New layout - need opinions

[Ries]

I think I finally found a lot to build my house. It's a 1 acre lot, but only the first .25 acre is build-able. We had a larger setback than what i was expecting, but I think I was able to make it work. I wanted to have a dedicated shop area in the back and still attached to house, but with the layout and wanting a walkout for the house I couldn't really pull it off, but this seems to work.

I think the flow of the garage will work, but I'm still working on the entry way to the house and the flow of the living space.

Any thoughts or recommendations? I plan to install a lift as well in the second stall on the outside wall side.

 

[Pen & Wrench]

If it was rectangular, it should be less expensive to build, but the way you have it sketched, would have more character. You could check out floorplans.com and see a lot of different layouts.

 

[terabitdan]

I'd consider pushing those bedrooms out 3', getting more space in the master bath and splitting it between the kitchen and family bath. I doubt that will be a significant cost increase for what you gain.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ddawg16]

I think your washer and dryer are way too far from the action.

I would make that area a big *** closet and expand they entry way a bit.

I can think of a few different ways to do that front door and entry. I would at least push it out a bit to the left towards the garage.

 

[larry_g]

Just inside the entry is a stair well, does that go up to a second floor on down to a basement? Then you have a second stairs that goes to the second story shop/loft, does this come off the garage floor? What is under the shop/loft? Is the house and garage floor on the same level or is this a split level on a hillside?

How many people in this house, just you, wife, passel of kids? Seems a bit like a bachelor pad.

What do you plan to do in this second floor shop? Will everything going up there have to go up the stairs?

lg
no neat sig line

 

[ed_v]

Weird traffic flow pattern. You walk thru the front door into the foyer and then into the dining room?

That is way too big of shop space to have attached to the house in my opinion, What about wall heights and rooflines? Have you thought about trying to draw out elevations to see what it would look like?


Ed

 

[ard]

Some wierd flow there...

That master closet at 5x10 cannot have shelves on each side plus room for a person. You don't want to walk through the bathroom into the closet, especially with a open toilet in the room. (If the toilet was in a 'potty closet', like 3x5, then maybe...also if the path doesn't walk past the wet area...)

Laundry by the front door? Why?

As others have asked, how many people? How long will you be there? Do you care about resale value?

 

[Ries]

Alright answers to the questions...

The house is a rambler walkout with the shop being the only 2 story portion. The lot sort of dictates some of the layout as it is very long, but narrow. I have essentially 54' to work with in width, but a ~188' in length of build-able area on the 1 acre lot.

The house is for myself, wife, and eventually two kids (only one now).

The stairs in the entry way goes to the basement. Stairs in the garage go up to the 2nd story loft area and is the only way to get there. The plan for the loft is more of a hang out man cave area. Plan to have a small office, couch wet bar and a TV up there.

ard - good catch on the master closet. I didn't think about the shelves, and this was brought up when I met with our builder and drafter today as well.

I think I'll look at moving the loft over the kitchen and entry way to 'square off' the second story. Then shift the master towards the back of the house and bring the closet over to be behind the shop.

I don't know that I care to much about resale value. As I plan to stick it out in this house for a while, but I suppose there is the chance that we move 10-15yrs down the road. In which case it would take someone with similar interests to want this house.

 

[Ries]

Alright guys here is the updated layout from the drafter. I'm not digging the garage space and the rooms seem a little small. Going to have to stretch things out a bit I think. However I did get the laundry room moved.

 

[Bighead38]

I wouldn’t want the kids rooms touching the master of it was my house.

 

[ard]

You all still take baths? Lose the master bathtub, at the very least. Unless you have little kids, just do showers- looks better than tubs and curtains. IMO

Agree with above- of you could use the master closet to create a buffer, much better.

 

[Ries]

Latest layout. Making progress, close to signing a purchase agreement I think.

Good thoughts on the closet buffer... however not sure if that would work out so well. I've got to have the living space setback off the interior lot line by 10' while the garage space setback is 6'... hence the 4' space off from the master to the edge of the garage/shop.

 

[Keith_MN]

Also need to know lot sighting. Is the best view out the side of the house?

 

[rsanter]

Kids rooms should be slightly bigger

Add an outside door for the master bedroom so,you could add your own little deck or a spa later for just you and her

Master bath should be a little bigger so when both of you might be in there

I am not crazy having to go through the dining area to get to the great room

 

[mx500]

Buddy of mine added a 3rd stall to his garage. once you go in, its completely separate from the original garage, and it wraps around behind the house/garage. He's in a neighborhood with limited space as well. daily drivers in the original garage. fun drivers in the new garage.

 

[Ries]

The best view is out the back of the house. Back side of the master, kids rooms, and living room face the back half of the acre lot, which has a number of trees and a creek.

Kids rooms are 13'x11' not included the closet space. I thought that would be large enough.

