Floor plan feedback: 1.5-storey building in Northern Germany

Regarding the development plan: In response to inquiries from several GCs, the building authority has indicated that it will not allow any exemptions or more drastic deviations (e.g., placing the house "in the middle" or similar) – the house should remain on the left. However, we are actually satisfied with the positioning, rotation, and external dimensions.

First of all: I personally don’t like the floor plan. Especially since I myself only planned for 2 adults, I know that you can take many more liberties than when planning for a family. Okay. There are preferences, e.g. an inner closed construction or also open, where everything flows into each other. That also works with a closed kitchen, which is also very well explained by you here. But I still can’t get along with your idea. Sure, you can write freely, but then you should also answer the questions from the questionnaire in a free text. This constant repeating of

not negotiable

is exhausting. As if we want to negotiate with you…?! Here in the forum, advice is given or improvements are made. So if you write results-resistant or do not accept improvements, that naturally has a class of its own, at which one fails. Who, one might wonder. To be honest, I then only skimmed

Yes, northeast garden is not so great, but otherwise the plot is great for us

that doesn’t really matter. It does make it harder to get (natural) sunlight into the house through the room orientation, but you don’t have to fail because of that.

Exterior dimensions cannot be changed with the current general contractor or there are no better exterior dimensions offered by the general contractor (due to building window)

Understood. I also like to give the tip, when it comes to building with a general contractor, to orient yourself best to a type house, choose it, and then make (small) changes. I now see absolutely no commonality with the original floor plan. Even the stairway already creates a different house structure by its design. What is holding you back from deciding to let an architect get the best out of the plot and then build the design in timber frame construction? Is there a budget? Regarding the design:

We are two people

I already said that I find it somewhat boring. The bay window doesn’t reach me: it has no sense, architecturally or functionally. No highlight inside or outside. Just a small annex to enlarge the kitchen. Question: why doesn’t the bay window catch all the light of the world? Why is the dining table not in the light area? Why these simple windows? And in the attic, why are roof windows slammed in? As already said: the completed questionnaire could explain a lot.

We both work from home, therefore two offices (mandatory for us due to data protection)

… and therefore four! workstations? Overall, I would arrange the rooms differently, separate the desks or desk corner somewhat with sliding doors, but keep a view of the garden and provide more open sight lines east-west. Work areas and/or bathroom in the attic can be fine in the north, kitchen in the southwest with a great bay window for the dining area. That would make sense. The utility room can also go to the back in the north due to the narrow plot. The paved area will probably be on the west side. I would also put the front door there.

This constant repetition of <> is exhausting.
So if you write that you are resistant to advice or improvements are not accepted, of course that has a greatness at which one fails. Who, one might wonder ;)
To be honest, I only skimmed through it afterwards

We couldn’t think of a better word here to say that we want it this way/in this form at this point. The attempt here was to avoid "unnecessary" discussions, which probably came across a bit too "harsh" because yes, we are not negotiating here :)
We do ask for improvements, just not on certain points.

That doesn't really matter in itself. It does make it harder to get (natural) sunlight into the house through room orientation, but you don’t have to fail because of that.

Yep, we see it the same way.

What separates you from the decision to let an architect get the best out of the property and then have the design built in timber frame construction?

Money primarily, we ourselves had to look longer for GCs to find someone who in our opinion works reasonably with us and is appropriate in price for us. Now we have someone with whom we can do a lot without a huge extra charge and supposedly even get an architect consultation, so it feels like double payment. We have not considered an "external" architect so far.

Is there a budget?

Actually, we are currently looking for feedback on the floor plan and do not want to start from scratch about with whom or how we want to build – I don’t mean that in a rude way or so. Budget is kind of a thing, the house currently costs about 375k including interior finishing, photovoltaics (of which 16k before negotiation), and QNG certification costs, without ancillary building costs – it shouldn’t really be more than that, otherwise we won’t feel comfortable anymore.

I already said that I find it a bit boring.

No idea, we personally like the boring gable roof house, it’s also familiar from our childhood :)

The bay window doesn’t reach me: it has no meaning, architecturally or functionally. No highlight inside or outside. Just a small annex to enlarge a kitchen.
Question: why doesn’t the bay window capture all the light of the world? Why isn’t the dining table in the light area? Why these single windows? And in the attic, windows are going crazy with skylights?

It’s just there, and as described in the text, it’s not worth leaving it out (probably a €500 saving) and the best place, in our opinion, is the kitchen, but we are open to suggestions. We have described why, for example, we wouldn’t find it so great in the living room.

Regarding the kitchen: here gladly ideas, our attempt was to create a "good" layout with the given conditions (e.g., bay window dimensions must not change).

…and therefore four! workplaces?

[...] Overall, I would freely rearrange the rooms, separate the desks or desk corner somewhat with sliding doors.

As described in the post, the desks in the living room are our hobby gamer desks. We separate work and leisure here and want to have these hobby desks in the living room so that we can be in the same room when one is sitting in front of the TV and the other is gaming. That’s how we live right now and we don’t want to miss that :) Therefore, consciously no separation.

to provide more visibility/view axis east-west

We can’t quite follow here, what do you mean?

