Browse Forums Owner Builder Forum 1 Jan 03, 2011 12:37 pm Hi everyone. I'm about to take these plans (or versions thereof) to our drafty for final drawings. I would love some feedback - you guys will see all the things I've missed, forgotten about or just plain left out! This will be my 2nd plan and owner build but the first one was an inner city warehouse so there were no external changes at all. Everything I did was internal, non-weight bearing or structurally important. This build's a whole new kettle of fun! We're gutting/renovating and extending a tiny existing 3bd brick veneer (north yard) house on a 7. slope on an acre block. (south east melb) the Kids Wing will be downstairs underneath the kitchen/loungeroom area. We're proposing to have large decks off the rear of the house and therefore a covered area for the kids to play outside downstairs on a rainy day. Here's a squiz at what I've designed so far. Comments, warnings!, advice all gratefully accepted. Thanks for looking! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ - Planning to renovate/extend and add on. Dec 10 - Soil test & Bush fire report completed. Jan 11 - Final drafting plans ready. Re: Our Hill Build 2Jan 03, 2011 2:01 pm This looks impressive house. A couple of thoughts. The kitchen looks a bit small in comparison with everything else. I would look to extend it north to take it to the edge of the stairs to the lower level. We had two basins in our last house ensuite and thought this was a waste, took away counter space on the vanity top to no advantage. We only have one in our current ensuite and find this much better, certainly wouldn't bother with two in the guest ensuite. Also its better to continue the vanity to the wall than have a small space between the vanity and the wall which only gathers dust. The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: Our Hill Build - plans. Advice please? 3Jan 03, 2011 8:09 pm Thanks Bashworth (love the name btw). The kitchen IS bigger about 4 x 4 of bench space plus an island. I just plonked that kitchen in from the software, cause I'm lazy! And the vanity in the main ensuite will be a tiled wall about 1.6mts high and the shower will be a walk around either side. Again, too lazy with pre-designed software to draw it in properly. Will keep in mind single sink for guest suite, just thought it might need two as the space is so big. (also did not draw in floor to ceiling storage cupboad in that space between vanity and loo dividing wall. thanks again! prin x - Planning to renovate/extend and add on. Dec 10 - Soil test & Bush fire report completed. Jan 11 - Final drafting plans ready. Re: Our Hill Build - plans. Advice please? 4Jan 03, 2011 9:59 pm That plan is completely gorgeous! Love it! here are my two cents worth ... rememberiing that they are only worth two cents! * More of an open format dining room. The rest of the house has such a beautiful casual feel and then you have this formal and removed dining room. * Is the person who sews really tidy in your family because my sewing room could surely not have windows onto our living area. Disaster! * whislt i love the idea of a secret passage, what is its purpose? would you not be bettermaking their rooms bigger or a desk or something. Where will you laundry go? YOur plans are really beautiful and I am looking forward to following your progress. Kay Re: Our Hill Build - plans. Advice please? 5Jan 03, 2011 10:21 pm great plans one thing we were told to keep costs down and less material wastage was to keep all rooms in 300 increments so instead of 4.0 have 4.2 or 3.9 ect good luck stay safe happy building Re: Our Hill Build - plans. Advice please? 6Jan 04, 2011 6:27 am A few points in addition to the ones above (as I agree with the previous posters) * I think you can gain a lot more from the centre decked area with the door to the butlers pantry. It could be a great way to let in extra light and airflow and bring the outdoors in, but the current configuration doesn't seem to do that particularly well. Also I'm not sure I understand why you want a door from outside into your butler's pantry. * Not sure that you need a door to your guest ensuite loo when there's a powder room just a few feet away. * Don't know how many kids you are catering for, but have you considered a 3-way bathroom for downstairs? As kids grow up there can be a lot of issues when they share a bathroom which can be alleviated by having separate toilet, shower and vanity areas. Having them all in one space means everyone has to wait while any one person does one thing in the bathroom. (Also, I don't like the glass brick wall and the corner bath, but that could be your software.) * I like the double-ended shower for your ensuite. Some of our friends have that and it is fantastic. Have you thought about changing your bedroom around so the ensuite is on the wall where your WIRs are? That way you could incorporate some windows to a private courtyard from your shower and make the ensuite a really special place. I really like your design. I'm sure it will evolve more as the drafters get involved and along the way as you build. It will be a very interesting project to watch. I hope you continue to post progress here on H1. Kylie Re: Our Hill Build - plans. Advice please? 