Floorplan help for new build

[Sophiesbuild]

Hi - please could I have some thoughts on how to improve the floorplans for my new build house? It’s actually starting on site very soon, (groundworks only) although I’ve done most of the design myself so I can still make tweaks! 

The back faces north-west and is on a large plot. Site plan included. Sorry just photos, not near my laptop.

Thanks in advance! 
 

[ETC]

What’s wrong with it?

[JohnMo]

Never seen the point of a sitting room, living room and a snug.

 

From an energy perspective the form factor is rubbish - I did the same. So insulation needs to be way better than you think to compensate for the exposed walls and more roof area

[Sophiesbuild]

1 hour ago, ETC said:

What’s wrong with it?

Nothing wrong, just if anyone spotted any improvements. 
I think the kitchen counter space is a bit lacking, so I could make the bi-fold doors smaller. 

[Sophiesbuild]

1 hour ago, JohnMo said:

Never seen the point of a sitting room, living room and a snug.

 

From an energy perspective the form factor is rubbish - I did the same. So insulation needs to be way better than you think to compensate for the exposed walls and more roof area

In reality I think one of the living rooms will be a gym. 
 

Ok thanks, I was more worried with over heating but also got plenty of insulation. Thanks for the feedback

[Gus Potter]

6 minutes ago, Sophiesbuild said:

Nothing wrong, just if anyone spotted any improvements.

Nothing is perfect, that is life. 

 

Do you have enough money to build it or do you need to make savings?

[torre]

I really like your hall and landing. 

 

Your dining/kitchen is a generous space but the two areas don't really connect and it looks a squeeze between the island and sink - maybe think about pocket doors from the hall so their swing doesn't intrude into the kitchen and move the island.

[Sophiesbuild]

6 minutes ago, Gus Potter said:

Nothing is perfect, that is life. 

 

Do you have enough money to build it or do you need to make savings?

I don’t really have enough money to finish it, so any easy savings I am looking to take. 
I could reduce the size but it’s on a big plot, so seems a shame.

[Gus Potter]

7 minutes ago, Sophiesbuild said:

I don’t really have enough money to finish it,

Hi Sophie.

 

You are not the first and won't be the last to encounter this. There is a huge resource available to you on BH from folk that have been there,  worn the tee shirt as self builders. You have access to; Architect's, Civil Engineers, Quantity Surveyors.. many many heating, ventilation, glass experts, brickies, roofers etc with many builds under their belt.. the list is extensive!

 

If you want the best help and suggestions then you need to be open, provide all your plans so BH folk can see how your house is put together. Also fesse up your budget.

 

Importantly also make a list of the things that are most important to you, ring fence them. All you need to do is make sure you don't give away you name and details unless you are ok with that. If you make a mistake the site mods look after you anyway.

 

 

 

 

[Oz07]

Hard to see the plan with it being a photo. Nice big house. Gf toilet looks a bit cramped to me for the scale of the rest of the place. 

[Bonner]

It is difficult to see the dimensions but the kitchen looks small for the size of the house, particularly with the doors and thoroughfare to the living room. This is my kitchen area for comparison, cupboards and worktops on three sides, generous island with plenty of space around it and no thoroughfare.

Edited October 1 by Bonner

[torre]

18 minutes ago, Bonner said:

kitchen looks small for the size of the house, particularly with the doors and thoroughfare to the living room

 

Agree, you might have more space and more flexibility of kitchen layout if you swap the kitchen and the larger living room that connects to your dining space (losing the wall between). You lose the dedicated pantry but probably gain more in kitchen cupboard space and that frees up the pantry area to tweak the office and WC.

 

Whatever you decide, remember these are all just opinions and your own is the one that counts!

[Indy]

Really like the scale of your design. A couple of tweaks I would look at if I was doing that - and it may be a personal choice:

 

1. Kitchen to be larger for the size of the house. The laundry/boot room eats up into that space quite significantly and I'd be tempted to merge the two and make the kitchen area larger. 

