Floor plan approx. 170 m² single-family house, without basement with carport

However, we really can’t estimate at all how big or long the shadow of the house to the north will actually be.

hm.., that’s why I posted our north entrance as a picture. Ok, the roof is different now than yours. I should have taken a photo of the neighbor’s house :cool: You have to keep in mind that at 1 p.m. the sun is very, very high in summer. There’s hardly any shadow, so it also stands above the two-story house above the ridge. Then it moves, and the shadow on the north side moves “smaller” on the house.

That doesn’t look bad either... The volume would be similar to that of the current floor plan, right?

No, whatever… different house, different floor plan ;)

In the end, we would be swapping garden space in the north for a sunny courtyard in the south. Am I seeing that right?

No, not really. I have drawn in both, so there would be space for both.
The over 5-meter width in the north is, in my opinion, too good to just leave unused as leftover space or not to plan an exit there. And in midsummer, when the air is warm, the north terrace will also be great.
Whereas the southern sun on the terrace is more important in the “cool” summer. For the dark season, the south windows play more of a role so that you have sun/light inside the house.

However, the terrace area, where you have drawn plants, would probably have to be fenced. Otherwise, you look directly from the terrace onto the driveway.

Stop! Mistake in thinking! Hedges protect against unwanted views and sights. A fence protects against trespassing. Katja drew you a hedge as a natural boundary between terrace and driveway.
I like Katja’s floor plan very much, but I would tend more toward mine regarding garden/exits. Could also be combined. But now wait for the architect’s draft.

The area between the carport and the house would then be the storage room measuring 3x6 meters, right?

Yes.

Otherwise, you would look directly from the terrace onto the driveway.

No, you look at the hedge that I "planted" there. ;)

How big is the terrace planned in your picture?

4m x 5.6m

What do you think about it?

Well, if the parking space in the west has no roof and walls, possibly.
I also once tried one with a north terrace:

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There is still a small south terrace as an alternative option. This way, there is still a piece of land remaining in the north that you could almost call a garden. ;)

Stop! Faulty thinking! Hedges protect against unwanted views and sights. A fence protects against trespassing. Katja drew you a hedge as a natural boundary between the terrace and the driveway.

Okay, but silly question:
Doesn't it take forever for the hedge to grow tall enough and will it really be opaque?

I find Katja’s floor plan very nice, but I would tend more towards mine regarding the garden/exits. Could also be combined.

We also like Katja’s idea. Only the living room seems too narrow to us. We definitely want at least 4 meters wide.
Right now we even have over 5 meters and we like that very much.

But wait for the architect’s draft now.

We will :)

4m x 5.6m

Sounds like a good size. :)

Well, if the parking space in the west has no roof and walls, possibly.

Oh, damn – there’s always something... I didn’t think about the permitted boundary construction. But if the utility room is left out, it should be allowed. Maybe you can also be exempted from the 15m distance from the boundary if all neighbors agree?

I also tried one with a north terrace:
There is still a small south terrace as an alternative. This way there is still a piece of land left in the north that you could almost call a garden. ;)

That has something too :) But a living room with the stairs is a bit hard for us to imagine how that would look in reality.

What do you think in general about the driveway – is 6 meters width enough to be able to turn the car around?

Okay, but stupid question: Doesn't it take forever for the hedge to grow tall enough and will it really be opaque?

No, 3-4 years depending on the variety.

Only the living room looks too narrow to us. We would definitely like at least 4 meters in width.

It is exactly 4m - my American furniture in my oldtimer program probably causes some illusion. Making the pantry smaller should also not be a problem.

What do you generally think about the driveway - is 6 meters width enough to turn the car around?

I don't think it's that far away for you. You're probably quicker backing out.

You do have a turning circle in front of the property :cool: I want to remind you once again that with under 500 sqm, you don’t get a “wish-for-anything” plot. If you feel like it and your kids and neighbors can tolerate it, you can painfully turn the car back and forth. Or you drive through the hedge. Or you leave it out and drive over the lawn or pave everything in front. You can practice parking on 6 meters on the supermarket parking lot on Sundays. That is a serious suggestion. I actually wouldn’t feel like it and would probably back in. I’ve sketched a few things, whether with Katja’s or your template… these are always just under 200 sqm… you really ought to trim down a bit. Things are getting tight with the budget. I also currently consider the straight staircase to be daring… I also wonder whether you have to comply with greater boundary distances than 2.50 when building upwards. Somehow it makes sense that “the higher, the more distance”?! One more tip… something I noticed again while sketching: with a south or north terrace, you could do without a west terrace since the west covers south and north as well.