Is it sensible to plan the DG as a self-contained residential unit?

Hello everyone,

we have just bought a plot of land in Stuttgart and are now planning our house.

The plan is a single-family house with a granny flat in the garden level, which we will initially rent out and later my parents will move into.

The house measures 11.75 by 9.25. So far the planning is as follows.

UG: 50 sqm granny flat
15.5 sqm storage room
6.6 sqm utility room
5.2 sqm room for drinks/ waste paper etc.
4.9 sqm hallway
5.0 sqm stairs

EG: 2.7 sqm guest WC
17.6 sqm bedroom
10.4 sqm bathroom
50.0 sqm dining/kitchen/living
5.0 sqm stairs
6.6 sqm hallway

DG: 8.5 sqm bathroom
14 sqm guest room
12 sqm office
19.5 sqm children's room
18.8 sqm children's room
5.0 sqm stairs
7.5 sqm hallway

The idea is that later when the children have left home or one of the children wants to live in the DG themselves, it can be designed as a complete independent apartment.
From the two children's rooms, a large area for kitchen/dining and living would then be created, the office will become a children's room and the guest room will become the bedroom.

Do you find such a plan sensible, with regard to the separate residential units?

I look forward to your opinions.

Best regards

Absolutely sensible if your development plan allows it. Take a close look at the parking space key in advance, so that you don’t end up unable to convert your residential units because there are too few parking spaces available, or no more can be created. The basement / garden floor, meaning the granny flat, already has proper windows? My parents / in-laws would have a thing or two to say if I wanted to put them in a basement,...

Thank you for your response. The development plan allows for implementation. One could also accommodate an additional parking space, or pay compensation so that no parking space has to be provided, according to the building authority. Regarding the basement, it is not the typical underground basement. We have a hillside property, which on the east side is completely above ground level in the basement. There are a total of 6 windows planned on this side alone, which are mostly floor-to-ceiling.

A flexible plan for living space is always sensible. After all, needs and lifestyles change.

With a granny flat, you earn additional rent, from which, for example, special repayments can be paid. I would not include the rent in the monthly installment because there could also be rental defaults. Furthermore, it could be that you might receive subsidies for the extra apartment in the financing, but I do not know (I am a layman).

With your sqm information, I can only make limited use, at least you also have a ground-level bedroom, which I find very good (not only for old age). However, I would possibly split off part of the bathroom on the ground floor for a storage room/pantry.

Otherwise, I find it a challenge for the planner to develop a "nice" house design without the character of a staircase. Apparently, you already have a plan; otherwise, you would not have any sqm information?!

The idea behind this is that later, when the children have left the house or if one of the children wants to live in the attic themselves, it can be designed as a fully independent apartment.
The two children's rooms would then become a large area for kitchen/dining and living, the office would become a children's room and the guest room would become the bedroom.

Do you find such a plan sensible, in terms of the separated living units?

Best regards

Well, I think your plan is quite sensible, especially considering the size of the rooms. You never know what the future holds, and you’re doing exactly the right thing by already considering different options for reconfiguration in advance.

Thank you very much for your answers. We also consider it to be sensible, which is why we had such a plan designed. I am glad that others also think it makes sense :-) Our uncertainty only arose when some friends said they would prefer to use the entire ground floor for living and then sleep in the attic, so that the living area is even more spacious. They said it would be more sensible to plan for the current situation and not for a future one.