A floor plan is an important tool to use during the home buying process because it helps you envision the look and feel of your future home. It shows how rooms, doors and closets will be laid out and the flow from room to room. It notes room sizes and ceiling heights. By studying the layout of a home on a floor plan, you can evaluate whether it has the potential to meet your family’s wants and needs.
Floor plans will be predetermined by a builder when you’re buying a spec home, but some builders (including Gateway) allow you to customize an existing plan to suit your needs. In this situation, a floor plan can also help you decide on available options such as a bay window, a fireplace or a garage extension. Here are some tips to keep in mind to select the right plan for your new build.
Prioritize What’s Most Important
Every homebuyer has imagined what their dream home looks like: perhaps quartz countertops, a spa-like bathroom, a wrap-around porch, a home theater room. While it is exciting to brainstorm ideas, it could be frustrating trying to track down a plan that includes every item on your wish list — and a budget-buster if you don’t have unlimited funds. Work to keep expectations in check by creating a list of those home features that are non-negotiable and others that are nice-to-haves so you can prioritize what’s most important in your new build. For example, if you work at home and need an office or you have children of varying ages that need separate bedrooms, you will want to look at floor plans that offer bedrooms and flex spaces that are the right size for your family.
Know Your Budget for a New Build
Make your search for a house plan easier by creating a realistic home building budget before talking to a local builder. It doesn’t have to be exact at this point — just have a ballpark figure in mind that you can comfortably afford. Knowing your budget before considering floor plans will also make the process easier on your builder, who can make helpful recommendations of plans that can be built within your budget. At Gateway, we have an experienced sales team that can help you calculate how much home you can afford and recommend preferred lenders that can offer the best financing for your situation. You can also check out our blog for more information about how to budget for a custom home.
Determine How Much Space You Need
This may seem like a simple answer but it is important to know how much square footage you really need. Many homeowners think “bigger is better” but there is such a thing as too big — where kids’ rooms are simply too far away from the master suite or a home creates too much maintenance. In addition, the cost of building your home will be heavily influenced by its square footage. Size is important to make sure both your family and your belongings fit comfortably without feeling crowded or lost.
Think about your present home and your space requirements. If you know its square footage, you may want to look at the floor plan to evaluate the dimensions and whether you need rooms that are larger, smaller or about the same size.
Single Story or Multi-Story?
Neither choice is better than the other but when evaluating floor plans, analyze how you want your home laid out and whether one story or multiple stories would work best for your living arrangement. Multi-story plans can provide more square footage but you could be subjected to footsteps and loud noises coming from above. A single-story plan eliminates the need to navigate stairs but usually means less privacy.
Think About Your Design Style
If you have a certain design style in mind, such as farmhouse or modern, you will want to look at the floor plan from the perspective of whether it will suit this style. Use it to visualize how you would decorate the home’s interior, from furniture to lighting. If you need guidance, talk to our interior designer to find out which design style is right for you.
Consider Your Future Needs Too
If you plan to live in your home for many years to come, you may want to think about whether a floor plan you are considering will be able to evolve to meet future needs. Will you be expanding your family with more children or older parents? Will you soon be empty-nesters? Will a second story become physically challenging to access? Flex spaces can be transformed into an office or guest room and flooring can be replaced but certain structural features of a floor plan can’t be changed without remodeling.
Build a New Home With Gateway
Gateway Construction, LLC offers an exciting variety of floor plans that are ideal for every stage of life. Whether you’re looking for a cottage home, a large single-family home or a multi-family property, we can meet your unique needs. Browse our selection of floor plans now and talk to us about how we can modify your favorite plan to better suit your family. We can also design a fully custom new build if one of our existing plans isn’t quite right! For more information, call us today at (307) 632-8950 or complete our online contact request form. We look forward to building your future today!
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