Floorplan Perspectives

last year

We are trying to create a main floor plan that fits all our criteria and looking for another perspective.

There are several things that we would want to tweak on this plan, but like the overall layout with the MB, office and laundry all on a private "wing" on the right right side of the plan. We actually like the left side of the plan as well, with the Kitchen/Mud/Prep area, but it needs a few tweaks. I won't list them all, but with this layout I would actually swap the Mud and Prep so that the pwdr room can be accessed from the garage by walking through the mudroom instead of the Prep. It would still be directly accessible from the back of the house and screened porch.

Probably the biggest concern though is that with this layout is that it gets pretty wide, and isn't that deep, so the front elevation could look off (wide and short). It's also not symmetrical at all, which we generally like, though not required. We do like how the stairs have lots of windows, like one of our inspiration photos:

Here is a variation that makes things not quite as wide:

However, I don't know that I love this. The mudroom seems much smaller. We're a family of 6 and having a spot for each person to hang their coat, set their "stuff" (book, laptop, etc) in a cubby, and kick off their shoes in an organized fashion that doesn't require opening a closet door (what kid is going to do that) was one of our goals. That bench is probably only 4' and we were looking for 7'. We could ditch closet and make an L-shaped bench. This plan also bigger, 1920 vs 1906 sq ft, when we'd like it to be under 1900.

Perhaps we want to have our cake and eat it too (i.e. there is no way to get everything we want in the size we want to be at), but just curious if anyone has any insights or thoughts for us as we try to get an efficient and functional floor plan that can also result in an attractive, or at least not hideous, front elevation.

Here is one possibility for a front elevation for the first layout:

And here is one possibility for the second layout:

These both show 12/12 pitches on the main roof structure to add height. If we could go to something less, like 9/12, I'm sure that would save cost.

One thought I've toying with is could we pull the front wall forward, where the "nook" is between the entry and garage, instead of stepping back. This would create a deeper section there which would keep the garage peak below the left/right peak even with a shallower pitch. Or maybe it would look just fine with the garage peak being higher.

Like I said, we'd welcome another perspective!

Featured Answer

PRO

Mark Bischak, Architect

last year

You will benefit greatly by getting a local residential architect involved in your project; the sooner the better.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (42)

chispa
last year
Switch the master closet with the master bath.

Actually master bedroom should be in that corner so you can have windows on two walls.
emilyam819
last year
Neither mudroom is great. You want to force traffic through the mudroom, not make it so that someone has to walk into it and then out again before the next person goes in. I agree that powder room is convenient to the mudroom.

What is the nook for?

