ᐅ Single-Family Home Planning: Requests for Help, Tips, Suggestions, and Feedback Welcome
Created on: 8 Feb 2016 13:59
M
McEgg
Since we are just slowly starting to plan our single-family home, I would like to share it here for feedback. I’m sure many people will have tips, suggestions, and even criticism that could help us. I’m trying not to write a long novel to avoid overwhelming readers and to keep it readable.
Plot details:
Key zoning plan specifications:
Our basic wishes:
About us:
We are still undecided about how to build. Therefore, I said I want to look into companies from the following categories:
Prefabricated house (timber frame construction):
We visited the prefab house center in Mannheim several times. Based on online research and recommendations from acquaintances who have built with this company, we had an appointment with Fertighaus Weiss GmbH. The consultant took a lot of time for an initial meeting (5 hours) and planned a first draft house with us. It’s basically a first idea based on what we have expressed as our wishes. As a first draft to see what is roughly possible on the plot, I think it’s okay. But it’s not yet something that convinces us. Here are just the ground floor and upper floor:
Comments:
Other appointments:
What do you think of our current approach and draft?
Plot details:
- 540 m² (approximately 5800 sq ft)
- 19 m (62 ft) wide
- Garden facing south
- Flat terrain
- Currently undeveloped
- New residential area (30 plots) in Rhein-Pfalz district
- High groundwater expected (requires waterproof basement construction, “white” or “black” tank)
Key zoning plan specifications:
- Floor area ratio (FAR) 0.3
- Total floor area ratio 0.6
- 2 full stories permitted
- Maximum wall height 4.5 m (15 ft)
- Maximum ridge height 9.5 m (31 ft)
- Gable or hip roof with pitch between 30° and 45°
- Dormers may cover up to half of each building side’s width; each individual dormer may cover up to one third of the building width, maximum 4 m (13 ft)
- Garage must be at least 5 m (16 ft) behind the street building line
- Garage allowed on only one side of the building
Our basic wishes:
- Usable basement (waterproof construction, “white” or “black” tank)
- Ground floor
- Shower bathroom
- Office
- Open kitchen-living-dining area
- Fireplace in living-dining area
- Pantry
- Entrance vestibule (?)
- Straight staircase to the upper floor
- Upper floor
- Main bathroom
- Master bedroom
- Walk-in closet
- 2 children’s rooms
- Gallery (?)
- Double garage
- With access to pantry (not sure if allowed in Rhein-Pfalz)
- Construction style
- Simple, modern, clean lines
- High ceilings
- Unfortunately, due to zoning, no upper floor without sloped ceilings possible
- Budget
- I estimate we’ll end up around 350,000 € (house only, without land), probably about 10% higher
About us:
- She: born 1982, teacher (civil servant)
- He: born 1981, executive at a large German mid-sized company (approx. 6,000 employees worldwide)
- Child 1: born late 2015, mostly just kicking, drooling, sleeping, and eating at the moment
- Child 2: still swimming like a tadpole in the Rhine
We are still undecided about how to build. Therefore, I said I want to look into companies from the following categories:
- Prefabricated houses (timber frame construction)
- Property developer (solid masonry construction)
- Architect
Prefabricated house (timber frame construction):
We visited the prefab house center in Mannheim several times. Based on online research and recommendations from acquaintances who have built with this company, we had an appointment with Fertighaus Weiss GmbH. The consultant took a lot of time for an initial meeting (5 hours) and planned a first draft house with us. It’s basically a first idea based on what we have expressed as our wishes. As a first draft to see what is roughly possible on the plot, I think it’s okay. But it’s not yet something that convinces us. Here are just the ground floor and upper floor:
Comments:
- The width of 10 m (33 ft) results from 19 m (62 ft) plot width minus 6 m (20 ft) double garage (boundary building) and 3 m (10 ft) clearance to neighbor
- Negative ground floor aspects:
- No entrance vestibule
- Passage from hallway to living area too narrow
- Lower right area of living space (right next to staircase / above “office”) is too narrow (we have a large sofa)
- Ground floor
- Arrange shower bathroom and pantry vertically
- Access to pantry from kitchen side upstairs
- Position office horizontally instead of vertically
- This allows moving the staircase to the left wall of the pantry, creating more space for passage and living area
- Upper floor
- Moving the stairs causes a problem upstairs that I have not yet solved
- I generally like the upper floor layout, but because the stairs access is on the left side, I cannot reach the walk-in closet anymore
- I do not want the walk-in closet to be a pass-through room (!)
