Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Mar 28, 2009 12:06 pm Hi everyone!
I'm a long time reader but first time poster to this fabulous forum! We (Mr & Mrs Frizzy no children) are looking at the viability of demolishing our existing house, subdividing the land & selling off half the block to fund the building of a new house. I know a few people on this forum are in the process of this at the moment & they've been a wealth of knowledge! We are in the early planning stage & would like some advice on our ideas. We are in the southern suburbs of adelaide on a beachfront block & would like to build an upside down (living areas upstairs) house to take advantage of the views. Once our block is divided our frontage at the council required 6m setback will only be just over 11m narrowing to 9.5m at the rear & 40m long. I've come up with a design that fits & suits our requirements & would like some advice on any changes (complete overhauls!) we could make. I'll attach the plans but if it doesn't work here is a link: http://yfrog.com/08frizzyplan2j We look forward to your feedback...... I hope this works.... here goes! Thanks in advance! Mrs Frizzy Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Intro & comments on our plans please 2Mar 28, 2009 12:13 pm Welcome! 1. Ground floor WC - possibility of adding a small sink in there so people don't have to walk across hall or to laundry to wash hands 2. Access to area under stairs - storage 3. Dining area - not much room for a decent sized table and chairs. 4. Kitchen - will you have enough storage space? Cupboards etc - doesn't look like you have any overhead cupboard space - looks like a fridge on the left. What is the dark grey square on the right? Pantry? 5. Think about where towel racks are going to go in downstairs bathroom - might be tricky. After 4 years - we're in! Re: Intro & comments on our plans please 3Mar 28, 2009 12:30 pm Hi Stonecutter! Thanks for your reply, re kitchen: there are overhead cupboards I just didn't draw them in for ease of viewing the oven placement. I was hoping for a sleek modern style (waterfall benchtop etc) so I wanted to go for the galley style rather than L shape so I guess I'll have to sacrifice some cupboards! I'm hoping the W.I.P will help! re dining: Unfortunately with the width of our block we can't go any wider. If I move the stairs I will lose space for the powder room etc. I don't know what to do about that! re towelracks: Our current bathroom is this layout & they are directly across from the vanity. re stairs: I was wanting a cantilever hanging staircase so no storage possibility there! re extra vanity: Excellent idea! I could widen this wc & add a basin! Thanks again! P.s I loooooooooove your house design! So much space! Can't wait to see it built! Re: Intro & comments on our plans please 5Mar 28, 2009 8:38 pm Hi and welcome to the forum I really like your floorplan. I find it funny seeing the living upstairs, you don;t see it often...but l can understand why you want it that way. If you;ve got great views, you;d be crazy not to make the most of them And since the downstairs is not the main living floor, it doesn't need to be so open, so l would widen the garage, by stealing some of the entry space. I do like davden's idea of a double door though, but l think there is a bit wasted space in the entry area and more space in the garage would be better than having a double door. The only other thing l would consider is more storage space upstairs. There doesn't seem to be anywhere to store your bed linen and towels etc and other household effects, but then again you may be planning to use Bed 4 for such purposes?? Oh and I'd also try to fit a chute upstairs to go through into the laundry, it would be very convenient l think. It looks like you would probably need to rejig the plan a bit though to do it. But it's just a thought Cheers thorney:D Re: Intro & comments on our plans please 6Mar 28, 2009 9:19 pm Just thought of something else ... do you have a door going to the outside from the laundry. I couldn't see one. If there isn't one, that would mean walking through the house with the laundry. This may or may not bother you. Do you know where your laundry line is going? Good luck. (I have 4 kids, so am forever in the laundry ... that's why I noticed ) Re: Intro & comments on our plans please 7Mar 28, 2009 10:32 pm If you spend time at the beach, what about external access into the bathroom so you can get straight to the shower without tracking sand through the house? Re: Intro & comments on our plans please 8Mar 28, 2009 10:53 pm Lucky you....adelaide beaches are great Few things I thought - Living area is really small and may not get the best of your view if feels to be a cramped space. Is it possible for the master to be downstairs which would allow a larger living, better size kitchen with bench space (at present you have very little bench space) and then just have a study and powder room upstairs. Then downstairs have the three bedrooms or even two depending on your needs and a third multi use room that can lead outside. Also the toilet across the corridor is a bit odd either as suggested before have a basin or put the toilet in the bathroom and move the linen across the corridor. Other thing I could suggest is going to lots of opens or searching beachside suburbs on sale as many are now like yours subdivided long narrow blocks with living upstairs and you can get good ideas from how space was used (esp in brighton). Good luck enjoy the sea air......look forward to seeing your home take shape. Re: Intro & comments on our plans please 9Mar 29, 2009 1:00 am hey welcome to the forum, nice plan with bedrooms on the ground and upper floor similar to what i am planning. as theres simply no designs with 2x2 spaced out. i am building in port adelaide enfield council and they allow a minimum of 1m off the boundary for single story and 2m for double storey (this initially put my plans all