Agree that master suite should be rearranged.
Related Discussions
Kitchen Lighting Plan recommendations requested.
Q
Comments (1)
I am by far no lighting expert, with that said, this is what I would do. I would want a lot of lighting because you can always turn them off or dim them instead of re-installing more : ) HTH
...See More
Please critique this floor plan. Also looking for ways to save money.
Q
Comments (52)
Do you really think the living area and kitchen will be that dark with there being windows on all 3 walls of the breakfast area and lots of big windows on that living room wall???? To answer your question, yes. My last place was a condo. I had floor to ceiling sliders in the living room and dining area. My kitchen had no windows and the layout was kitchen>dining room>sliders to the outside. My windows faced due west. Even in late afternoon with the sun low in the sky, the light didn't penetrate into my open kitchen and my kitchen was only 11' from the sliders. In my second house, my dining room never saw any natural light. I had a 3 season sunroom right off the dining room and it had windows on the south, east and west wall. That room was only 10' deep. No light ever penetrated to the dining room. I think some of you are used to a much fancier life than we are haha 😅 This has nothing to do with fancy and everything to do with good design. My first house was a small (1600 square feet) bungalow on a 40' x 100' lot with a detached garage. The house was built in 1927 and the bedroom/master bath was added onto in the 60's. Even in that small bungalow my bedroom had windows on two walls. And my kitchen had an actual window over the sink. For example I grew up in a bedroom with windows on only one side and I survived just fine. I dont have the time to lay in bed and stare out a window anyway. It isn't only for staring out a window. It's also for cross ventilation and natural light.
...See More
Asking for Advice on this Mountain View Floorplan!
Q
Comments (15)
Not a fan for a number of reasons. Unless you've "cut off" the sketch, I don't even see a kitchen -- only what appears to be a bar -- yet you have a lot of smaller rooms with specific designations. Consider recreating your rooms so their use is more flexible to not only give you more options but help the resale value of the home. Consider the possibility you might want this for your forever home and, someday, might need more bedrooms for grandchildren and their parents to visit -- but no longer need a music room or both a study and an office or den or gym or playroom or both a formal dining room and a screened/summer/sun porch dining room. If I understand correctly: Your basement will be a walk out facing the mountain view? The center floor is the "main level" and will be ground level facing the road? The upstairs/top floor will actually be in an attic, creating small "unfinished" spaces? In the mountains, it can get really cold and windy in the winter -- even in the north Georgia mountains. Summers here in the foothills of the mountains where "mountain views" begin can have days that top 100F. Heat rises and cold settles, making any two story room problematic for heat/cooling in any home anywhere. Would not want even the stairwell "open" floor plan, much less the largest room in the house -- would want a door to close off the stairwell upstairs and downstairs. Does the basic structure already exist -- are you limited to this size and this shape and this space? Having spaces designated "unfinished" means you'll need building permits to do anything significant in that space later and you'll likely not get your wiring rough in there needed for its ultimate intended purposes. If you do create a two story room in what appears to be a three story house, do make sure you can close off the rest of the upstairs from any two story room and can also close off the rest of the downstairs from any two story room -- especially if you put the two story room in the center of the home because you would essentially be turning two heating/cool zones -- upstairs and down -- into six heating zones. Unless high utility bills are of no concern to you now or in the future. In lieu of a "screened porch, consider the equivalent of a sun room created with a pair of wide sliding glass doors on three sides with screens. That will enable you to use your dining porch much earlier in the spring and for much longer in the fall. With an electrical outlet or a pair of them (on different circuits) on the house wall, you could even add some heat to such a room extending the dates it could be used for even longer with a small inexpensive radiant heater. https://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/comfort-zone-electric-radiant-heater/0000000249432 Alternately, especially if you're going to have a table and chairs FILL up your screened porch from early spring until late fall anyway, you could create such a sun room in the corner of the house with two window walls -- two walls of the dining room -- or three walls of the living /dining room combination -- with cold weather rated side sliding glass doors leading to a deck or patio -- accessible from a front formal two or three story entrance with stairwell (that can be closed off from the rest of the house and, thus, end up with all the open living/dining/entertaining space you that would be need no more difficult to keep "neat" than just the living room (easier than a living room with a two story ceiling). IF you put the room on one end of the house, you may even be able to create this room with a vaulted ceiling -- far easier to heat/clean than a two story ceiling. Would not count on adding a garage later and being satisfied with where you put it -- it will block windows and never be just where you wish you'd put it if you don't plan it now. Instead, you might consider creating at least a double drive thru carport on the road side/street level with a modest sized porch between the carport and the front entry door. That carport could be planned/designed/sized to give you the option to have it be enclosed later as your garage. https://www.google.com/search?q=attractive+upscale+carports+for+mountain+homes&client=firefox-b-1-d&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=951Ze0wwl4Z0UM%252CnfR3-CnRIFvihM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kTjnuHeAY-4ypLUL1GqBCnuik-2bg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjmv_nYv-3vAhXOFVkFHcYcDb8Q9QF6BAgNEAE#imgrc=6arOwQtl0Cb9KM If the carport/porch and front entry is in the center of the home, you create a "T " shaped roof with three gables -- one over each end and one over the carport/garage, including over the carport/garage which makes the attic much more user friendly. You could leave the attic space over the carport unfinished or go ahead and finish it as a third bedroom equal in size to the other two equal sized bedrooms for your daughters (one of the left side/end of the house and the other on the right side/end of the house. That third equal sized bedroom will be really good for resale value and, in the meantime, it can be used as the girls bonus room -- usable in different ways as they age and their interests change. The full bath, accessible from the hallway, could be on the mountain view side of the home and access to the stairwell could be in the entry on the road/carport side of the home. If you plan on a "U" shaped stairwell, then from the main level entry, you go up on one side and down on the other and can easily add an inner door between the entry and living area to control heat exchange between the main level of the home and the stairwell up and down. If you keep your home itself a rectangle, then you can have the same sized space on the main floor and basement or build only a half basement -- same width of basement as the house (left/right) but not as deep -- the wall of the finished basement could be beneath the center of the main floor -- with unfinished basement between that back wall of the basement living area and the actual foundation wall of the house -- a place for your mechanical/utility access room. Your unfinished living area will tax less than your finished living area and, being along the full length of the mountain view side of the home, will be a more welcoming space. In the main living area, design that space to be your forever home -- where you might want to live when you are over a hundred years old and your knees are not wanting to climb up or down stairs as often -- have that space contain your master bedroom suite, perhaps including a laundry room on the road/front side of the house, perhaps accessible from the entry -- or at least a large closet with plumbing rough in so that if/when you are an empty-nester you could put a small stacked washer and dryer in that closet.. Your kitchen would not need much in the way of a window wall, so add on the other side of the entry to the front/carport/road side of the house. The rest of your space is for the other rooms you deem essential -- living and dining room -- together or separate -- and any other room that needs to be on the main floor of your forever home. The "full" basement -- half finished or more than half finished -- would be your private space for family activities -- space you don't need to keep "neat" . Make sure you can close off the "U" shaped stairwell from the rest of the basement. Your "U" shaped steps would take up a space against the back wall and divide into two parts the (potentially) unfinished part of the basement (mechanical/utility/heat/ac/family/pool related laundry and/or storage) but the entire width of the basement with the mountain view wall could begin as open and unfinished, and then you could build your rooms that you want/need on that level around the supports.
...See More
Design help: Kitchen / pantry / floor plan feedback?
Q
Comments (34)
OK, spent some time with cabinet & ID. We created access to the pantry and modified based on the incredibly helpful feedback from everyone (especially @mama goose_gw zn6OH & @Buehl!). Attached here is the latest floor plan. Having access to the pantry is great, and having the dishwasher on the outside makes cleanup zone much improved, close proximity to dish cabinet, and trash seems better positioned. Still wondering if the primary prep zone is sufficient (about 38" on either side of the sink on island). Also, per your feedback @Buehl, wondering if we should change our potfiller to something like this: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2699429/prep-sink-next-to-range-how-close-is-perrrrfect, so that we have a secondary prep zone with access to water. Any other thoughts? I love the cleanup zone you had proposed @Buehl, but not sure how to get that while managing our window constraints & pantry access. One option maybe would be to shift from two windows to one? Not sure. Already feeling this is wildly improved, so very thankful to you all for your help!
...See More
rv1458
Original Author
last year
I think that falls into the tweaks category. That is definitely something we have considered, and I'd like to know why you recommend swapping them. We went with that layout so the bed could be on the right wall. Putting the bathroom on that side puts the bed in front of the bathroom door.

