Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Apr 15, 2019 6:24 pm Re: Layout planning 2Apr 15, 2019 7:07 pm Some initial observations: - As soon as you open the door in Bed 1 it blocks the door to the toilet - There is no door to the pantry? - You have a random door which leads to nowhere behind the couch (I would just remove that wall altogether) - The kitchen feels tucked away in the corner - The garage and main entry are on opposite sides of the house which is unusual - What is the room in-between Bed 2 and Bed 3? - Unsure of the reasoning having a patio right next to the garage - See if you can find a display home which has bedrooms which are 3x3 - I find it too small, especially if applied to all minor bedrooms I recommend you get a professional architect to do this or speak to a builder. Re: Layout planning 3Apr 15, 2019 7:36 pm HereForHelp Some initial observations: - As soon as you open the door in Bed 1 it blocks the door to the toilet - There is no door to the pantry? - You have a random door which leads to nowhere behind the couch (I would just remove that wall altogether) - The kitchen feels tucked away in the corner - The garage and main entry are on opposite sides of the house which is unusual - What is the room in-between Bed 2 and Bed 3? - Unsure of the reasoning having a patio right next to the garage - See if you can find a display home which has bedrooms which are 3x3 - I find it too small, especially if applied to all minor bedrooms I recommend you get a professional architect to do this or speak to a builder. Hey mate, thanks for your response. Here are some of my reasonings behind the points raised by you: - Bed1 door blocking toilet: compromise to allow for towel rack in the ensuite. - Pantry will have a door. Missed on this layout. Good pickup. - Door behind couch is actually shown in open position. It's part of a double French door leading from the lounge to the living room (as quoted in the text next to it). Removing the wall will cause sound interference between the two TVs. Hence that's not an option. - Kitchen tucked away on purpose. - Garage and main entry on separate sides is an advantage enjoyed by corner lots. - Room between Bed2 & Bed3 is the laundry. - Any disadvantage of the patio location? My reasoning is to catch the winter sunlight. - Minor bedroom sizes were limited by lot size. However that's a valid point. Please suggest if I can modify any element to improve this layout. Thanks for your help so far. Re: Layout planning 5Apr 15, 2019 9:17 pm darb74 One general comment is you have lots of wall articulations which will add additional costs...and super annoy your chippies when they are building it Good point, but that's for my builder to worry about. As long as he's got the house within my budget, I'm happy. However, if you could suggest a better layout, that'll be awesome. Re: Layout planning 6Apr 15, 2019 9:52 pm I’m still not sure on orientation, as it looks like a corner block so difficult to imagine a design. My main design thoughts where possible are bedrooms on south or east, garage on west, living on north. Toilets and bedrooms not directly coming off living areas, toilets not facing living areas. If you run as many walls straight if possible, this will not only save costs and energy efficiency but also clean up the roofline for solar panels in the future. Not trying to be silly, but the current design concept seems a bit ‘messy’. You have the basics there but lots of small nooks etc. internal bathrooms are challenging for natural light obviously. Sacrifice the toilet if you have to run internal. Anyhow would a decent rework starting from the front if it was my own project. Maybe try and find an existing plan that roughly suits then modify it rather than attempting to go fully custom? --------------------------------------------------------------------- Check our Homeone build blog here Re: Layout planning 7Apr 15, 2019 10:20 pm So is north essentially the top of the plan? And you have two street frontages facing the entry and the garage? I've got to agree with Darby, the design seems very clumsy. There's no nice flow through the house, it's like a maze. The problem with asking for advice on a plan is that only you know how your family lives and what's important to you. You may have very good reasons why your design is the way it is and it may suit your family. When I look at the house I can't help but think all the little nooks waste space. The house isn't big so it's vital to use every bit of space to help add to the overall feeling of size. The garage is tiny and you'll struggle with two full size family cars. Did you do this design yourself or have you modified an existing plan? Accessible Carpentry & Cabinets accessiblecarpentry@gmail.com accessiblecarpentry.com.au https://www.facebook.com/pages/Accessible-Carpentry-Cabinets/583314911709039 Re: Layout planning 8Apr 15, 2019 11:23 pm I’m with the others here, I think the hallway to the minor bedrooms is very wasteful, when bedrooms are so small it seems silly to be wasting that huge space. I’m not sure I like going through a room and then French doors to get to the main part of house, that room will be a thoroughfare, Kitchen is tight and I think it will be difficult having two people working in there together. But as others have said, if it works for you and your family then go ahead, only you know what works for you and the compromises that you make. Re: Layout planning 9Apr 16, 2019 7:21 am darb74 I’m still not sure on orientation, as it looks like a corner block so difficult to imagine a design. My main design thoughts where possible are bedrooms on south or east, garage on west, living on north. Toilets and bedrooms not directly coming off living areas, toilets not facing living areas. If you run as many walls straight if possible, this will not only save costs and energy efficiency but also clean up the roofline for solar panels in the future. Not trying to be silly, but the current design concept seems a bit ‘messy’. You have the basics there but lots of small nooks etc. internal bathrooms are challenging for natural light obviously. Sacrifice the toilet if you have to run internal. Anyhow would a decent rework starting from the front if it was my own project. Maybe try and find an existing plan that roughly suits then modify it rather than attempting to go fully custom? The top of the plan is pointing 18° West of North. The are some good points in your reply, which I realised, but was difficult to accommodate, like the internal bathroom (the toilet though is separate and open to outside). I'll give it some more thought. Re: Layout planning 10Apr 16, 2019 7:28 am chippy So is north essentially the top of the plan? And you have two street frontages facing the entry and the garage? I've got to agree with Darby, the design seems very clumsy. There's no nice flow through the house, it's like a maze. The problem with asking for advice on a plan is that only you know how your family lives and what's important to you. You