Once you have finally decided to build a house instead of buying an existing property, the next thing you need to consider is finding the right custom house plan. It is vital to have a plan laid out so that your home builder will understand what you expect to get once the construction is finished. The planning stage usually determines whether your custom-built home will fulfill your expectations.
With that said, you need to take the time to put together a smart custom home design that will accommodate your needs and reflect your personality and taste. This article lists down a few tips that will help you plan a smart and functional custom floor plan for your family.
Brainstorm House Plan Ideas
You don’t really need to have an expensive software to start designing and making decisions about your custom home. All you need is a pen and paper. You can start by sketching your ideas and brainstorm with your family. You have to list down the features you want to have in a home and prioritize the list. For instance, you have to list down the following:
- The number of bedrooms and bathrooms
- How big the kitchen and dining areas will be
- If you want to have a deck or a porch
- The size of the garage
- If you want to have an entertainment or family room
- The basement and attic
You must put your ideas into writing so that you won’t forget about it. Even rough and untrained sketches can help convey what you want. Your home builders can use this to understand what you want to be done.
Prioritize The House Features
Now that you have a list of criteria, you must then prioritize the features. In doing so, you can carefully consider whether a certain house feature is really necessary or it is a mere addition to your expenses. You have to understand that custom home design can easily veer away from budget, especially if you let yourself get carried away. With that said, you need to prioritize the important elements of your design.
Consider Potential Changes
When planning your custom home design, you must take into account the changes that might happen in the future. For example, if you are thinking of having more children or you are planning to take in your aging parent, you need to think about how you are going to accommodate them. A smart home design must be able to accommodate any changes in your lifestyle as years go by. With that said, you need to consider including some of the amenities that you might need in the future.
Proper Function And Flow
Another tip to achieve a smart custom home design is to plan the function and flow of your home. Your layout must allow you and your family to conveniently move around your house. In addition, the layout must allow for proper traffic.
For instance, if you are aiming for an open floor plan, you can place the living room area at the center where it can easily access the door, kitchen, dining room, and other areas of the house. An open floor plan provides easy flow between living room, kitchen, and dining areas. In addition, when it comes to your bedrooms, it must be located away from communal areas to provide privacy and reduce noise.
These simple tips will help you achieve a smart custom-built home. Remember that proper planning can do wonders for the construction process. It is also practical to let your home builder know what you want and do not want so that potential layout problems can be avoided.
Citations:
- owlpacino.”112108: Plans”. November 21, 2008. Online Image. Flickr. April 02, 2013
Featured images:
- License: Creative Commons image source
The author, Kris Lim, is a writer for home improvement websites where her readers can learn more about house plans and design. In this article, she lists down a few tips to achieve a smart custom home design.