Single-family house 160m2 with basement, 500m2 plot

It would definitely have a much better chance than trying to bend a crooked seam at several points.

Well, I will definitely tell her that. That makes sense. We are just slowly getting desperate because unfortunately we are under time pressure. Well, let's see what happens on Monday. I can still make appointments with architects to get to know them...

The thing with the 3 sinks was meant more as a joke than seriously.

But I read a different reason from you, and that's also how it is drawn in the draft. From my own experience and from our surroundings, it is like this: your growing kids will no longer stand side by side at the sink and giggle. The older one is more likely to go down to the basement (where his room might be) and want his peace, and the other(s) go to the parents' bathroom or the ground floor. I had a similarly dreamy misunderstanding in my imagination 30 years ago, so maybe I can somewhat put myself in your situation.

The same applies to the topic of architect and relatives’ opinions. I was also told back then that architects are expensive and usually not good, and that you can do everything yourself. Check how your advisors themselves live, then you can better assess their statements. Do you want to live like them? Politely but clearly tell the lady that you don’t like that, and have her make 2-3 drafts, if necessary hand-drawn on a sheet as a basic idea. And hold back a bit, even with frills, because later there won’t be enough room for diversity in many ways.

On the ground floor I just think we don’t have that many options.

Not infinite, but quite many that you, as a layman, just can’t imagine yet. Even if the building shape were to change…

Podesttreppe

Could you please erase this word from your vocabulary? You are thinking about things that maybe will never appear in a fancy floor plan. You are not the one planning!

Maybe I should say exactly that…

Yep, Ms. Meier, I have to tell you that I don’t like it that way. This kind of interaction won’t necessarily be different with a freelance architect. It’s even expected; how else should she know you want it differently?

Honestly, I hoped that one of the planning geniuses here would make a "dirty" counter-sketch with which I could then "help" her.

Please get out of therapy mode again. If she really needs this, then get up and leave immediately. Or do you just like making diagnoses—

Slowly we are just desperate because unfortunately we are under time pressure

Extremely bad prerequisite… I think the problem is not that big. Talk to her and also have her recommend something to you; she should make suggestions for you. Let her really do it all alone, alone and without podesttreppe, 3 sinks, garage width, etc. Maybe then the knot pops and you can make adjustments in your sense afterwards.

Don’t be mad at me, but I think you are a bit too fixed or stubborn there, maybe also because of the time pressure. Let her do it, all alone, and then post the drafts here. Maybe she’s also just doing what you want so that she has her peace—

Don't be mad at me, but I think you might be a bit too fixed or stubborn about it, maybe also due to time pressure. Let her do it, all by herself, and then post the drafts here. Maybe she’s just doing what you want to have peace.

That’s how it seems to me. I will do it exactly like that on Monday. So far there have been no sketches or anything similar, just the plan from the first post, a fixed price offer, and many, many details from the construction service description. Then we told her: garage too small, first kid’s room too tight, and living room too small, and then the last plan came. Now she should really make hand sketches of what kind of building bodies fit into the building envelope. Although the building envelope is already almost fully utilized except for a few centimeters here.

Yes, that's how it seems to me. I will do the same on Monday. So far, there have been no sketches or anything similar, just the plan from the first post, a fixed-price offer, and lots and lots of details from the construction service description.

Then we told her: garage too small, children's room one too tight, and living room too small, and then came the last plan.

Now she should really make some hand sketches of what kind of building can fit into the building envelope. Although the building envelope is already almost fully utilized except for a few centimeters here and there.

Exactly.....and she must think the last sentence too, because you are a layman and a customer. Just wait and see what comes if she can plan completely freely, as if it were her own house with that number of people. Already curious.....better to wait a bit and then not regret it for a lifetime!

Exactly.....and she must be thinking the last sentence too, because you are a layman and customer. Just wait and see what happens when she can plan completely freely, as if it were her own house with this number of people.
Already curious.....better to wait a little and then not regret it for a lifetime!

Yes, all experience reports, tweets, podcasts and books say you should take as much time as possible for the planning.

Due to various circumstances, we only have 2-3 months left to submit the building application... that is really bad!

We only have 2-3 months left due to various circumstances to submit the building application...

Then forget every wise word and detailed advice given and run the essential emergency rescue program, because there won’t be time for more: 1. scroll back to the beginning of the thread and go through every post individually 2. write down every specific criticism from it 3. print out this list, once for your wife and once for yourself 4. give each of you ten sticky dots, very important things get two 5. fixing these criticisms is the ONLY task for the planner: the "worst" = most urgent are the points that got the most points combined from your wife and you; ALL things without points stay as they are or will only be fixed in the next house. You can forget the appointment with an independent architect, with so little time no better planning is possible. Two to three months minus statics, heat demand calculation and so on (calculated from the end of the planner’s vacation) is hardly more than zero. Use the planner’s remaining vacation time to come to terms with this approach. That is my last word, over & out.