Single-family house layout planning - first planning draft

Development Plan/Restrictions
Size of the plot = 545 sqm
Slope = hardly any, almost flat
Site coverage ratio = 0.4
Floor area ratio = 0.8
Building window, building line and boundary = see photo
Number of parking spaces = 2
Number of storeys = maximum 2 full storeys (II or I+D)
Roof type = SD / WD / PD
Architectural style = open
Orientation = see photo

Requirements of the builders
Architectural style, roof type, building type = hipped roof, building type city villa with bay window
Basement, storeys = basement, ground floor, upper floor
Number of people, age = 2 adults (30 / 30) and 2 children (2 / <1)
Room requirements on GF, UF
Office: family use or home office = office in basement for home office
Guest guests per year = maximum once
Open or closed architecture = partially open (living/dining area open)
Conservative or modern construction = modern construction
Open kitchen, kitchen island = open kitchen, kitchen island if feasible (no appointment at kitchen studio yet)
Number of dining seats = 6 (extendable table up to approx. 8 people)
Fireplace = yes, in the living room, as a kind of "small" room divider living/dining
Music/stereo wall = no
Balcony, roof terrace = terrace on ground floor, should be roofed / option for roof terrace above bay window (cost issue)
Garage, carport = garage with direct access to the house (pantry), carport separate (see aerial photo)
Utility garden, greenhouse
Other wishes = sauna in bathroom upper floor / larger wardrobe area / terrace roofing (currently still a question of the type of terrace roofing)

House Design
Who is responsible for the planning: building technician of a construction company and own ideas
What do you especially like? Why?

[*] basically the open design on the ground floor
[*] upper floor with relatively large children's rooms
[*] bay window extension on the ground floor

What do you not like? Why?

[*] entrance area > new ideas for "large" wardrobe due to 2 children and many shoes
[*] bathroom layout on upper floor > planner just sketched it like that, not yet concrete. However, I want to try to fit a 2-person sauna in. Ideas from the forum?
[*] basement layout > what room sizes do you suggest for the basement. How much space is needed e.g. for technical equipment? Ideas for basement layout?
[*] windows > reason = in the current planning status focus has not really been placed on window arrangement/type yet. However, we want a floor-to-ceiling corner window with terrace door in the ground floor living room.

Price estimate according to architect/planner = not yet specified
Personal price limit for the house, incl. equipment = €600,000
Preferred heating technology = LLWP, photovoltaic, optional battery storage
Home automation: KNX (programming and planning by father)

If you have to do without, which details/extensions
-can you do without:
roof terrace above bay window extension / lots of space in the master bedroom / straight staircase (was originally planned and currently replaced by a staircase with landing)
-can't you do without: space for children / office

Why is the design as it is now? e.g.
Standard design by planner? No
Which corresponding wishes were implemented by the architect? : office (however initially wished on ground floor, now in basement with lightwell due to space reasons)
What makes it in your eyes particularly good or bad?

What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan summed up in 130 characters?

Plot approx. 550 sqm not excessively large, so trying to get as much living space as possible on little footprint. Therefore also basement, but we didn’t want just a "standardized", square townhouse with hipped roof but with the bay window on ground floor to give it a more personal touch.

We are very curious about input from the forum (so far I have been mostly a reader) and thank you already in advance.
Regards
JoHa

Entrance area and dining area almost 24 sqm, whoa, that’s a lot, just like the kitchen with almost 20 sqm. As far as I estimate, the living room is a bit smaller than the dining room and would thus probably have less than 18 sqm (but the kitchen 20 sqm)?? So far, there is too much dead space.
Why should a bay window represent a "personal touch"? Does your personality stand for bay windows? :D
A sauna with 2 sqm is in my opinion not a sauna. Space in the bathroom is naturally limited, so I would rather put the sauna in the basement (or on the lawn), to at least get 1.5x2 meters interior dimensions there. Also, the main bathroom is occupied for hours when someone is using the sauna. In the basement, you can implement a simpler solution, maybe self-built or buy one of the many used plug-in systems. In the bathroom it has to fit millimeter-precise, otherwise it looks bad. Because of the sauna in the bathroom, the shower wasn’t made too large.

Hello pagoni2020,

thank you first of all for your initial assessment :) The kitchen also seemed a bit large to us at first, but currently we just want to take it to the kitchen planner. So far, we have not found a better solution for the generous area of the vestibule + hallway. Do you have any ideas?

The sauna is definitely an approach, meaning putting the sauna in the basement. However, I do not think that the main bathroom is occupied when someone is using the sauna. Sauna and brushing teeth can happen simultaneously. However, as mentioned, I would not want to place the sauna in a niche where it would have to fit exactly to the millimeter.

Best regards

Hello pagoni2020, thank you first of all for your initial assessment :) The kitchen also seemed a bit large to us at first, but currently we just want to go to the kitchen planner with it. So far, we haven’t found a better solution for the generous area of the vestibule + hallway. Do you have any ideas there? The sauna is definitely an approach, meaning putting the sauna in the basement. However, I don’t think the main bathroom is occupied when someone is using the sauna. Using the sauna and brushing teeth can happen simultaneously. However, as mentioned, I wouldn’t want to place the sauna in a niche where it would have to fit down to the millimeter. Regards

Again these stupid typos from me, sorry! You will definitely get good and necessary ideas here for the floor plan, redesigning is unfortunately not really my thing but I see the need for it.

Brushing teeth can happen simultaneously

Now yes and brushing teeth as well, but family life and habits will also change significantly as the children get older. 2 sqm would be too small for me anyway and, as said, easier to implement in the basement, then there will also be a nice shower upstairs. Therefore, I would at least provide a simple shower/WC in the basement because of the sauna and who knows today how the office down there will be used in 10 years......

Pantry door to the garage needs painting. Costs parking space.
Door pantry/living room often slams shut.
Kitchen in the bay window looks like an emergency solution. Lots of dead space, unfavorable path to the dining room. Would swap living room and kitchen.
Possibly a different staircase. Cloakroom, vestibule, hallway very large.
Would not squeeze the sauna into the bathroom either.
Why is the carport completely separated to the south from the driveway, garage, entrance?

Plot with approx. 550 sqm not excessively large, therefore attempt to get as much living space as possible on a small footprint. Hence also a basement, but we did not want just a "standardized," square townhouse with a hip roof but to put a bit more personal touch in with the bay window on the ground floor.

With 550 sqm of land you are already part of the lower nobility today :) but if you yourselves do not find it "excessively large," it contradicts trying to waste a square footprint, which is precisely not efficient (unless you prefer nominal square meters to living value square meters, but that would be more of an apartment developer mindset). Also, personal touch and cookie-cutter bay windows for substitute villas seem rather contradictory to me. But at least here the general contractor's draftsman is not called an "architect" :)