The floor plan or the layout of the house you choose is one of the most important decisions you will make when it comes to building your home. What you call home may be an apartment, a house or a condominium but the floor plan is what will dictate the flow of life through it. Your lifestyle may very well depend on the layout you pick.
Make it a point to consider your lifestyle
Think deeply about the lifestyle you live or wish to live in your next home. Think about what areas you would be visiting more often and which areas you never or seldom use. Think about all the houses you have lived in. what are the things you wish you have in them and what are the features that you would love to steal from the homes of your past?
Make a list of the must-haves in your home
Write down the things you cannot do without in your new home. Do you want a kitchen large enough to house an island and a breakfast counter? Do you wish for a private swimming pool? Can you just not exist without ample space for a kitchen garden? Once you have your list all you need to do is put them into a layout of your dreams
Think about the budget
Some layouts may not be to the best of your liking but may cost a lot and many times, you can find that a simple layout encompasses a lot of your needs and also doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket. Is your lay out efficient or is it just a large house with a lot of unusable spaces.
Tour a lot of homes before you decide on the layout of your dreams
What works on paper may not work very well in reality. Make sure that you checkout a lot of houses and consider a lot of layouts before you decide upon the layout that suits you. You might find a lay out that is just perfect for you or may even find features that you could borrow when you draw up your own floor plan.
Questions you need to ask yourself to pick the best floor plan for your family
If you have considered the points above, you will have an idea about the needs and requirements you will have to incorporate into the floor plan of your home. Next, you will need to ask yourself a few questions that will help you with figuring out how to organize your floor lay out.
Does the floor plan suit your family size?
If you are a single person hunting for a home, almost any floor plan may work well. But if you have a family, the floor plan needs to be adapted to your unique needs. If you have a family that consists of young children, you may want to have a layout where the bed rooms are bunched together. On the other hand, if you have teens or young adults, you may want to have bathrooms and bedrooms in different parts of the house for privacy.
Do you love to entertain?
If you absolutely love having guests over, you will have to look for floor plans where you have wide living areas, kitchen and dining areas. An open plan will allow you to entertain your guests without obstacles. If you do not like the idea of having guests having open access to your private living spaces, you will need to go for a more closed floor plan. You may choose to plan a formal living room placed as soon as you enter the house where your guests will feel comfortable but can still leave the remaining areas of your house private.
Single or multistory floor plan?
Some families enjoy the privacy and view that comes with a multistory house plan. On the other hand, some, especially those with young children, prefer to have the whole house laid out as one single story house.
Does a family member have special needs?
If you have aged family members or someone who has special needs of accessibility living with you, you will want to consider having enough space to move around. If you have kids, you will need wide hallways to let them run around freely and without hurting themselves. Note that stairs are not conducive to elderly, obese or those who are bound to wheelchairs.
Do you need outdoor living spaces? If so, how much?
Most floor plans will have the provision for an outdoor area where the family can spend leisurely time. Choose what amenities you will need – a swimming pool, garden, lawn or yard. Keep in mind that when you have more outdoor spaces, you will also need to maintain it. If you do not want to spend time and effort in cleaning the outdoor spaces, it is best to keep it at a minimum.
