Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Jul 04, 2009 11:55 pm This is a house plan I have been playing around with in Paint... very basic!!! http://i862.photobucket.com/albums/ab18 ... use/hp.jpg A few bits of info! - I'm wanting to do a cottage style house. - Its just for a single person. I don't want two bathrooms as there is no need. And the toilet I am happy to place in the bathroom? - Planning for any future resale wont be factoring into the house plan at all for reasons.... - The long windows on living areas are possibly going to be french doors - I'm debating (depending on costs) if I will have the veranda up the side of the house. I will have a front porch though. - looking at having 2700 high ceilings - total area including veranda is 21 square without about 18.5 - room 3 is the same size as the main bedroom as I want to use that room for a few different functions including arts and craft... so need it that size min... - the length and width for each room is just approx! I know I need to change to building specs etc - Im still not really 100 percent happy with the design but its a start and or somewhere where I want to go from.... A few questions! - I could swap Room 2 with the Kitchen so as to save on pluming costs? and have the bath/laundry/kitchen lined up more etc.... ? - I would also like to do a entry area but not sure how small the first living area would be then.... but then also I don't mind to much the main room door opening into the living area... - Would the living/dinning be large enough to have a small dinning table and a couch/coffee table? ETA the big area at the back of the house is a patio lol Re: Thoughts/comments on house plan? 2Jul 05, 2009 8:47 am bump! I don't mine criticism! I need it! LOL Re: Thoughts/comments on house plan? 3Jul 05, 2009 9:15 am Hi Ownerbuilder I had a good look at your plan but my major concern would be the size of the rooms. It looks like you have a very small block so therefore space needs to be utilised very carefully as you know. Surprisingly, I went into a new home yesterday that had a layout similar to your living area(beds up top). The entrance lead straight into a small area/room and really, I had no idea what it was as it was very small and pokey , a kitchen in the middle, had to squeeze past the island bench then the back area was a lounge/entertaining area. It just did not work for me but still managed to sell for an obscence price at auction. So, after seeing a house with a layout of your living area, here are a few suggestions The kitchen.....Forget about the traditional kitchen set up eg L plan and design a kitchen that compliments the two living areas and create a sense of spaciousness . I would have a straight style kitchen that stretches as far as you can go. Intergrate storage units as part of the cabinets along the wall so you also have built in storage in the living areas. Something like this....(from harvey norman site) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ That way, the walkway is much more open and you can have a island bench on wheels if you like. It can also double up as a dinning area. I'm sure you will get many more ideas from everybody but at least this is a start Mrs B Re: Thoughts/comments on house plan? 4Jul 05, 2009 9:21 am Thank you so much! They are some great ideas! I have a large block but wanted a smallish house just to keep prices down! There is no minimum size I need to build as there is already a house on the block of land! Also I like the cottage style homes and it seems like these are the similar layouts... but yeah I agree I don't like pokey very much and would like to avoid if I can! lol Do you think I should make the living areas larger? I can do that!.... Are they to small? Also the bedrooms? I like that kitchen picture! plus I like Harvey! hehe Re: Thoughts/comments on house plan? 5Jul 05, 2009 9:27 am I guess another idea is that I could bring the first living area out to the veranda - create an entrance... and then leave the veranda from the kitchen onwards? Re: Thoughts/comments on house plan? 6Jul 05, 2009 9:30 am OB1, Yes, putting the kitchen close to the bathroom and laundry will save building and running costs (hot water). If you're considering swapping BR2 with the kitchen, IMO a kitchen with 3 side walls could feel closed-in. Which direction is the sun (North) and where abouts in Aust are you? Main living room - will only have one wall without any windows. It may be difficult to place furniture. The second living area is the same. So, do you know where you'll put your TV? These are my comments only. I think for single person, the house is more than big enough, esp as resale is not a consideration. Chris Re: Thoughts/comments on house plan? 7Jul 05, 2009 9:38 am Hi ownerbuilder1, I can't see your floorplan all that well ... do you have an entry to your bathroom/toilet area other than from the master bedroom? For guests, or even you, it would be convenient to not hve to traips thru the bedroom to use the toilet. I also agree with Mrs B re the kitchen - open plan with the kitchen along a wall somewhere "Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions." — Elizabeth Gilbert Living in our new house. Currently scaping the land. Re: Thoughts/comments on house plan? 8Jul 05, 2009 9:41 am donuts, it looks like there's an entrance to the bath between the linen closet and the laundry Re: Thoughts/comments on house plan? 9Jul 05, 2009 9:44 am Thanks Chris! Yeah moving the kitchen there would feel closed in - I would need to change the whole end layout then lol - do you know approx how much building costs it would save to line them all up? Like 1 or 2 thousand or maybe even 5 or more?