7Jan 04, 2011 9:15 am Quote: * More of an open format dining room. The rest of the house has such a beautiful casual feel and then you have this formal and removed dining room. The dining room is a formal room but we do entertain a bit. We'll also have a less formal eating area in the large lounge area for quicky meals. Not sure if it's apparent but the 'window's through the dining room and 'sewing room' are open cut outs (we'll probably put shutters on 'sewing room' to close that off when necessary. Quote: * Is the person who sews really tidy in your family because my sewing room could surely not have windows onto our living area. Disaster! I wish I could sew, it's my Hubbalicious' funny idea to call my 'office' a 'sewing room' and he's insisting on very little in regards to the house. I will appease his graciously hilarious self and call MY OFFICE a sewing room! He is a smartasp. Quote: * whislt i love the idea of a secret passage, what is its purpose? would you not be bettermaking their rooms bigger or a desk or something. Secret passage is perhaps the only thing Hubbalicious wants between the boys rooms (they will share to start, until one of them says, "I want my own room, dammit!" They're only 20 mnths and 4 right now. The half height passage way will also house in-floor storage on upper level for a safe and our... i dunno? Tech stuff? We also intend putting in a slide from the top floor to the kids wing. I'm on the lookout for an ex-playground/playcentre enclosed large fibreglass slide. Gotta have a bit of whimsy! Quote: Where will you laundry go? Laundry!? I gotta do laundry!?!! Laundry will be eurpean style in a corner of the butlers pantry... somehow. A problem for the drafty to solve. Quote: YOur plans are really beautiful and I am looking forward to following your progress. Kay Aww shucks ma'am. Ta! And thanks for your input. There WILL be many, many more questions. Some more asinine than others. prin x - Planning to renovate/extend and add on. Dec 10 - Soil test & Bush fire report completed. Jan 11 - Final drafting plans ready. Re: Our Hill Build - plans. Advice please? 8Jan 04, 2011 9:21 am bingoshelley great plans one thing we were told to keep costs down and less material wastage was to keep all rooms in 300 increments so instead of 4.0 have 4.2 or 3.9 ect good luck great to know! thanks! The front right corner of the house dictates it's size and proportions a bit as it is the footprint of the existing house (master suite, ensuite, sewing room, powder room, and part of the formal dining room). prin x - Planning to renovate/extend and add on. Dec 10 - Soil test & Bush fire report completed. Jan 11 - Final drafting plans ready. Re: Our Hill Build - plans. Advice please? 9Jan 04, 2011 9:31 am kb46 * I think you can gain a lot more from the centre decked area with the door to the butlers pantry. It could be a great way to let in extra light and airflow and bring the outdoors in, but the current configuration doesn't seem to do that particularly well. Also I'm not sure I understand why you want a door from outside into your butler's pantry. Door from pantry is to service European style laundry. I am concerned about light and airflow coming in that west side of the house. Granted the back of the house will completely open up but a breeze on the west side is certainly on my mind. Quote: * Not sure that you need a door to your guest ensuite loo when there's a powder room just a few feet away. Point taken. Quote: * Don't know how many kids you are catering for, but have you considered a 3-way bathroom for downstairs? As kids grow up there can be a lot of issues when they share a bathroom which can be alleviated by having separate toilet, shower and vanity areas. Having them all in one space means everyone has to wait while any one person does one thing in the bathroom. (Also, I don't like the glass brick wall and the corner bath, but that could be your software.) Three way bathroom would be great - I'm not sure how to config that and have the space make sense. Definitely something to bring up with drafty. That lower level bathroom will also service the pool. So yeah, three way bathroom will