Floor plan single-family house, 2 full floors approx. 180 sqm, 600 sqm plot

This is the result of our preliminary planning and the advice and improvements of the draftsman/salesperson of the general contractor (GU). Meanwhile, we are working with an architect from the GU who is also handling our building application.

The botched pockets are not detrimental to approval, the architect will no longer eliminate them. She should notice them, but removing them is not her job, she will have enough to do anyway, so they will probably survive into the working plans.

Can you explain to me the consequences of the "botched pockets"? Nothing is set yet,

The dimensions are not detailed enough for me to precisely mark the botched pockets; currently, I can't even count them. So it is quite possible that their number is limited. For example, at the wall behind the stove: 36.5 + 390 + 17.5 + x equals 444 + x cm. If the door hinge "x" = 6 cm, it fits whole bricks. "Nothing is set yet" is unfortunately no help, since the botched pockets are a planner’s and not a bricklayer’s botch. The bricklayer has no choice but to improvise during execution: plague or cholera, he has to choose one of the two. But don't worry about it, the house will not be seriously damaged because of this, in the end, you won't see anything from it. As a bricklayer, I would, however, curse my colleagues who sit on their butts. Nevertheless, I gladly answer your question about the consequences so you can get an idea: when a bricklayer builds a wall, he works from two fixed points towards each other. For example, from a corner of the house to a jamb (in the above example: the front door jamb). So first brick, second brick, third brick, last brick, second last brick, third last brick, always efficiently with whole bricks raboti raboti. In the middle of the distance, it gets tricky if the gap is not the length of a whole brick. 51 cm is no problem; he can moderate that because the joint has enough play in the interlocking profile. 52 cm is also no problem; then he moderates twice. 49 cm is quite bad; then he has to use a grinder. 48 cm is even worse; too much for grinding and too little for sawing. So he cuts a bit more and fills the gap with mortar. You can surely imagine that he will not mix special insulating mortar just for this one joint; regular joint mortar gets smeared in. This does not immediately lead to cracks or mold growth, so no need to worry. I don't want to go through all combinations here, but there are also "unfortunate wall dimensions" in orders of magnitude that get patched with leftover pieces, and regular violations of proper overlap measures occur (this is the term for the difference in how far two joint lines of adjacent layers are intentionally not exactly aligned to achieve a stable bond in masonry). Conclusion: minor botch, no end of the world, but in constructions I supervise consultatively, such things are still avoided.

But don't worry about it, the house won't be dramatically damaged by it, in the end you won't see anything from it. As a bricklayer, however, I would curse my colleagues who sit in their chairs all day. Conclusion: minor botch-up, not the end of the world, but in the buildings I advise on, such things are still avoided.

Thank you for the really detailed instruction and also for the time you invest in such an educational post. I have the feeling that you would actually have to build twice in order to stay reasonably error-free in the second attempt. At least I now know that it was the right decision to have the house built turnkey and leave the craft to those who know something about it. If I had known that you can be booked for construction advice, I would certainly have reached out earlier! ;) If you have any other critical thoughts regarding other matters, please feel free to share! :)

Thank you for the really detailed instruction and also for the time you invest in such an instructive post. I have the feeling that you actually have to build twice to stay reasonably error-free the second time around.

You're welcome, I like to listen to myself write ;-) As the saying goes, you don't build twice, but three times (for an enemy, a friend, and only then for yourself). The majority of builders represented here (up to 40) will build twice, namely once at the threshold to a full family and the second time when they have become a couple again and want to combine rightsizing their house with incorporating a lot of living experience into the planning.

If I had known that you can be booked for construction consulting, I would certainly have gotten in touch earlier! ;) If you have any other critical thoughts regarding other things, please do share!

You can still get in touch anytime, see "Information" in my profile. Also gladly with minor stuff, like if you have more detailed plans to "check off" suspected botch spots for your expert.

Question for the floor plan experts: Wouldn't it make sense to remove the door from the hallway to the living room? I see the advantage here that the living room is easier to furnish, as the TV unit is not so cramped at the edge and it should also feel more cozy if the living room is not a walk-through room? Or is the walking distance from the sofa to the WC too long then?

With reference to the floor plan in 42, I would leave the door. You have a sliding door between the kitchen and dining area. Should it be opened every time because something needs to be taken from the children's room, someone goes to the toilet, the doorbell rings, etc.

Nice that you want to ask :)

Question for the floor plan experts: Wouldn't it make sense to remove the door from the hallway to the living room? I see the advantage here that the living room is easier to furnish,

if the living room is not a pass-through room?

In my view, this is linked to personal use and habit. For a main passage, I don't see the kitchen door as prominent enough; the living room door can also be kept closed, and the kitchen is probably not meant to serve as a passage here.

Or is the route from the sofa to the toilet then too long?

I basically don’t see the sofa/toilet route as something that needs to be considered – this is a handy single-family house, so you will be able to take a few steps through your rooms. The bed/toilet route would be more of a principle point, i.e. generally speaking.