Choosing the right floor plan for your family is a hard decision. Sure you can walk into a million open houes and model homes and pick and choose what you like, but actually making the decision can be tiresome. Not only is it a decision you can not change but it's one of the first decisions you have to make when building your home. No pressure ...
I am by no means an expert, but I did recently go through the process. Any while I am not sure anyone is completely 100% sure about their choice, I am sure this list below will help you feel more confident and educated while deciding on your home and floor plan!
The Pampered Mom's TOP 5 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Floor Plan
1. Start by making a list of items that are non-negotiable for you. This will help eliminate floor plans that do not fit your criteria. For instance: The Hubs and I knew that we wanted an open floor plan, 4+ bedrooms, laundry on main, and a garage in front. After looking at a few model homes, this list did get quite larger, but it was able to narrow down our choices.
2. You should probably have a good idea if you're leaning towards a ranch, 2-story, basement, etc. I realize this is different in each area, and what the land actually can hold. We moved from Missouri to Texas and in Missouri - just about EVERYONE has a basement. In fact, it's odd that a house does not. Here in Texas, no one has a basement, but they have a Media Room instead. It's important to do your research. You also don't want to build a house that will look completely off in your particular area. I knew I wanted something that would resale quickly if needed, therefore, I made my decisions based on my style and the surrounding area norms.
3. Once you have narrowed down some selections, you'll want to take a look at a few. If you have access to open homes or model homes, go into as many as you possibly can to get a feel for what your style may be. It's important that the homes feels "right." It doesn't have to be the one, changes can always be made during the building process. We have all walked into a home and we just know "this isn't going to work for me." And trust me, that's a good thing! That once again narrows down your selection!
4. When you have just a few choices to choose from, now is the time to start thinking about FLOW and the details. I went into a model home earlier this year and saw that right off the mudroom was another door which led to the master closet. I just kept thinking to myself, how nice would it be for The Hubs to come home from work and come into the house from the garage and walk right into his closet! I also saw where the laundry room had a door to the master closet as well, which I think is genius! I looked at a lot of homes and what I realized is that I put a lot of emphasis on entertaining. Therefore I wanted the flow from the dining room to the kitchen to the family room to be easily accessible, open and inviting. Ultimately, this factor narrowed down my search to just a few!
5. Ask questions! I can stress this enough! Unless you are physically building your own home, ask questions to everyone. When The Hubs and I had are last two choices, we started asking questions to everyone we could, from neighbors, builders, to schools, etc. You want to make sure you're building in an area that is going to be right for your family. You want to make sure you're lot and builder know exactly what you are expecting and any upfront concerns you have. Do research on the builders and the Company. This is a HUGE investment and you want to go into this process knowing as much as possible before they begin! Know you plan, know exactly what comes with the house and what are upgrades, know the price of the upgrades you choose. Ask Ask Ask!
