In the basement, preparations for a granny flat are planned, which could possibly be developed later. Initially, it should be used purely as a utility cellar.
A cellar remains a cellar, and regardless of the approval circumstances, you really can’t rent it out well. I also think that you, just like with furniture, should already plan more precisely so that you don’t have to build unnecessarily expensive space just because you might need it someday/somehow.
-you cannot do without: cellar
These backgrounds would be interesting once.
I have never lived under sloping ceilings
Then it’s about time. You can make it nice in there; sloping ceilings are no obstacle, they can even contribute to it.
Both parents-in-law are just under 60.
That alone doesn’t say very much; for example, I’m a bit older and still, we are not all the same at that age. I understand and hope that the parents also want to have it nice, and if you want two really nice apartments in one house, this requires better planning than a classic single-family house since you have to avoid various overlaps, respect privacy on both sides, and on the other hand also have common areas.
Hobbies definitely include spending a lot of time with the children, so it is important to us that there is still a bit of garden available. Probably not more than 200 sqm.
For that, you don’t necessarily need just space, but imagination how to create nice areas for everyone in limited space. The situation with children will change eventually as well, and you should not be completely unprepared for that.
In the second plan, we then decided that the parents-in-law would get the ground floor (they do not want to move into the basement)
Nobody wants to live in such a cellar and shouldn’t. I would revisit all of this again and again and see how both sides can live nicely, whether on the ground floor or upper floor. For example, I would have basically preferred my parents’ apartment on the upper floor with an exposed roof truss and roof terrace; thus, the apartment on the upper floor is not necessarily the loser if you don’t make it so by neglectful planning.
…..the parents-in-law get the ground floor (they don’t want to move into the basement) and we get the upper floor + attic, since the parents-in-law do not want to climb so many stairs as they get older. To still maintain the character of a house, we didn’t want just one floor for ourselves. However, a cellar was planned for storage space.
But these are already quite some defining factors, which always make it harder. I think both points can be reconsidered. Everyone needs storage space, but it should be planned and it should be clarified what MUST be in the house and what can be in the garden shed or, even better, can be disposed of right away.
Until now, there had been no talk of a granny flat – the idea was brought up by the developer to generate additional rental income.
I’d like to see that calculation. A private house should preferably also be private, and with multigenerational living both sides have enough checks and joys; you don’t need a stranger roommate as well. I would never think that (again).
Currently, we have only decided to prepare a granny flat in the basement. It will probably be mainly used as storage space and possibly a hobby room/party cellar. If we need to generate additional rental income, it could be converted into a granny flat/vacation apartment.
In my opinion, you have a thinking error there. You can never rent such a thing sensibly as a vacation apartment or as any other apartment; these are often just general ideas that don’t withstand serious scrutiny. Isn’t it maybe the case that it feels good in the back of your mind to have such space available due to the currently “missing” storage space? I could understand that, but these are very expensive thoughts that limit you elsewhere and in the actual living space, and can lead to less nice solutions. I can imagine it a bit because I have lived in multigenerational housing. My father already had difficulty letting go of things, and some other family member as well. In the end, you need your money much more urgently for your living space, controlled ventilation, air conditioning, nice floors, Venetian blinds etc., a nice separate place for the parents in the garden and possibly a roof terrace/seating area after all. I would not spend money on a cellar for that.
Currently, the parents-in-law (both just under 60) live on the third floor in 120 sqm. They no longer want to carry heavy shopping so high in the future and would therefore prefer to live on the ground floor.
I can understand that, but that will change over time as well. You have to be careful not to overreact to current things. On the third floor of an apartment building is something different than on the upper floor of a single-family house; for example, you can drive directly to the house and the family lives in the same house. As I said, we had the same issue, and I would therefore not see it so extremely; that is exactly where multigenerational housing can show its effect, in togetherness; such things can be clarified and firmly agreed upon.
My wife would like the "character" of a house and therefore does not want everything on one level. That was the reason why we went for upper floor + attic.
I would revisit that as well. I think she mainly wants to live stylishly, and there are many options she might not have thought of yet. For example, we had the living room as a staggered living level, and something like that can create a completely different impression in the living space.