Congrats on being a first home builder...exciting for you !!
...which area?

Look at you tweaking plans!
My 2 cents, I love a wip and if you can have one so the opening doesn't face a ' public space' you can get away without a door, and have a bench for toaster, jug, fruit bowl, pens, and floor to ceiling shelves opposite.
Easy reach...no door and no doors on shelves etc
Just walk in and grab.

Others will help you get a great layout.
All I care about is a basin in a loo!!

we can make suggestions for improving this plan but have you considered a single garage to make more space for people and are you planning a custom build or will your builder allow so many changes to their plans without major extra costs and how many people will live in the house?

As a first home buyer be aware that a custom plan is generally more expensive than a builders set plan. So your budget may dictate. I like living space in opt.2 and prefer island in kitchen and find butlers pantry typically wastes space in small houses. but don’t like the wir en-suite to bed 1. Not enough room in wir and wasted space in en-suite. Wir also can waste space. All those extra walkways chewing up valuable floor space. But it’s your priorities that
Matter not mine.

It will be in Mernda, I'm not going with a volume builder but the guy I am negotiating with seemed to give me the ok to create the plan as I'd like, but of course I will check in as you're right changing things around will probably be some extra costs I would imagine. A lot of the volume builder plans had laundry in the garage or further down the house was on the boundary creating an outside side walkway that ended and went no where, I think I like that you can walk all the way to the backyard on both sides rather than one side being a dead end. Also some had master at the back of the house which gave space but I wasn't a huge fan of.

Oklouise I had to make sacrifices and one was room space to add a double garage as that's preferable to me and more appealing as a resale if I was to sell later down the track. At the moment it'll just be me living in it so I don't need anything extra, I just wanted a decent kitchen and bigger robe space.

Thanks for the feedback Kate, I do like the streamlined wardrobes with doors as appose to a walk in but was thinking that would remove wall space if you wanted to chuck a TV up or something and you don't have to keep opening cupboards to find your outfits. I would get the WIR fitted with proper shelving etc than the standard rod if I was to do a WIR.

are you able to build the whole house along either boundary and what front rear and side set backs are allowed

Hey @differentwaysDifferentways, the advice I got was that was probably not going to be allowed (might be able to apply to council not sure), some floor plans had garage and then rooms further down the back of the house on the boundary which left some dead walkway space on the sides (which you could access via laundry).

With the first plan, the bedrooms are in the living area. And anyone using the bathroom has to walk through the living area, and up the hall. This is the case with the other two plans as well.
Look at this plan, that I have attached, and the way the minor bedrooms have been laid out. Away from living areas, and easy accessible to bathroom. This plan is suitable for a 10 metre wide block.

my suggestions includes losing the entry hall in favour of a little more space in the front room and, for a single person or young family, a more spacious master suite and kitchen with small minor bedrooms without biw to allow for a queen sized guest bed and chests of drawers and/or biw with space for a single bed or study desk

@dreamer I have seen plans similar to this but that would require me to build boundary to boundary which I was told wasn't allowed on the block.

@oklouise Wow thanks so much for giving it a good crack and spending time giving me a bit more variety and ideas!

differentways/siriuskey

And more ideas for you to consider

Kitchen can a sink on the back wall, in the Island plus another in the WIP with northerly window.

Laundry has large Linen storage and external access

Study within the open plan space which is great for both adults and kids

Separate WC Powder room etc

Master has 6M of WIR cheers

Wow, both offering a different perspective .

Very good!

Love them.

Going to print out in case we ever buy a narrow block.

I like that plan dways. Keeps the bedrooms min 3x3.6. And good width for hall and front living.
Just need to change the garage. It will need min 6m depth by 5.5 wide internally to melb planning standard.
Could add a toilet in main bath if wanted, sacrificing a little of the study to extend hall and centralise bathroom door, but I would delete the other toilet for a 3- bed house and replace with more storage, could even be an external store, if it was moved into bathroom.

Thanks Kate I didn't know where Mernda was, I liked the layout as it was but there can be many variations as per the following.

