This week marks the one year anniversary of Building Knowledge!
That’s nearly 90 posts, all with a 60% average open rate. I’m delighted to continue bringing y’all content, and today, it’s something special!
I put the call out on Twitter last week asking for volunteers to submit floorplans for me to markup. I got many, over email, DM, and posted on Twitter. I randomly chose one plan for Tuesday’s edition, and just couldn’t help picking another one to do!
And of course, now would be a great time to subscribe, if you’re not already - your support is vital to continue bringing this work!
And finally, I do this kind of consulting all the time, live, with folks right on Zoom. We mark up your floorplan together, and then I send cleaned up versions like the ones you see here, that you can take back to your team. I have sessions for homeowners and developers, and you can book/learn more here.
Ok, let’s dive in.
This plan is from a multifamily project, and while I’d love to markup the whole floorplate, I chose just one floorplan for this exercise.
[Teaser…I did TWO versions of this one! Keep reading…]
Here is the original version:
Let’s take a look at some of the issues:
SIZE! This is a massive unit, at nearly 1200 SF, but with only 2 bedrooms and 1 bath. We can *definitely* use this square footage better.
The kitchen is very awkward, with a hallway running between the counters. This will be very uncomfortable to use, has a lot of wasted circulation space, and makes the living area too small.
The HVAC closet is outside. No need to do that - we can bring it inside, saving additional square footage and build costs.
No coat closet.
Oversized laundry room and bedrooms.
Weird linen closet placement.
Potentially oversized bathroom, but if it’s a Type A or B unit, it may not be.
Weird door placement in bedroom [driven by weird linen closet], and closet doors that leave a lot of the closet inaccessible.
Let’s talk about some of the things that are working well:
Walls are generally lined up in a sensible way - this is important to make framing easier, and to make a regular structural grid.
The bathroom is in a good place to maintain privacy from the living space, but still be accessible for visitors and easy to get to from the bedrooms.
The entry is well positioned to get a good view of the unit when entering.
And now, for the “givens” - the things I didn’t mess with and the things I assumed.
That this is new construction, and we’re in the design phase. Nothing has been built yet, and we have free rein to make changes now.
That said, I kept all exterior windows and the overall exterior wall dimensions as-is. I assumed that the only exterior windows are on the plan-north wall; all the other walls are party walls between units/buildings.
I’m assuming it’s in the US, and under IRC. I’m assuming a Type B unit [moderate accessibility]. That said, this is not a fully vetted plan, and should *not* be used for application for building permit, pricing, or construction. It needs to be vetted by a local professional with proper license and credentials. This plan does NOT represent architectural services, and is just a sketch.
Oh, and - I’m sure with more time I could come up with many more options…this represents about 90 minutes of concentrated work. Longer, and I’d find more/better ways to do stuff!
Ok….ready for the fix?? Here is the first one:
For this version, I challenged myself to get to around 950 square feet, which is a much more reasonable square footage for a 2 bed.
Why is smaller better? Well for one thing, it’s less costly to build. If I can save 250 out of each unit, and if it’s a 10 unit building, and the cost to build is $250/sf, then I’ve just saved $625,000 *while keeping the same unit types and counts.*
Size reduction is one of the biggest overlooked Value Engineering moves - just make things smaller, and you’re going to save money.
Or, you can keep the same size, but add 2-3 more units, depending on whether code/zoning will allow.
Here’s what I did to get there:
Make the bedrooms 12x12. This works for almost every market I’ve worked in or consulted for. Bigger bedrooms don’t matter in most apartment buildings.
Move the closets to between the bedrooms. This allows me to move the hallway up, which gives a proper space for the kitchen, and clearance for stools at the eating bar.
Create a “wall of stuff” lining the hallway - coat closet, washer/dryer, and HVAC/water heater [moved from outside]. There’s even still room for a linen closet!
The living room got a bit smaller, but is still a very reasonable 14’ wide.
The bathroom works as a Type B if needed.
And as you can see, all that striped space is leftover - nearly 250 SF we don’t have to build!
But…
What if we wanted to use that space?
Here’s a version that turns that extra space into a second bathroom and a den, so the unit is now a 2 bed/2 bath + den, all in the same space as originally used for a 2 bed/1 bath.
Why is that valuable? It’s square footage you were already going to build, but now you can charge more rent for it. And, the tenants have a better space. It’s a win-win. Let’s do some math:
If you can rent this version for an additional $350/month, let’s say, and there are 10 units in the building, that’s an additional $42,000 of revenue a year. At a 5% cap, that’s over $800k in value…all using square footage you were already building, plus a few more bathrooms.
Plug in your own version of how you value apartment buildings: your local cap rate, your rent multiplier, etc…maybe a different number, but it won’t be zero!
Here’s what I did to get there:
Added a second bathroom behind the kitchen, including the washer/dryer in an alcove.
Created access to den space by shifting the coat closet and moving the HVAC closet into the den.
Adding an ensuite door for one of the bathrooms.
Everything else remains the same!
Let’s talk about dens for a moment. “Windowless” rooms are allowed by code in many jurisdictions, and in many circumstances - but not all. Owners, architects, etc need to make sure they understand their local jurisdiction’s rules and regulations.
Sometimes they can even be used as bedrooms. Think about it - above the second or third floor, is the fire department rescuing you from a window? Nope, you’re going to take the stairs. And, multifamily buildings almost always have to be sprinklered, which makes the building a lot safer in a fire.
We can debate about whether windowless rooms are acceptable from a design standpoint, but in many markets, they are absolutely fine and will rent just fine. Others, not so much. It’s up to the project team to understand their market and local regulations!
Rooms like the den in this example can be very helpful in many ways - as a nursery, as a playroom, as a Zoom room/office, etc. Not for everyone, but…that’s ok!
So what do you think? How did I do?
Good design is extremely powerful, and getting the right set of eyes on your project at the right time can save TONS of money and effort. I do this kind of consulting all the time [check out my special consulting page, for both homeowners and developers], but whether you work with me or not, what matters is that you work with true pros who can help you get every last inch of awesomeness out of your project!
So…what do *you* think? How did I do? What would you do differently?
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I love these so much. On this one, can you explain the math on this part: "that’s an additional $42,000 of revenue a year. At a 5% cap, that’s over $800k in value…"
(Not challenging the math, just not sure I understand the 5% cap of it all.)
My favorite part of your altered plan is that putting the closets between the bedrooms creates an acoustic buffer, so your roommate's alarm (or whatever...) isn't waking you up.