may have very good reasons why your design is the way it is and it may suit your family. When I look at the house I can't help but think all the little nooks waste space. The house isn't big so it's vital to use every bit of space to help add to the overall feeling of size. The garage is tiny and you'll struggle with two full size family cars. Did you do this design yourself or have you modified an existing plan? Top of the plan is pointing 18° West of North, and the entry and garage have their own separate Street fronts. I do realise that the bedroom corridor is a bit too wide. Yes, it's my custom design, which is why I'm asking for feedback. I'm working with a builder, but none of their off the shelf plans are suitable, as the lot is not entirely rectangular. Re: Layout planning 11Apr 16, 2019 7:32 am gogo65 I’m with the others here, I think the hallway to the minor bedrooms is very wasteful, when bedrooms are so small it seems silly to be wasting that huge space. I’m not sure I like going through a room and then French doors to get to the main part of house, that room will be a thoroughfare, Kitchen is tight and I think it will be difficult having two people working in there together. But as others have said, if it works for you and your family then go ahead, only you know what works for you and the compromises that you make. I agree with most of your observations, but have not been able to get around them. Could you give any specific advice about rearranging things? Thanks for taking time to respond. I really appreciate it. Re: Layout planning 12Apr 16, 2019 10:02 am I think it would help if you worked with an experienced designer or draftsperson. There are a lot of weird internals and disproportionate spaces which don't work. If you work with a builder they will be reluctant to criticise your plans because they want your business. Your home is a big investment, so it's best to get the planning done right with a professional. Re: Layout planning 13Apr 16, 2019 10:14 am amilelka I think it would help if you worked with an experienced designer or draftsperson. There are a lot of weird internals and disproportionate spaces which don't work. If you work with a builder they will be reluctant to criticise your plans because they want your business. Your home is a big investment, so it's best to get the planning done right with a professional. Good idea. Do you know how much it would cost? Re: Layout planning 14Apr 16, 2019 10:26 am I'm not sure how it is in other states, but in WA most project home builders will get their sketch design team to design to your block and requirements for a minimal fee (about $300). A third party designer or draftsperson will charge $2000-$5000. Interestingly, our current home is built on a block similar to yours. We built a regular shaped house and just fit it within the block with some small tweaks. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Layout planning 15Apr 16, 2019 11:33 am I think everyone above has more than covered the issues with the layout, but there are also a few practical considerations you should allow for: The first is whether this is going to be your forever home or if you think you'll be selling it in 10-15 years. If it's going to be your forever home, then by all means design it exactly how you want it to look and as functional as possible for your family. However if you need to be concerned about re-sale value, then I would strongly recommend re-adjusting the entire plan to not hide the kitchen away. Think about all the display homes and renovation shows which you would have seen - 99% of the time, the kitchen is a feature of these homes, and that's because buyers are attracted to kitchens and bathrooms. These are the areas you should be investing your funds in! Another consideration if this is your forever home, is if you plan to have multiple children and/or your parents may potentially move in with you. In my culture, my parents will definitely move in with me once they are older and kids do not move out until they are married. If this also applies in yours, then 3x3 bedrooms are too small for an adult (let alone multiple) and there is limited space to put a desk/bookshelf etc. Re: Layout planning 16Apr 16, 2019 5:16 pm Re: Layout planning 17Apr 16, 2019 8:50 pm That's certainly better. If north is to the top of the plan I'd be moving the entrance around to the same side as the garage and have the north side dedicated to the living areas, kitchen etc. Just because it's a corner block can you keep the north side private rather than have two open street frontages. Accessible Carpentry & Cabinets accessiblecarpentry@gmail.com accessiblecarpentry.com.au https://www.facebook.com/pages/Accessible-Carpentry-Cabinets/583314911709039 Re: Layout planning 18Apr 16, 2019 8:56 pm chippy That's certainly better. If north is to the top of the plan I'd be moving the entrance around to the same side as the garage and have the north side dedicated to the living areas, kitchen etc. Just because it's a corner block can you keep the north side private rather than have two open street frontages. That would have been ideal, but then I'd need much bigger front setback. For such a small lot, that's a big amount. It's R20 zoned. Only with the current setup I can have the garage as close as 2.5m to the lot boundary. Otherwise the minimum is 4m. Layout planning 19Apr 17, 2019 2:18 pm I think the dining and living should be swapped around. Can you include the toilet in your ensuite and therefore it becoming more spacious? This will remove 1 of the doors and you can have your towel rack more centred as well as having two vanities. The L shape wardrobe seems a bit funny in bed 1. I’ve never seen this done before. Re: Layout planning 20Apr 17, 2019 2:49 pm Lemans I think the dining and living should be swapped around. Can you include the toilet in your ensuite and therefore it becoming more spacious? This will remove 1 of the doors and you can have your towel rack more centred as well as having two vanities. The L shape wardrobe seems a bit funny in bed 1. I’ve never seen this done before. Thanks for your suggestions mate. I'll try them out and see how it goes. About swapping living-dining, my main concern would be the placement of the TV. The garage door would force it to go on the left, which would make the L-shaped sofa blocking the patio door. About the ensuite toilet, opening it up could be a good option. The L-shaped wardrobe I think is a great way to have as much storage as a WIR, without wasting space. Plus a mirrored Slider would make the room seem bigger. Give Jonathan a call. Tell him you know me. He is in my opinion the best surveyor I have ever worked with. His number is 0425 285 622 All the best Simeon 3 12391 I am not based in Victoria however i had a quick look into your question to understand what you were asking. The way I read the regulations, overshadowing relates to the… 1 2233 "is it exempt or do I need to get permission from council" Call your Council and ask them 1 1557 |