Nonetheless, it is actually the left side of the plan and how the floor plan affects the elevation that is our primary concern at this point.
rv1458
Original Author
last year
The nook is definitely a nice to have and not a must have. It just fit there. But to answer your question, it is a home organization point. Mail, bills, etc.
bpath
last year
Tell us about the prep kitchen. If you prep there, shouldn’t the refrigerator be there, too? What happens on the kitchen counters if the prep is in the other space?
rv1458
Original Author
last year
@bpath Great question. Perhaps oversized pantry is a better term for our use case. This is both pantry space and a place for countertop appliances to live so they can be left on the counter where there are accessible but without being in view. The only "major" appliance in here would be the microwave, but a coffee maker, kitchen-aid mixer (currently lives underneath our island, that's a beast to get onto the counter when needed), toaster, smoothie blender, breadmaker, etc. could also be stored and even used here.
cpartist
last year
I post this all the time. Anything I've put in bold is something that should be rethought on your plan. I will say there is a lot that is working though.

Also where's the second floor and the other elevations?

How does the house sit on the lot?

What direction is north?

The best houses orient the public rooms towards the south for the best passive solar heating and cooling

The best houses are L, U, T, H, or I shaped.

The best houses are only one to two rooms deep. And covered lanai, porches, garages, etc count as rooms in this case. (Specifically your nook/kitchen/dining area. See below for why)

The best houses make sure kitchens have natural light, meaning windows so one doesn't have to have lighting 24/7 to use the kitchen. (And no, dining areas with windows 10' or more from the kitchen will not allow for natural light.)

The best houses make sure all public rooms and bedrooms have windows on at least two walls.

The best houses do not if possible put mechanical rooms, pantries or closets on outside walls

The best houses do not have diagonal interior walls making for odd spaces.

The best houses keep public and private spaces separate.

The best houses do not have you walk through the work zone of the kitchen to bring laundry to the laundry room.

The best houses do not have the mudroom go through any of the work zones of the kitchen.

The best houses do not use the kitchen as a hallway to any other rooms.

