Thank you for your great contribution.
I have read the thread carefully and come to the conclusion that you act thoughtfully and with your own head and consciously accept the disadvantages of your planning. Everyone has different requirements and we also live in a house that hardly cares about what "people" usually do.
Goes down like oil.
I have actually thought about almost everything in the design. But I only have one.
Many disadvantages are known to me, others are not. Some I do see, but have not found a good solution. Some I would accept, others not so gladly.
That’s why I started this thread.
Large kitchen, small "lounge area", with many leads it gets tight - all decisions I can understand.
The kitchen remains (almost) as big, it corresponds to our way of life.
But the dining area is really ... modest. Something has to happen there.
However, I don’t want the area to be reduced to a pure dining area; it is also half living room. For example, my parents would never sit on the couch, but always on a comfortable chair. The small distance to the sofa is more a feature than a flaw. The transitions between the three areas are desired to be fluid.
Above the kitchen cabinets next to the dining area, there will be a shelf at about 110cm height made of the same material as the kitchen countertops but in a different color. It’s drawn in but hard to see. Since it overhangs about 30cm to the right according to the plan, one can sit on bar stools there and eat or chat with the kitchen staff.
In the upper floor you have the opportunity, by giving up the hallway window, to enlarge the master bedroom by the hallway area.
True. Furthermore, there would be more degrees of freedom regarding the windows. The disadvantage would then be hardly any daylight left in the hallway.
2. Passage to the property ...
I would at least provide the width for a mini excavator.
I agree. Or for a trailer lift basket.
I would never want underfloor heating again.
Always to the worst!
I honestly no longer know what I actually want. Too many contradictory opinions.
I want flexibility, but what’s best?
Burying the problem under money is unfortunately not an option.
4. About the stove -
... the installation location, the chimney routing, and the idea of connecting a water jacket seem not well thought-out to me. ...
True. There still has to be some heavy work done.
... wood stove. Those things are really beautiful, but they take up a lot of space and the heating curve doesn’t fit well with the insulation standard.
Ah, wood stove...
5. On your property, it wouldn’t be a problem either to place the garage/carport as a separate building somewhere else. That would give you design freedom regarding accessibility of the garden part behind the house.
There is space.
But in front of the house means the house goes further back. I’m not quite sure how close I’d be allowed to build a garage to the street. I haven’t looked into that yet because I’d also feel sorry for the big trees there.
Behind the house you then look out from the main rooms onto it.
Regarding the budget I say nothing. Wishes usually cost money. If it’s not enough to fulfill them, it’s worth thinking about what comes closest to the wishes. And it’s worth setting priorities. The following considerations helped us:
1. How much cost disappears if I don’t fulfill this wish?
2. To what extent does fulfilling the wish immediately contribute to our quality of life? (what is really behind it)
3. What alternatives to this wish serve the same goal? (see 2)
4. What does it mean to fulfill the wish later? (effort, cost…)
5. What’s the nonsense? (§9 Cologne basic law) Meaning: After some time, reconsider question 2.
So from this kind of your "nothing" I would like plenty, please. Every little "nothing" is helpful, among other things as confirmation that one's own approach is not so unreasonable after all.
Again: Thank you!