Floor plan changes for end-terrace house from the developer

We have just bought two sliding door frames for installation in a drywall partition. One is a standard version, available either for self-assembly or pre-assembled at the hardware store. They come for finished wall thicknesses of 12.5 cm or 15 cm.

For the second one, we had special dimensions and had to order it from a different company at a specialist dealer. They are also available for finished wall thicknesses of 12.5 cm or 15 cm (that is CW 75 plus 2x cladding per side or CW 100 plus 2x cladding per side). The manufacturer also offers a system for electrical installation in the frame or a system for mounting wall cabinets. In any case, it will be more expensive than a normal door.

I would prefer the door to the kitchen here. It saves wall thickness, which is useful given the width of the house. And sliding doors running along the wall then either obstruct kitchen or hallway space options. An end-terrace house is simply not a space-consuming palace, and you just have to make sure not to block any placement options.

I would prefer a sliding door recessed into the partition wall. But well, with a standard door it simply comes much cheaper for us (and maybe the other option would have been difficult again with the electrical planning?). If it annoys us endlessly, either the door will be taken off or replaced at some point with a folding sliding door or something like that.

We also had the "problem" with the door that would somehow always be in the way.

Despite the extra cost, we decided on a door running inside the drywall partition. There are also wall cabinets hanging on the wall and the electrical wiring/outlets were carried over.

Our kitchen door is actually always open and initially we didn’t want a door at all, but especially when my husband makes his coffee at 4 a.m. and plates clatter back and forth, I’m glad he can slide the door shut and the noise stays downstairs.

Thank you for the feedback in all directions. We are reconsidering it carefully.

Currently, we have also requested a lot of other things, like preparation for photovoltaic, preparation for wallbox. Otherwise, all windows except the roof windows have shutters, and we have asked if there would be any external shading options also for the roof windows. And we have also inquired about the reversibility of the heat pump (meaning being able to use the heat pump for cooling as well).

None of this is usually super expensive, but it is impressive how quickly the money flows away.

The shell construction is progressing! With the rain and mud last week, the BT didn't really want us on the construction site (I can understand that) but we got a photo from the crane as compensation. Since I didn't ask about publishing it, I won't post it, but it's pretty cool. The ground floor was almost completely bricked up by then (at first I thought that would also be "poured" as concrete, but apparently not) and they didn't forget our extra window either, as we could see.

Meanwhile, the special requests department (still a nice word) got back to us to check if it was correct that we wanted a sink in the basement and shading for the roof windows (and what we had in mind there), because they can now make us offers for that. We don’t have the offers yet, but from the neighbors the price for the two roller shutters for the roof windows (electric but solar-powered) was 3200 euros. Seems like a lot to me, especially since solar is basically the retrofit solution for “we don’t have to lay electrical cables.” You could probably also do it easily afterwards in that version (have it done?), but on the other hand, it would be so easy to have it done now and ticked off.

Otherwise, the topic here was the floor plan. In the upper floor bathroom, virtually all the neighbors we've talked to changed the wall between the bathtub and the toilet, meaning this one (no, it's not load-bearing):

The other two parties we talked to made it a 1.20m half wall, but I think we want to remove it entirely and then maybe have about a 10cm ledge at the bathtub height, I think. It might be a bit strange when sitting on the toilet, but I also don’t like the enclosed feeling. If you don't want to make the bathroom physically bigger, there would probably also be the option of not having bathtub and shower separate. (So leave out one or the other) But that’s hard for me to give up. Yes, we don’t bathe that often, but when we do, I really enjoy it.

we want to completely remove them, I think, and then possibly have about 10cm of a finish at tub height. I think.

That would always be my choice – but I also try to understand if, with 4 people, one wants to visually protect themselves on the throne with a so-called privacy screen. However, I don’t see the protection here at all because it is next to the tub sideways and not adjacent to the washbasin or entrance.