Small house on large towel plot

Underground parking garage would be a no-go for me. Steep driveway up and down, never voluntarily.

Grin. And maybe in a single-family house even a direction backwards! I have been living almost continuously for years in houses with underground parking garages. Sometimes with a semicircular driveway, about 50cm on the right and left and so steep that my car occasionally considers switching on the four-wheel drive. You get used to it. And it is possibly like with controlled residential ventilation. Once you know it, you don't want to do without it anymore.

Although I would ALWAYS build a bungalow if the plot allows it.

You all have convinced me that I should seriously deal with it.

For none of my hobbies is "space in the garden" even remotely an option. We're not talking about two screwdrivers and a hammer here. And I definitely don’t want to make my hobby dependent on good weather.

An assumption inevitably arises from information not provided.
If it is something rather special or something with special needs, then just call it by name, so that it can be understood as a fellow discussant. Maybe you could explain which hobby it is that cannot be practiced in a good garden shed?

Those are acceptable opinions, but lacking in facts.

A "too big", as far as from my keyboard I mean of course in the respective context. Without that, this "too big" may seem lacking in facts. There is no such thing as per se too big; I know floor plans where the kitchen here would seem way too tiny to me, and for a 30sqm student apartment it would probably be too big. So – only without context does it become lacking in facts, but the context is given.

In the floor plan, the living room area is 4.30m deep and the two-seater sofa is missing. What is supposed to be too tight there?

I don’t think anyone here wants to dissuade you from something you are absolutely convinced of; if you are, then go for it!
Often I also wonder why one builds a new house when everything was fine in the "old" one and thus should be repeated. Of course, you can also live so tightly; in a tiny house you live even more tightly and still nicely. But then you live tight in the living area, while you have plenty of space in "secondary areas" like hallway, hobby, bathroom... Only this important context makes your main room tight.

In the floor plan, the living room area is 4.30m deep and the two-seater sofa is missing. What is supposed to be too tight there?

Because in a "living" room one usually wants to sit facing each other and that is not possible there. If it is a pure TV room, you would need less daylight there and also not the loud, restless proximity of the kitchen; then rather a separate TV room.

I hate it when guests have to push past me when arriving so that I can close the door.

I understand, so I wouldn’t want that either, but I wouldn’t need 13sqm in the hallway for that. Exactly this guest, however, stays longer in your dining and living room, one goes to the bathroom, sometimes to the terrace, sometimes to the kitchen etc., and at every step it pinches.
What bothers me about your floor plan is not that you enlarge the previously annoying areas for you; I’m just surprised that you go all out with garage, basement, hallway, but in the actual living area, to put it bluntly, you tend more towards a tiny house. I would plan it exactly the other way around in a LIVING house where I even want to live nicely and perhaps longer with a third adult.

A narrower hallway leads to more space in the guest bathroom and/or guest room.

Only if you see the previous plan as fixed, which I would not recommend to you for many reasons mentioned here.

But if the collective opinion sees 2m width as sufficient, that is good input. Thanks.

Also here please only with the respective context; the mere reduction of a hallway to 2m can also be a mistake; I believe no one has said this so generally here.

It consumes space, but the space was there first. And since space was there at this point …

That is then the visible result of Tetris instead of genuine planning.

We are currently three or four. The kitchen is relatively large for exactly the reason that more than one person often does something there.
Where else would one not get past each other?

But at some point nobody walks around anymore and then also wants to sit somewhere comfortably and cozy and not slide away because someone wants to pass by.

I don’t understand. Why can’t you watch TV on the sofa and at the same time have people sitting at the table drinking coffee? But that also rarely happens with us. We mostly do both together.

Quite simply. Because you currently sit at most three side-by-side on a 3-seater couch and all look in the same direction. I’m just imagining how the third person in the middle must feel who then always turns alternately from left to right when speaking, like when watching tennis.

Fireplace and sauna in the bathroom (and conditionally also basement) are pure residential comfort.

Controlled residential ventilation is constant residential comfort because you always breathe fresh air AND you no longer have to ventilate several times daily. A tight living + dining room and a living room where you cannot look at each other while talking do not represent comfort for me. Fireplace and sauna are nice-to-have for occasionally; good air and freedom of movement in everyday life, on the other hand, are basic equipment, no matter how you achieve it.

Since he has a better fireplace, the underfloor heating runs only in winter. Heating costs halved.

