We appreciate your help in reviewing this Floor Plan.

Help the helpers by posting an image here.

But we are not able to think of great ideas to make it better

What's your architect doing to make it better?

Agree about posting a pic too please. Most won’t go off Houzz to a google drive.

Not bad. Plenty of access. 4 full baths in 2640sf is a lot.

Unless used, suggest you flush each drain weekly (toilet, sink, shower, tub) to keep the p-traps wet.

I see no floor plan and do not go to google drive for it It also needs measurements and the ability to enlarge so jpeg format in a comment Okay I did go look it is useless for us to even guess about the measurement sof space and I see 5 bathrooms full or 1/2 I hate J&J baths always and when I see the plan properly I might be able to help.

"In the spirit of getting crowd wisdom"

That may not necessarily be a positive thing.

I do not go to links.

I screen shot this from their google drive. Don't know if folks can enlarge this to see it or not.

I do not like the jack and Jill bath at all. You don’t have a powder room which is quite odd.

Will a resident be using Bedroom 4? Or is it for guests?

Perhaps you can share the makeup of the household and what the remodel is to accomplish for you?

I don’t mind a hall bath being used as a power room, esp when trying to be efficient with sq feet - not sure if you need an office for wfh but i’d be tempted to make it a cozy media room for some extra living space

Your floor plan has a great foundation! Now it’s all about refining function, flow, and sight lines to make it truly work for how you live. Start by looking at circulation paths , ideally, you should be able to move between rooms without cutting through main furniture zones. Doors should swing away from high-traffic areas, and pathways should be at least 36” wide for comfortable flow.

Next, think about zoning and hierarchy. Every space should feel distinct yet connected, for example, create subtle separation between the living and dining areas using ceiling changes, rug placement, or lighting rather than walls. This keeps things open while still defining use.

Pay attention to natural light orientation, place your main seating or work areas near windows and reserve darker zones for storage or utility. Lastly, ensure furniture placement complements the architecture, not every wall needs a piece of furniture. Sometimes open breathing space is the luxury that makes a layout feel balanced.

I need info as to family needs and also room sizes . Yes I probably could guess but why when you can provide that . I find the whole mess of bedrooms/ bathrooms a mess. That WI closet does not look to be right. The MBR is just not good at all for layout .I do not see a J&J set up or I might be blind.I did however count the laundry as a bathroom .Where is the original home buried in here . I do not understand why you did not push that back wall out to match the master bedroom and give you so much needed space . So more info and I would love to see the original plan since this is not a big house what was it before?

Provide a floor plan that shows the existing that is easily compared to the floor plan that shows the proposed.

(I don’t click links either.)

The master bedroom + closet + bath is just bad. Why line these rooms up and waste space on a private hallway? There’s got to be a better way.

I can’t really read the dimensions on the garage, but I’m pretty sure you can’t get two vehicles in there unless you have a Mini Cooper and a VW bug. Surely a home with 4/5 bedrooms needs a full-size garage.

All foot traffic from the garage into the house must pass through a hallway with a washer/dryer? All those people, shedding coats and shoes and backpacks along their way? And carrying groceries?

So much sleeping and primping space ... and so little living space.

4 full bathrooms for a 2600 sq.ft house is not the best use of space, unless you need them for medical issues or you are all adults renting bedrooms in the house.

My largest house was when my kids were young and we had 4 bathrooms and a powder room in that 6000 sq ft house (the house was even larger if you add the 2500 sq.ft unfinished basement).

Is the person that designed the remodeling fully aware of local zoning regulations?

I don’t mind a hall bath that guests need to use when they stay over as late my as it’s not a jack and Jill. For me Thats the issue. I agree with others it’s lot of space in bedrooms and not elsewhere. But I also think it’s a start and can be tweaked and changed. How far into design are you? I will say our floor plan went through about 15 iterations before we landed on what we were happy with and it was hard work to get there. Please do share more about who lives here, where it is and what the site is like.