I'm in Brisbane.... North is on left side of the plan the long wall.... but I have land and space to make North the entrance side as well by just flipping it on the land lol but would prefer it on the land so that north is on the long left side of the house.... I know theres suppose to be rules about having certain rooms face north etc - have to look into that and take it into consideration I guess! But most of the house will be surrounded by lots of trees and most sunlight blocked anyway lol - does that make a difference? Great point about the tv etc! Yeah I have thought about that! Basically I just wanted to put it in the first living room along the front window.... in the kitchen/dinning/living area I just wanted a small 6 seat dinning table and 1 single long couch or 2 single seater small couches and a small coffee table... but I guess I could enlarge it and make it a tv living room area and therefore bigger - that would be nice - to have the tv when Im in the kitchen/dinning... Re: Thoughts/comments on house plan? 10Jul 05, 2009 9:45 am lol yes - there is a bathroom entrance next to linen cupboard! Re: Thoughts/comments on house plan? 11Jul 05, 2009 9:49 am I also like the Verandah wrapping around the house Some styles of homes don't need the grand entrance way so your cottage style home will be perfectly fine with the door opening into the front lounge room (make sure the door swings from the wall outwards ) I think the main feature of your home will be the pretty facade with the veranda. I notice you only have space for a linen closet on your plans...consider storage very carefully, thats why I mentioned the built in storage units...when you move in, you dont need to worry about where to put all your stuff as you have already made provision for it. Are you having a garage? I noticed it wasn't on your plans.... Another point...have you considered raising the ceiling heights to give an even more impression of space? What type of heating are you having....woodfire, gas fire, central heating...if you are having a fireplace, this needs to come into consideration at planning stage. You probably will get many more suggestions...its such an exciting time planning and building your own home. Mrs B ps...I have also built a cottage style home from a kit company. Re: Thoughts/comments on house plan? 12Jul 05, 2009 9:52 am ownerbuilder, you may not have to enlarge the living area if you dont wish, maybe just a different view on what windows to use on one wall. For example instead of that one large window, you could have 2 tall and narrow windows with a wall space inbetween for a tv area? Re: Thoughts/comments on house plan? 13Jul 05, 2009 9:59 am D&SG - k yes just maybe a small window - I would be happy with that! Mrs B I totally agree about storage and I do have a lot of stuff that needs storage! I placed a cupboard in room 3 which I wasnt going to have for more but I know I do need more... just where? the kitchen storage seems to be a good idea Yeah no garage - may do a carport later - but being bush people we just leave our cars out in the open! LOL but I should get one and protect my car more - so maybe a carport... I can just place that near the house when all finished! I do want high ceilings yes! Is 2700 high? or can I go higher? I was going install air con unit but havent decided yet where to place it..... Thanks Mrs B! I have considered a kit home to! Some of them are quiet beautiful! what one did you do? I will do a revised house plan taking in some of these points and repost it as soon as I do lol Re: Thoughts/comments on house plan? 14Jul 05, 2009 10:08 am Ownerbuilder1 I do want high ceilings yes! Is 2700 high? or can I go higher? I was going install air con unit but havent decided yet where to place it..... Thanks Mrs B! I have considered a kit home to! Some of them are quiet beautiful! what one did you do? I just read you are in Queensland so the company I went through wouldnt be of help as they only build in Victoria but this is the link http://www.swenrick.com.au/index.html One of the designs had the pitch celing in the living area and that alone sold us the house. The sense of space is incredible. Look at the miners cottage 3...this is what we ended up building (farm house) and the verandah is wrapped around the house exactly like yours Mrs B Re: Thoughts/comments on house plan? 15Jul 05, 2009 10:17 am That is beautiful! That is something I would build! Love the veranda and the layout is nice to! It is a shame - a lot of cottage kit homes and or builders aren't in queensland - there are a couple but some of the really nice ones are only in southern states! I am building Enfield 201 by Mimosa Homes - York Facade Link: https://www.mimosahomes.com.au/new-homes/enfield-201/ I did my colour appointment last week. I am looking… 0 572 Were struck with: Colorbond Ironstone Grey roof and cream windows. What color should we render and paint the garage door to tone down the cream windows? Farm House, will… 0 26942 i thought the flipped plan initially but bec i want narrow pathway from entry to dining (dont like bend), also cannot fit the… 7 17278 |