That is generalizing, and it is especially about simultaneous use. Depending on orientation and windows and also insulation, you get a completely different result. In the morning it is sometimes fresh, and from 9 a.m. it gets warm in the house until 4 p.m. Depending on when we go to bed, we sometimes don’t need heating or only spot heating. How do you want to do that with underfloor heating if it is “off”? Much also depends on individual lifestyle, as has explained. It definitely doesn’t work so flatly as “bam and half the costs.”

It’s not like I absolutely want a heat pump. I actually don’t like centralized heat pumps. Apparently, I will have to want it.

A heat pump is an extremely sensible thing but not the only option. And who forces you now to install one against your will…?

Worth considering, yes, which teenager wouldn’t be thrilled. But we wouldn’t be. We’re not a hotel with an attached restaurant. But we don’t expect secret visitor traffic in the teenager’s room either.

It’s not about secrecy but privacy, which doesn’t have to mean lockable rooms but does mean the option to do something alone and undisturbed occasionally. One cooks and listens to music, the other wants to watch a program or quietly drink a coffee. What might be good for the teenager now might also do good to the aging person. With our friends, it’s like he hears poorly and always has the TV so loud... in the open living concept then rather difficult, although I solve that here with headphones.

Wood as a primary energy source would be possible for a few years. But not future-proof, also politically.

In a top-insulated house, the demand already decreases drastically; additionally, there is the user behavior making it harder. The future has always been hard to predict; therefore, my focus would be where I can reduce energy demand from the outset. What is politically future-proof, I definitely do not want a political discussion. We simply know nothing about the future; it has always been that way and doesn’t really worry me.

I dare to doubt that. A reasonably stable and weatherproof little house is not free. The interior is then the same anyway.

I had a sauna outdoors, bought used and optimized a little to my wishes, for very little money and very close to the house. If you spend 10-20,000, you get really large garden houses, and that is certainly considerably cheaper than a basement. Inside the house is always significantly more expensive; that is really beyond question.

When you live in the countryside, a balcony door or a window is presumably open quite often. I of course wonder whether controlled residential ventilation also offers enough advantages there so that the acquisition and operating costs are justified.

We really live in the countryside, not too far away from you even. You always have to get up and remember to open the window, and that in every room, including the teenager’s. I last once turned off the controlled residential ventilation when we were away for 3 days. We don’t do that anymore because we really noticed the difference clearly. I was convinced by this forum and didn’t know it before. The operating costs of my controlled residential ventilation are negligible.
There are a few people here in the forum who can understand your situation quite well because of their age or their own life situation. You don’t have to copy any of it and definitely keep your individuality, but at least reconsider the individual insights for yourself.

I hope that is okay.

Of course, that is okay.

Unfortunately, I forgot to mention that, for reasons unknown to me, the program stubbornly draws the cut edge of the gray roof surfaces at about 170cm height above the finished floor. I apologize.

That doesn’t matter if a program can’t follow the process. Here for the forum, you simply forgot to provide the roof pitch and the height of the KS or knee wall.

Could be, but it is at least for half the year the cheapest way to dry the shower.

No, it is the most expensive because you let (heating) energy escape through an open window. That is why the general advice is for controlled residential ventilation.

On the subject of hobbies

I would be interested to know what assumptions regarding hobbies and tool equipment are underlying this.

For none of my hobbies is "space in the garden" even remotely an option.

And I certainly do not want to depend on good weather for my hobby activity.

If the hobby here is such a secret, then one must generalize as the responder. Nobody here objects if something is explained logically. If it’s not just about a few portable tools like a hammer or screwdriver, which I also assumed, then I doubt that you can just easily get the heavy artillery of tools into the basement or swap them out. The same applies to the bicycle or the lawn mower. There have always been ideas among builders about cutting wood in the basement. However, you also can’t easily get the slats into the basement or take the finished piece out again – that has always been the case and doesn’t change in a new build that is constructed on a single-family house level. There are simply some tasks that should be left out of a contemporary new build.

Personally, I fundamentally criticize that where one lives, space is relatively tight, costs come into play, and money is rather invested in a basement. In my life philosophy, and you have argued the same, everyday living should be spacious, bright, and comfortable. You achieve that by maintaining walking areas, not placing furniture too close to the windows, etc.

It is also not about acting in the garden space but that the plot has the potential to accommodate additional buildings, such as outbuildings where workshop and the like can be set up. And yes, a sauna is actually more sensibly located outside since after sauna use, one might get into a jacuzzi or an ice barrel, for example. However, I can also understand if you plan it indoors, provided the room allows for it.