For me bedrooms need to serve as purpose and honestly they can be quite small to do that . The living space when all of the rooms are on one level needs to be big since it serves huge purpose with a family or many functions and it seems to me that you sacrificed living space for sleeping space not making sense to me.

Even "nice" people can be really crappie at design. That's pretty much the case here. This is just so dysfunctional that I'd really want to know WHO is driving the bus here? Are these all your ideas that you "just" had someone draw up? Or is the design professional actually suggesting this?

At this stage, with all the BIG costs involved, you probably should be exploring what a teardown or move costs vs doing that. Lort knows you'd end up with a much better result.

Is your town going to give you a variance for building into that 20 ft rear set-back?

Minardi has a point. You really should do the math for a major remodel versus tear-down with new build. With a new build, you could move some bedrooms upstairs and have more breathing room for living spaces downstairs.

That is very definitely a teardown.

That is pretty terrible. Start over. Scrape the lot and go up. Or move.

People saying it’s a tear down have no info, neither do I, on specific things that may influence not tearing the house down. Like location on the lot if you keep existing foundation and this could allow for keeping something else on the lot in a desired location. Permit process. Perhaps what is often said here about tearing down being cheaper doesn’t actually apply where they live. It would be wonderful if the OP could report back.

Who IS driving the bus? Because it's not really very good, and I would expect much better from a professional.

Some comments/questions:

• How is it accomplished to add on about 5' to the entire back wall, about 3' in front of the garage, and the remainder of front bedrooms? What kind of roof is existing, and will you be topping it off and placing an entirely new roof? If not, will you be able to span these distances in supporting an existing roof, where any beams hanging below the ceiling will define spaces below it?
• With that, why is the Master extending past the building setback requiring a variance?
• With the additions, it appears that about 35' of exterior garage wall and about 20' of bedroom exterior wall remains - is this enough to meet remodel regulations? Has a cost analysis been done, especially considering it needs a roof structure topping off?
• Is the goal to have full ensuites (each bedroom has a private bath)?
• Since the Office is designed as a bedroom, that brings the house to a 5BR - that will move your tax assessment comps into another type of house than your comparably sized ranches.
• With that, a 5BR calls for larger gathering spaces, yet you only have a single Living Room and it is effectively 11'x15'.
• You show a new exterior recessed utility area for a relocated electric meter and a (mini-split size) a/c condenser. How do you propose to keep water from entering the house when that is partially the existing floor slab of the house?
• There is no context to the project given. But from what I see from the plan, is that you have a lot of needs/desires, and made it work in this small ranch house. It has pieced together much like a complicated Tetris puzzle, all function. So it is proved it can be done, the question is, should it be?

I would need to see the diploma, and state registration number of the ”architect” who created that. It shows a distinct disconnect from a formal architectural education, and standard building practices. It screams ”homeowner with some software”.

If people want the OP to reply perhaps stop making digs at them. If the goal is to improve constructive feedback has already been given and it’s time to wait for more info not pile on more

Looking at the floor plan raises many question. Making educated assumption on the plan raises many concerns. The OP's answers of the questions presented will determine if the direction is somewhat altering the floor plan or totally changing the projects approach.

This is OP here.

As a first time poster on Houzz, I am blown away by the amount of engagement. Really appreciate it!

The reason to share a PDF link was so that you could zoom into the measurements. In any case, I have pasted the pictures of existing and proposed below now.

Here are the responses to some of the questions

* This house for multi generational living- married couple, two children around 6 and 10 yo, in-laws. This is why we have the requirement for ensuite bathrooms for the 4 main rooms.

* WFH is a common feature for at least one of the adults

* Lot size is 6800 sq ft, 20' front set back.

* Located in San Jose CA. Lot sizes are not like in other parts of the country. Moving is not an option.

* Cost of tear down and rebuild is significantly high. We explored that option. Also, it increases property tax significantly.

