Planning Ahead: Tips On Finding the Right Floor Plan
As a new year sweeps in, talks of new trends and changing fashions always come with it. The world of real estate is no different. Homeowners seek changes because, well, the times they are a-changin’. The twenty-first century has indicated a few trends in home and home buying that are indicative of the modern and contemporary lifestyle. Whether you are looking to buy or sell a home in El Paso, understanding some of the underlying characteristics of different floor plans can help be a deciding factor.
When searching for a home, house hunters will be preoccupied with any number of questions including: When was the home built? Condition of the roof? Any recent renovations? Any signs of damage? All of these are important questions, but another area to consider is what we actually want our home to feel like. That is, to visualize ourselves in the space and imagine how our lifestyle will fit into it.
Open Floor Plan vs Closed Floor Plan
This is probably one of the most basic questions to ask any soon-to-be homeowner. Most modern homes today use some version of an open floor plan. Most homes built post World War II began utilizing a floorplan that connected the home by removing walls or divisions. A closed floor plan, for example, would have the kitchen enclosed, possibly a dining room and living room divided by a wall or in completely separate rooms.
Yet, post-war homes began implementing a different idea of how to live. Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s ideas about implementing natural spaces into our humble abodes, the kitchens suddenly began spilling into the dining room which began spilling into the living room which began a trend of interconnected wide open spaces. So most homes you see today, have these rooms bleeding into each other, with the idea of letting in air, natural light, and creating a shared space that lifts boundaries.
Here are a couple of things to consider:
- Open layout or closed layout: As specified above, consider whether you would prefer a layout that has wide open and shared space or one that is old fashioned in nature.
- One story or two-story: A single-story family home can be incredibly cozy and functional, but perhaps you prefer the idea of dividing the bedroom and the living spaces.
- Outdoor living: Consider the front and back yards. How much outdoor living do you and your family do? Are you looking to spend a lot of time outdoors, grow your garden, or spend some time landscaping the front yard. The amount of space and layout of the front and back might be important to you.
- Do certain aspects of your home require special accessibility? Perhaps your family includes an elderly member that has limited movement, or you have five children that will likely need space to run and jump.
- Room sizes or potential for room building. Perhaps your family will grow within the next couple of years. Considering extra rooms or looking at the floor plan to see if new rooms might be an easy addition.
- Big decor or minimalist. Are you someone that likes to fill the space with furniture or are you thinking about something a little more minimal and downsize. Considering whether a home has extra space, terrace, foyer, or sunroom can be food for thought.
Consider Your Lifestyle — What Kind of a Homeowner Are You?
Most people are a little bit of each category. Here are a few we came up with:
The Entertainer
Perhaps you’re a young married couple or retirees that look to spend their evenings entertaining friends and family. You like to have plenty of dinner parties, cookouts, pool parties, and more. Features to look for include:
- Dining room space
- Kitchen arrangement
- Patio space or potential for adding patio space
- Backyard and landscaping
The Family Man
Homeowners geared towards raising a family or currently raising a family. You may be raising children that are either elementary school age or high school. Consider:
- Rooms and room sizes
- Entertainment room/living room space
- Bathrooms and privacy of rooms
- The proximity of the kid’s room to the master bedroom
The Quiet Type
You and your family live a quiet life. Perhaps children are older or it’s just a single man or a married couple with a couple of cats. You might look for:
- Room privacy
- Hallways and proximity of rooms to each other
- Study area
- Outdoor living spaces
The Minimalist
You’re not looking to add too much to your home, you simply want what is necessary, don’t need a lot of space, and prefer to have a compact feel with simplicity and function at the forefront. Look for:
- Compact design
- Maximized space
- How many rooms and their size
Find the Right Plan With A Summus Home
El Paso is a booming market as home buyers and sellers are constantly in flux. Today’s market has something for everybody and we can help you find it! Whether you are looking for a modern or contemporary-style home or something a little more reminiscent of pre-war design, we can help you find it. Summus can help you find the right floor plan for your future.