Other appointments:
- Appointment with property developer (Missivbau) scheduled for early March
- Appointment with architect scheduled for early March
What do you think of our current approach and draft?
McEgg schrieb:
?..
Do you think that is sufficient? In your opinion, what would be the optimal width? Of course, it shouldn’t be too narrow in the end, but I also don’t want to “waste” too much space on the hallway.Try simply recreating a corridor of 1.20m/1.40m (4 feet/4 feet 7 inches) at home and then putting on your winter clothes (coats and shoes) with your wife. If you already have children, include them as well. Consider whether a stroller might be relevant, and include it or try “storing” it there. You would realistically have walls on both sides without any room to move aside. In contrast, 8 square meters (86 square feet) is sufficient for a family bathroom, and a shower toilet can be smaller.
To explain: I also don’t like hallways, and we have open-plan hall and living space without separation. But the entrance area is more necessary than the area in front of the TV...
Comfortable living doesn’t start just in front of the sofa.
Best regards
J
j.bautsch3 Nov 2016 12:26I also think that a living room depth of much more than 4 meters (13 feet) is usually not necessary (exceptions prove the rule).
For example, we have an isosceles sofa measuring 2.8 meters (9 feet 2 inches). With a room depth of 4 meters (13 feet), that leaves 1.2 meters (4 feet) of space to the wall. Thanks to modern TV units or wall installations, and flat-screen TVs, only about 40 cm (16 inches) of depth is needed. That leaves around 80 cm (31 inches) between the end of the sofa and the TV wall, which is more than enough in my opinion.
On your plan, I estimate about 4.5 meters (15 feet) for the room depth, so you could afford to give around 50 cm (20 inches) to the hallway.
For example, we have an isosceles sofa measuring 2.8 meters (9 feet 2 inches). With a room depth of 4 meters (13 feet), that leaves 1.2 meters (4 feet) of space to the wall. Thanks to modern TV units or wall installations, and flat-screen TVs, only about 40 cm (16 inches) of depth is needed. That leaves around 80 cm (31 inches) between the end of the sofa and the TV wall, which is more than enough in my opinion.
On your plan, I estimate about 4.5 meters (15 feet) for the room depth, so you could afford to give around 50 cm (20 inches) to the hallway.
So, I visited the architect again today. A few minor changes will be made. Among other things, the guest bathroom on the ground floor will be made a bit more compact to gain space in the entrance area. We don’t have a good idea for the storage room yet. We could build the house longer, of course, which would involve higher costs.
Basically, the storage room is only supposed to have a 40cm (16 inches) shelf on one side. We’ll see. I’ll share the plan here as soon as I have it.
Basically, the storage room is only supposed to have a 40cm (16 inches) shelf on one side. We’ll see. I’ll share the plan here as soon as I have it.
S
stefanvery3 Nov 2016 21:51Personally, I think the 1.40 m (4 ft 7 in) in the storage room is fine. It’s better than not being able to get out to the shower. Also, I just noticed that your toilet has only about 10 cm (4 inches) clearance from the wall and barely any more from the door. I find that too tight.
Current status.... It’s still being refined....
I will take another look to see if I can create more space in the entrance area.
The position of the fireplace is not final yet, as the flue pipe runs inconveniently through the storage room on the upper floor.
The window sizes are not yet correct everywhere.
The main bathroom will be adjusted slightly.
A few walls will be moved somewhat.
The washing machine and dryer will be installed in the basement, in the same room as the technical equipment.
I will take another look to see if I can create more space in the entrance area.
The position of the fireplace is not final yet, as the flue pipe runs inconveniently through the storage room on the upper floor.
The window sizes are not yet correct everywhere.
The main bathroom will be adjusted slightly.
A few walls will be moved somewhat.
The washing machine and dryer will be installed in the basement, in the same room as the technical equipment.
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