The Master at the rear which opens to the rear garden with a view which I thought would be better and can allow more space for the open plan living or not.

@differentways @Kate @oklouise Thank you all SO much for taking the time to analyse, play around, offer ideas.

I am definitely going to have to make some sacrifices here and there, a lot to think about.

@differentways I really like the space you've found in the first one, and the utilisation of the N light, I especially like the layout of the master. I was worried in doing the overall layout like this that the living area would be too small and disrupted from people walking through (if I had some kind of outdoor area) if it was a gathering with people going in and out. Always had a thing about the master at the back with kids at the front prefer it in reverse.

Its a tricky one hey!!

@differentways @Kate @oklouise Thoughts on this kitchen/living configuration?

and floor plan with hall at the side (I'd want to switch the Master though I think)

?

you need to include the dimensions but in this new plan the master is in that location as it's a bigger room and fits that space..moving it to another location would use up more width than the other bedrooms and make the kitchen smaller but your photos are from a much bigger home and don't match the plans .. you need to decide if you are building a home for yourself (and similar buyers) or you want to focus on a house for sale to a variety of different buyers..you said that you wanted the master away from the backyard, a decent kitchen and more robe space so what does this plan have that we haven't already suggested

Love the last version with scullery having just built and with something similar, its very workable and practical. My thought is swap bed 3 and bathroom so that bed 2 has easier access to the bathroom, plus your plumbing isn’t so spread out and will save a few $. Perhaps also think about your main bedroom set up, eg you could have a more spacious bedroom with normal wardrobes, and/or could have a more luxurious feeling ensuite without the WIR. We also did the same ensuite set up and love it

I like the floor plan that you have posted, without any dimensions it doesn't show how it might fit your block. Yes it can be changed

. OKL worked with your brief to give you what you thought you wanted ie: Kitchen for someone who loves cooking and WIR plus the Master towards the front of the house.

I did what I thought would work with the same requirements for a Cook. WIP plus WIR.

I prefer the Master bedroom to the rear overlooking the garden instead of the next door property at possibly 2M, this a big selling point for any future potential buyers but more importantly yourself..

There are always ""differentways" to do a floorplan which works easier face to face to make adjustments.

Iike the last plan you have posted, laundry, WIP & WIR can be reduced or removed.

One small but important detail is the fridge placement which will block access to the WIP, cupboard and have family and friends in that corner adding to that problem

No need to worry about visitors moving through the house because once they are in everything like Kitchen living dining alfresco powder room is together at the rear they will only go back through the house when leaving or even down the side of the house.

Personally I think WIR & WIP are over rated and end up adding extra expensive squ M that aren't needed

@differentways and @oklouise Thanks again for the thorough details :)

Kitchen living looks fine.
I would reduce depth of pantry adding cupboards or bench to top side of laundry as if it has direct access to garage this will need a drop zone for items.
Main bath, the sep toilet needs it’s own basin, some rearrangement could achieve this. Otherwise look at the designs with the vanity outside the bathing room.
Study looks narrow. You want to at least get a desk and a reading chair in. Or small couch and desk.

the challenge is allowing space for all these extra suggestions while still allowing enough room for the thickness of all the walls, required setbacks and a double garage on a 10m x 30m block and each addition needs to take space away from somewhere else

@differentways Any chance having a go with the hallway running along the side? Open to cabinets over WIP or WIR

@differentways @oklouise @Kate You are all very good at this stuff, you must have good spacial/problem solving brains!! Its all new for me so doing lots of research and trying to listen to people who are familiar with the process and have done this before. I am already learning from what I should/shouldn't be looking for and thinking big picture

siriuskey/differentways

I have done several plans with the external passage but my filing system is done by client name so difficult to bring up. Happy to look at it for you

Another example of a 10metre wide design. The courtyard side could be positioned on your northern side. It is a bigger home than you require, but more food for thought.

While it fits the plan well, I’m not sure of the real life role of the study space. It seems too public a spot for an actual study with all the clobber that entails. And a bit odd as a living area. Could the space be better used by other rooms? Or could you do a side entrance as suggested above, so the front room doesn’t have to accommodate a corridor.

