Review my floor plan please

Hi All -

We are currently in the process of subdividing our existing block to build a new house while retaining existing house. As the existing property is being retained and it is at a weird angle, we have only limited space 260 sqm for the new Custom build.
The plan is to move into the new house for a couple of years and then rent it out as investment.

We are working with a Town Planner who has prepared the following plan (4, 2.5, 1) based on our initial requirements. Can you please review and provide any suggestions. As the space is limited I am not sure if there is any scope for increasing the size of the rooms but I was looking for ideas for better placements to make best use of the available spaces.

For example,
On the ground floor -
- I think the kitchen design could be better but dont how it could be changed.
- The powder room at the front entrace of the house - not liking that either

On the top floor -
- Am checking with the planner if 2 of the 3 bedroom can be made bigger.
- Perhaps instead of a powder room, placing the toilet inside the bathroom will open up space for a bedroom.
- The living area on the top floor also I think is an awkward shape limiting how the space could be used
- I would have thought having the bathroom on the top floor where Bed 2 is on the plan would reduce plumbing costs as it would be directly above the Master bedroom ensuite.

The house will be North facing.
Please let me know your thoughts and suggestions.

Thanks!

You say the house is north facing, yet the entire living area is south facing. Have you given any though to the solar orientation and what rooms will benefit?

Hi -

I did consider it but I dont see how the living area can be swapped with the bedroom to be north facing but I shall make a note of this to ask the planner. Thanks!

bump..anymore ideas anyone..?

I’d be changing the direction of the stairs.then the toilet can fit down the corridor rather than at the entry (really what wa the designer thinking?)
I would also be trying to get the living to the north (unfortunately your house is south facing not North-), maybe put the master to the back (where kitchen laundry is), then living, dining kitchen.
It doesn’t appear as though they have prioritised orientation at all.
Is that a window in your stairwell to the west? If so that whole area will be stinking hot, maybe just have a nice window to the north?

Swap study nook and powder?

I would turn the stairs the other way around. This would also make a better sitting area upstairs (instead of it feeling like a wide hallway)
And, swap the toilet and sink in the ensuite so the toilet window is on the side wall and not the front of the house.

gogo65,

I know!!...who would place powder room at the front, no privacy and could result in a foul smelling entrance🤢
That's brilliant about the swapping the powder room and study or changing the orientation of stairs to fix this. Thankyou!!


Regarding orientation, unfortunately it appears they havent considered it all. I have made a note to ask on this. Were you suggesting kitchen at the front/north, then kitchen and dining and master on west next to garage?

I didnt realise that west window on stairs would heat up the space - the plan already has a window at the north, so I could just remove the west window.

Thanks heaps.

I have been thinking of this too. Do you mean turning the stairs so that downstairs it starts next to where the powder room is currently (which I am looking to move) and upstairs it opens adjacent to bed 4?

I hadn't noticed the toilet window in ensuite facing front of the house, so have made a note of it to be changed as you suggested.

Thankyou!

Is 6 x 3.5 excessive for single garage with storage space?

6m x 3.5m is generous compared to some single garages but can you include the dimensions for all the rooms and show setbacks from all boundaries and is the garage set back or on the boundary??

Here you go...
I am waiting on the room dimensions from the planner...Regarding the garage, the plan initially had a double garage but design had to modified based on council feedback to increase front setback thereby reducing to single garage. We thought it would be useful to have extra space in the garage for storage (cycle, mower, garden stuff etc).
However, due to space shortage now wondering if its worth to keep 6m x 3.5m or go 6m x 3m so that
space can be used for other areas.

my suggestions include some of the previous ideas including reversing the stairs and as there is access to the rear garden on the east side of the block i've moved the powder room to the rear of the garage and removed the extra laundry door to allow for more laundry counter and storage, used space under the stairs for pantry/storage and upstairs has more comfortable living area and better bathroom for sharing and, as this is not a long term home and planned for future rental consider free standing book shelves, chest of drawers, desks, sideboards etc to make all the rooms easier for more flexible furnishing and cost savings instead of custom joinery

Thankyou for putting it into a drawing along with the dimensions included, I can visualize it much better.
I liked the idea of moving the powder room to rear of garage, changing access of Master BR, and access from WIR to ensuite, and changes to upper level to make the lounger upper to be of a regular shape. This has given me much to take back to the planner.

I really appreciate all the ideas and suggestions received so far and the time taken to do so.

@oklouise,

Using your software, will you be able to please swap the Master Bedroom and living areas so that it is North facing to suit orientation and passive design? I would like to see how it can be doable and for discussion in case of pushback from the planner. The block is narrow - 12.8 at the front, 18.5 length and 15 at the back.

Thankyou!

as requested, moving the stairs allows for a small front porch and entry, separate powder room and mudroom off the garage, north facing lounge and master bedroom (note the direction of door opening into master bedroom is more private) and this plan allows for a better arrangement for laundry and a pantry and there's a study nook upstairs

So, I have received an updated plan from the designer with the study nook and powder room swapped and bedrooms on upper level made bigger. There are still further changes to discuss like the stairs orientation and upper level.

I had also liked @oklousie suggestion of moving powder room to after laundry but looking at it again, it will block access from garage to backyard which would be nice to have to take out lawn mower, garden stuff, soil etc from garage to backyard but could have the laundry exit removed to increase storage.

The designer says they looked at moving living to front but it didn’t work as you need to have access to the open space from the living room, so that's a disappointment.

What do you think of the changes?

please view my updtated plan posted prior to your last post there is a north facing living and master bedroom but reconsider access from garage to backyard as there is already access around the eastern sids of the block for the mower

Thankyou oklouise .I think we posted at the sametime so I did not see your design earlier. With this design, does one have to go through the Master bedroom for the stairs to upper level?

Edit: Sorry I get it now, the stairs start after the porch and the WIR for Master BR goes under the stairs. I shall take some time and go through it in detail.