How does this relate to the site? How does this relate to the elevations?

kmg11

Thanks for this. We originally did have the downstairs bath bigger and accessible but had space constraints i.e. made then den too small.... don't know what a solution would be.

millworkman makes a good point. Houses don't exist in a vacuum. They exist on a site. Overall the plan is fairly well organized. Whether this plan works depends on your site. For example: if the kitchen window faces the sun rising over a beautiful meadow is entirely different than if it faces where the neighbor keeps their trash cans.

Speaking from the perspective of having now built 2 "retirement" homes and in the process of number 3, at minimum definitely rethink master bedroom on an upper floor.

Especially in an empty-nest situation, make the main level what you would live in if there weren't a second floor. If the additional bedrooms are for visitors, having an upper level is OK if absolutely necessary (site limits), but generally speaking retirement homes should be all one level - put the guest bedroom(s) at the opposite end of the house.

You do not want to be "schlepping" vacuums and other cleaning supplies up and down stairs, nor do you want to looking at yet another build or major remodel if personal mobility issues present themselves.

Regarding your bath inspiration photo - do you really want a huge window with a great view of the room from the outside? Right at the tub?

I'm sorry, but...if this is your retirement home, I'd be looking at a ground floor master suite. The day will come when stairs are no longer a possibility. One simply doesn't know if that day will come sooner or later.

And the day may also come when husband and wife have to sleep in different bedrooms.

My recommendation would be to start over with a concept which allows first-floor living, and second floor guests, office, studio or other sorts of spaces.

This plan might work if you would "bust the box" and make the first level large enough for first-floor living.

Good luck on your project.

Is it me or is there no shower in that picture?

We moved into our custom "retirement" home 3 years ago. It will not be our last home. Partly because theres no master bath size bath on the ground floor. We, too, were constrained. The architect had a larger bathroom drawn but when we cut some costs we had to shrink it down. We have a large first floor guest room that can be a master if need be.

Awnings over windows are angled to capture passive solar in winter and keep out solar in summer. Minimal north windows.

jn3344

Shower in master upstairs and bath/shower combo in all bathtubs.

Michelle wants Sophie back

The bathroom photo was only to show shower. Only a small window will be above tub.

I don't see retirement home/aging in place when I look at your plan. It would be a great house for a young family.

If you are younger now, it would be hard to imagine a time when stairs would be an obstacle but those days certainly come. First floor master with an accessible shower not tub/shower combo should be a given. In your plan, you are carrying laundry and bedding, towels down stairs to your laundry room, not ideal either for someone wanting to remain independent.

Stuff happens ;0) I had an almost three week period with an orthopedic surgery when 52 yrs old where I couldn't have managed laundry, showering without a low curb shower and I was so grateful to have that on one main floor - I wanted to be at home, and without DH hovering, taking all his vacation time.

Our home now was built by a doctor and his wife for their retirement years. 3 bed/3 bath, two with low curb showers. Wider hallways and wider doorways. Laundry, all needed to live comfortably on one floor. No stairs, not even from attached garage into house. If we were to stay, we could certainly age in place here. And in the meantime as we are getting older, we find we are one of the few homes in our circle of friends where we can host elderly neighbors, parents of friends, one friend now in a wheelchair without compromising their safety or comfort....and just being included in a dinner party can mean so much.

When one is young, one often thinks of themselves as bullet proof. Ask me how I know...

But the time comes when one finds out a lot of what one did not previously know, including not being bullet proof, and living with daily pain.

Hint: plan everything you need for daily living on one level. You'll be glad you did. And you will much prefer the one-level living to solar panels and net zero construction.

I would never build a retirement home without the master on the first floor. My parents visit often and my dad has difficulty getting to our upstairs guest bedroom because of a bum knee.

There are no closets in the upstairs secondary bedrooms as well as the den below. The secondary bedrooms are only 9 or 10 feet wide, which will be very tight.

Also, put all of the bath plumbing on one wall (move the toilets next to the vanities). Does every bedroom have to have an ensuite? I just built our retirement home and the two guest suites share a bathroom. We've had lots of company and it's been fine.

And like others had mentioned above, I am so happy that my master bedroom is on the main floor.

