ᐅ Standard single-family house approximately 145 square meters, feedback welcome

Hello,
for our house planning of a classic gable roof house, we have found a floor plan and positioning that we really like. To be on the safe side, I would like to have this analyzed in detail here.

Building Plan / Restrictions
Plot size = 600 sqm (6,458 sq ft)
Building area, building line, and boundary = See site plan
Edge development = Max. 9 m (30 ft)
Hedge (2 m (6.5 ft) wide) and 1 m (3 ft) setback required on the north side.

Client Requirements
Number of people = later 4
Living room approx. 4 x 4 m (13 x 13 ft)
Open kitchen to dining area, which can be separated and flows into the living room
Home office
Master bedroom with walk-in closet
Guest WC with shower
Double carport with masonry storage room

Why is the design as it is now?

Regarding the placement on the plot:
The basic idea is that we want a south/west-facing garden. On the west side, the neighbor will most likely place their carport, so we prefer to have more garden space in the south. Therefore, we favor a position with the ridge parallel to the street (gable end facing sideways), which might also be advantageous for a photovoltaic system in the future. Additionally, we would like to have dry access from the carport to the entrance, which is why the entrance is positioned on the gable end.

For further positioning, the house including the carport was shifted as far northeast as the building area allows.

Regarding the floor plan itself:
The main consideration is that we want a living room (approx. 4 x 4 m (13 x 13 ft)) as a retreat. The dining area with open kitchen should be actively used, not just a space for guests twice a year. From the dining area, one should be able to access the terrace.

Overall, there should also be space for a home office as well as a master bedroom with a walk-in closet.

I actually like the floor plan quite a lot. Just two things:

The kitchen feels a bit tight for me, especially if there is no pantry or basement available. Have you calculated how much space you currently need for food storage, waste, dishes, etc., and whether it will fit?

The master bedroom and the walk-in closet—that’s always a tricky topic. We arranged it so that the door is in the closet area, allowing one person to keep sleeping while the other looks for clothes. That’s something to consider.

And now something completely subjective, and therefore totally negligible: We currently live in an apartment with a southwest-facing roof terrace, and in summer we can basically only use it in the morning because no one can stand being out there in the afternoon. My plants get scorched in summer. It only becomes bearable again after 7:00 pm (19:00), sometimes even later. Sun sails and umbrellas don’t help at all. So, I’m not sure whether a southwest or south-facing garden always has to be the goal, but as I said, that is purely my personal opinion.

I basically like the floor plan as well. However, I agree with Saralina's points. For the walk-in closet, we even decided on a separate entrance without connection to the bedroom. It also depends a bit on who gets up when and how loud they are when looking for clothes.

saralina87 schrieb:

Personally, I find the kitchen a bit tight if there’s no pantry or basement available. Have you worked out how much space you currently need for storage, waste, dishes, etc., and whether that could actually fit?

You see this kind of comment here quite often, and I always wonder how millions of people in Germany manage with small kitchens. I believe you just have to adapt to the "circumstances."

saralina87 schrieb:

And now something completely subjective, and therefore totally negligible: We currently live in an apartment with a southwest-facing roof terrace, and in summer it can practically only be used in the morning because nobody can stand being outside in the afternoon. My plants get scorched in summer. Only from 7:00 PM (19:00) onward does it become bearable again, sometimes later. Sun sails and parasols don’t help anymore. So I’m not sure if a southwest or south garden always has to be the goal, but as I said, that’s purely my subjective opinion.

I agree with that. We also have a southern exposure and it’s almost unbearable. A few houses down, neighbors have their terrace facing west, and it’s much more comfortable. They avoid full sun, but the last hours of sunshine in the evening are pleasant.

I also like the floor plan. The layout of the bathroom, however, doesn’t work well compared to the rest. You enter and are practically standing in the shower.

danixf schrieb:

You often read this here, and I always wonder how millions of people in Germany manage with small kitchens. In my opinion, you simply adapt to the "circumstances."

We also don’t have a "large" kitchen, neither in our current apartment nor later in the house. I see it the same way as you do; storage space is definitely relative. But with the kitchen layout shown by the original poster, we would still have serious issues, simply because there are two dead corners. When I said "too small," I didn’t necessarily mean the space itself, but rather the kitchen design as a whole. I would approach that differently.

danixf schrieb:

I always wonder how millions of people in Germany manage with such small kitchens.

We currently have a small kitchen in our temporary rental apartment. It’s terrible not having space for storage. You can get by, but it’s definitely not comfortable. For that reason, I consider kitchen design one of the most important aspects when building a house.