elevations

Main Level

Upper Level

Google earth overlay, the property slopes down to the main road with a view to the valley from the back deck & porch. Great view from the master suite will be enjoyed

That looks like a wonderful lot!

The entry area seems really big - it's almost as big as the living room. I see you have a chair there - how do you envision using this space?

What part of the country are you in? I don't see a coat closet near the front door.

I can't see the dimensions, but your walk-in closet also seems overly large. Are you planning a seating space in the middle? If not, you have too much floor space for the hanging space you show. Corners in a closet are virtually useless - you can't see/access the corner if there are clothes hanging on both walls.

I'm not crazy about a washer and dryer in the mud room - especially when you don't have a space to set a basket of clothes except the walkway. Since all your bedrooms are upstairs, I'd try hard to get the laundry up there. I'll bet you could squeeze a spot for a stacked W/D out of your master closet (opening into the hallway).

I would swap the toilet and tub in both bathrooms, to allow for better window placement. Also, if a child barges in on you, you won't get your toes smashed!

If you post a closeup of the kitchen with dimensions, you'll get all kinds of great advice on how to make the best use of that space.

Good luck!

Thanks ankh,

The area around the stairs my wife will fill with furniture and art, and planning a hanging system behind the door for company's jackets. we ourselves will never use the front door.

My wife has some corner units in mind for the W.I.C. to make the most use of that space possible.

I think it is easier to tell in the blown up picture that there is countertop above the washer/dryer and most of our laundry is done in the evening as we hangout in the living room with the young lad.

I don't think I mentioned the southern half of the basement will be finished with a large family/wreck room, small office cubby (located under the laundry mud room) and a eventual 4th bedroom under the dining area.

planning to go with a geothermal heat pump, 2x6 walls with additional 1 1/2" rigid insulation on the exterior walls.

I think you have too much space... At least you are using your space like you have too much.

There are a lot of areas, particularly upstairs, that are "wasted" imo. The master and the bedroom on the front right both have areas that are just dead areas.

Can you line up your backdoor and garage door, and put your laundry along the back wall (far left) so that you don't track dirt infront of your machines no matter what you do? Also, so you have some room, if you want, to put a basket on the floor without having to block all access? And, for more convenient access to backdoor from kitchen?

There are some awkward and wasted spaces, the area to the left of the entry is too small to do much with and awkward for furniture placement because it will likely be a main path for people to walk through. I might play around with making the entry to the garage on that side and you could make that area the mud room w/ closets/benches etc. and maybe even laundry. May not make sense for how you live/what your wanting but it's just something I would consider.

The upstairs has a lot of hallway, which means wasted space. I would move bedroom 3's closet to where the desk and sink is, move bedrooms 2's closet to where bed 3's was and move the kid's bath to where bed 2's closet was (you will have to scoot the master bedroom wall a bit also). Not only will the closer bathroom be more convenient for kids/guests but it will let you utilize that hall from the top of the stairs to the east side of the house (if you said back of house is south). I would plan on using 2x6's walls around the bathroom though so you can provide sound insulation around the pipes. You would also have to make sure you plan for sound insulation around the bathroom for the ceiling in the first floor. (No one wants to be watching tv or eating dinner and hear the pipes flush.)

In the master bedroom I do not think the closet is too big, it looks small compared to current standards. I try to always measure closets by lineal hanging space. I would guess yours has 9-10' hanging space and even less if you want to use your corners for storage. (Measure your current closets for comparison). In planning our new house 16' is my benchmark minimum but personally I would much rather have to put clothes on hangers than fold them so perhaps I am biased in that regard.

Where are you planning on putting your furnace (garage or basement?) Geothermal pumps are sometimes quite a bit larger than typical furnaces so it will eat up quite a bit of your shop area in the garage if you do that. Looks like you'll have good access to basement with the walkout so that is probably your best bet. In that case, plan for a vertical mechanical chase at least through the first floor but continue it up through the second floor if you want your second floor vents in the ceiling. (If your second floor vents are in the floor you'll have a bulkhead running along somewhere near the middle of your house.) Minor things but if your not expecting them they can be a hassle.
Good luck in your build!

What part of Canada? Is that a piano by the entry?

If it were me, I would want a lot more windows on that south side...or maybe a glass/screen porch, rather than the deck. If you only plan to have one window over the sink, what about moving that towards the front of the house?

Perhaps piano area and kitchen in front, with dining room and living room in back? Could the door to outside be incorporated to the side and move the mudroom over a bit?

Also, are you sure you want all your bedrooms upstairs? Can you incorporate a study or piano area that closes off for a possible overnight for parents/people, who do not want to climb stairs? Short term injury perhaps?

I would also think about moving basement door to area under porch/balcony...and if you moved the back door to the end...you could have the ground slope more gradually on the backside. That might be easier to maintain in the long run :)