Charming home with 140m2 on 2 full floors

Hello everyone,

we are now shortly before submitting the building application and would like to hear opinions from experienced home builders once again. We have already shown the draft to friends and family, but would like to use your experiences and knowledge.

Many thanks in advance!!!

Since the draft comes from an architect, the legal regulations have been complied with.

The attached PDFs are rotated. Unfortunately, I was not able to save them differently.


Development plan/restrictions
Plot size 386m²
Slope No
Floor area ratio 0.4
Floor space index
Building window, building line and boundary 3m, no other regulations
Edge development permitted
Number of parking spaces 2, garage and driveway each count as 1 parking space
Number of floors Max. 2 full floors
Roof shape No restrictions
Style --
Orientation --
Maximum heights/limits 11m
Further specifications

Requirements of the builders
Style, roof shape, building type Gable roof
Basement, floors 2 full floors
Number of people, age 2, 34 and 27 years
Space requirements on ground floor, upper floor No special features
Office: family use or home office? Family use
Overnight guests per year Rarely
Open or closed architecture partly/partly
Conservative or modern construction modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island open, with bar
Number of dining seats min. 4
Fireplace Desired
Music/Stereo wall No
Balcony, roof terrace No
Garage, carport Garage
Utility garden, greenhouse No
Other wishes/special features/daily routine, also with reasons why this or that should or should not be

Nothing special, a neat home to grow old in. We like sitting outside but have no interest in gardening (hence a small plot).

We also have a dog, but it is low-maintenance. For this reason, a shower on the ground floor instead of a normal guest WC.

House draft
Who designed the plan: Architect
What do you particularly like? Why?

Ground floor:

- Wide straight hallway: inviting, enough space for coat rack
- Living/dining area, kitchen in L-shape: we like this better than everything on one level
- No direct view from the neighbor into the living room (windows set high)

Upper floor:

- Wide, light-filled hallway
- T-bathroom
- Walk-in closet at the bedroom

What do you not like? Why?

- We would like a staircase with a landing, but this was too expensive
- An additional storage room on the ground floor would be great, but we probably have to make do with the technical room and a storage closet under the stairs
- Currently, the space in a rental apartment is sufficient with similar storage options

Price estimate according to architect/planner: ~ 300k
Personal price limit for the house, including equipment: okay as is
Preferred heating technology: air-to-air heat pump

If you have to do without, which details/extensions
-can you do without: fireplace
-can you not do without: You really can’t cut anything else

Why did the draft turn out the way it is now? E.g.

Which corresponding wishes were implemented by the architect?

We do not need additional rooms on the ground floor (office/guest room etc.). The two extra rooms upstairs are sufficient for guests or possibly children from our point of view.

At the beginning, we found it difficult and had many ideas in mind, e.g. a straight staircase as a small room divider between living/dining area etc. Over time, this draft crystallized, with which we are very satisfied.

Our first floor plan initially had external dimensions of about 8.1 x 10.6m, but we quickly realized that this was too narrow and changed to 8.7 x 10.0m.

What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?

We have completed the floor plan and window planning so far. As laymen, we do not notice any detail that we have forgotten. We have little storage space, we know that but can live with it (garage will be storage for winter tires, bicycles and everything that can tolerate frost).

We have raised windows in the living room and bedroom (rooms are on top of each other), what do you think about this? We should have no direct view into these rooms. We have neighbors on 3 sides.

Edit: I deleted the PDFs and attached JPGs, should be easier now.

Hello,
just quickly: where is the TV supposed to go? 3.75 m is probably a bit narrow for a couch and TV.

What are rooms 1 and 2 for? Try drawing in some furniture and consider whether the doors (also the bathroom door) could be set further away from the partition walls to place wardrobes behind them (in the rooms then ideally about 70 cm).
And think about whether you really need a dressing room if the house is that small! Especially since the dressing room is even (slightly) bigger than the possible (children's) room 1!?

As far as a functional design. I quite like the ground floor, you just have to like it open and the staircase in the living area must not bother you. Where do you plan to put a TV? Upstairs I find less cleverly solved, although it's not clear from the initial post what the further planning regarding children is. As it is now, there is basically only one children's room. The small room can certainly be used as an office or guest room, but as a children's room it is quite cramped. The bathroom is comparatively unnecessarily large. I would reduce the bathroom (to about the size of the current 'small' room) and move the bedroom next to it to the northwest side. This creates space on the southeast side for two decent rooms and you remain flexible if there is more than one child. If not, the guest or the home office user will be happy about a spacious room.

Hello,
also quickly:
The ground floor looks quite good. I think the shower downstairs is nonsense. Get rid of it and instead create a small pantry - ta-da - more storage space created.

Upstairs I rather recommend the classic layout. Bathroom and bedroom on one side, 2 kids on the other side, dressing room opposite the stairs.
Quickly stolen sketch, don't pay attention to m²:

Kaho, if someone with a dog wants a shower downstairs, you can't just dismiss it as nonsense. We've often been glad to have a shower on the ground floor with two dogs. In winter, you don't want to hose the dog down outside if necessary. Alternative to the shower: a warm water outdoor tap at the front.

I don't like your upper floor either, even though it is bigger than our semi-detached house, everything feels much smaller. I have fewer ideas right now, just on my phone...

Oh, the dog. Okay. That is of course an argument.