The best houses do not put toilets or toilet rooms up against bedroom walls or public areas.

The best houses do not have walk in closets too small to stand inside.

The best houses have separation, such as closets, between bedrooms and between bedrooms and public rooms.

The best houses do not have roofs that are overly large, and dominate the exterior of the house.

The best houses do not have stick on exterior materials only on the front façade.

The best houses have an organizing “spine” so it’s easy to determine how to get from room to room in the house and what makes sense. Meaning they don’t have meandering circulation paths.

I will add that good houses don't need lots of bump outs and multiple gables. It also doesn't need fake brick up to the window so that section winds up looking like an old man with his pants too high.
rv1458
Original Author
last year
Thank you @cpartist.

I'd say we're early in the process and while we have a concept for the other floor, I want to get this right, or start over, before adding another floor for critique here :-)

The front of the house faces SSW. Wish it was the other way around, but that's where the road is.

I'm surprised you have The best houses are L, U, T, H, or I shaped in bold. I consider this an I-shaped house.

The best houses make sure kitchens have natural light, meaning windows so one doesn't have to have lighting 24/7 to use the kitchen. (And no, dining areas with windows 10' or more from the kitchen will not allow for natural light.) Would you put the DR at the front of the house. My wife liked being able site in the DR and look out over the back yard towards to woods and creek, but...
WestCoast Hopeful
last year
What is the site like? Where are you building? For me the shape of the house depends on the lot too. Where is North in the plan?
PRO
PPF.
last year
I'd try moving the master suite behind the garage opening up the great room and getting the master away from being over the basement.

Showing a site plan is always helpful so others understand how the house might relate to the lot.
dan1888
last year
The layout seems to have spaces to have functions. They aren't yet optimized or coordinated into a whole. Each one needs reworking and blending for flow.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
cpartist I abolutlely love that post about wa well designed house . I think it is perfect in so many ways. I aslo live in an almost perffect house if I use all those ideas. I did finally copy it to refer to hope you are not offended.
chispa
last year
When they say "I" shaped they mean a handwritten capital "i", not the computer version, so both ends of the "I" look like this " T "
rv1458
Original Author
last year
@chispa Wouldn't that be an H?
cpartist
last year
YouYour garage and dining room move it away from an I

And a house is not designed one floor at a time It is designed in 2D and 3D along with how it relates to the site.

May i ask what your design background is?
3onthetree
last year
If you are doing an elevation study, then it might be best to transfer the floor plan properly.

Yes, even small changes will make a difference in size of gables and high point of roofs. And eliminate all the siding, stone, timber, mullions, all the tchotchke so you can focus on massing, proportion, and balance.

It appears you have designed an elevation first. Elevations are derived from floor plans (and the process goes backwards too) so you have to be a bit more flexible in your floor plan layout to make your elevations work.
course411
last year
Yes, you really do need to develop both/all floors at once, along with elevations, because they are all interrelated.

There are a number of things I like about the layout and adjacencies, but yeah it's a holistic exercise. Would be great to have design talent on board.

For reference I have a design background and we still hired an architect and KD for our project.
Architectrunnerguy
last year
Floor plans, elevations and sections are typically designed concurrently, not consecutively.

Is there a site plan that shows how the house relates to the property? Because that's typically where design starts.
rv1458
Original Author
last year
@Architectrunnerguy The lot slopes slightly to the right and to the rear. Other than that it is a fairly flat lot (acreage). The road runs WNW.
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
last year
Lot size (dimensions), shape, vegetation, water features, road location, proposed driveway, proposed walkways, north arrow, etc. would be things shown on a drawing the would help to evaluate the design.
RTHawk
last year
last modified: last year
Chispa: When they say "I" shaped they mean a handwritten capital "i", not the computer version, so both ends of the "I" look like this " T "

rv1458: Wouldn't that be an H?

I had to think about this but yes -- wouldn't an I-shaped (upper case I - serifed font) house be an H-shaped house if turned 90 degrees? Maybe I-shaped has the middle part longer and ends are shorter than H-shaped?
bpath
last year
Don’t overthink the letters. How about a lower-case ”i”: straight line with a pool house for the dot.
bpath
last year
I don’t get the oversized pantry, either. The appliances are all things I would use on a regular basis. The dishes and glasses for the prepared there, aren’t they ging to be in the kitchen? Maybe a reach-in pantry with doors, kind of where the nook is, is a better location? Then the mudroom can be where the pantry was, and can be a walkthru (convenient to the bathroom, and for dispersing traffic when you all come home at once). The nook could be where the mudroom was.
User
last year
last modified: last year
Check out the ground floor plan from this discussion: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6340442/back-with-a-new-plan-for-review#28277141. It is really well designed.