Work areas or/and bathroom in the attic can be well located in the north, kitchen in the SW with a great bay window for the dining area. That would make sense.
Utility room can also be at the back in the north due to the narrow plot.
Yard area will probably be in the west. I would also put the front door there.

We actually find the bedroom in the north quite nice: private because facing the garden + not on the street, colder location.
If we position the bathroom in the north, wouldn’t the hallway have to be bigger?
Regarding the utility room, we actually liked that it is the room facing the street – then you don’t sit in the living room or similar on display. Also, the unit’s fan is then directed towards the street and we don’t have to move further to the street to maintain a 3m distance from the neighbor for the device.
The entrance door in the west might be uncomfortable because cars are parked there and we only have about 3.5m width there – then you might have to squeeze past cars to get to the front door, right?

As I already said: the completed questionnaire could explain a lot.

We will provide it later.

Development plan/restrictions
Size of the plot - 496m²
Slope - no
Floor area ratio - 0.3
Floor space index - 0.4
Building window, building line and boundary - see development plan, no more detailed information, outer dimensions approved by building authority, no more is possible
Edge development - no
Number of parking spaces - no information
Number of storeys - 1.5
Roof shape - gable or hip roof 40-60°
Style - should look similar to the rest there (said the building authority)
Orientation - no specification
Maximum heights/limits - 9m max ridge height (from upper edge of street)
Other requirements - 3m distance to neighbors and street, photovoltaic system mandatory due to KFW 40 QNG

Client requirements
Style, roof shape, building type - boring "normal" gable roof house
Basement, storeys - 1.5 storeys (according to development plan)
Number of persons, age - 2 persons around 30 years
Space requirement on ground floor, upper floor - 4 rooms
Office: family use or home office? - home office in 2 separate offices
Overnight guests per year - 0
Open or closed architecture - open
Conservative or modern construction -
Open kitchen, kitchen island - closed, kitchen island rather not desired
Number of dining seats - 3-4
Fireplace - no
Music/stereo wall - no
Balcony, roof terrace - no
Garage, carport - 2 parking spaces (one behind the other is sufficient)
Utility garden, greenhouse - no
Further wishes/special features/daily routine, also reasons why this or that should or should not be - see post

House design
From whom is the planning:
- Outer dimensions from building contractor
- Floor plan heavily adapted, DIY
What do you like particularly? Why? See post
What do you not like? Why? Basically satisfied, only a few question marks left, see main post
Price estimate according to architect/planner: 375k including interior finishing, photovoltaic (of which 16k) and QNG certification etc. - excluding ancillary construction costs
Personal price limit for the house, including equipment: should preferably not be more expensive, a few more windows etc. are possible, but no more
Preferred heating technology: heat pump with underfloor heating, will be a KFW40 house

If you have to do without, which details/extensions
- can you do without: bay window in the kitchen (can be moved elsewhere, leaving it out saves little money - approx. 500€), corridor width
- cannot do without: closed kitchen, pantry, desks in the living room, 2 separate home office rooms, "normal" windows upstairs (not floor-to-ceiling)

Why is the design the way it is now? e.g.
Standard design from the planner? Yes and no, we arrived at very similar floor plans from several companies that meet our wishes/requirements, this one is adapted to the standard outer dimensions of the current builder. The basic room layout and arrangement therefore do not come from us, but were proposals from the construction companies. It has looked fundamentally the same for quite some time.

What makes it particularly good or bad in your eyes? We actually just want a "normal" house, no gallery or any frills. This floor plan has all the rooms we need, in a layout and size/positioning that works well for us with enough space reserve.

What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
Are there any major mistakes that should definitely be different? Windows are placed relatively arbitrarily, are there better ideas for sizes and positioning? The kitchen is an idea; we would appreciate suggestions here.

without having read #16

Budget is a tricky thing, the house currently costs about 375k including interior finishing

Oh. Quite cheap…

No idea, the boring gable roof house

I don’t find gable roofs boring. You also haven’t posted any views. I just find the floor plan boring and somewhat old-fashioned.

and in our opinion the best place is the kitchen, but we are open to suggestions

e.g. bay window dimensions must not change).

A bay window in the kitchen is okay, but you don’t make anything out of it. It’s just a clumsy room extension. I’m not talking about changing the dimensions, but actually using it!

If we put the bathroom to the north, the hallway would have to be bigger, right?

My suggestion is hypothetical. I wouldn’t want to build the house like this. So everything is variable.

We can’t quite follow here, what do you mean?

… yes, I’m probably the wrong advisor for you…

because that’s where the cars are parked and we have about 3.5m width there - you have to squeeze past the car to get to the front door, right?

??? How many cars do you have?

I feel the same as

bored. Somehow it feels like a student shared apartment and not like a cozy house.

Does no one come over for dinner at your place? No celebrations/parties?
What do you do if you actually have children? Sometimes it happens overnight or the desire changes.

I would leave the laundry on the upper floor, but take it out of the bathroom.