So there are so many wonderful ideas here. I would love to see the plans with garage beds bath and laundry if pos and master etc down south. On north side sitting/study/kitchen family but I do not think you need a huge pantry in this size home. A 900mm cupboard might really be enough. That would then allow room for a court along the north side to let light into the south side. It could be a green oasis of calm to be used as a sit read cuppa place or play listen to music space but would ensure the whole home is warmed by sunlight, bright and airy. Just another thing to consider and make it beautiful for you and family. Cheers Margot

Thanks @differentways that'd be ace!

@Kitchen and Home Sketch Designs Thanks for the ideas Margot! (Not the configuration you were suggesting) but do you mean something like this on the North Side to break it up?

Not sure why you have a bath in the en-suite as well as in the main bathroom. Maybe reconfigure and replace it with a generous vanity unit?

A block with a narrow western frontage results in a home with the longer sides facing north & south. This is great for energy efficiency & comfort.

The northern side of the home will be light throughout the year, receive plenty of winter sunshine, & will be shade (by appropriate length eaves) in summer.

This shape usually also results in a large portion of the roof facing north, which is great for solar PV.

The shorter eastern & western sides are great too, as it's difficult to shade the sun in these directions, as it's low in the sky.

But there are issues with blocks of this type. To gain the maximum benefit of northern light & winter sunshine, it's best to locate living areas facing north. But as these living areas will be right against the fence, usually looking straight at a neighbour's house, lack of privacy can be a major problem.

Building so close to the northern boundary can also result in problems with overshadowing by a northern neighbour. It's great to have northern living areas, but they must receive direct sunlight in winter (when the sun is lower in the sky). If they are shaded throughout the day in winter, then you will lose most of the benefit that this orientation gives you.

So my first question will be, what's to the north of your block? I'm assuming there is another house there, built close to the boundary, or there will be one built very soon? If this is the case, is it single storey or double storey? Is the land flat, or is it sloped in any way? If it's slope, will this slope improve overshadowing, or make it worse?

If you have a double storey home to your north, or an unhelpful slope, then gaining northern light in your home would be quite difficult.

If the land to your north is (& will remain) free, then you're laughing.

If there's a single level home to your north privacy & overshadowing should be a concern. But there are solutions.

One of the solutions is in your second image (not the plans). Clerestory (highlight) windows.

Windows at this height will be less prone to overshadowing, & you'll have views of the sky, not a fence or (single storey) neighbour.

This would be a great solution for the first plan you posted, or the last (I think it was). Both plans have living areas spreading down the northern side of the home. So privacy concerns would need to be resolved. The former plan has a lot of hallway near the entrance (many consider to be wasted space), the latter plan moves the living area a bit closer to the front, reducing wasted hallway space. Both have the lady towards the front, which is a bit odd, the latter one without a window for ventilation. A had looked at the former plan, & thought I'd be greedy, & swap the master with need 3, so that the master has the better dual aspect location, in the SE corner. This is where the master is located in the latter plan. It's just enclose the area where the linen cupboard is, to improve the master's privacy from the living area. Using this area for robes. Moving the linen cupboard, possible just outside the main bathroom, if there's room.

Back to those clerestory windows. To maximise privacy, while also minimising overshadowing, you want the windows to be high, like in the image. This means cathedral ceilings in the living areas. Which leads to a couple of concerns.

You want to make sure cathedral ceilings are very well insulated during the build. As unlike a normal roof cavity (where you can add insulating batts later), it's extremely difficult to improve insulation levels for cathedral ceilings at a later date. So do it right the first time, with high insulation levels (well above the minimum 6 star standard).

The second concern is roof orientation. This block orientation usually results in a lot of north facing roof. Great for solar PV. But if you have tall cathedral ceilings in the northern side of your home, you're likely to have either a flat roof, or a skillion roof, sloping to the south. Neither are a great option for solar PV, both would require tilt frames, which are costly. One solution could be a butterfly roof, but this is a very costly roof design, & has its own problems (potential flooding). Or you could look at having cathedral ceilings & clerestory windows in just a smaller part of the north facing areas. The rest of the northern areas with traditional ceilings, & a traditional N/S gable roof, with room for north facing solar PV panels.