* We'll be redoing the roof structure & roof. We are increasing the ceiling heights from 8' to 10'

* The reason to push out 5' and not more is because we need to save the backyard space.

* Master is extending and creating variance to increase the size to 2600 sq ft. Otherwise it doesn't meet our requirements.

* North is on the right edge of the picture, East is the front of the house and is the bottom edge of the picture.

* Great room is placed in the southwest corner to maximize sunlight.

From 3onthetree: Office is designed as a bedroom, that brings the house to a 5BR - that will move your tax assessment comps

AK: Is this really the case? I have friends in the area increased from 4br to 5br no major implications to property tax.

From 3onthetree: How do you propose to keep water from entering the house when that is partially the existing floor slab of the house?

AK: Good feedback, I'll have to check on this. hadn't thought about this.

Proposed Plan

Existing Plan

Looking at the amount of change from the existing to the proposed, barring any extraordinary circumstances, I would recommend tearing down and starting new; BUT you are in California and it sounds like there exists extraordinary circumstances. Based upon that I would say rely on your architect and pray that he/she is the best one for your project within 2,000 miles.

There are things in the proposed plan that I would recommend not doing but the wife is calling.

Do you plan for kids to share a room? I would really get rid of two of the ensuites and find a way to give that space back to living area or create a small nook/library/calm space. Kids dont need ensuites and can share a hall bath.

Which bedroom is for the inlaws?

Do they need a garage for their car?

If there is an issue with the fifth bedroom, remove the closet and change the door to double doors (or even a door-and-a-half); then it is no longer a bedroom.

Was building up an option?

The proposed scope will definitely cost MORE than a teardown. With none of the benefits, and many awkward compromises. You don’t ever ”just” raise ceiling height on anything. That IS a teardown. They dont make board stretchers.

Are the in-laws part of the planning/design process?

Suggestion - there might be scope for use of sliding doors, especially in the Master. There is a door into the master, so why is a swing door needed on the WIR and bath? Also I see another closet on the end of the master WC giving another swing door, is that closet necessary given the WIR?

I'm no architect, don't know about your area and the costs of extensive renovation vs tear down, but trust you have done your homework.

Given the intergenerational living situation, I'd do whatever possible to get three separate bedroom zones for each generation. You are going to have teenagers someday, elders going to the bathroom three times a night, and maybe you and your partner want some bedroom action from time to time. (We never mention that on Houzz space planning!)

With bedrooms in distinct zones, you don't need more common areas or nooks for quiet activity. Everyone can escape to their respective bedrooms because the bedrooms are no longer on top of each other. Make the kids rooms bigger so they have more private space to retreat to.

Here's my initial instinct on how I'd change the layout. You'd need to rearrange the primary suite some to make more sense of closet and bath without a dead hallway in there.

Random thoughts:

- People who are saying "It's a tear-down" must have unlimited budgets. Destroying a house and rebuilding is not a possibility for most people -- and, even if your budget allows, throwing a house into a landfill is not something the earth can afford.

- 2640 is a big house. Even when my children were all at home, we didn't use all of our 2400 square feet.

- I'm not clear on the in-laws thing. Are they full-time residents? If so, they need a master bedroom, closet and a sitting area. How would 80-something you feel about moving into a child-sized bedroom and giving up all the things you've treasured over the years? On the other hand, if they're just frequent visitors, a small bedroom is fine.

- If the in-laws are full-time residents, I'd consider a separate space for them /accessed across a breezeway. Maybe just a kitchenette and assume they'd have access to the main kitchen. This would also allow you the option one day of renting this space or using it for a business -- my brother's house has a one-bedroom apartment on the side, and it has served many functions over the years.

- Having said all that, I have zero love for this proposed plan. It lacks elegance, it lacks function. You need to keep at it. Perhaps instead of adding space across the back, it'd be smarter to add a "wing" making it something of an L-shaped house?

