Our floor plan design for an affordable house

M.E. the light in the room will be sufficient.

Yes, sufficient - that was a grade 4 with us. Close enough.

There are windows facing SE and SW. There is no large overhang causing shade.

There is exactly 1 window to the south. This one is definitely not floor-to-ceiling and is probably even narrower (height-wise) than others, as it is the kitchen window. From 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. it is therefore relatively dark at the table, since the room depth is too large for such a single southern window. The real question is why one should plan the wrong way around without need?

Regarding the wall dimensions with Ytong: I don't know 35.5. I think it will be 36.5 plus exterior plaster. On each wall inside the room there will be an additional 1.5-2 cm of plaster, plus the tile thickness. Cabinets will be placed about 5-10 cm away from the wall. Just as an info.

Regarding the wall dimensions with Ytong: I don’t know 35.5. I think that will be 36.5 plus exterior plaster.
On every interior wall there will still be 1.5-2 cm of plaster, plus tile thickness. Cabinets are placed about 5-10 cm away from the wall. Just as info.

Yes, sure. I wrote somewhere sometime that plaster was not included. 35.5 was a typo, it’s of course 36.5. Distance cabinet wall: Sometimes, it depends. Generally that’s not correct, some have recesses for the scuff strip and are then effectively only about 2 cm away from the wall with the back panel.

Yes, enough – that was a grade 4 for us. Close enough.

There is exactly one window facing south. This is definitely not floor-to-ceiling and is probably narrower (height) than the others, since it is the kitchen window. From 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. it is therefore relatively dark at the table, since the room depth is too large for such a single southern window.

The real question is why would you plan it the wrong way around without reason?

correctly aligned the site plan. So once again for you: to the south is a corner of the house where we definitively have no window (for the reason you mentioned). The sides of the house face southeast and southwest. In the southeast there is a narrow kitchen window where in spring and autumn the sun shines in exactly at 9:00 a.m. The floor-to-ceiling windows in the dining and living area face southwest. Do you notice? SOUTHwest. The south is included there as well. Depending on the time of year, the sun comes around the corner between 10:00 a.m. (winter) and 12:00 noon (summer). I don’t know where you got your assessment from, but I can recommend a website called Sonnerverlauf.de where you can display the position of the sun at any point in the world at any time. Very helpful.
And yes, great idea to orient the house so that the sun disappears between 10:00 and 12:00. Others understand my arguments and sometimes reconsider. It’s a pity that you often dig in your heels.

In the morning the light only has to come through the kitchen window to the dining table, that’s about 4 m. Even if the angle depending on breakfast time isn’t perfect for direct sun, it will definitely be enough to tell mustard from Nutella.

That is not generally true, some also have recesses for the scuff strip and are then effectively only about 2 cm or so away from the wall with the back panel.

Not because of the scuff strips! Because of the risk of mold, it should be 5-10 cm!

Do you notice? SOUTHwest. That also includes the south.

Southwest is of course top of the plan! (

OF COURSE north is top of the plan. I do not think it is fair of you to pick fights here now with or others just because others and she are thinking FOR YOU, since you neither oriented the plan to north nor inserted a north arrow.

has correctly oriented the site plan. So once again for you: To the south is a corner of the house where we definitely do not have a window (for the reason you mentioned).

Maybe you missed that I was the one who uploaded your site plan including the north-south labeling? I have to admit, though, that I only guessed your description from #1 regarding the position. But there is indeed more south than west, so you are right, the sun is probably sufficiently in the living room.

But that does not change the fundamental statement: You have placed the storage and utility rooms in the sun and a part of the living space in the dark north. This is wonderfully visible based on your sun path graphic. I have colored the sides of the house differently for you, maybe then you understand what I mean:


Red is sun, blue is shade. And yes, of course some rays from the sunset also reach the living room. The graphic is only meant to illustrate where the bright rooms are and where the dark ones are.
I would support your plan immediately if there were compelling reasons requiring the utility room there, but I see none. Maybe there will be late information regarding a short connection to the street or something similar, but so far we readers with interest know nothing about that.

And yes, great idea to turn the house so that the sun disappears between 10:00 and 12:00. Others understand my arguments and then occasionally relent. It's a pity that you often tend to be stubborn in this regard.

You clearly did not understand something at all. I am not turning the house, I am mirroring it. So that the utility room ends up in the blue corner. However, I would also change the rooms a bit.

In the morning the light only has to come through the kitchen window to the dining table, that's about 4 m.

No, it is 5 to 6 m and it does not manage that – especially in winter, since this window is also higher and narrower than the rest.

But what am I talking about. Let’s wait for the offers. Then the house will probably shrink to some kind of standard mini floor plan or it will be a semi-detached house and the whole fuss will have been for nothing.

On every interior wall there will be an additional 1.5-2 cm of plaster, plus the tile thickness.

Don’t forget tolerances: when in doubt, it’s better to install cabinets plumb rather than parallel to the wall.