Draft of the planner for our single-family house

Ventilation system: The planner recommends a decentralized ventilation system with heat recovery. We are not 100% sure due to noise and temperature. Regarding the noise, something can definitely be done by the manufacturer and price. Regarding the temperature: there are holes in the wall with ceramic parts for heat recovery. Does this ensure that the inside of the wall does not fall below 16°C and thus prevent mold? Concerning the central ventilation system, which the planner advises against, our concerns are about the lack of transparency regarding the pipes (is stability ensured if included in the concrete slab and not properly executed?; cleaning is expensive and how can one tell if it is really completely clean afterward? Material: durability and health concerns about plastic). The heat pump would also be installed there. It is somewhat larger than a refrigerator. Depending on the system and water storage, you have to plan a bit more space, yes. The supplies will mostly or completely fit in the kitchen (in the rented apartment we currently have about 3 m of kitchen length). The closed staircase was also recommended by the planner, mainly for acoustic reasons with the side effect that storage space is created. We only worry that the hallway will become too dark - is this concern unjustified? *Edit* There are skylights in the bathroom, utility room, and upstairs stairwell. The planner also suggested a strip of windows in the stairwell - but the views looked odd. The windows in the lower stairwell are not correct yet - that was a suggestion from him. Thanks for the tip about the ceiling above the bedroom - maybe child 2 will then be in the guest room after all. The 45° corner was not included in the previous draft - but then the rooms upstairs were very uneven and the corridor larger. But yes - we are still thinking about that.

We only have decentralized ventilation in the bathrooms and the utility room. The rest is without a ventilation system. Yes, the utility room could really become very small if everything is supposed to fit in there. With some luck, the washing machine will still fit. However, I would also equip the utility room upstairs for connecting a washing machine as a precaution, so at least you have an alternative if it becomes too small. I assume most of the laundry is done upstairs anyway, with the children. It's also worth considering making the guest room and the study into children's rooms. I find them nicer in terms of space. Child 2's room is quite narrow and could also become rather dark near the door area. I would always make a storage room under the stairs as well. You wouldn't believe how much can fit in there. It won't get too dark for you either. Enough light still comes through the side panel, and enough light also falls in from above.

... in case of emergency, there is indirect lighting with LEDs for the hallway Better to plan more storage space, that has priority!

Many thanks again for the tips.

Yesterday evening we found a charming solution for the stairs – a mix of the two pictures (one exemplary for the storage room, the other for the entrance situation)


Today the planner called and asked us to consider the color of the clinker and bricks. A company we consulted in the early phase told us that colored window frames are (significantly) more expensive than white ones. Is that true? In that case, we would look for a combination with white plastic windows. Since we have not planned any gables, we are a bit afraid that with the wrong stone choice, e.g. red bricks and red clinker, the house might look like a barn. Many things are probably possible, just nothing too extravagant. The planner said, for example, that he might have problems getting approval with an orange roof. He advised against white clinker, but did not give a reason. Do you have any tips on which stones and bricks can be combined well?

I believe the exterior-foiled windows cost us a total surcharge of 2400 (normal single-family house size).

With us, the surcharge for the anthracite foil-covered windows (anthracite outside, white inside) was about 10% of the window price. Unfortunately, I cannot say anything about the topic of bricks....