be great down there. PS two kids! Only little rugrats now but I hear, they grow?! Also, glass bricks are in bathroom to let in mucho light. There's no natural light in that bathroom otherwise. I put a glass brick wall in my warehouse bathroom *(which also has no natural light) and I love it. Quote: * I like the double-ended shower for your ensuite. Some of our friends have that and it is fantastic. Have you thought about changing your bedroom around so the ensuite is on the wall where your WIRs are? That way you could incorporate some windows to a private courtyard from your shower and make the ensuite a really special place. That would be great but we're sitting on existing house footprint there and all the plumbing comes in at that point for the existing bathroom. Would love to do it the other way though. Quote: I really like your design. I'm sure it will evolve more as the drafters get involved and along the way as you build. It will be a very interesting project to watch. I hope you continue to post progress here on H1. Thanks a lot. Hope to share every frustrating moment with you guys. Have already learned so much. prin x - Planning to renovate/extend and add on. Dec 10 - Soil test & Bush fire report completed. Jan 11 - Final drafting plans ready. Re: Our Hill Build - plans. Advice please? 10Jan 04, 2011 10:43 am Hi BenPrin, love the design, do u have a roofing plan yet? the 300mm bit is VERY important on savings in materials - just remember to make it at 300's either internal or external -walls take up a bit of room - i'd always go for having external walls to brick or timber sizes - but i'm old school. from a BOYS pont of view (ie the labourer who actually hammers nails ) i just wonder about the outset ankle of the library,ensuite & bedroom? I could live with building the lovely feature wall at approx 45% (?) lounge & playroom below, but is that other offset really a feature worth considering seeing it adds a lot of cost to structural building (ie once corners aren't square they drive up cost - hence my question re roof plan). Mrs T&V would just say thats what i want...so i build it, but i do see a cost saving if that wall were straight ? - just a thought/question, not a criticsm. hope u enjoy building it - do it while ur young - i'm not allowed on roofs anymore & have just had height restriction on climbing ladders cheers tony Re: Our Hill Build - plans. Advice please? 11Jan 04, 2011 4:38 pm T&V Hi BenPrin, love the design, do u have a roofing plan yet? the 300mm bit is VERY important on savings in materials - just remember to make it at 300's either internal or external -walls take up a bit of room - i'd always go for having external walls to brick or timber sizes - but i'm old school. Roofing plan, we plan on having one. No clue! As far as the back sharp angle is concerned my initial thought is to extend the roofline to square off so we have a) good shade (facing north) on our deck and b) assumed it would be much cheaper than figuring out how to tile a roof like that! Is that what you mean? Existing roof is new (insurance replaced entire roof after hail and storm damage) tile, so we will copy that with the extension. Unless there's a better option? Ideas? Quote: from a BOYS pont of view (ie the labourer who actually hammers nails ) i just wonder about the outset ankle of the library,ensuite & bedroom? I could live with building the lovely feature wall at approx 45% (?) lounge & playroom below, but is that other offset really a feature worth considering seeing it adds a lot of cost to structural building (ie once corners aren't square they drive up cost - hence my question re roof plan). You're a clever and wise man. I guess I will lose that slight angle. You're right, it doesn't add anything but will make flooring, walls etc more difficult. Quote: Mrs T&V would just say thats what i want...so i build it, but i do see a cost saving if that wall were straight ? - just a thought/question, not a criticsm. hope u enjoy building it - do it while ur young - i'm not allowed on roofs anymore & have just had height restriction on climbing ladders cheers tony I likes the sounds of your Missus. the NEXT house will be no-holds barred... this one we have to compromise a bit. I'm not married to the west side roofline. Square it is! prin x PS, sing out if you need a spotter on that ladder. You sound like my Dad - he thinks he can fly off the roof. *(turns out, he cant. - Planning to renovate/extend and add on. Dec 10 - Soil test & Bush fire report completed. Jan 11 - Final drafting plans ready. Howdy all. I am looking for feedback on what people would do to maximise and make an area as flat as possible. 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