Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Aug 03, 2008 5:39 pm Hi All,
Been away for awhile... and now back to starting the house building dream again. We've selected our builder and starting the preparation plans phase. Appreciate any comments on the proposed house plan. We have a week to make any structural changes. Some minor changes we are making include are increasing the length of the study (reducing WIR2), alfresco will reduce 720mm in width, and we are still to look at window placement/sizes. http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m273/SuzanneKuuse/ourplan3red.jpg http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m273/SuzanneKuuse/ourplan2redele.jpg Cheers Firstbuild Re: Plan Comments and Suggestions 3Aug 03, 2008 6:36 pm I agree with Paula. I love the look of your plans but that kitchen bench could most easily be lengthened. You will have a huge opening between the kitchen and dining room judging by the scale of your fridge/freezer space. Extend that bench down a bit. You'll not regret having the extra bench space. Re: Plan Comments and Suggestions 4Aug 03, 2008 7:38 pm Thanks for the replies. The kitchen is on our hit list of changes, we were thinking of extending the bench down, and moving the sink opposite the cook top and closer to the fridge (smaller kitchen triangle?). We've been told that this is a pre-start thing, although it would be good to lock our kitchen design down(especially with all the other pre-start items!?). Also we are not sure of whether to open access to the kitchen from the top, making the bench an island (my wife's preferred option), or make a place to sit and eat by moving the door to the hallway slightly (my preferred option) Re: Plan Comments and Suggestions 5Aug 03, 2008 7:52 pm Hi firstbuild,
That's a very nice plan... good orientation too. I agree with Paula and kexkez about the kitchen. and if it were my house, i would probably move bed4 near bed3. that way, it won't be exposed to too much heat during summer (west facing area). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Built the Nevada 42 Next project - landscaping! Re: Plan Comments and Suggestions 6Aug 03, 2008 7:52 pm HI first build. The only problem with moving the sink down is that is does cut into a lovely, long, bare length of bench space if you put the sink opposite. The plus to this would be some bench space either side of it of course. It really depends on what you want the benchspace for. I personally love having a section all in one place so I can spread out plates, or cook and not feel cramped. This would also be more useful if you were planning a breakfast bar or sitting area along the bench. I also like the idea of the sink being slightly more tucked away so I can ignore the dishes for a while if entertaining or trying to relax with family/friends before we /I wash up. Washing up doesn't have to be done straight away then. But you might prefer to have it where the person washing up doesn't feel so tucked away in a corner and washing up can be a social part of the entire meal experience. Will it usually be one person in the kitchen at a time? Sometimes having everything too close together can make it awkward if there are 2 of you trying to do things in there at once. If it's only likely to be one person then having a smaller work triangle might be more useful. But then what would you put where the sink currently is? Full cupboards? Or workbench space?Or? Re: Plan Comments and Suggestions 7Aug 03, 2008 8:15 pm I love your house!
would either: extend the kitchen bench to that you only have about 800mm-1000mm space opening to get in. You could still move the sink opposite, and youd have the bench spave where you'd moved the sink form. Or, instead of the U shaaped kitchen, end the bench flush with the family room wall, and have a long bench all the way opposite your cooktop, somaking it a galley style kitchen. Is this what you meant by opening it up at the top end? That yould be my preference too if it were my kitchen. I guess it depends whether you want the kitchen oritented towards the family room or the dining room, as this is where the person doing the dishes would be facing. If you have a dishwasher, I guess it doesnt matter anyway for the most part. I also agree about moving bedroom 3 and switching it with the laundry and bathroom. It look great. The only other thing Id do were it my house is have the ensuite on one saide and the WIRs on the other, rather than walking through the WIRs to get to the ensuite, though at least you have a door on there. Building in manor lakes 2008 Re: Plan Comments and Suggestions 8Aug 03, 2008 8:27 pm I really like th WIR and ensuite set up - I think it will work well.
The kitchen decision will have to be yours - you will find all sort of opinions here, but in the end it will be what suits you and your OT. But if it were me i like the sink there for all the reasons Kexkez said Paula Re: Plan Comments and Suggestions 10Aug 03, 2008 9:13 pm I'd swap the laundry and bathroom - keeps the noise away from the bedroom.
And as said above extend the kitchen bench. I'd also suggest the alferesco out the other way - ie the wall inverted to the outside areas - but that will cost extra. Steve Re: Plan Comments and Suggestions 11Aug 03, 2008 9:21 pm hi firstbuild,
I love your house plan! The only change I'd make is, as others have advised, extending the kitchen benchtop. I prefer the shape as it is - ie not opened up at the top - I would like to have a little 'cove' to work in in the kitchen rather than have people walk right through. If you swapped the laundry and bathroom, then you'd just get the bathroom noise next to the bedroom instead... guess you have to work out which room is less noisy! But, as you have it, the laundry appliances are on the wall opposite the bedroom so might be ok? Re: Plan Comments and Suggestions 12Aug 03, 2008 10:27 pm wow!
