Criticisms of house plan

[krc1995]

This is the second revision and a few things were left undone. First, I wish to add three feet onto the storage in the garage for a workout room. I am not crazy about how small the second and third baths are. Also, the bedroom #1 has to walk through the kitchen to get to a bathroom. For us, that fine as that bedroom is going to be an office, but it might hurt resell(if and when). If you notice the breakfast area has windows looking into the garage, that must be changed. The original houseplan had the garage sticking out, but that made the house way too wide so we had to slide the garage in. The garage itself is going to have look like a normal garage from the outside, but is going to be completely open to the backyard.

 

Any suggestions?

 

[Count 'Bility]

One thing I learned from the process of my parents' new house, and the many new housed I plumbed when I was still doing that was, once you think is it's big enough, make it bigger.

 

By the time my mom bought all her new little knick-knacks and such, they were pretty much out of space before they were fully moved in.

[Mavric]

Overall, I like the plan.

 

Having the entrance to the one bedroom through the kitchen is a little different but I don't think it's a really bid deal.

 

The biggest thing I notice is there really isn't a coat closet at either entrance, unless you're going to have coat storage in the laundry room. If you're having people over or have kids, it's almost necessary to have a place to take coats and shoes off when they come inside or you'll have stuff laying around everywhere.

 

Just my $0.02

[VA Husker Fan]

I like it overall, with the open kitchen. Good for entertaining and for watching kids, and the cook isn't cut off. As long as you realize you aren't hiding the kitchen clutter.

 

I was going to make the same comment about missing coat closets. I assume the utility room has hooks or maybe a rod, but many people also look for even just a small front coat closet. Those spaces also double for storing things like a vacuum cleaner.

 

I agree that getting to the bathroom through the kitchen from BR 1 isn't ideal but isn't a killer. I was going to suggest moving the bathroom to be private between BR 1 and BR 2 but you probably want it easily accessible to the back door.

 

In the master bath, I see why you have the door swinging out but I think you are going to hate it. At some point someone will get whacked when the other person opens the door, plus unless you keep the door shut it will probably be in the way as you walk by. Maybe a bi-fold door? Or maybe if you kept that wall with the door angled you could do a pocket door (slides into the wall)?

 

It is ideal to have natural light coming from two sides in a room if at all possible, otherwise it can seem flat. Many plans would have a window or even a door leading out to the back porch unless there's a privacy issue. You could put the window on the other wall. In BR 1 you'd want either a window in the corner by the dining room wall, or on the other wall, or even both to make a nice cross breeze. Skylights or solar tubes are another way to get more lighting.

 

The double entry doors look nice but they are probably a lot easier to break into since you can't run a dead bolt into a solid door jamb, unless security isn't at all an issue. It's also harder to put in a storm/screen door if you want that. I would probably just put a single door in the center and panels with glass on each side. I can actually open one of my panels by unlatching it from the floor to make it easier to bring furniture in, but I'm in a very low crime area.

 

Likewise the back french doors have the same security issue. French doors look cool in the movies but would you ever really use them? You have to secure one into the floor and top of the frame otherwise it can blow open in a strong wind, so when you want to use them you have to unlatch it in 2 places first. Just make sure that you see and understand exactly how they work and then decide if you still want them.

 

I'd make the side wall against the refrigerator a bit longer so that a full depth one looks more like a counter depth fridge. It looks a lot better than having the fridge stick out, and you don't want a real counter depth fridge because they cost the same but you lose a lot of space. If the counter next to it lined up better with the BR1/dining room wall you could even push it up so that a full sized fridge really fit in like a counter depth one, but it's not that important. Just make sure that gap between the counter and wall is a full 36" to fit a standard width fridge.

 

Got enough room for a big screen TV with that fireplace on the middle of the wall? If not you could put it in the corner at an angle.

 

I'd think about a half wall instead of a full wall between the breakfast area and the hall to open up the entry that you'll be using every day. Not sure though. If you leave it full, you probably have room to put a counter and cabinets on that wall if you find you don't have enough kitchen storage, or a buffet.

 

Not sure about that open garage but I guess it's really a carport with front doors so it at least looks secure from the street. Maybe it's ok to keep the windows from the breakfast nook, even if it's just a view of the cars. It can be nice to have some windows that you can keep open even if it's raining.

 

Good luck. Building a house can get stressful. This is definitely the time to make changes. Once you start construction, changes get a lot more expensive or impossible.

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

I don't see a room labeled "Huskers Man Cave"

[HSKR]

If you are planning to have someone actually sleep in Beds #1 and #2 and a regular basis, I'd suggest scrapping this plan and starting over. I'd hate to be sleeping in either one with someone banging around in the kitchen early in the morning. Generally you put the garage, utility, kitchen on one side of the house, beds on the other separated by the living room.

[C N Red]

If you are planning to have someone actually sleep in Beds #1 and #2 and a regular basis, I'd suggest scrapping this plan and starting over. I'd hate to be sleeping in either one with someone banging around in the kitchen early in the morning. Generally you put the garage, utility, kitchen on one side of the house, beds on the other separated by the living room.