Already have a door designed in (you can see it in the pic above) for a master private balcony.

Master bath is 8'x8'-6" figured that should be plenty big.

I'm not sure that I'm overly excited about the entry into the house to get to the great room/living room either. However I'm limited on the lot width towards the front with a buildable area of 58', which we are using every bit of it. It's the reason why the house is so long. Would have been easier to do a true 2-story, but I did not want to climb stairs every day to get to my room either. Thinking long term here.

 

[Ries]

Buddy of mine added a 3rd stall to his garage. once you go in, its completely separate from the original garage, and it wraps around behind the house/garage. He's in a neighborhood with limited space as well. daily drivers in the original garage. fun drivers in the new garage.

Yup, I would have much rather had the shop space at the walk out level in the back with a standard 3-stall in the front. However I couldn't get a second driveway to work with any of the lots I had found (been looking for 2-1/2yrs btw). Also this particular lot would not have been wide enough to do that either. This was a compromise for sure having it behind the standard garage, which I made 4 stalls, figuring I'd use the end for more shop space.

 

[Keith_MN]

The best view is out the back of the house. Back side of the master, kids rooms, and living room face the back half of the acre lot, which has a number of trees and a creek.

You are blocking the best views by having the bedrooms in the back.

I also like ramblers and own one now. If I was going to build a new one, I would put the kids rooms downstairs to make more room upstairs for living space.

 

[slimcake]

I just built. 1800 sq ft house. 1800 sq ft garage. One story with a walkout basement. Long wall of garage is north. Have a door in master to walk out to covered patio. Also from living room. Just something for you to look at. Pretty happy with how it turned out

 

[Keith_MN]

I just built. 1800 sq ft house. 1800 sq ft garage. One story with a walkout basement. Long wall of garage is north. Have a door in master to walk out to covered patio. Also from living room. Just something for you to look at. Pretty happy with how it turned out

Hey Slim, did you do anything special to keep you sink supply pipes or drain from freezing?

 

[slimcake]

Hey Slim, did you do anything special to keep you sink supply pipes or drain from freezing?

Ya I put in a furnace. Actually 2 if you consider the Mini-split ac/heat pump. Is that what you're asking?

 

[pcmeiners]

I wouldn’t want the kids rooms touching the master of it was my house.

Agree on this. 3 full 1/2 bathrooms , 2 1/2 would be plenty.
Better have type x sheetrock on the entire garage, including ceiling, better be air tight, perhaps a fire code wall between living space; this will also provide some sound proofing for light shop work. Type X may save on insurance.

You will need an alarm, it will save on insurance, also make sure you have a decent CO alarm.

To much in/out on protrusions on house perimeter. Master should be even with kids room, deck?. Living room outside front does not line up with Master...this make house design/engineering more difficult. Indent at dining room perimeter same thing.

Kids bedrooms are a bit big, they don't need a master bedroom size.

Personally I would bring your plan to an Architect to discuss any issues of you plan, money well spent

 

[slimcake]

Thats why i put the spare rooms on the other end of the house from the master. But we aren't having kids anyway.

 

[Ries]

Actually the drawings I provided later are from our drafter with the builder. I only drew up the original.

Trying to keep an open floor plan with the kitchen, dining, and great room/living room. If we move the kids rooms away from the master just not sure how that could work. I’d like to keep all the bedrooms on the first floor as we are only having them do a unfinished basement.

 

[gnpenning]

As you may know everyone of those jogs are going to cost in labor and wasted materials inside and outside. Some think it's worth the expense for the look.

While not a fan of cheap pocket doors, quality ones done right work very well for certain areas. We had at least one good thread here on how to do them right. Master closet, service bath, laundry are a few examples on your plan where walking around doors would be a nuances.


I agree on making the kids rooms a little smaller. They will probably want to move into the basement when they get older anyway.

Years ago I built a home and rotated the tub and swapped with the toilet. I put a wall up with a pocket door. That way while someone is showering they don't tie up the whole bathroom. Someone else can be brushing their teeth or doing hair. You can still a foot out of the kids rooms.

I don't know what size vehicles you drive. This has been covered in other threads as well. A 16' wide door for trucks and suv is pretty much a single vehicle bay. At least The one you plan on putting a lift in you would be much happier with a 18' or 20' wide door.

Have fun with your new place.

 

[Radix2]

That 180 degree basement stair takes up a lot of critical space - also 180 degree stairs are a ***** to move things down. First I would move it out of there and make it straight if possible, otherwise just go down to the landing and stay along the wall making it a 90 and save a few square feet for your kitchen dining area.

More radical advice:

Move the kids bedrooms to a second floor, things are too tight, you should push things around to get better views out of the public rooms. Living and kitchen open concept and open to that sweet forest and creek. Big island family can eat by, guests can congregate around for parties. Be generous for the rooms where you spend your time not where you are passed out. IMO.