~150m² city villa in planning - your opinion?

Hello everyone,

we (2 adults + 1 child [5 years old]) are currently planning to build a house and have obtained an initial offer from a smaller local house-building company. I would like to present this to you and hope for some opinions or suggestions for improvement. It should be noted that our planned building plot has not yet been finally designated as building land, so I cannot provide any final information about it.

Development plan/restrictions
Size of the plot: ~1,600m²
Slope: no
Floor area ratio: -
Floor space index: -
Building window, building line and boundary: -
Edge development: garage yes
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2
Roof shape: hipped roof 23 degrees/27 degrees roof overhang approx. 60cm
Style: classic city villa
Orientation: -
Maximum heights/limits: -
Other requirements: -

Requirements of the builders
Style, roof shape, building type: classic city villa, hipped roof
Basement, floors: no basement, 2 floors
Number of people, age: m 35, f 37, child 5 years
Room requirements on ground floor, upper floor: see draft
Office: family use or home office?: family use
Number of overnight guests per year: 6x
Open or closed architecture: ground floor open, upper floor closed
Conservative or modern construction: both
Open kitchen, cooking island: yes
Number of dining seats: 6-8
Fireplace: yes
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: currently not included
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Additional wishes/special features/daily routine, also reasons why this or that should or should not be:

- open living-dining-kitchen area; good room layout with as little lost space caused by corridors as possible, children’s room largest room upstairs

House design
Who created the design:
- planner from a construction company

What do you particularly like? Why?
- room layout ground floor/upper floor

What do you not like? Why?
- ground floor bathroom (sink, toilet too close to the door or it feels so cramped - shower should be included though)
- dressing room/bedroom upstairs limited (possibility to arrange differently without wasting space?)

Price estimate according to architect/planner:
~ 270,000€

Personal price limit for the house, including equipment:
~ 250,000€

Preferred heating technology:
- air heat pump

If you have to do without, which details/extensions
- you can do without: currently planned so that we have the essentials and not too much
- you cannot do without: 2 bathrooms, fireplace

Why is the design the way it is now? e.g.
Design by planner according to corresponding specifications.

What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
Would you change anything about the basic layout/size of the rooms? Would you arrange anything differently or notice anything poorly considered or planned? How would your bathroom downstairs look - kept small? (toilet, sink, shower)

Ground floor + upper floor sketch

It should be noted that our planned building plot has not yet been finally designated as building land

Then you are still way too early with floor plan questions, and even more so with offers from construction companies.

Who is responsible for the planning: - Planner from a construction company

What is their profession? Under the stairs I see you will have to duck your head if you want to get into the utility room. Upstairs there are only non-load-bearing walls, shown in a different color, but without explanation. If they don’t have to carry anything, why should they all be masonry walls (I don’t see a lightweight wall or anything like that)? Overall everything looks pretty carelessly and hastily drawn – but also understandable if it’s still so uncertain when you would even become a customer.

I think the plot size of 1,600 sqm is great. Given the plot size, I would prefer a bungalow because honestly, I wouldn’t know what to do with such a large free garden area or how to maintain it. You have now decided on a townhouse with two full floors.

What I appreciate, namely large hallways, you don’t like so much. Therefore, I will not comment further on that. What strikes me is that, in my opinion, far too few windows have been planned. Furthermore, I would plan three double-wing windows at the front wall in the living-cooking area instead of one double-wing and two single-wing windows. Basically, I find there are too few windows and patio doors, especially since with the size of the plot the neighbors probably do not live as close as usual. I wouldn’t appreciate the dressing room being completely without natural light.

I don't find the bathroom on the ground floor too small. Our ground floor bathroom has similar dimensions (325cm x 160cm). The only difference is that in our case the door is on the long wall. I would extend the shower along the entire short side, then arrange the sink and toilet so that the objects or you yourself do not collide with the door.

Then you are still way too early with floor plan questions, and even more so with offers from construction companies.

Brief explanation of the status:
The draft for new building plots only has to be signed at the next community meeting, then it is finalized.
What would you currently be dealing with? For us, it was also about requesting offers and, of course, prices to estimate whether we can even afford it financially and what kind of loan we would need.

What does he do for a living?
Under the stairs, I see you would have to duck your head to get into the utility room. Upstairs, there are only non-load-bearing walls, shown in a different color but without explanation. If they have nothing to carry, why are they all supposed to be masonry (I don’t see any lightweight walls or the like)?
Overall, everything seems pretty carelessly scribbled – but also understandable if it is still so uncertain when you would even become a customer.

- We chose this developer because some acquaintances built through him and were very satisfied. He does planning, execution, and trades building materials.
- The staircase to the upper floor tapers towards the door; I actually don’t see a height problem there. Compared to other stairs, you hardly reach this height on the last steps.
- Regarding the upper floor, if I read it correctly, the walls consist of: stud wall d=75mm, double-layered on both sides with drywall panels d=12.5mm; in the bathroom area impregnated building panel including partition wall panel d=60mm, wallpaper-ready and puttied.

I think the plot size of 1,600 sqm is great. With that plot size, I would prefer a bungalow because honestly, I wouldn’t know what to do with so much free garden space or how to maintain it. You have now decided on a townhouse with two full floors.

Yes, that would be an alternative. However, the plot is rather long and not so square. Therefore, arranging a bungalow plus later garage/carport would be difficult again.

What I appreciate, namely large hallways, you don’t really like. So I won’t comment on that further. What stands out to me is that from my point of view, too few windows are planned. Furthermore, I would plan three double-wing windows on the front side in the living-cooking room instead of one double-wing and two single-wing ones. Basically, though, I find there are too few windows and terrace doors, especially since, given the size of the plot, the neighbors presumably don’t live as close as usual. I wouldn’t appreciate the walk-in closet completely without daylight.

Regarding the windows on the front side, we are not 100% sure yet. On the one hand, it is about practicality, but my wife also pays attention to the exterior look.
The walk-in closet without daylight is so-so, you are right. But if you put a window there, you lose all the storage space on that wall side and only have the opposite sides left.

I don’t find the bathroom on the ground floor too small. Our ground floor bathroom has similar dimensions (325 cm x 160 cm). The only difference is that our door is on the long wall. I would extend the shower along the entire short side, then arrange the sink and WC so that the items or you yourself don’t collide with the door.

How should I imagine that at your place? The long side is the kitchen wall in our case.