Did you design this yourself?

Mark Bischak, Architect

Basically, yes. Designed ourselves. Would be curious if you think widening the house by a few feet would be a good idea.

I agree with everyone else - as an absolute minimum, design the house from the start with a downstairs master bedroom. Ideally, have the whole house single story.

I'm a reasonably active and healthy 69, but the last two years, arthritis has caught up with me and I've been struggling with mobility issues. A hip replacement has solved a lot of the issues, but not before I went through months of not being able to manage stairs without a lot of pain. And, when it came to the post - op recovery, I was certainly grateful that our own house has no stairs. I know people who've been hurt in accidents or who've developed balance issues who are in a similar boat, so it is something you should really consider.

Thanks everyone, for your suggestions about making the house all one level, or at least consider making the master bedroom and bath downstairs larger. We have constraints with the lot size so it cannot be a bungalow, but will definitely look at ways of making the area downstairs able to accommodate an accessible bathroom, for the future. Maybe widening the whole house a few feet to make these rooms larger, would allow for this.

I think the layout could be altered to create a more efficient use of space and better spatial relationships.

It is very difficult to design a home or to make suggestions on a design when the site and the people that are going to live in the home are unknown, as pointed out above. I think you would benefit greatly by engaging a local architect to work with you to design a home for you. I understand it would be great for you to say that you designed the house, but you will be much happier to say you worked with a local architect to come up with the right design. Building a home involves teamwork; the owner, the architect, and the builder. The more they work together the better the project turns out.

Consider wider than normal hallways. Consider wheelchair accessible and room for a ramp.. Consider the taller commode. Master bedroom, bath, and laundry all on main floor. I was confined to a wheelchair for just 3 months and getting around a house (and into the bathroom!) is a real challenge in a house not designed for it. I just finished adding a main floor laundry 2 months ago.

Mark Bischak, Architect

Thank you for your suggestions. We do have an architect who took our ideas and came up with this plan. Agree totally, about needing to have owners, architect and builder working together. We wanted a large, family room area as we entertain our children and grandchildren often. We wanted 2 ensuites to go with each guest room because of this. Closets are lacking, but we are going to put in stand alone closets, if needed. Because these bedrooms will only be used for guests, we don't need them. Future owners could add. I guess we were putting low priority on the downstairs master as this is going to be a playroom for now. We are meeting with prospective builders in 2 weeks, so I am sure they will also have suggestions.

I don't really see the need for those two en suites. One decent bathroom and two closets would be a better option in my view.

Get a better architect, and make sure they are licensed. If they are not licensed, they are not an architect. There are elementary errors with this plan (like plumbing on separate walls in a bathroom when locating plumbing on one wall provides a better layout, and providing adequate space for a light switch on the latch side of a door), in addition to the inefficiently sized spaces and their spacial relationships.

Consider adding more research to your process. Start by looking at websites for active adult community corporations (aka Del Webb, Sun City, Robson Communities, etc.) and take a look at their floorplans for direction. Almost all are single-story and do have lot constraints (often 80 x 120 ft. lots or smaller). See how they fit things together. They don't all do things well wrt design, but you will see how to fit daily retirement living needs (sleeping, cooking, eating, bathing, laundry) into one floor and the occasional guest facilities on the upper floor, if needed. Talk to designers who specialize in "age in place". Don't become overly focused on passive and "net zero" at the ultimate cost of floorplan livability as you age.

Hi Borin1961. Since you are designing this yourself, another thing I noticed is that your windows in your bedrooms do not meet fire egress code. Minimum size windows to meet the clear 5.7 square feet of egress is a 4-0 x 4-0 slider and a 4-0 x 4-6 single hung. Are you pretty familiar with building codes? I don't mean to be harsh, but you might be in over your head.

My husband and I designed our own home like you are, however he had a construction business for over 40 years and I also worked in construction for 10 years. I was hoping to become and architect and had 2 years of college in architecture under my belt before my life took a turn and I chose to go in a different career direction. What I'm trying to say is that it's very difficult to design a house or any structure if you are not familiar with the ways things are constructed and building codes. We were able to design our home to be economical to build plus very livable (considering room sizes and layout) but that is only because we had so much prior experience. Even then mistakes were made. Some bigger than others. I made a huge snafu on my home when I didn't take into consideration where to run the HVAC ducts. We had to scramble to figure that all out mid-build and I'm not pleased with all the soffits that had be installed in my basement.

