Floor plan optimization, single-family house, city villa 12x12m

Hello everyone
We visited several show homes, spoke with some construction companies, and looked at some floor plans. Unfortunately, many of the designs did not appeal to us. Therefore, we drew the floor plan ourselves using the program 3D Hausplaner.

We are already quite satisfied with the upper floor. For the ground floor, we still see potential for improvement. For example, is the hallway too big/narrow? Arrangement of guest room, WC. Is it possible to create a granny flat from this room (with shower toilet)?

Attached are the two floor plans as well as two perspective images.

We are very much looking forward to your feedback.

Thank you very much! Lia

Development plan/restrictions
Plot size: 821 m2; approx. 21 m wide and 35 m deep (not quite rectangular)
Slope: no
Floor area ratio: 0.4
Building window: 5 meters from the street, 4 meters from neighbors
Number of storeys: Max. 2
Roof shape: hipped roof
Style: modern
Maximum heights/limits: eaves height 6 m, ridge height 8.5 m

Requirements of the builders
Style, roof type, building type: modern, hipped roof

Basement, floors: 2 full floors
Number of people, age: 2 adults mid-30s, 1 child, 2 years
Room requirements on the ground floor: wardrobe, guest room, guest shower WC, technology, kitchen, pantry, living-dining room
Room requirements on the upper floor: 2 children's rooms, parents, dressing room, utility room, bathroom, office
Office: home office
Guests per year: several times a year
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, cooking island: kitchen open, with work island
Number of dining seats: usual 4-6, at celebrations at least 15
Fireplace: yes
Balcony, roof terrace: roof terrace on garage
Garage, carport: garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Further wishes/special features/daily routine, also reasons why this or that should or should not be:
-Air space
-Large windows facing west, as there are no neighbors
-Wardrobe
-Covered entrance

House design
Who did the planning:
-by us

What do you especially like?
-spacious open living and dining area

What do you not like? Why?
Price estimate according to construction company: approx. 550,000
Hallway (takes up too much space?), guest room on the ground floor (too awkward)

If you have to forego, which details/extensions
-hallway area

Why is the design the way it is now? E.g.
We arranged the rooms so that they made sense to us and also took the room sizes into account.

What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
Are there optimizations possible in the floor plan?

Building setback: 5 meters to the street, 4 meters to the neighbors

Where exactly are the neighbors? With the usual arrangement (right and left), I don’t quite understand how you want to keep a 4-meter distance with a 12 m house and almost 7 (!) m garage. ;)

Otherwise, the floor plan will definitely work, which is no big deal at that size. From my point of view, it is a typical floor plan from 2021 with quite a few “must-haves.” Whether it also covers your wishes/requirements, you have to decide yourselves. However, I would consider whether I want the children’s rooms right at the sound funnel, because otherwise, when guests arrive at the children’s bedtime, only whispering will be possible.

Is it possible to create a granny flat from this room (with shower toilet)?

I think the granny flat is slowly making its way onto the list of must-haves. ;) It’s definitely possible (somehow), but who would benefit from it? (And who wants to pay for it?)

Price estimate according to the construction company: approx. 550,000

Is that a shell construction? Otherwise, I consider that way too low— even without a garage and with the simplest equipment. I arrive at about €2350/m², which I consider impossible in 2021 for this floor plan.

I don't really want to say much about the floor plan because I always find these cube houses somehow impractical and not attractive - but: I would definitely question the budget and, fundamentally, I would seriously consider whether the children's rooms should directly adjoin the open space above the living area. Our little one would really have trouble sleeping there in the evenings without guests being around. It's just extremely noisy that way.

I don’t really want to say much about the floor plan because I always find these cube houses somehow impractical and not nice - but: I would definitely doubt the budget and, fundamentally, I would think very carefully about whether the children's rooms should be directly adjacent to the open space above the living area. Our little one would really have trouble sleeping there in the evening without guests being around. It’s just extremely noisy that way.

That’s exactly what I thought too. From my point of view, that is only nice visually, such an open space can echo a lot and isn’t so great for the children in the evening.

Yes, you can do that, but only with a significantly higher budget. That is, unless it is built in a very inexpensive area, more of a 750,000 euro house, if that is still enough nowadays.

And the air space is chic, but impractical and really only makes sense as a living element if you have plenty of money and living space to spare. I was recently at an appointment in a villa from the 80s that had such an air space in the dining room with large windows facing the garden. And a beautiful gallery above. Great, representative architecture, but it's not cozy. The owner said that when we spread out the folders on the dining table for 12 people in a corona-compliant way, the space was at least being used. They themselves didn't use the dining area at all. Too loud, too bright, too hot in summer. The family prefers to eat in the kitchen, and even friends prefer the kitchen. The area is only used for dinner appointments with special business partners and at Christmas.