Floor plan feedback: Semi-detached house for a 4-person family, self-designed

these boring 60m2 all-purpose rooms can be seen again after moving in by the Houzz community ... how do I bring life into the room, friendlier ... they all look identical, lots of glass, kitchen, table, couch, TV stand and TV lined up one after the other, loud and nothing else, no edges, no corners, nothing, nada, niente

these boring 60m2 all-purpose rooms are seen again after moving in at the hausz community ... how do I bring life into the room, friendlier ... they all look identical, lots of glass, kitchen, table, couch, TV stand and TV lined up one after another, loud and nothing else, no edges, no corners, nothing, nada, niente

and not even space for pictures or plants.

Oh, things continued quite lively here, only after a few posts no more notifications came... :rolleyes: We like open living, in our current apartment cooking, eating, and living room are also combined in one room - albeit not "in a row" - and we like the setup because the family meets there for different "daily situations." Therefore, we chose an "all-purpose room." (I hear between the lines that the houzz community is not so popular here? ;)) Regarding the basement, there is already a "big hole" after the demolition, so the costs for excavation disposal are largely omitted. Also regarding the later resale value, a basement seems sensible to us, after all, you can't just "retrofit" one. Furthermore, the technical installations have to go somewhere - if not in the basement, then living space is lost instead. Concerning the cost question: a few months ago we had offers made by two well-known and established construction companies here in the region for houses with slightly larger volume and similar floor plans, which were between 500-550k € - in standard equipment and without outdoor facilities as a KfW efficiency house 40.

I think you have misunderstood quite a bit.

Oh, it continued cheerfully here, but after a few posts there were no more notifications... :rolleyes:

You only get the notification once – everything that follows is covered by that. As the original poster, it’s best to be a bit more curious in the forum. If you were following similar discussions, you would know that…

We like open living,

… here in the forum many floor plan discussions about similar houses, similar wishes…

Therefore we opted for an "all-purpose room"

… and the important all-purpose room is always in focus. It’s not about “whether” an all-purpose room, but “how”. This applies to the whole house and every room: usually it’s not a question of whether to build the room, but how it should be designed in the plan so that the room functions well and combines everything you want from that room. Without flipping back, I know arguments have been made. And not just about the all-purpose room.

I hear between the lines that the hausz community here is not so popular? ;))

hmm… it’s just noted that users have to ask there (or just do it there) how they should better furnish their rooms because the room itself has flaws. That doesn’t reflect negatively on the portal (but rather the opposite,) just as users are allowed to ask here without the forum being devalued.

On the cost question: we have vo

Now you don’t even know what is included “as standard”. Usually not what is demanded. Read the construction specifications!

Got offers for houses with slightly larger volume and similar floor plans,

Without a contract, the builder generally uses xy sqm multiplied by a cost factor. That’s not surprising at first.

and not even space for pictures or plants.

And furniture is overrated nowadays anyway…;) Living/dining/cooking I now only see a kitchen. One room as a multipurpose room can be done, just not like this. The rectangle will never be cozy or feel like home.

In the upper floor, it is also not feasible with the windows as it appears. Parapets are mandatory, whether with wall or window surface. Personally, I would forgo floor-to-ceiling windows in private rooms as well as bathrooms. If everyone can look inside, even if only feelingly, you don't feel comfortable.

With fixed windows, it is indeed feasible, using safety glass. However, this makes the window quite expensive, especially in that size. We have similarly large, floor-to-ceiling windows on the upper floor. From today's perspective, I would plan for a parapet height of 40-50 cm there. You can already see from your pictures that from below, everyone can see whether you are sitting at the desk without socks or in swim trunks. Just like the mess in the children's room looks at the moment. A "knee-high" parapet height does not prevent your view but significantly reduces visibility from below. And it also makes cleaning easier because there is a straight wall edge in the room and no window corners at the floor. (this point is really one of our lessons learned if we were to build (new) again).