You will learn a lot on this forum. I know I did when I was planning my house and a lot of the knowledge I received here made my house all that much better. But, if construction and design is something that is completely out of your wheelhouse I would suggest bringing in a expert. You're going to be spending a lot of money and you want it to turn out right. Best of luck to you :-)

The simple, elongated shape is good, but there are many red flags with this design. On such a major investment don't skimp on the planning stage. A single window in a large bedroom with no closets is a big turn-off, and I would not want to be scrubbing four toilets in my retirement. Keep it light, bright, and easy to maintain.

As others have mentioned consider Universal Design. Just those four stairs to the main level can be a hurdle with something as minor as a sprained ankle.

https://www.ageinplacehome.com/universal-design

"...Would appreciate input on overall plan...."

You've received some excellent suggestions.

I'm not sure why folks who have designed their own house, and then ask for comments, seemingly aren't interested in constructive responses.

Honestly, if this your retirement home, I would 100 percent focus that master bedroom/bath on the first floor

Agree.

Thanks for this. We originally did have the downstairs bath bigger and accessible but had space constraints i.e. made then den too small.... don't know what a solution would be.

The solution is, put the master downstairs. For a retirement home, it's nonn. At some point, you'll have trouble with the stairs. A den is optional; a bedroom is not.

Also, put all of the bath plumbing on one wall (move the toilets next to the vanities). Does every bedroom have to have an ensuite?

I was going to ask these same two things! This is a typical, simple three-piece bath:

It works because all the water is in one wall (cheaper to build, reduces the chance of leaks), and because it allows more floor space than the sink-opposite toilet design you've used a couple times; note that your design creates a "pinch point" between the toilet and vanity.

As for a bathroom for every bedroom ... consider that it's more to pay for as you build and more to clean each week.

Closets are lacking, but we are going to put in stand alone closets, if needed. Because these bedrooms will only be used for guests, we don't need them. Future owners could add.

Some of these bedrooms are already small, and adding stand-alone wardrobes would make them smaller still. If you keep this house the rest of your life, you might be fine with these rooms, but if you're ever forced to sell, lack of storage would hurt you badly on the resale market.

Other thoughts:

- Anytime you can have windows on two walls, you should have windows in two rooms ... the den can have more natural light.

- Similarly, you could have a nice window at the top of the staircase ... it would light the stairs and also send more light into the living area.

- Your pantry is deep but only has storage on one long wall. Can you cut in under the stairs /have more space here? If you flip-flop the staircase so that the "up" is on the other side, you'd have more space to harness for the pantry. You're paying for that space -- use it.

- What is the room next to the laundry?

- For aging-in-place, you really want the laundry near the master closet.

- The bump-out closet on the left is odd ... it'd make more sense to bump it into the den ... that way it wouldn't cut into your main living space.

- How do you plan to use the sitting space upstairs?

- The master bath is a mess. You have duplicate sinks ... but the vanity is so small that you won't have any drawers at the sink. The toilet closet will have no light and is not elder-friendly. The shower, which doesn't need natural light, is against the wall and has a too-narrow entrance. This room needs to go back to the drawing board.

I just built and moved into our retirement home. Here is the link.

I built a 2 story house because of lot constraints AND added an elevator to the second floor. However like everyone here is suggesting, my master is on the ground floor with a walk in shower in the bathroom. I would not build a retirement home with the master upstairs. Not even with the elevator.

And a 9'8" bedroom is too narrow. That's 116". A queen bed is 80" long. Do the math. That only allows 3' around the end of the bed and that doesn't include a headboard, etc.

"Minimum size windows to meet the clear 5.7 square feet of egress is a 4-0 x 4-0 slider and a 4-0 x 4-6 single hung"

Not 100% true, you can use 3'-0" wide double hungs they just need to be taller, typically 5'-2" or 5'-6" depending on the amount of sash travel and the sill. I didn't look at your drawings however tp determine what you drawn in height is.