Agreed.^^^^^^^^ I loved my house i owned in Lincoln when i lived there and if i get a chance to build another i will damn near follow the blueprint from that house exactly.

[VA Husker Fan]

Sound insulation in the walls can help a lot with that noise. The split bedroom plan is becoming as popular as putting all bedrooms at one side.

[krc1995]

Thanks, I agree about the coat closet and the original plan had the bathroom between the bedrooms but I want to encourage everyone to stay outside so the bathroom was moved to be accessible to the porch. I guess another 1/2 bath could be added but I am not interested in cleaning 4 toilets.

 

I appreciate the honest with the bedrooms and I understand that it could hurt resale, but it's what we like because we have a 19 year old and a 6 year old. The 19 year wants her own space and I want the 6 year old near me. We also have guests frequently and I think that its a pretty good arrangement for their comfort. I also have an aging mother in law that would potentially have her own space once daughter has moved on. Maybe I do want to rethink it.

 

The draftsman said he has seen many, many divorces come out of building a house. That's why we decided to go quickly and with our gut but it's just hard to visualize. Decades together and living in an apartment for the last 3 plus I hope we can make it through this. If I had my wish, I would have much rather bought a house but the selection is limited in this area. The major goal for me is to keep everyone outside and active. The lot is on a golf course and in S. Louisiana so hopefully that can come to fruition.

 

Of course the major hurry is to get it done by football season. We can't get B10 network in our apartment

[TonyStalloni]

I think with the wealth of home plan books on the market you could find a plan that is more workable and user friendly. Since there are no stairs I'm assuming it is a slab or crawl space? Where will the furnace and HW heater be located? This plan has almost no storage space. It sounds like your family is or will be changing soon so make sure you plan for handicap accessibility if an aging parent stays with you.

[Stumpy1]

I would get rid of the breakfast area by moving the exterior wall in and giving you more patio space and then move your fridge over there and put in more cabinets there along with the pantry and then open the space up where they used to sit. It would give you a clear view of the dining room to go along with the rest of the family area.

 

I would also consider pocket doors in the master bath and closet.

[krc1995]

I would get rid of the breakfast area by moving the exterior wall in and giving you more patio space and then move your fridge over there and put in more cabinets there along with the pantry and then open the space up where they used to sit. It would give you a clear view of the dining room to go along with the rest of the family area.

 

I would also consider pocket doors in the master bath and closet.

I will look at this, but I was going to use that area as the tv area, rather then the family room. I like a small area to watch tv. I will also see if the draftsman can add an entry closet, that's pretty important too me. I will also note the adding extra insulation between the kitchen and bedroom

 

As far as storage, I am not sure I would need any more and I hate the thought of acquiring things just to fill closets. I am somewhat of a minimalist. We are going to do an attic type storage in the garage. I do wish there was a little counter space in the second and third bathrooms

 

As far as using internet and or books for houseplans, we tried that. Many of them look good on paper but just are not drawn up accurately (according to several builders).

 

Initially, I had talked to a landscape acquaintence and he designed the front yard in a Husker theme. It's going to be pretty cool but man I already get picked on pretty good after the blowout losses, I can only imagine the ridicule if I have a redlawn and a 25 foot flagpole, Huskers spelled out in carnations, etc.

[krc1995]

I would get rid of the breakfast area by moving the exterior wall in and giving you more patio space and then move your fridge over there and put in more cabinets there along with the pantry and then open the space up where they used to sit. It would give you a clear view of the dining room to go along with the rest of the family area.

 

I would also consider pocket doors in the master bath and closet.

Ok, move the breakfast area wall flush with the back porch wall? I guess the hallway in the utlity room could be part of a bigger utility area then, Only thing is I can't take off more then 10 sq feet on the total living area because there is a 2400 minimum. I wonder if the pantry area could (someday and with a new owner) could potentially be a small bathroom? What about just taking out the breakfast area wall that is also a hall? Maybe that would be too open.

 

Im not sure what pocket doors are, but that side of the house is going to be the safe side and the master bath is going to be what they call a panic room. We don't live in that rough of an area but we do have a couple of reasons to build a secure area

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I guess I'm scratching my head as to why you want to leave the backside of the garage open to the yard? Obviously that gives someone access to your garage fairly easily along with the door through the garage, typically a weaker door than your front and back door. I guess I've never seen anything like that before............

[krc1995]

I guess I'm scratching my head as to why you want to leave the backside of the garage open to the yard? Obviously that gives someone access to your garage fairly easily along with the door through the garage, typically a weaker door than your front and back door. I guess I've never seen anything like that before............

because we back to a golf course so security isn't much of an issue at least nothing that a just having a garage wall up will prevent. It was a design that I loved when we looked at open houses. The builder will finish the ceiling throughout the porch garage and then a bar will go up later in the area that the wall would have been.