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What
makes a floor plan good? Ideally, it should reflect a family's
lifestyle by allowing residents easy and livable routes into, around
and out of the house. A floor plan also takes in the arrangement of
rooms and how they relate to each other as well as public versus
private space. What may be livable to one family may drive another
to sell.
To
help you identify a good floor plan for your family, list the rooms
you're currently using and imagine how your family might evolve over
time. Think through a typical day's activities with children at all
stages—from infancy (crying at night) to teenagers (loud music).
Consider your preference for a first floor master bedroom or for one
that's located upstairs with the other bedrooms. Also, think about
how often you would use a living room. Formal living rooms are not
as popular as they once were. Today's informal entertaining has made
large family rooms the focal point of many newly built homes. If you
anticipate caring for an elderly parent or retiring in the house
yourself, a single story, rather than a multi-story, home may be the
best choice. Finally, review your needs regarding a basement, attic,
garage, and outdoor living.
Now
you're ready to house hunt. To see if a home you're viewing has a
floor plan that measures up, ask yourself:
1.
In general, does the home meet or come close to our ideal floor
plan?
2.
Does the main entrance open directly onto living space or does a
foyer provide some privacy as well as a coat closet. A foyer will
also act as a weather buffer—keeping the cold, rain, and wind
where it belongs, outside.
3.
Is the front door easily accessed from the kitchen? Trips between
the kitchen and the front door can be frequent.
4.
Does the family entrance, usually a side or back door, lead directly
into the kitchen? Ideally, the kitchen will be near the garage to
"minimize the haul length of groceries," as one architect
put it. And the pathway between the vehicle being unloaded and the
kitchen should be sheltered from the weather. A "mud room"
or a laundry room between the family entrance and the kitchen helps
segregate the dirt and muck, transported on shoes and boots, from
the living space.
5.
Does the route to the living room terminate with an enclosed room or
does it continue as a "hallway" through and out to more
rooms? Dead-end living rooms protect from interruptions when
entertaining or relaxing with a book.
6.
How are the rooms arranged? Is any room, aside from the dining room,
accessible only through another room? For instance, is a bedroom
accessible only from a bathroom? For obvious reasons, this
arrangement can be inconvenient.
7.
Are the outside living areas, such as a patio, terrace or deck,
easily accessed from the house? Family and guests should be able to
travel with ease between indoor and outdoor areas.
By
taking the time to assess your family's current and anticipated
lifestyle and to determine the most efficient floor plan improves
the likelihood of ending up with a home you can enjoy for a
lifetime.
If you have questions about this or any other
home buying or selling subject, confer with the real estate
professionals who can help provide you with more detail…
We
can be reached at (310) 265-2130
Prudential California Realty is an independently owned and operated
member
|of The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential
Financial company.
Equal Housing
Opportunity
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