It is my understanding that for mortgage financing and resale listing, if there is no closet, a room will not be considered a bedroom, even with an en-suite bath. I would not build a “bedroom” without a closet for that reason, particularly a bedroom so small adding a closet could be an issue. Eliminate the upstairs sitting area and make the bedrooms large enough for comfortable chairs and a closet.

Note that every one in Public Space , up or down, has go through another more Private room. 4 full baths, 1 bedroom, 3 den/playrooms = strange!

We’ve had several friends who designed their retirement homes to accommodate children and grandchildren. This works only if you know for sure your kids will never have any issues requiring a move away, or restricting their ability to visit. We know so many retirees with huge empty houses with extra bedrooms, playrooms, home theaters, huge yards, etc. - all for the younger generations who never visit anymore. Might not apply to you, just a thought.

The point about family visits is well taken. Our three kids live in three different states, and of the 8 grandkids, two have moved to different cities then their parents, and a few more will likely spread their wings soon. We knew the situation and were realistic about the prospect of family visits when we built our house.

My Mom lives in a small 2-bedroom apartment. When the whole family (3 kids + spouses, 6 grandkids) is home for Christmas, most of us stay in a nearby motel, which Mom pays for.

A few hundred dollars once or twice a year is a lot cheaper than building (and heating, cooling, cleaning and maintaining) a bunch of extra rooms to be used a few times a year.

Agree about not building for 1 or 2x a year. We purposely built a home where every single room is used almost daily, if not daily. Including the one guest room. It doubles as my exercise room and while it's only used for 20 minutes in the morning, it is used!

As for this being designed by an architect? I'm sorry but it looks like you took your wants to a draftsman and he regurgitated what you wanted. An architect would not stop at the walls, but design the inside, outside and how it will sit on the lot all at the same time.

And to speak to what Suru mentioned about designing your own house? I designed my house with help from everyone here as well as getting advice from a few architects. However, I also have a design background and even with that background, there were mistakes and things I didn't know. It's all in my saga thread.

Always check your local codes. Most DH windows 32 x 48 would comply here...

2. Double hung windows used for emergency escape shall be permitted to have a net clear opening of 3.3 square feet (0.31 m2) provided that at least one operable sash meets the minimum height and width required by 780 CMR 5310.1.2 and 5310.1.3 and operational constraints defined by 780 CMR 5310.1.4. R310.1.2

Minimum Opening Height. The minimum net clear opening height shall be 24 inches (610 mm). R310.1.3

Minimum Opening Width. The minimum net clear opening width shall be 20 inches (508 mm). R310.1.4

It is my understanding that for mortgage financing and resale listing, if there is no closet, a room will not be considered a bedroom, even with an en-suite bath.

I think that's true, but I'd forgotten it. The OP may not need a mortgage for building this house (it's not unusual for almost-retirees to be in that fortunate position), but the possibility of resale is impossible

3 den/playrooms = strange!

For most families, I think one large living space + one small away-space (which closes off for visual and acoustical privacy) works well.

We’ve had several friends who designed their retirement homes to accommodate children and grandchildren. This works only if you know for sure your kids will never have any issues requiring a move away, or restricting their ability to visit. We know so many retirees with huge empty houses with extra bedrooms, playrooms, home theaters, huge yards, etc. - all for the younger generations who never visit anymore. Might not apply to you, just a thought.

Yeah, makes sense. My parents moved up to the mountains for their retirement, and -- for a number of reasons -- none of us kids ever go up there.

I have a friend whose three adult daughters have all moved far away. She says the good part of this is that when they do come home it's really, really special -- they set aside time /plan activities -- but they never come home at the same time. It's literally been years since the girls have all been in the same place at the same time.

A few hundred dollars once or twice a year is a lot cheaper than building (and heating, cooling, cleaning and maintaining) a bunch of extra rooms to be used a few times a year.

That makes perfect sense.

Agree about not building for 1 or 2x a year.

This thought applies to kitchens and dining rooms as well as bedrooms.

I've gone through multiple appraisals for my construction loan and permanent loan. Not a single appraiser has knocked my bedroom layout that will have freestanding closet units and "not counted them". They've had access to the plans, as well as the actual structure that clearly does not show closets.

