Are you getting ready to design your new home? The floor plan is one of the most important elements of that home. It will set up your property and help determine how you will live in your new space. There are many elements to consider when choosing your floor plan–but this guide can make it easier to see exactly what your new home needs.
What Size Home Fits Your Lifestyle? 
Are you looking for a minimalist-style home with a relatively small footprint, or a larger home that will allow you to easily welcome family and friends? Do you have a small family that will fit well in a relatively small space, or a larger family that needs plenty of space to sprawl? Do you entertain often? Carefully consider your current lifestyle and how you would like for that lifestyle to change: for example, if you live in a small home and often choose not to entertain because there’s little room, you may find that you’re more comfortable with a larger floor plan–and that it allows you to live the life of your dreams.
How Do You Use the Areas in Your Current Environment?
Take a hard look at your existing space. Are there areas in your home that go unused on a regular basis? Consider the areas that simply serve as a catch-all for clutter as well as the areas that you simply don’t use on a regular basis. Do you have a guest room that no one ever stays in? A bonus room, intended as an office, that mostly gets used for storage? Take a serious look at how you use your current home and what space you don’t need.
What Spaces Do You Wish You Had? 
When you use your current space, what spaces do you miss? Is your kitchen too small, so that you’re always bumping into one another? Do you really want another family room or rec room so that the kids have space to enjoy activities with their friends, but you still have room for yourself and your spouse? Take a few days to really think about what space you would like to have in your current home that you don’t.
Breaking It Down
Ready to design your space? Try some of these key tips.
Create a top 10 list of your must-haves. What are the things you really want in your home? Is it extra bedrooms? A bigger living room? Carefully consider which ones you really need the most, and put them on your list.
Think about how the home will flow. Think about how you’ll use the home and how those uses will impact your design plan.
Talk to a builder or contractor. Get a better cost estimate that will help you narrow down the floor plan that best fits your budget.
Evaluate your space. Take a look at the property where you’re planning to build. Site-specific designs are ideal, since they give you a better idea of how your home will fit into the neighborhood you’ve chosen. Consider how to make the most of trees for shade and maximizing your view.
Tour existing properties. Take a look at model homes and homes currently under construction in your area, ideally in your neighborhood. They’ll give you a better idea of how the floor plan should look and feel–and what it will be like in reality.
Consider the future value of the property. When you design your own home, you can design things exactly to your specifications. At the same time, someday, you may want to sell the property. Carefully consider how your design will impact the future value of your home.
Are you ready to start designing your own home? Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you accomplish those important goals.