out of wack, as with my windows overlooking neighboring properties), you might want to check with your council to see how close to the boundary you can build. (check under development) -Nathan 2nd-Fix | Blog Building with Desyn Homes previously with the insolvent [url=https://www.facebook.com/7NewsAdelaide/videos/1162546323776021/]Endeavour Homes[/url] Re: Intro & comments on our plans please 10Mar 29, 2009 10:21 am Hi and welcome to the forum. There have been some great ideas listed above but just thought I would throw some more issues to consider your way. Could you have a tall narrow window in the kitchen (between the bench with the sink and the back wall) and extend the bench with the sink across to the wall where the window currently is? You have plenty of windows at the front of the living area which should still give you plenty of light in the kitchen. I would also seriously consider moving bedroom 1 downstairs and having more living space upstairs as I don't think there will be enough space to get from the stairs area to the balcony without having to squeeze past furniture. Also, what type of doors are you considering having to the balcony? Bi folds might mean you would have to move the furniture out on the balcony each time you want to use that area as you might need to push it to the front of the balcony to give yourself enough room to open and shut the doors. Mark out 3 metres wide and place appropriate sized furniture in that area. You then need to try and put something up as walls as it can be very misleading just laying out something on the floor and not having walls in place to give a true picture of workable space. In finishing I just want to say that you have done a great job getting this far with what would be a hard site to work with. Good luck and I am sure it will all come together!! Re: Intro & comments on our plans please 11Mar 29, 2009 12:07 pm Hey everyone, Thanks for all your replies & good luck with your builds, I've been keeping track of the South Aussie projects! Here's a couple of other plans for your perusal! Hi Davden, re doubledoor: I think this would look fantastic! That's going on the additions list. Hi Thorney, re garage space: That's a great idea. I was thinking that the garage is minimum size & I have over 3m for the entrance. If I could gain extra garage space & still have double doors that would be ideal! re upstairs linen: That's something I hadn't thought of! Bed 4 will be used as a study so I guess the robe will be for linen. It's not ideal. Maybe some extra storage in the master bed? Help! re laundry door: I would love external access from here but I'd have to weigh up the loss of storage space. re laundry chute: Love this idea! If I can find a site, that's on the additions list! Hi Bluesteel, Yep, Adelaide beaches are our little secret! We've lived here for over 10 years hence the plan to subdivide rather than move! We would like a new house but don't want to pay for it! Subdivisions aren't popular with some people but we think this may be a viable option. re living space: I am worried that this area is too small so my alternative plans alleviate this a little. They also have their disadvantages but we always knew it wasn't going to be easy to fit a house on half a block! Like you've suggested I have ploughed through so many plans but alot aren't suitable. Most in Brighton have undercroft garages & 2 stories of living..... I wish! re kitchen: I have to weigh up my hope of a streamlined modern kitchen & bench space! re wc layout: Our current bathroom is this layout. I didn't know it was weird! I prefer a separate wc so an extra vanity is on the additions list! Hi Nathan, I'm glad we're not the only ones looking at upside down designs! It is difficult though as there are not many! I've spoken with the council & read the builders code. Our council requires: - 6m setback - single storey no windows on the boundary - single storey w/ windows 900 off - double storey w/ windows 1500 off From what I've seen & heard our council is very relaxed on esplanade properties. Some are 2 storey on the boundary, most are 2 storey 900 off the boundary. I've allowed 1500 off 1 side & will ask for a dispensation for 900 on the other. Worst comes to worst I have other plans that meet their requirements but they are either very sparse or duplexes. Hi Klscomps, To be honest I've posted these plans to see if they are at least liveable. To find that they are o.k... I'm thrilled! re master bed: Bluesteel also suggested this. I'm going to try some plans out with that idea.... re window placement: We are thinking clerestory windows for privacy & shadowing issues. re door types: Good point! We're looking at stackers in the family & on the balcony for their space saving aspects. Thanks! Comments on my alternative plans are welcome! Mrs Frizzy. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: More plans for your comments, please! 12Mar 29, 2009 6:09 pm Gee that was quick work!! I like the second plan with the laundry at the rear of the property. Fantastic change to the stairway which really helps the living space. Don't think you need any more advice from the forum, you're way ahead of it!! Re: More plans for your comments, please! 13Mar 29, 2009 8:33 pm Hi klscomps, Thanks for your kind remarks! Trust me, alot of my info has come from this forum! re preferred plan: I was afraid that the u shape stair configuration worked better as I've got my heart set on a straight cantilever hanging staircase! It's o.k for me to think we could live with a certain plan but I need the real world to make me be more practical! Decisions, decisions! Cheers! Mrs Frizzy. Re: More plans for your comments, please! 