Living on the upper floor - bad idea?

Hello,

we have a beautiful plot (~1000m2) that borders a nature reserve. Unfortunately, there is a dam about one story high between the property and the nature reserve.

The plan is a three-story building, and from the 3rd floor you also have a nice view of the lake. Now I wondered whether the beautiful view is quite "pearls before swine" for the bedrooms and whether I should move the dining/living area to the third floor.

In my opinion, this is a trade-off between direct garden access and the view.

At the moment, I live in a rented apartment on the ground floor with a garden and am practically never in the garden, only on the terrace. Whether this will still be the case with children, I cannot judge.

Does anyone else have any pros or cons?

Thank you very much

Hello!

With children, it is definitely not like that, they run into the garden. I would only live upstairs if, including a sufficiently large (!) balcony, everything is upstairs and there is a direct exit from the 1st/2nd floor/balcony into the garden. If there is enough space, I would rather plan an alternative room with variable use (office, second living room, TV room, etc.) and a view of the lake. Everything else on one level downstairs.

Best regards
Dirk Grafe

Would the first upper floor be sufficient for a decent view? Then it would be worth considering not building a basement, instead placing storage, building services, and garage on the ground floor, the kitchen, living, life, and dining on the first upper floor, with a terrace and a direct staircase to the garden, and leaving the sleeping area in the attic.

That could be a good compromise if the view is suitable.

I know a family who have the parents' area including [WZ/Sofa], TV and PC on the upper floor. On the ground floor the two children's rooms and a large eat-in kitchen for eating, crafting and co. No exit upstairs. However, without a cellar.

Best regards in brief

Now I wondered if the beautiful view isn’t quite "pearls before swine" for the bedrooms, and whether I should move the dining/living area to the third floor.

I agree with you about "too nice for bedrooms," but whether the living/dining area should go there, I can’t judge. What should go there, I would base on when/where you can enjoy the view. If we’re talking about an evening sun side, does the view sweeten your breakfast any less. If you have a home office and are at home during the day, you place it where you can best enjoy the view. As for the children, having an exit on their level is naturally more useful to them than one on the living room level. What consequences that has for keeping an eye on them, I can’t see from here ;-)

Of course, the kitchen will also be upstairs, right? In that case, the long distances after shopping are the only disadvantages.