Floor plan planning for our single-family house Single-family house in SH

Hello everyone,

After successfully finding and purchasing a plot of land in Schleswig Holstein a few months ago, the planning for our single-family house is currently underway. On the one hand, we are evaluating general contractors for possible cooperation, and on the other hand, we are refining the floor plan.

Originally, a basement was planned (see section), but we cannot avoid a waterproof concrete tank (foundation recommendation from the soil survey) and generally the requirements of the energy saving ordinance seem to make basements even more expensive. The narrow plot (15m) also complicates sloping. All this has led us to plan without a basement, but instead allocate more space above ground.

We are now relatively satisfied with the interim result, but we are not attached to it. Hopefully... Overall, we have planned generously, yet I am somewhat surprised that it has become about 230 sqm of floor space. However, I am also a bit worried that we may have a layperson’s tunnel vision, hence my contribution here.

Please excuse the duplicate floor plans. I find the interior visualization from Sweet Home 3D so terrible that I cannot do interior design with it. Hence, these are separate. I hope this does not confuse too much.

At this point, a big thank you to the forum; what we have learned just by reading along is really great!

Plot size: 1150 sqm (15m x approx. 77m)
Slope: No
Floor area ratio, plot ratio, etc.: §34
Restrictions: Eaves height 5.5m and ridge height 8.14m (building pre-approval regarding cubature)

Requirements of the builders

Style, roof shape, building type: Simple, gable roof
Basement, floors: No, 2 full floors
Number of persons, age: 32, 39, 3, 0
Room requirements on ground floor: Cooking/dining/living, pantry, study, utility room, guest WC, vestibule, hallway
Room requirements on upper floor: 2 children's rooms, children's shower bath, master bedroom, dressing room, master bath, storage room, utility room, hallway
Office: Home office, hobby (used a lot)
Sleepover guests per year: 0
Open or closed architecture: Open
Conservative or modern construction: Probably modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: Open with kitchen island
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: No
Music/stereo wall: No (What actually is a stereo wall? )
Balcony, roof terrace: No
Garage, carport: Double carport with shed as boundary construction

House design

Who did the planning: Do-it-yourself

What do you particularly like? Why?

- Generously sized rooms
- Good separation between parents' and children's areas
- Children facing the private garden
- Parents facing the sunrise
- High knee wall in the upper floor
- Sufficient storage space

What do you not like? Why?

- Master bath above the study
- Storage room on the upper floor on the south side (although there is a neighbor lurking 6m away)
- Is the vestibule cramped?

Price estimate according to architect/planner: 500,000 EUR plus ancillary construction costs, landscaping, carport

Preferred heating technology: Gas

If you have to give up, which details/extras can you do without: No room as such, rather somewhat less generosity overall, possibly also consolidate the many storage rooms (pantry, utility room, utility room, storage chamber).

Why did the design end up as it is now? Many iterations, weighing wishes, talks with general contractors, visits to model parks, etc.

What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters: Is the floor plan fundamentally plausible? Have we missed anything crucial due to tunnel vision?

Cool. Huge cabin. Do you have the money?
I don't think the draft is bad - with lots of space, planning is of course easier.
What I don't like: Galactic cabin, but the parents' bathroom is too cramped. Unfortunately, the kitchen feels a bit uncomfortable, like a passage room. The staircase depth looks a bit tight - but that can be deceiving.

Why do you need the huge storage room on the upper floor?

Cool. Huge house. Do you have the money?
I don’t think the design is bad – with lots of space, planning is naturally easier.
What I don’t like: Galactic house, but the parents’ bathroom is too cramped. Unfortunately, the kitchen feels a bit uncomfortable like a passage room. The tread depth looks a bit tight – but that can be deceptive.

What do you need the huge storage room on the upper floor for?

Cool that you notice other aspects than I asked about! (Seriously and positively meant)

Regarding the parents’ bathroom: We are basically not bathroom fetishists, so it doesn’t have to be a wellness temple. But it shouldn’t feel cramped either. Do you think it would? The layout is just a first draft, could it be optimized because of that?

About the kitchen: Uncomfortable because of access to living/dining? Surely it’s mostly a matter of habit, because I, for example, know from earlier and always found it quite fitting to have the living room in the coziest back corner and arrange the other two rooms accordingly (e.g., path from the entrance to the pantry to the kitchen). And the area behind the island is also “cozy” shielded.

The tread depth is indeed tight. Surely 20 cm more will need to be added if it’s not to be too steep or the landing too narrow. The current position can handle that though.

The storage room also seems big to me compared to many here in the forum. It came from foregoing a basement and is certainly generously sized (but by far smaller and cheaper than a basement ). But we also have quite a bit of stuff (e.g., diving equipment, riding gear) that needs space. Besides, I’m currently highly annoyed by the annoying poor accessibility of our small basement…

Size of the plot: 1150sqm (15m x approx. 77m)

Ouch. That looks like fields with missed land consolidation for building plots.

Slope: No

Which is a pity in this case, on a slope you could at least have split-levelled the towel.

Is the floor plan basically plausible? Have we overlooked anything crucial due to tunnel vision?

I think, given the circumstances, you have placed the cabins quite decently. I would put the utility room under the master bathroom (or vice versa), and the staircase seems a bit too short to me (I see a change to a spiral staircase at the "landing" as necessary).

Ouch. That looks like fields with missed land reallocation.

Which is a shame in this case, on the slope you could at least have done split-levels with the towel.

Is there a question hidden in there now?

I still find 15m just about okay, the unobstructable garden view is a big plus. And I also don't think it's bad that I save the additional costs of a slope.

Is there a question hidden in there now?

Where should there be one?

I still find 15m just okay,

For a semi-detached house yes, or if you manage 12 or 13 m in the house depth.

What is that, which looks like the outline of a double garage on the site plan (which would, however, cover a window of the study)?