2. Your living area to the left of the kitchen is accessed through a single door and is quite a large room. With the other sitting rooms you have, I'd be tempted to convert into an annexe for guests/elderly parents, or a gym/games room. The other living/sitting areas mean you don't really lose out on much space. 

[ETC]

Are these your construction drawings?

[ETC]

@Sophiesbuild

 

[Sophiesbuild]

Thanks this is amazing! I like the kitchen arrangement, it looks a lot more practical. And yes those are the construction drawings I have put together. 

[Sophiesbuild]

On 01/10/2025 at 14:10, Indy said:

Really like the scale of your design. A couple of tweaks I would look at if I was doing that - and it may be a personal choice:

 

1. Kitchen to be larger for the size of the house. The laundry/boot room eats up into that space quite significantly and I'd be tempted to merge the two and make the kitchen area larger. 

2. Your living area to the left of the kitchen is accessed through a single door and is quite a large room. With the other sitting rooms you have, I'd be tempted to convert into an annexe for guests/elderly parents, or a gym/games room. The other living/sitting areas mean you don't really lose out on much space. 

Thanks for the suggestions, I was actually thinking of making the other living area a gym or future annexe. I think I’m going to put a stub stack for drainage in there, for future flexibility. Thanks again

[ETC]

52 minutes ago, Sophiesbuild said:

And yes those are the construction drawings I have put together. 
You’ll need:

EEWs for any inner room.

EEWs for all FF habitable rooms.

SAAs and HAAs throughout.

CO to all appliances.

And so on……

 

I think you’re going to get a list back from Building Control.

I also think your bay windows are a wee bit strange structurally……

Let me know if you need help…..ARB and BCO.

 

Edited October 4 by ETC

[Spinny]

ETC has taken out the kitchen bifolds to make the kitchen bigger ok but I'm not so sure. Removes the 'look right through the house' thing.

I was wondering why you had the curved wall in your original plan.

 

As you have a large plot, maybe think a lot about how you want the inside/outside thing to work. Looks like you will get afternoon and evening sun from the west into the L shape which seems an obvious place for a patio. Will you be happy going through the diner and sitting room to get from the kitchen to the outside and the patio though ? Do you want a morning space somewhere the other side for breakfast.

[Sophiesbuild]

3 hours ago, ETC said:

 

I think you’re going to get a list back from Building Control.

I also think your bay windows are a wee bit strange structurally……

Let me know if you need help…..ARB and BCO.

 

What does SAAs, HAAs and CO stand for? I guess EEW means emergency egress windows? Sorry, I’m not aware of all the acronyms!

 

The drawings have already been reviewed by building control, they had a couple of comments which I have addressed. 
 

What do you mean by the bay windows being weird structurally? The drawings are done in Revit (self taught), so they are a bit weird looking on the drawing. 

[Nickfromwales]

4 hours ago, Sophiesbuild said:

I think I’m going to put a stub stack for drainage in there, for future flexibility.

No need for the inconvenience of a boxed in stub-stack. If the invert to the drains outside is <1300mm you don't need an AAV (Air Admittance Valve (aka a Durgo)), so the 110mm connection can be capped off below FFL and uncovered later in life; no need for any compromise on GIA this way  

 

Picture how the room could transform, and put hot & cold pipes in there, behind the plasterboard, in abeyance. No need to connect them and fill them with water, but defo a cheap bit of insurance that would minimise upheaval downstream.

 

Also look to making that room it's own 32a ring main, and if going for MVHR then put a redundant run in for extract too. 

[Sophiesbuild]

36 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

No need for the inconvenience of a boxed in stub-stack. If the invert to the drains outside is <1300mm you don't need an AAV (Air Admittance Valve (aka a Durgo)), so the 110mm connection can be capped off below FFL and uncovered later in life; no need for any compromise on GIA this way  

 

Picture how the room could transform, and put hot & cold pipes in there, behind the plasterboard, in abeyance. No need to connect them and fill them with water, but defo a cheap bit of insurance that would minimise upheaval downstream.

 

Also look to making that room it's own 32a ring main, and if going for MVHR then put a redundant run in for extract too. 

Thank you that’s really helpful, and good idea on hot and cold water. I’ll do that.