How do you choose from the wide variety of Florida floor plans that are available? It can be overwhelming if you’re just starting out. Luckily, you’re in the right place!
Today, floor plans for houses come in many shapes and sizes. When you’re choosing one for a custom home, you’ll need to order and prioritize your decisions. If you make smaller decisions first, this can change larger ones and start you over at square one. That’s a frustrating approach, to say the least.
Instead, make your larger decisions first and then drill down on the details. This results in a refined, satisfying, well thought-out floor plan.
Decide what your needs and wants are ahead of time. Everyone who will live there should have some input so that something simple isn’t overlooked.
Requirements of a Floor Plan
Some concepts are broad. These are about practical living needs. For instance, how many bedrooms will you need? How many bathrooms? Do you need or do you anticipate needing an at-home office? Will you require a lot of storage space?
These factors determine the broadest requirements which any floor plan you choose will need to fulfill. This helps make your choices more focused straight off the bat.
Design Approach
Next comes design philosophy. There are many design philosophies, so let’s use an example:
Energy-efficient floor plans for houses will reduce your utility bills as well as your environmental footprint. They can cost a little more to build, but they will save you greatly over the years you live there.
They’ll also build greater value over time and retain value more effectively during economic downturns. If you plan on selling in 20 years, an energy-efficient home will still be modern and desirable – it won’t require a complete overhaul to meet buyers’ expectations.
Other design philosophies might center around aesthetics, resilience, or being shaped around the land itself. Decide early if you want or don’t want specific design philosophies to inform the direction of your floor plan.
Living Space Decisions
Design philosophy segues into living preferences. Do you like a home concept with a great deal of communal space? Do you like the idea of a great room where everyone can gather? Or would you rather have a separate den and a layout that prioritizes privacy?
Should the bedrooms be close together, or would you prefer the master bedroom to be on the other side of the home from the children’s bedrooms? Each approach has its strength. Supervision is important. So is feeling like you have a space you can call your own.
These choices may seem smaller, but they can have a major impact on how your daily life flows.
Floor Plans to Highlight Features
Features are important, too. If you want to entertain, should you have a sizable patio? If there’s a great view, what floor plan will feature it the best and bring that visual into the home?
Do you want an entrance room or is this unimportant to you? An entrance room can impress guests and serve as a buffer between the outside world and living spaces. If you prefer an informal feel, that space can be used instead for increased living space in the home.
Do you want a walk-in closet? Perhaps this helps you organize and get ready for work more smoothly and with less stress.
Mud rooms are important, and can help keep dirt, sand, and grit from being tracked inside. Anything to help reduce cleaning time is often a much-valued feature! It also helps elements like flooring and furniture last longer. How will a mud room be positioned? Will you want a front and/or a back one?
Living Characteristics
When you start getting down to the finer level of detail we’re about to talk about, keep in mind that these may not be make-or-break elements of Florida floor plans. However, they can help you picture how you’ll live in the home. If two floor plans are very close and you can’t decide, these “small” elements can help clarify your choice.
Characteristics of the home inform very particular ways that you’ll enjoy your daily life there. Do you wake up early? Would it help to have east-facing bedroom windows to catch the sunrise? Or do you get home late? Perhaps it would be nice to have a west-facing master bedroom to catch those last rays of sun and feel like you haven’t missed the day.
Jobs and shifts change, which is why details like this aren’t top-level. Nonetheless, your ability to enjoy aspects of your home and shape them to how you like to live will influence your mood on a daily basis.
Material Choices
As you begin to narrow down your plan, you can start taking a look at material choices. This has some impact on floor plans for houses. For instance, what if you plan on passing the home to your children one day? Then you’ll want to focus on material choices that are long-lasting and durable. Tile, wood, and bamboo flooring will be much better ideas than vinyl and carpet.
Finishing Up the Details
Next, you get to fine tuning. As you finalize the plan, you’ll need to make decisions about hardware, appliances, countertops, etc.. Elements like this should never decide a floor plan, but they are the final steps in the process.
Professional Adjustments
You’ll want to make sure your floor plan has layers of polish. Team up with your designer and builder to communicate clearly and iron out any questions before the foundation is even laid. This smooths the building process and avoids costly delays. Anything that’s unclear could result in extra redesign costs, building costs, or maintenance costs down the road. Avoid these pitfalls by ensuring that the floor plan has everyone’s understanding and approval.
Choosing a floor plan for your custom home can be overwhelming – but we think it should be far more exciting! When you partner with the right home builder, you can make your dream home a reality.
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