ᐅ Single-Family Home Floor Plan / Feedback, Criticism, and Suggestions
Created on: 10 Sep 2021 15:07
J
Jens 1985
Dear housebuilding forum,
After much deliberation, we have decided to start our housebuilding project in the Hannover region. Following some disappointing discussions with various developers/general contractors, we tried to put our ideal plans on paper.
Development plan/restrictions
Plot size: approximately 1,800 m² (19,375 sq ft), not divisible or similar
Slope: no, flat
There is no formal development plan; after preliminary consultation with the permitting authority, §34 applies. Due to the surrounding buildings, approval for 2 full floors has been provisionally granted. The building must be aligned towards the street at the front.
Edge development: multi-family house
Number of parking spaces: 2 + trailer space
Number of floors: 2 full floors plus option to convert the attic later
Roof type: gable roof
Style: modern
Orientation: facing north
Homeowners’ requirements
Style, roof type, building type: simple, timeless, modern gable roof house
Basement, floors: no basement due to costs, 2 full floors
Number of occupants, age: 2 adults, 2 children
Space requirement: 180 m² - 200 m² (1,937 - 2,153 sq ft)
Office: occasional home office + family use as guest room
Guest stays per year: at least 10 - 15 nights
Open or closed architecture: ?
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Kitchen type, island: prefer closed kitchen but with sliding door and small island
Number of dining seats: 6 seats
Fireplace: maybe, yes, as room divider to dining area
Music/sound wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: garage preferred over design; could also be prefabricated garage or carport; implementation with later savings possible
Utility garden, greenhouse: utility garden for the family, but care might be an issue later due to size
House design
Who planned it:
Do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why?
Large utility/technical room, direct access to garage, L-shape in living-dining area, 2 large children's rooms, straight staircase
What don’t you like? Why?
Much wasted movement space on ground floor, want to optimize total area to approx. 180 m² (1,937 sq ft)
Price estimate from developer: 470,000 EUR without garage, painting, and flooring
Personal price limit for house including fittings: about 500,000 EUR without garage including additional construction costs, land already owned
Preferred heating system: air source heat pump
If you must give up on which details/extensions
Can you give up:
Smaller living-dining area, staircase form, reduce children's rooms to 16 m² (172 sq ft)
Cannot give up:
Large utility/technical room, large living and dining area including closed kitchen, partial brick cladding
Why is the design as it is now?
Arrangement and orientation based on existing driveway and features we don’t like in our current rented townhouse (city villa 155 m² (1,668 sq ft))
What makes it particularly good or bad in your view?
It meets our wishes on paper, but we lack experience whether it can be built economically; possibly better ideas for layout of utility room including wardrobe and garage
What is the key/basic question regarding the floor plan in 130 characters?
How can I optimize living space for best cost savings? Is the floor plan feasible within our budget? Proceed with architect or builder?
I hope this information is sufficient; feel free to ask for further details.
Thank you very much for your support and honest, constructive feedback. And don’t hesitate to be straightforward.
After much deliberation, we have decided to start our housebuilding project in the Hannover region. Following some disappointing discussions with various developers/general contractors, we tried to put our ideal plans on paper.
Development plan/restrictions
Plot size: approximately 1,800 m² (19,375 sq ft), not divisible or similar
Slope: no, flat
There is no formal development plan; after preliminary consultation with the permitting authority, §34 applies. Due to the surrounding buildings, approval for 2 full floors has been provisionally granted. The building must be aligned towards the street at the front.
Edge development: multi-family house
Number of parking spaces: 2 + trailer space
Number of floors: 2 full floors plus option to convert the attic later
Roof type: gable roof
Style: modern
Orientation: facing north
Homeowners’ requirements
Style, roof type, building type: simple, timeless, modern gable roof house
Basement, floors: no basement due to costs, 2 full floors
Number of occupants, age: 2 adults, 2 children
Space requirement: 180 m² - 200 m² (1,937 - 2,153 sq ft)
Office: occasional home office + family use as guest room
Guest stays per year: at least 10 - 15 nights
Open or closed architecture: ?
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Kitchen type, island: prefer closed kitchen but with sliding door and small island
Number of dining seats: 6 seats
Fireplace: maybe, yes, as room divider to dining area
Music/sound wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: garage preferred over design; could also be prefabricated garage or carport; implementation with later savings possible
Utility garden, greenhouse: utility garden for the family, but care might be an issue later due to size
House design
Who planned it:
Do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why?
Large utility/technical room, direct access to garage, L-shape in living-dining area, 2 large children's rooms, straight staircase
What don’t you like? Why?
Much wasted movement space on ground floor, want to optimize total area to approx. 180 m² (1,937 sq ft)
Price estimate from developer: 470,000 EUR without garage, painting, and flooring
Personal price limit for house including fittings: about 500,000 EUR without garage including additional construction costs, land already owned
Preferred heating system: air source heat pump
If you must give up on which details/extensions
Can you give up:
Smaller living-dining area, staircase form, reduce children's rooms to 16 m² (172 sq ft)
Cannot give up:
Large utility/technical room, large living and dining area including closed kitchen, partial brick cladding
Why is the design as it is now?
Arrangement and orientation based on existing driveway and features we don’t like in our current rented townhouse (city villa 155 m² (1,668 sq ft))
What makes it particularly good or bad in your view?
It meets our wishes on paper, but we lack experience whether it can be built economically; possibly better ideas for layout of utility room including wardrobe and garage
What is the key/basic question regarding the floor plan in 130 characters?