- I agree with the poster who says this house has so much bedroom /primping space, yet so little public living space.

- I love a good pantry, but this one requires you to carry groceries through the laundry room, then the length of the kitchen. It'd be so much smarter to open a door between the garage and the pantry, which would allow you to "set things through", then go into the pantry and arrange them.

- The sink, which is the most-used item in any kitchen, is out of the way. That's going to be inconvenient.

- The whole kitchen is disjointed and doesn't look at all like it'll be easy to use.

- You propose two doors to the backyard, but both are blocked by furniture. It'd be smarter to go with windows in these locations and place one simple hinged door between the two rooms.

- You're proposing moving the washer /dryer and the kitchen. Moving water lines isn't cheap.

- You want your dryer to be on an exterior wall. This is easier /cheaper to build and more fire-safe. I'd also want the washer /dryer to be in the bedroom wing -- you know, closer to where you produce /put away dirty clothes.

- All of the bedrooms and bathrooms are a bit wonky /crowded. Closet doors opening right onto the bed, making it hard to access the space, bathrooms with no storage. Honestly, the whole bedroom wing needs to go back to the drawing board.

- I have no problem with a J&J bath -- when it's well designed. Thing is, they're so seldom well-designed.

" We'll be redoing the roof structure & roof. We are increasing the ceiling heights from 8' to 10'" That statement right there is a big red flag on no one being involved who understands building. You would need to 90% teardown the house to do that. It's one of the most expensive things on that list of unrealistic things to be done. I'm also looking at the "adding" space all the way around the home", which isn't really feasible either. Especially with seismic stabilization issues that will exist in that location. You have to do all new foundation and slab. Tying that new to the old is a much worse result, and more expensive, than just excavating the old and starting off new.

Trying to remodel an old home to the HUGE extent that that plan requires costs more than a teardown in the end. I'm really concerned that whoever is planning this has never swung a hammer, and has no one else that has actual construction experience giving input.

Many remodeling projects are the most economical way of going . . . until "The Surprise" comes.

San Jose, CA. Say no more. I do see a lot of residential on that end of the bay and in SoCal that expand on slab ranch plans in this fashion - which isn't realistic and makes no sense in other areas of the country.

But I too had been mulling the direction that Kendrah has illustrated - getting the In-law suite more separated, if at least a feeling of that. Behind the garage gives opportunity for it's own entrance. I would still want to eliminate the Master Bedroom getting into a variance, unless it makes or breaks the plan (with the proposed, you could literally squeeze the Master Bath and have a reach-in closet to avoid extending past the setback - so where's the hardship?). A variated encroachment within the front and rear setbacks, instead of trying to make the house a perfect rectangle, might provide more opportunities in the layout.

Just something about the layout isn't elegant or proportional in public living space - as I said before, all function. Like a pizza, a neapolitan can be beautiful, elegant, toppings deliberately placed for that goal. You have a meat-lovers pizza with 12 meats piled on - not evaluating each taste together - just fit it all on the crust.

I have to ask though, have you and your architect eliminated the direction of a detached ADU, because doesn't San Jose have less restrictive setback requirements for an ADU? Would that be an opportunity for a better main house plan, better temporary living arrangements for a 95% remodel, better ROI and future lifestyle changes?

If you are scared off by the costs of a potential teardown, then the costs to do this 99.9% tear down will give you a stroke. A project like this, leaving bits intact, costs substantially more than just building a whole new house. You might gain some *time* ahead on red tape and grandfathering on some tax things. Thats where the ”leave 1 4’ wall section ” type of teardown might be better than a complete scrape and new build. But it will cost at least 50% more than an all completely new build. Sometimes, with the required seismic retrofitting, it’s 10x as costly.

"Liking" your architect doesn't mean they are actually competent at doing their job. There are plenty of likable psychopaths that trade on that likability and scam people out of millions. You see that a lot, if you open your eyes.