Another solution improve privacy & prevent overshadowing of northern windows is to incorporate a northern courtyard. But, as it looks like you have limited space I think the clerestory windows are a better solution.

Plenty to think about. But generally I like that latter plan, with north facing living areas. Just needs some tweeks here & there, clerestory windows for light & privacy, while still leaving some north facing roof for solar PV.

PS. forgive any typos, I can't edit this website (formatting goes nuts), & it's too hard to proofread on my laggy phone. Hopefully everything makes sense 😂

Yes Tash, that is the sort of thing that I mean: it is another "Healthy" living room for you and one that does more than just be space: fresh air, light, green, emotionally refreshing. I could draw up something for you if you like: I love this idea and am very happy to share it for you. If you would like a call and chat would be best start.... Cheers Margot

@ddarroch Thanks for the thorough response!

Yes it is a bit challenging to achieve the optimum N sun, there is 2 houses to the North (as pictured) where their alfresco ends about 1.5 metres to the fence. I do like the clerestory windows and am waiting for a bit of a cost idea for various roof options to bring a more light in. Which is a bit of a challenge on a a stricter budget (first home buyer with one wage going towards the build) (probably couldn't afford huge windows like the second pic)

.

@ddarroch Originally I prefer the layout of plan one (just a bit of chop and changing of some other plans that fit 10.5 frontage so dimensions may not be super accurate (closeish) more just room placement) as I wanted as much space as possible in the entertaining end and I like that it flows to the whole backyard (similar to the first photo in previous reply, and the couple you see in my first original post)

I do understand though that the long open plan eliminates some corridor and is best for light (if you can get it) I did like differentways attempt (plan two). The only downside was that if I choose the long option your kitchen island faces a wall (I guess you could make the kitchen shorter and join the bench in an L shape instead of a separate island) and that your entertaining may be smaller and you can only see half the backyard rather than the whole backyard being open and in view (in plan one). If that makes sense. I have a lot to consider and weigh up and its been very educational for me to get all these responses with people opinions .

Hi Tash sorry for the delay in getting back to you

While drawing the exterior entrance and hall I decided to move the garage across and extend the kitchen family room out to the boundary thus swapping this for the garage onto the boundary. Don't pretend to know any of your building regs.

This change will give you a wider kitchen family plus the wider view into the garden that you were hoping to get

@differentways bless, once again thanks so much for the various perspectives to mull over!

this plan looks ideal but wonder about length of building on both boundaries..what if the neighbours want to do the same thing and there's also restriction to avoid stealing the neighbours' solar access

And Tash A has already said, early on 31st Aug, that boundary to boundary was not allowed.

@oklouise @Kitchen and Home Sketch Designs Thanks for having a go! Yes my advice was that I couldn't build boundary to boundary on anything smaller than 300 square. I know the Garage can be close to the boundary so I am unsure of the rules if there is a break on the perimeter and say part of the back of the house then can reconnect on the boundary. I will have to check that.

I at least wanted some walkway to the backyard on the side and found that if your side path kind of just goes a couple metres then ends - its a bit of dead space and what do you then use that for?

Would putting a covered alfresco on the NE corner block out some essential light?

Or if I was to add a covered area there opt for something like a laser light or retractable roof?

I personally would prefer to plant a lovely deciduous tree!:)

Vergola pergola would be perfect.

Thinking about using the boundary, a rough guide from a Melbourne architect is 25% of the length of the boundary plus 10M , don't quote me!

So the following pushes out at the front which allows for a narrow Japanese style stone garden with sliding glass doors opening up to it. this will also help to expand the size of the kitchen. The boundary fence brick or other with something like Laser cut steel panels for privacy on top

Entrance from the garage can be via the laundry or into the passageway with easy access to the bathroom

Just a couple more thoughts for you to ponder

@differentways this is so inspiring and much easier to visualise!

I hope they can allow something more on the boundaries without taking the neighbours sunlight!! Fingers crossed!