14Mar 29, 2009 8:42 pm Hiya! I really like the living areas up top design to maximise the views you have, I think that's great. The plans look really good, here are my thoughts - I like a double entry door if you can pop one in and still get enough light into that entrance foyer - I would get the storeroom door to open outwards, it means you'll be able to really maximise the use of the space in there - I can't see a spot in the laundry for the washer and dryer, are you sitting them on top of the cupboards? - I think the kitchen might be a bit light-on for benchspace. Another poster suggested changing the config a little so you can have the bench right up against the wall where the window currently is? I like that idea, or you could even keep the window, just not a full-height window. The bench height could sit just below the windowsill? Not sure exactly how to make that work, but I really think with the double sink on that island bench you're not going be able to spread out when you're cooking. - In the original plan I thought the walk in pantry looked enormous compared to the space allocated for a dining table, and i was going to suggest making the pantry smaller just to add more living space to the area. But I like the adjustments you've made with the staircase and I think that solves that problem now. - Your master bedroom seems really really big in proportion to your living/dining area, I think you could easily take some space out of there, and use that extra space to make the ensuite a bit more spacious. This may also give you the opportunity to put the ensuite toilet in it's own little room with a door. Or you may be able to put a small linen cupboard in the hallway with the space you've saved. I really like the layout, I think it works and like you say it'll maximise your enjoyment of your views Building the Grand Harmony Triple with Scott Park Homes Re: More plans for your comments, please! 15Mar 29, 2009 9:54 pm I think you need to have the stair case where it is on the second revision, livign space is more important than a fancy stair case, although I did love the sound of the cantilevered one. I prefer the family room along the whole back though, but like the toilet in the main bathroom downstairs since you have the powder upstairs anyway. I do think that Bed 4 is a bit strange, as there is no shower upstairs and I feel that there should be an available bathroom to use without having to go downstairs. I also think that guests have to walk a bit too far into the house to reach the staircase, past a bedroom and bathroom. I think the stairs would be more suitable where the store room is, or half of the store room. You could bring the store room a metre forward into hte entry and have a squareset opening entering into the stair entrance opposiet the garage door. Re: Yes, another plan for your comments, please! 16Mar 30, 2009 4:57 pm Hey everyone, Thanks for all your comments so far! Plan 4 is attached for critique! Hi Starlet, Re double doors: Will definitely being doing this! Re storeroom: Top idea! I didn't think of that! Re dryer: front load washer with dryer on top should maximise space. Re kitchen: I know a u shape design would maximise space....but I just love waterfall benchtops! Re masterbed: Have put your ideas into plan 4. Not sure if this is what you meant. Hi Rachelle, Re stairs: I'm going to try some other plans to fit my straight stairs...still hoping! Re wc: Still undecided on the toilet in bathroom thing! Re bed 4: With no children now & (probably?) no children in the future this room is our designated study. I've provided only a powder room instead of a full 2nd bathroom upstairs for this reason. There is a double shower in the ensuite & I will be aiming for dual basins! Space! I need more space! re staircase: I've had a go at moving the stairs forward in plan 4. I'm not sure if this is how you envisaged the entry. I'm not sure if the ceiling void needs to be bigger to accommodate the stairs so it might mean losing some dining room space. Cheers! Mrs Frizzy. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Yet another plan for your comments, please! 18Mar 31, 2009 10:37 pm Yeh that's better! Bed 1 seems better proportioned now in comparison to the living areas. You had one bedroom a similar size to your living areas, it just seemed like a bit of a waste to me If you could find away to get your ensuite toilet into it's own little WC room with a door, then it'd be perfect I reckon. I like a separate loo, personally Building the Grand Harmony Triple with Scott Park Homes Re: Yet another plan for your comments, please! 19Mar 31, 2009 10:48 pm Glad you liked the double door idea. Just another suggestion, have you thought about an entry in to the house from the garage? (shoppers entry, I think they call them here). Your home is coming together nicely (also I am a big fan of having a door on the loo too!! ) Re: Yet another plan for your comments, please! 20Apr 01, 2009 5:53 pm Hey everyone! Thanks guys for all your help! I think we've made some major improvements with this last plan! It utilises the living area available better, allows for cantilever stairs (yay!), provides more storage, has a larger kitchen with space for waterfall benchtops (yay!) , positions the master bedroom on the southern side for southerly breezes, allows for double shower & dual basins in ensuite, just to name a few! More tips are always welcome! Hi Starlet! Re w/c: I'll be trying to make the ensuite toilet separate if I can, gotta work on it! Otherwise dh will be relegated to the downstairs toilet! Hi Davden, Re shoppers entry: Will definitely be doing this... it fell off my plan somehow! I've just seen your pics & I must say what a spectacular location you are building in! The area is so picturesque! I can't wait to see your build completed..... it's going to be stunning! Cheers! Mrs Frizzy. 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… 0 629 Hi, Apologies - I know there is plenty out there on this but struggling to put together the puzzle. We're planning our garage/external laundry to master bedroom and… 0 11422 i thought the flipped plan initially but bec i want narrow pathway from entry to dining (dont like bend), also cannot fit the… 7 17483 |