I love it! Personally, I'd modify the ensuite..it may be boring but I'd bring the walk in robes to the same side and have a more squarish ensuite. I think the long ensuite means you end up losing a lot of space both with the entrance way and the long walkway the length of the room. Not convinced about the kitchen... benchespace seem to be a long way from the fridge and the oven. With the space you have you may be able to go for a really decent size island bench.... I can't see... but is there a door into the games room? Alan and Thuy in Melbourne Building a second time! Re: Plan Comments and Suggestions 13Aug 04, 2008 2:02 pm Wow love the plan, who is your builder and where are you building? (I'm just interested **cough nosey cough**)
I have no suggestions, apart from the longer bench,...... I shouldn't of even looked It makes me want things (designs/rooms/space etc) in a house that we cant afford, and being in Perth too, means I will be kicking myself for not looking at other builders! Really really nice plan though Winter sun 14Aug 04, 2008 3:05 pm Here's a crazy idea, get rid of the alfresco altogeather, make it a decked / paved area, with a pagola with angled timber blades overhead. Your alfresco as it stands I presume will have a solid colorbond roof that blocks out all that lovely winter sun from getting into your living areas.
The timber blades overhead will let the lovely winter sun in, but exclude the nasty summer sun. Just a thought! Pat the draftie. Re: Plan Comments and Suggestions 15Aug 04, 2008 6:05 pm Depending on where the house is located, you may want to add a small window to the top left corner of the main bed - that way you will be able to catch summer afternoon breezes that will cross ventilate and cool your bedroom and reduce the need for air conditioning.
I would also increase the bench length, and maybe make the eaves deeper on the west side to cut out summer afternoon glare. For the elevation, I would make the study stick forward a little to improve the elevation at the front. I also like the elevation of this house: http://www.plunketthomes.com.au/The-Imperial.html that has a very similar plan to yours. Re: Plan Comments and Suggestions 18Aug 04, 2008 9:35 pm Hi All
Thanks so much for your responses. VJ and Razzle - we did look at changing BR4 but that created a few other problems, at this stage this will be our spare b/r (until wife talks me into a 3rd child ) KexKez/Paula - we also like the sink tucked away, just worried about length between sink, stove, pantry, fridge Razzle/Bel/donuts/Paula - the kitchen is still being debated by wife and me but thank you for your input. Will be a big change from our tiny kitchen, my wife likes the idea of leaving the big bench if it means I will help her more in the kitchen Toast/razzle - will look at the change to WIRs and ensuite, had not really thought of doing different but the door did bother us as not having much space if it was opened. Steve (Yak-chat) - I guess for us we mainly do laundry when the kids are up so the laundry is better next to the bedroom (considering they are up so early in the morning my wife would not get up earlier to do it ), whereas the bathroom I would see as having more usage, thus noise. We looked at a range of things for the alfresco but ending up leaving the alfresco as per the builder's plan (would like a better solution to let more light in, but haven't really been confident on any of the alternate solutions, and time always seems to get away from us, also anything outside the norm with a Project Builder you seem to have to be able to specify 100% with confidence and/or pay additional $$.) Toast - yes there is a door to the games room, so that we can close off the kids playing particularly when they are a bit older (also so that I can one day have my pool table!!!!) Monkeyupatree/Kexkez - the builder is Plunkett, modified Imperial, we are knocking down in Greenwood and rebuilding as we love our area. Pat the draftie - we have debated on/off about the alfresco and doing slats/retractable/vergola etc but then decided to go with under the roof as this seems to look really good and the old style pergola we did not like. Amilelka - good idea about window for the master bedroom, will think about that. Will discuss with builder about the eaves, I think we did talk to them before then forgot about it. I love the link as that is the base plan we used and the elevation will be similar (except not have the 50c ceiling in the entry way). Britttany - have you and my wife been talking She would love a cleaner, lucky she has me We have so much to think about and we have not even got to prestart. Re: Plan Comments and Suggestions 19Aug 05, 2008 8:50 am Ah firstbuild. Nice area , my mum lives in hamersley. ( not east) And one of my cousins lives in Greenwood. Shes just extended her house going up this time having already extended out. As a 9 yr old kid I remember going with my folks to check out Greenwood when it was first a subdivision. They played on the whole " Robin Hood in the greenwood" thing.
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