of the space than just a standard floor plan... A cloakroom and a pantry would be essential for me!
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evelinoz
10 Jul 2020 13:47
In the kitchen, there is a "mistake": the distance to the island is too large because the door to the outside is placed too far toward the top of the plan. If the garage is to remain in place, the kitchen/guest wall would need to be moved at least 60cm (24 inches) toward the top of the plan. It is common to see that the wall unit and island do not match well due to the incorrect door position.

It is better if the door starts 75cm (30 inches) from the bottom of the plan.

This mini pantry is not really a pantry and will probably not look very attractive. Take a look at some finished kitchens for inspiration, for example those by spexs.
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evelinoz
10 Jul 2020 14:14
Floor plan of a kitchen and dining area with sink, stove, base cabinets, dining table with chairs.

More is too much
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EFH2020
10 Jul 2020 14:50
evelinoz schrieb:

There is a "mistake" in the kitchen: the distance to the island is too large because the door to the outside is positioned too far toward the top of the plan. If the garage is to remain there, the kitchen/guest wall would need to be shifted at least 60cm (24 inches) toward the top of the plan. It is common to see that the wall run and island do not align properly due to the incorrect door placement.

A good guideline is for the door to start 75cm (30 inches) from the bottom of the plan.

This tiny pantry is not really a pantry and will probably not look very appealing. Take a look at some "finished kitchens" for inspiration, for example those by spexs.

Very helpful tip, thank you!
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pagoni2020
10 Jul 2020 15:39
I almost believe it is too early to accurately place such kitchen details as long as the entire floor plan is not yet finalized; at this stage, we are still at the very beginning.
Certainly, there should be space for a pantry; right now we have 1.4 x 1.2 meters (4.6 x 3.9 feet) and a generous kitchen, which is completely sufficient, possibly even more space than needed.
As @Alessandro says, there should definitely be a spacious wardrobe or area for shoes and so on.
By the way, I took a look at "spexs"’ kitchen... very stylish and elaborate; still, when cooking, you face a wall and the central island feels rather cramped and like a passageway to me. Considering the budget used, I would expect something different.
Therefore, I think it’s best to first establish the floor plan with a suitable basic shape for the kitchen area; after that, these details will fall into place.