It also has lots of good advice about the exterior look (which had similar style as yours).

I do agree that you need an architect asap.
emilyam819
last year
I like bpath’s idea. It makes much more sense to have a mudroom with 2 entrances and connected to a powder room than a pantry with 2 entrances.
rv1458 thanked emilyam819
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
last year
last modified: last year
When I look at the line that follows the walls of the front elevation and compare it to the line that follows the rear and side elevations, it looks like the designer exhausted their design skills after designing the front elevation and had nothing else for the rest of the house.
bpath
last year
Emily, thankks for sketching that, it also shows the convenience of the mudroom to the .backyard.

I look at the nook in its tight configuration and isolation and just imagine it becoming a dumping ground or ”just for now” storage area. A quiet place for a phone call, cookbooks, etc, is great, but I think it needs a little more thought.
3onthetree
last year
"how the floor plan affects the elevation that is our primary concern at this point"

Your focus has compartmentalized the elevation, and for most posters it is frustrating when commenters focus elsewhere like on the plan, and it seems you are no exception. However, you have to get your plan right, and you go back and forth in plan, elevations, section, and roof. Think dozens, or hundreds of "tweaks" as you call them, sometimes complete redo's. That's the nature of designing something custom or at a high level.

I would still say, reiterating my initial hunch, that you started with this elevation and a couple other plan characteristics (aligned Great/island/stove in a cathedral, glazed stair "tower") and have tried to make it work plan-wise by forcing this exact elevation. I do recognize there are some plan elements that have been nicely done and your CAD abilities are well above just a drafter. However,

"The lot slopes slightly to the right and to the rear. Other than that it is a fairly flat lot"

"We're a family of 6"

this elevation is conceived for a 3BR ranch. A flat site with a ranch for your family of 6 that has 3 (shared), 4 (individual), or 5 (+guest) other bedrooms in the basement is not a good place to start. Even with what looks like basement windows that might peek out above grade (not full lookout), you cannot get the bedrooms, especially that many, to not feel like they are in a basement. You should be looking at a much bigger ground floor footprint, a 1 1/2 story, or 2 story. You can take elements and traits of the elevation you like and have that be the inspiration of the elevation that emanates from proper plans for the site and your programming.
rv1458 thanked 3onthetree
rv1458
Original Author
last year
@bpath We were originally thinking that we would two appliance garages, but an oversized pantry just seemed easier. We want countertop appliance accessible, not hidden in a cabinet under the island etc, but not in view.

@emilyam819 As I mentioned in the original post "I would actually swap the Mud and Prep so that the pwdr room can be accessed from the garage by walking through the mudroom". As for swapping the nook, I just don't think it needs to be that large.

Lots of good critique of what I've posted from everyone, but aside from a few posts like bpath and emilyam819, there aren't a lot of solutions, just critiques. Lot's of things we didn't like about this either, but not sure where to go from here.

I'm going to take risk here post a list of everything we hope to accomplish and what we do like and see if that helps.

Goals: under 1900 sq ft main level, private wing with MB, office and laundry (while not ideal, office or laundry could be elsewhere as long as they are still private - office should be insulated from noise/traffic as much as possible), powder room that is accessible from garage via mudroom and from back of house as directly as possible, pantry and lots of countertop appliance "storage" so they are hidden from view when not in use (this can be separate spaces or a larger oversized pantry), dining room/sunroom (lots of windows) that is at least 15' long off back of house, screened porch off back of house that does not block any/minimal windows, great room that is 16'x16' plus walkways, stairs with landing preferred.

I know a lot of comments want a site plan. I'm not sure how helpful that is though. This is rural and where the house will be it is all field and fairly flat. It does slope to the west and some to the north. There is a road that runs WNW and with the house facing the road the house will be facing SSW. We want to let in as much light as possible (which is why we liked the minimal porch and large windows around the stairs at the front).
rv1458
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
@3onthetree You're absolutely right. We started with those plan characteristics (aligned Great/island/stove in a cathedral, glazed stair "tower"). Are you suggesting that we ditch those elements and be more flexible?

As for the lot slope, we'll actually be able to get large daylight windows in the basement that will be just under 3' off the floor for most of it. One bedroom will have to have a window well, but the other three and the family room area should should be able to look directly out.

