Difficult Plot and Monument - §34

How is the little witch's house supposed to be used in this context (because if left uninhabited, it will eventually decay, which would be nonsensical from a preservation perspective)?

A bathroom will be installed, sleeping quarters upstairs, a crafting room for the family at the front, and guest sleeping accommodations. The standard here is modest. Eventually, a child can move in when they need more space.

For the first draft ... I'll put it this way .. nothing immediately caught my attention that would make me say, reconsider it. .. Wait, maybe some natural light for the kitchen area.

And perhaps try to save a bit of length and thus square meters.
Consider balconies.
And maybe grant Child 1 another window with a sill height (which is a stylistic break here) facing south.

I like it. What I notice is no bathtub and the children's rooms. Both smaller than just sleeping and one again a whole lot smaller than the other.

Is there still a way to get light into the kitchen?
What are you planning in the studio?

The modern house in the foreground, the witch's house is definitely interesting and an eye-catcher.
Good that something is being made out of the property.
Are you still financially able to keep it somewhat within budget?

I really like it. That is exactly my taste. I once had a house that had such a cubature, just not as stylish (built in '78).

How wide is the living/dining area? What is the studio used for? What is in the middle of the living-dining area?
Is the entrance area sufficient for your wardrobe? There is no closet drawn in there.
The furnishing is now from the architect. I advise everyone to draw in their own furniture ideas in a design. To scale, then you immediately deal with the dimensions of the house and get a better feel.
Did you fill out the questionnaire back then?
The kitchen units would benefit from a strip window – for that, knowledge about tall cabinets is needed.
Personally, I prefer it if the chill area is a bit more hidden, so I tend to switch kitchen/living.
For the children's bathroom, I would replace the shower with a bathtub (it's very easy to shower in a bathtub).

Construction costs

Even if we should build smaller (I’m happy about every saved cent).

For us without measurements, it is naturally hard to tell where there might be projections that could possibly be removed. Spontaneously, I would have suggested planning the bay window corner outward so that one of the children's rooms benefits from more space.
Windows up to the gable look really great, as does the minimalist construction style. Maybe one can backtrack a little there.
19 sqm bedroom plus balcony.. 17 sqm children's room plus balcony.. All rooms upstairs with around 13-14 sqm each would be sufficient. Balconies are not really necessary, they just look good.
On the ground floor, 42 sqm plus kitchen.. some houses manage with a total of 40 sqm there. So, there are approaches to building smaller and saving if necessary. And even then, the design would certainly have its special appeal.

Thank you very much for all the very good suggestions.

I also mentioned the strip window in the kitchen right away when presenting the plan. The architect decided against it because there is a very ugly facade at the neighbor’s property right on the border. But it would fit. I don’t like wall cabinets, so I would leave space for two tall cabinets and a window behind the kitchen work area. That space should then be enough. I will take another look at the neighbor’s facade in person.

Balconies: one was planned for the master bedroom because you can sit there and look over the neighbor’s roof ridge towards the valley, which creates a great view. A balcony for the children is not necessary; maybe some space can be saved there.

The master bedroom can be smaller; more space should be created in the smaller children’s room. I don’t have an exact idea yet. But I would plan a window seat in the smaller children’s room; then they will argue over the smaller room...

Atelier: working area for my family, I would work outside in the monument.

Bathtub: nobody uses it here and luckily the children are no longer toddlers.

Width of the living room: just under 4.50 meters. I have a 1:100 plan but can’t access it right now. I will provide it later.

Own furniture: thanks for the tip! I am making them to scale and will try them out.

Space for wardrobe: I mentioned this right away as well. We agreed that it is easy to go down the seven steps to the basement and use the room straight ahead for this. It is also well lit by daylight there through the entrance area. Guests can hang their coats right by the door.

Money: if the estimated prices are maintained, it will work out just fine. But there must be no large deviations.

The construction method has also not been decided yet. The architect is keen on timber construction. Allegedly many advantages except noise and fire protection. She estimates costs to be identical to solid construction.

Corner in front of the kitchen: a fireplace is to be installed there.

Thank you for your ideas—I am very happy—my bank account not so much... But that is probably the biggest thing one ever undertakes in life.

Oh yes—the completion is estimated for the end of next year.

I hope I have answered all questions.

I’m going to look at the neighbor’s facade once again in the original.

You don’t need to.

because there is a very ugly facade at the neighbor’s and it’s right on the boundary.

If you install a narrow strip of light, 60 or 70 high, directly at the height of the kitchen countertop, then you won’t see the neighbor’s wall when standing in front of the sink, only your own land.

because you can sit there and look over the neighbor’s roof ridge towards the valley

And then you sit there on the balcony instead of strolling through your own property? Don’t imagine sitting there too idyllically. The window is enough for the view. Such a look-and-see balcony is overrated. You sit there twice and later a laundry rack ends up there.

We agreed that you can easily go down the seven steps into the cellar and that the room straight ahead is used for this.

Oh.. I don’t consider that practical. Well, you have to make a compromise. I once tried spontaneously over the upper floor to see if you can save square meters. The appearance should stay the same, just without balconies.