Regarding the kitchen:

These are acceptable opinions but lack facts.

Then just ask what is unergonomic about the kitchen. If I list "deficiencies," I certainly do not go into details yet. And no, I do have opinions, but I represent relative neutrality here in the forum when it comes to floor plan discussions for a functional and stylish design that fits the residents. The questionnaire should also serve that purpose. Ultimately, I do not care what the construction costs will cover and what is built.

Between TV and coffee table, we have 1.4m passage width. We have never had any problems turning around in the living room. The floor plan shows the living area 4.30m deep, and the 2-seater sofa is missing. What should be too tight there?

Living room or other rooms: 30cm more or less can already be decisive. Also, a sliding door must be passable. Here, the chimney is a disturbing factor as well as the lack of width. And yes: I would allocate the extra space to the chill area rather than to the dining area or kitchen. If an area, as here the dining area, also has to function as a passage to other functions, then it should function as such. But it does not here. Whether you can "turn around" in the living area plays no role when watching TV.

What kind of fireplace will finally be installed (free-standing/built-in/water-bearing or not) will be decided in due time together with the architect, stove builder, and chimney sweep. And it will certainly be used.

The chimney is in the way; no satisfactory solution has been found yet.

I don’t ultimately care what heating technology you install. already drew the chimney correctly. Nevertheless, the stove will have its heat area all around. You tend to overlook that.

Youth room.

On the upper wall of the plan, about 2m of closet width with 2m height is possible plus space under the roof slope. Too little?

Personally, that would be too little for a youth room – an optimal closet is already 2.20m, then add setup/storage height on top. Then room for a bed and desk… due to the cut-off corner, there are hardly any possibilities for free development.

I don’t understand. Why can’t one watch TV on the sofa and at the same time people sit at the table having coffee? But that rarely happens with us either. We usually do both together.

One assumes the normal daily work of a normal family. That also includes not having guests "together" sometimes, independent sports broadcast viewing (with friends), Tupperware party (figuratively for other more sociable gatherings of one kind or another). It may be that this is not the case with you at the moment. Perhaps it’s due to the current situation? Humans adapt. This means if the space is not available, no events are held.

In the original post, it states that I am still looking for an architect. Why is it assumed for the second time now that it will be a cheap planner?

That is because you speak of a final version already from a layperson’s draft and have gotten very fixed on details – and let’s be honest: you are convinced of the design and no longer open to a more functional variant.

Stairs:

It takes up space, but the space was there first. And since there was space at this spot...

You first place the stairs as a link between levels – then you design the variable rooms.

Forgoing the landing either leads to a larger and/or "crooked" hallway or forces the omission of the guest shower.

… and that then leads to a completely different design.

You already recognized some bottlenecks before posting here. You also recognize a couple of things now. Ultimately, that means your work, i.e., entering the design into a program, was somewhat in vain. A patch like Tetris usually leads to much larger deficiencies. The plot actually offers the area, as says, for a nice bungalow. However, the basement is not a lesser problem but leads to even more costs. For a basement, you can calculate about €1000–1500 per sqm. In your case, with 80 sqm floor area, that is €80k–120k. That simply is not in proportion to everyday comfort here.

The parapets of 75cm on the upper floor are by the way too low and not permitted.

Many thanks in advance for your suggestions and help.

You’re welcome.

I suppose the problem here is that you are planning for yourself alone and not confronting yourself with facts or realities that are unknown to you. You tinker for two years on the perfect house and don’t even ask this or that of the forum. You rely on your own knowledge and use only that. Maybe that’s why the living area is planned almost identically to how you know it. Unfortunately, it is human nature to only read what suits or interests you – much else then falls by the wayside.

No, but my brother. Since he got a better stove, the underfloor heating only runs in winter at his place. Heating costs halved.

Heating costs are not halved. Heating costs occur about 90% or so only from O to O. A feel-good stove, even a better model, supports but does not replace. The underfloor heating runs in parallel. That leads to overheating of the room. You can deal with that by throwing the door wide open, but it is simply not the case that you save then. You just let the excess energy escape.

By the way, we also have a stove. We lack affordable wood, though. That’s why it is not turned on often. I can understand the desire. But it should be planned just like a kitchen.

A reasonably stable and weatherproof little house is not free. The interior is the same anyway.