How can I optimize living space for best cost savings? Is the floor plan feasible within our budget? Proceed with architect or builder?
I hope this information is sufficient; feel free to ask for further details.
Thank you very much for your support and honest, constructive feedback. And don’t hesitate to be straightforward.
225 sqm (2,422 sq ft) just because you forgot to teach your children that outgrown toys can also be given away? That’s when I see the next house “need” 280 sqm (3,014 sq ft) and so on. For cost discipline in construction, it is also important not to shy away from “boring” building shapes. There are too many corners here for me to count. The self-designer quickly escalates with colorful dream house modules to Hollywood-like dimensions. Google “Target Costing,” and then try applying that to living space. The fact that slimmer alternative designs “lack” some of the extra bulk is not a bug but a feature, even if the result logically looks different.
By the way, flirting with self-employment also means that your wife will have to support the family alone for the next three years, assuming you have sufficient capital for the business.
Developer? — I thought the plot was already purchased?
With a general contractor you won’t solve your planning dilemma: compared to an architect, a general contractor only handles phase 4 of the work. The gap between desired and actual budget is closed during phases 1 and 2* — after that, the opportunity is gone. I agree with Yvonne’s question: how would the general contractor’s alternative design even look?
*) This is through coming to terms with the disappointment regarding costly gimmicks that have to remain dreams
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
By the way, flirting with self-employment also means that your wife will have to support the family alone for the next three years, assuming you have sufficient capital for the business.
Jens 1985 schrieb:
What’s next, going to an architect or a developer/general contractor?
Developer? — I thought the plot was already purchased?
With a general contractor you won’t solve your planning dilemma: compared to an architect, a general contractor only handles phase 4 of the work. The gap between desired and actual budget is closed during phases 1 and 2* — after that, the opportunity is gone. I agree with Yvonne’s question: how would the general contractor’s alternative design even look?
*) This is through coming to terms with the disappointment regarding costly gimmicks that have to remain dreams
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
J
Jens 198511 Sep 2021 19:33Hello everyone, thank you for the active participation. Although the focus is on the topic, some statements have little to do with the actual subject matter.
I am/was aware that the floor plan, due to its size and other factors, cannot be realized within the budget expectations. This point should have been made more clearly. The question of whether the floor plan can be reduced here and there was clearly denied. I believe that our desired space program is not that unusual. The proposals received so far have simply been unsatisfactory. In other words, the general consensus seems to be to start over and begin again from scratch.
Have a nice evening
I am/was aware that the floor plan, due to its size and other factors, cannot be realized within the budget expectations. This point should have been made more clearly. The question of whether the floor plan can be reduced here and there was clearly denied. I believe that our desired space program is not that unusual. The proposals received so far have simply been unsatisfactory. In other words, the general consensus seems to be to start over and begin again from scratch.
Have a nice evening
Jens 1985 schrieb:
The proposals received so far simply have not been satisfactory.We still cannot comment on that because it is not known. Normally, general contractor (GC) designs are discussed once the GC and their design already exist, so they can be optimized to fit the poster’s requirements. I assume the design is not necessarily bad and works; it just doesn’t fit your ideal vision.Jens 1985 schrieb:
Adjust your tone accordingly, start over completely from the beginning.But first, present the alternative(s) and explain what was found unsatisfactory about each one.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
And then try to implement the furnishing wishes in the intended rooms. The dimensions are missing in the floor plan, but for example, I don’t see an island in the kitchen area.
The pantry is a narrow corridor, where a freezer or something similar can only fit at the bottom or top of the plan, but not along the long wall.
There is a lot of square meters for the living/dining area, but furnishing always seems to be a bit of a challenge.
The children's room faces northeast.
The pantry is a narrow corridor, where a freezer or something similar can only fit at the bottom or top of the plan, but not along the long wall.
There is a lot of square meters for the living/dining area, but furnishing always seems to be a bit of a challenge.
The children's room faces northeast.
S
Seppl's Häusle13 Sep 2021 10:36Jens 1985 schrieb:
Even if it’s just about the matter at hand, some comments have little to do with the actual topic.I completely agree with you. Unfortunately, the topic is often changed entirely without relating back to the original question.I would like to share a few fundamental considerations from me/us as suggestions for your upcoming, likely new planning phase.
A straight staircase requires the most space, especially concerning the hallway. You need to be able to fully walk around it on both the ground floor and the upper floor. With a quarter-turn or half-turn staircase, you might be able to optimize or reduce the hallway space somewhat. We even planned less than 4m² (43 sq ft) of hallway on the upper floor because I’m mostly just passing through to the bedroom 😉
Your bedroom should be approximately 3m x 4m (10ft x 13ft) to comfortably fit a bed with bedside tables including circulation space.
Cooking, dining, and living areas work starting from 30m² (320 sq ft), feel spacious at around 40m² (430 sq ft), and become luxurious from about 50m² (540 sq ft), depending on the individual walls and room layouts, but this serves as a rough guideline.
Wet rooms become exponentially more expensive as they get larger, so it makes sense to question every square meter carefully (this applies to kitchens and bathrooms).
And last but not least…
Don’t plan your house first and then look at the plot; do it the other way around.
What view do you want from the kitchen/living room windows? Where should the terrace be, and from which room do you want to access it? Is there a slope on the plot, attractive neighboring buildings, or a noisy street or industrial area on one side?
These considerations can shape a lot before the first line of the floor plan is even drawn.
Good luck and best regards
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