Thanks, everyone for your comments. I am sorry to not have responded to most. Many were interesting comments but did not pertain to my original post. This is my fault. I did not give enough thought to my post. I posted as "retirement home" which I hope it will be, but it is just "our new home" for now. People picked up on the "retirement" part of the post and things went from there. We are in our mid 50's so hope that we can climb stairs for quite a while yet - but appreciate that things can take an unexpected turn. We entertain immediate family, extended family, and friends from out of town on a monthly basis (hence the need for multiple bedrooms - and yes, I love to give each guest their own, small, bath.) We are committed to building to passive house standards which accounts for the single roof line as this is beneficial for the high level of insulation needed for PH. We have solar panels on our current home and wish the same for this home. Our southern roof will be perfect for generating 10KWh of clean, green energy. Because of our desire to build to PH and net-zero standards, and building on a 66X132 lot with 35% coverage restrictions, we needed to compromise some form for function. I am fine with that.

My main reasons for posting were to get ideas for interesting front entry and master bath.

Thanks again, for your responses, especially those that related to architectural issues. Some of these things have already been taken into account in our most recent set of plans.

Cheers.

bornin1961 (me too!) - I am a healthy, active 57-yr-old, living in a house with stairs. In June, I was painting the house, fell off a ladder, and broke both my heels. Luckily I didn't need to be in a wheelchair, but I used a knee scooter for 5 weeks, and for 3 weeks I could not put weight on either foot. Our bathroom is pretty big, but getting in and out was still a challenge.

One never knows what tomorrow might bring. If we can easily plan for the worst, why not do so?

We have solar panels on our current home and wish the same for this home. Our southern roof will be perfect for generating 10KWh of clean, green energy. Because of our desire to build to PH and net-zero standards, and building on a 66X132 lot with 35% coverage restrictions, we needed to compromise some form for function. I am fine with that.

My lot is smaller than yours. 9100 square feet and we have the same restriction regarding only 35% under roof. That includes our lanai, our required front porch and our large 2 car garage. We managed to get a large living room, dining area, kitchen, office and master suite on the first floor. On the second floor are 2 more bedrooms. We could have easily added more space upstairs. Probably another 1000 square feet. It can be done.

As for your comment of only being in your mid 50's? When you consider it will probably be another 1-2 years until you move into your house and how quickly time flies, I would seriously think in terms of ADA. You are at the age where things can start to become issues. Things like hips and knees for example. And if you are building for the long term...

This appears to be one of those threads where the OP designed the house him/herself, and isn't really interested in constructive critique...or so it appears.

OP - realistically, this home as it is is not really a full retirement, aging in place, home - what works for you now is not going to work all that well in ten years time. I therefore think you need to take resale into account. Those small bedrooms with no space for closets would be a negative for most potential buyers.

I don't mean any disrespect at all, but if you aren't able for any reason to have access to your bedroom or more importantly an accessible bathroom or even getting into your home because of steps, having family and friends over, having an interesting layout or benefitting from passive solar, etc.,- won't matter. You may then be faced with having to move or even relocating to a possible nursing facility, short term or longer. Don't mean to sound extreme, but we've all seen these sad situations happen in life- not only with elderly, but also with people who were vibrant and active. So, being in the position of building, why not plan to give yourself the best chance you can to remain in your home for many years?

Hi! That closet feels out of place, Though many will ding me for it and I am just a lay person :-) I would be inclined to place the first floor bath at that front window area and bury it in there.

To address the entry closet: Another suggestion would be to move it over to the wall of the den and put the front door in it's place.

Born in 1961? So you're about 56-57 years old? Well, unfortunately you're no spring chicken, as much as you would hate to admit it. You. Are. Only. Going. To. Get. Older. Think about it.

I'm 63, and I, too, spent multiple weeks on a knee scooter due to a freak accident. I recovered, but we are currently looking for a new, more accessible home.

Edited to add: it doesn’t matter if you call it your Retirement Home or not. You can call it whatever you want. But if you are in your mid-50’s, all age related cautionary comments will apply. Sucks, doesn’t it? :(