No, certainly a sauna cabin is not free. But at least cheaper than a living square meter of 3000€. Besides, something like that (a cabin) serves a generous design of one’s living space within one’s own property. Most people enjoy going 20 meters to the sauna instead of just staying in the family bathroom.

Before I start (and then forget it down below), many thanks for your detailed input !

If it is something rather special or something with special needs, then just call it by its name so that one can understand it as a fellow discussant. Maybe you explain which hobby it is that you can’t do in a good garden house?

Fair enough. Although it has little to do with the floor plan, alright:
I have been building some of my furniture myself for 30 years. Mostly cabinets of all kinds. Depending on time and mood, it has also been a complete bedroom before. The corresponding tools and equipment are definitely not suitable for a shed. Unless they are still made of cast iron and not thin sheet metal as usual today. And the dust generation can’t be stopped by a normal door (e.g., in a bungalow room). It causes noise on the first try, I bet. It’s more relaxed in the basement; if it’s a bit dusty outside the workshop, well then it’s just a bit dusty. At worst, I get handed a broom and scrubber with a fixed look.
Hand-soldering SMD components on PCBs in the garden house would almost be meme material.
That should be enough, I think.

Often I wonder why someone builds a new house if everything was good in the “old” one and it is therefore to be repeated.
Of course, you can live that tightly – in a tiny house you live even tighter and also nicely. But you live tightly in the living area while you have plenty of space in the “side areas” corridor, hobby, bath... only this important context makes your open space tight.

I understand, but I see it from another perspective.
In the old house, not everything is good (as already described), but some things are at least proven sufficient for 4.
We have to move and then there will be only 3 of us, later probably 2. If it doesn’t cause a bottleneck now, it probably won’t later either. (Age-related issues aside.)
The open space and kitchen will both be bigger. The weak point is the dining area, which is also bigger but we currently have no door behind it and no chimney in the way.
Interestingly, nobody has complained about the bathroom. I actually find the current version somewhat suboptimal. A few centimeters are missing everywhere.

Because in a “living” room people usually want to sit opposite each other and that is not possible there.

True. Although we never sat opposite each other in the living room, the point is valid.

Quite simply. Because you currently sit at most three side-by-side on a 3-seater couch and all look in the same direction. I am just imagining how the third person in the middle must feel, who then has to turn alternately from left to right while speaking, like watching tennis.

Valid point, though not a realistic scenario for us.
As I mentioned somewhere once, I also prefer a corner seating group.

A heat pump is an extremely sensible thing but not the only option. And who is forcing you now to install one against your will…?

Possibly laws. Designed by highly educated, professionally experienced, and technically competent people… just kidding.

It’s not about secrecy but privacy, which doesn’t have to mean lockable rooms but at least the option to do something alone and without disturbance once in a while. One cooks and listens to music while doing so, the other wants to watch a show or drink coffee quietly. What might be good for the teenager now could maybe also be good for the aging person once. Among our friends, it is this way that he hears poorly and always has the TV so loud...

In our case, it’s mainly the younger generation who hears poorly when they should help.
Of course privacy is important, but that’s what the individual rooms are for. The open space and kitchen are communal rooms for us.
Honestly, I hope it stays that way.

I set up an outdoor sauna, bought used and optimized a bit according to my wishes, for very little money and very close to the house.

Honestly, the small sauna in the bathroom really shouldn’t be a significant cost factor. If it costs more than 2-3k, it’s out or I build it myself.

If you spend 10-20,000.- you get really big garden houses and that is certainly considerably cheaper than a basement. Inside the house is always significantly more expensive, there really is no question about that.

True, but without year-round climate control. But those are apples and oranges.
Also, see above.

We really live in the green, not too far from you even. You just always have to get up and remember to open the window and that in all rooms, even the teenager’s. I last once turned off the controlled residential ventilation when we were away for 3 days. We don’t do that anymore because we really noticed the difference. I was convinced here in the forum and didn’t know it before either. Operating costs of my controlled residential ventilation are not significant.

Thanks again. Experiences like that from first hand are most important to me in such matters.
It’s on the to-do list for acquiring knowledge.

It is interesting that no one has complained about the bathroom. I find the current version rather suboptimal. A few centimeters are missing everywhere.

The bathroom is not what most people desire, that’s true. Even just the cramped shower. But it is certainly doable. On average, you get more bathroom comfort in a smaller area. But the space available for a bathroom is fixed. You don’t gain any space by designing it nicely.