How to Choose the Right Floor Plan for Your Needs
When building your dream home, choosing a floor plan that will fit your lifestyle is important. This article will discuss some key elements when choosing a floor plan.
Start by identifying your needs and wants. Needs are amenities that will improve your lifestyle, while wants are features you may like to include in the future but can take some time.
Size
Typical floor plans display the dimensions of walls, rooms, and other features. It also explains which way doors and windows open. Sometimes, the plan will have small icons to indicate appliances like a washer/dryer or a refrigerator.
The plan will also show where outdoor features like a deck or front porch are located but will not be drawn to scale. In most cases, a solarium, for example, will be illustrated as a square with a number in the corner to denote its approximate size.
When choosing a floor plan, it’s important to consider your lifestyle and the types of activities you do in your home. For example, consider a larger floor plan if you entertain guests often.
Layout
Choosing the right floor plan is important because it can affect how you live. Consider workflow and how the different rooms are laid out. For example, if you like entertaining, you should have the kitchen close to the living room. However, if you work from home, you might prefer to separate your office from the main living spaces.
Another thing to consider is whether the layout will accommodate future lifestyle changes. For instance, your kids might grow up and leave the house, or you may change your working habits. A good floor plan should be able to adapt to these changes without requiring major renovations. It would help if you also looked for a layout that will allow you to transform an office into a guest bedroom.
Functionality
Floor plans are used to diagram a scaled, two-dimensional layout of a building’s interior spaces. They typically show the overall extent of a building along with doors, windows, and casework.
Considerations like the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, kitchen size and layout, and stair location are also indicated. Many home plan include built-in room features like fireplaces, shelves, and benches.
When deciding on a floor plan, it’s important to distinguish between “needs” and “wants.” For instance, a theater room might seem like a great luxury, but the expense might be unnecessary if you don’t watch movies infrequently. A home gym might also be nice, but it could be wasted space if you don’t work out regularly. A builder or design professional can help you identify which features are essential.
Aesthetics
While some aesthetic choices are important, the structure and floor plan should be the priority. Many people need to catch up on the design and amenities that will make their home look beautiful, but that can quickly become a trap.
Typically, floor plans show the outside walls of a space, doors and windows, walls from side to side, ceiling features, and permanent fixtures such as cabinets. Anything above 4 feet is often shown as poached (shaded in black) to prevent confusion with the interior wall measurements.
Some prefer traditional layouts with rooms clearly defined by walls and entranceways, while others lean toward open plans that eliminate interior partitions to create a more flowing environment. The key is determining your needs and wants, then comparing and choosing the best floor plan.
Lifestyle
It is important to consider how you will use the rooms in your home before choosing a floor plan. For example, a large dining area and open floor plan may be ideal if you love to entertain guests or host family gatherings. On the other hand, if you prefer more privacy or a quiet living space, a smaller plan may be better.
Some people prefer traditional layouts, where walls and doors separate each room, while others lean toward open plans that allow spaces to view into each other. Remember to add plenty of visual separation with furniture and decorations, such as rugs, regardless of which type of layout you prefer.
Please list the must-have features that are most important to you and compare them to the options available in each floor plan.