It is a little frustrating, but I do appreciate everyone's feedback.
cpartist
last year
Again I ask, what is your design background?
Mrs. S
last year
last modified: last year
A house doesn't necessarily have to face the road. I have lived in a house that didn't face the road, because the the house was situated across the street from a fabulous ocean view. So, all the house was oriented towards the view, as it should be. In your case, why not orient the house the best way possible for passive solar, view, etc. ? That is why people need to see the site. The constrictions are not knowable for commenters. How large is your lot? Do you have opportunity for a winding driveway that leads around to the "front door"? Have you investigated ways to orient the house to the side or back while still having an attractive "front-facing" view of the property from the street? Have you investigated having an L-shaped or U-shaped house instead of this long, sprawling one-story that faces a direction that is less than desirable?

I don't mean to be "harsh" but these are the things that an actual architect knows about and can resolve for you. Some are so good at it, that they make a living doing it. Like you, I'm involved in designing/building and despite being fairly knowledgeable (at least knowledgeable enough that I know the right questions to ask), I have been surprised by our architect's solutions to various issues that I would never have thought of.

Side note: If I were on a tight budget....so tight that I was trying to skip an actual architect, but somehow still had enough $$ to build a custom home in this crazy economy, I would not build a roof at the angles you have. I have always felt like steeply sloped roofs are a real luxury, because walking around up there is so dangerous and difficult. I have no appreciation for that trendy "farmhouse look" with the steeply pitched roofs. It doesn't seem practical to me.
Architectrunnerguy
last year
last modified: last year
The lot slopes slightly to the right and to the rear. Other than that it is a fairly flat lot (acreage). The road runs WNW.

Something like this is what Mark and I are talking about. Vegatation, topo, property lines, roads, etc. Design STARTS with the site and doesn't stop at the exterior walls so it's difficult to fairly evaluate it if only the floor plan is shown as if it's floating in space.
JP L
last year
Hold the phone - are you saying that all of the bedrooms besides the primary will be located in the basement?!?
WestCoast Hopeful
last year
Lots of homes have bedrooms in the basement. It’s no a big deal at all.
JP L
last year
last modified: last year
I disagree - this home has one single bedroom on the main level and then all other bedrooms in the basement. If it were on the market, I wouldn't even consider it - I'm not putting my toddler to sleep in a basement. There are definitely ways to construct a basement to minimize the impact of air quality, mold, moisture, radon and fire escape, but there are also too many opportunities to cut corners and expose the person sleeping there to these things. A guest room or a separate space for a teen for a couple of years before they move out - totally fine. As a matter of course for a long-term bedroom? No way.

Meanwhile, this isn't some super small starter home that added livable space in a basement. There's space for a freaking prep kitchen and a nook upstairs, but no room for the kids to actually sleep there with the adults? WTF.
WestCoast Hopeful
last year
Good thing you don’t have to live in this home then. Lots of folks here are massively afraid of basements and it’s ridiculous. Basements are very common where I live and people have bedrooms in them.
JP L
last year
@WestCoast Hopeful - I grew up in a house with a basement. But I have a background in public health. And you may be alright with basement bedrooms, but enough buyers have perceptions about them that I definitely would not advise someone to deliberately plan a relatively sizeable custom home build that restricts all bedrooms sans the primary to a basement location. That's pretty bonkers.
WestCoast Hopeful
last year
It entirely depends on where you live. This wouldn’t be a dealbreaker for many in my area. We also don’t know the intentions of the home builder here in terms of time they plan to live in the home
User
last year
last modified: last year
Agreed with JP L. Most basement bedrooms I've seen were added post-hoc. I can see the usefulness of a basement with a small family room, one bedroom, and one bath. This is quite common where I live, and it's often used as a family room/teen quarters/guest suite/hobby room.

I wouldn't put the bulk of my everyday-life space in the place that is most prone to flooding, humidity, and mold.

For a new build, it makes more sense to add a second storey, and I bet it would work better for resale.
User
last year
last modified: last year
On a side note, I'm no architect, but this is the sort of layout I would aim for:
- Isolated master suite
- Full guest bath in a central location, but also close to the office so that the latter could be used as a bedroom
- Minimize corners in storage (waste of space)
- Maximize Southern and Eastern exposure, minimize Northern and Western (to adapt depending on where you live)
- (EDIT) Dining room that can accommodate residents + guests