Floor plan for narrow semi-detached house - Basement + 2 Good luck + Attic without knee wall

Hello everyone, I have been reading here for a long time and we have been searching for a suitable house/plot in the Stuttgart area for years. Now it should finally happen soon.

- It will be a semi-detached house and the outer shape and exterior wall thickness are basically fixed. Inside I can change almost everything.
- The furniture in the plan is more for planning purposes (but corresponds to our current furniture).
- The kitchen was quickly planned in 5 minutes – it can also be completely different.
- The attic (parents’ bedroom and parents’ bathroom) is a work in progress. If anyone has tips on how to nicely place the bathroom there: please share them. I am currently struggling especially with the planning of the downpipes.
- In the attic -> The walls stand exactly at the 1m height. The wall in the bathroom that stands so oddly next to the shower is on the 2m line.
- We plan glass doors in many places – otherwise the stairwell would be very dark.
- On the south side there should be photovoltaic panels -> few roof windows desired.

A few questions:
- Staircase from ground floor to upper floor -> quarter turn. Otherwise half turn. Does anyone have that and would advise against it or is it okay like that?
- I just had the idea to wall up the staircase on both sides. The niche in the stairwell U I would then use as a service shaft (e.g., for underfloor heating). Is that possible? Does anyone do that? In other words, a drywall tunnel from basement to attic (with appropriate fastening on each floor slab – of course, I can’t stack drywall over 4 floors like that).

Development plan/restrictions
Plot size: 320 sqm
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio / floor area ratio / building envelope, building line and boundary: exactly specified. The house stands exactly in the building envelope of the development plan. The external dimensions cannot be adjusted.
Edge development: west semi-detached partner, south driveway street, north dead-end street, east municipal green area
Number of parking spaces: we have one car and about 8 bicycles – double garage is possible, and we will do it that way. It will be more of a bike workshop.
Number of floors - attic without knee wall, dormers not possible
Roof shape - gable, 35 degrees - nothing else possible
Style - rather modern / standard
Orientation – predetermined
Maximum height/limits – predetermined as semi-detached house

Owners’ requirements
Number of people, age - 4 - 2 adults, 2 elementary school children
Space requirements on ground and upper floors - large living area on one floor, then children’s floor, then parents’ floor
Office: family use or home office? Mostly home office, both of us work at least 50% from home (also without Corona)
Overnight guests per year - grandparents regularly up to a week
Open or closed architecture - the living area should be clearly separated from the children’s floor
Conservative or modern construction method - good question - I think we are rather conservative
Open kitchen, kitchen island - gladly also closed, currently open in the plan
Number of dining seats - 6
Fireplace - would be nice but absolutely nice to have. Will probably be too tight.
Balcony, roof terrace - no
Garage, carport - planned
Utility garden, greenhouse - no

House design
Who designed the plan:
- Do-it-yourself

What do you like especially? Why?
- The separation from the living room to the stairs: currently the open design annoys us every evening -> kids.
- The pantry (as small as it is).
- The stairs to the basement: we all ride bikes a lot and also like to ride in the mud. Access via basement and extra shower in the basement is great.
- The parents’ bedroom in the attic is on the north side (a bit cooler and away from the driveway street).

What do you not like? Why?
- The side with the basement stairs and light wells is useful, but not really nice with the railing etc.

Price estimate according to architect/planner: 850,000
Personal price limit for the house, incl. equipment: not sure yet.
Preferred heating technology: heat pump. We might want a ventilation system, but the general contractor is reluctant and I don’t trust him to plan it. I don’t have enough knowledge myself.

If you have to do without, which details/extensions
- can you do without:
open kitchen
- can you not do without:
closed living room

Why has the design turned out like it is now? e.g.
There is a standard semi-detached house plan for narrow houses, i.e., half-turn staircase on all floors, narrow kitchen and the entrance next to it.
This is now planned by me with a tool. We already live in a similar layout (terraced house) but with one floor less. Therefore, I at least knew what I no longer want (everything open over the stairwell).

What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
Is there obvious nonsense that can/should not be done like that?

You write: on the south side a through road, on the east side a green area. Are you sure you want the terrace on the south (where the neighbors might also build their terrace)? We had a similar situation in the old semi-detached house and actually almost always used the east terrace. If you are total sun worshippers, ok. Otherwise, sitting on the east side is perfect in summer, I think. At least I would keep the possibility of a nice seating area in mind.

The only thing I would really absolutely not like at all is that there is no toilet on the ground floor?
Do you want to climb stairs every time??
Guests are supposed to use the bathroom in the basement, right?

And otherwise price estimate 850k??
Is that with the plot?
Something else must be seriously wrong then...

You write: on the south side a through road, on the east side a green area. Are you sure you want the terrace on the south (where possibly the neighbors will also build their terrace)? We had a similar situation in the old semi-detached house and actually almost always used the east terrace. If you are total sun worshippers, okay. Otherwise, in summer, sitting on the east side is perfect, I think. At least I would keep the possibility of a nice seating area in mind.

Cool :) That’s exactly what we talked about yesterday: light well to the south, terrace to the east. My wife doesn’t really want that. But I think I’ll make another plan for that. Then the distance to the street is also not so important (by the way: it is indeed a through road, but rather lightly trafficked. Besides, there is first a green strip, then a bike / pedestrian path, then a green strip with trees, and then the street. So it’s still okay).

The only thing I absolutely would not like at all is that there is no toilet on the ground floor? Are you going to climb the stairs every time?? Guests are supposed to use the bathroom in the basement, right? And otherwise price estimate 850k?? Is that with the plot? Something must be wrong...

Yes, it includes the plot. And demolition of the outbuilding. The house itself is around 450k. Is this just for the house? Then I’ll adjust it accordingly. Regarding the toilet: a clear weak point recognized. We’ve been planning and moving things around forever. In the end, the pantry and the cloakroom for the four of us were more important. But definitely: we would like to have a toilet if possible – I just can’t fit it in. And yes: guests are supposed to use the small bathroom in the basement.

I am somewhat amazed by the incredible amount of cabinets in the kitchen area - do you really still need a pantry???