Are you considering building a custom home? Before you dive headfirst into home plans and interior designers, you will want to mull over a few things.
After all, custom homes are meant to reflect you and your family’s lifestyle. You should be a big part of the design process to ensure that your home has everything you want.
What to Consider When Creating a Custom Floor Plan
The following are five essential things to consider when building your dream home.
1. 3D Floor Plan
When you build a custom home, you can help design your floor plan. This is great because it can genuinely reflect your family’s needs and wants.
From furniture layout to technical details, there is a lot to consider! It can also be somewhat challenging to picture. That is where computer-aided design comes into play.
Computer-aided design, also known as CAD drawing, is a type of floor plan software that can render 3-D images of your architectural design. In other words, it can offer a virtual tour of dream homes before they are built.
You can also include a rendering of the front elevation of your home. Remember, a custom home is unique. That means you do not necessarily know what it will look like once it is built to your specification.
If you get a 3D rendering of the front elevation, you can identify and fix any potential issues before the home is built. Otherwise, you will be stuck with an aesthetic you do not love.
2. Laundry Room Placement
Your home should be a functional oasis. That means it should be set up to reflect how your family spends time and what you value most.
A laundry room is not usually the first thing that comes to mind when you build a custom home. But it is one of those rooms that gets used a lot, and you should be thoughtful about its location.
Since you will use the laundry room frequently, you will want it built in a convenient t location.
However, you should avoid putting it too close to living areas like the family or dining room. That is because washing machines and dryers can be noisy, and you do not want to compete with that sound.
Another thing to consider if you are building a two-story home is whether or not you want the laundry room on the second floor. Many people opt for this because that is usually where the bedrooms are and where people change their clothes. Having the laundry room upstairs means you will not be lugging around baskets of clothes up and down a flight of stairs each week.
If you opt for having a laundry room upstairs, there are two other things you might want to consider. If there is ever a leak, it may cause a more significant issue than if the laundry room is located on the first floor. In addition, you might want to consider having a laundry-type sink on the ground floor, perhaps in your garage. Those are great for cleaning up items used for messy household chores.
Make sure you talk to your house designer about laundry room location during your home building journey.
3. View from the Front Entrance
Another thing to consider when making custom home plans is the view from the front door. What do you want you and your guests to see from the entryway?
When designing your own home, you can incorporate those things that make it “you.” For example, if you are an artist, you may want a foyer to display a piece of art. Or, if you are a musician, perhaps you want to be able to view a piano or guitar upon entry.
Many families love to create gallery walls at their homes’ entrances that set the tone for visitors.
If you have a lovely view of your property, visitors may want to see this as they step into your home.
The point is that you can create an entryway that reflects whatever you want it to when making custom house plans.
4. Privacy
You want your home to feel like a safe space, so you should consider privacy.
You will want to make sure you keep two main areas private: family living spaces and the master bedroom.
Where do you plan to hang out at home with your family? Will you be doing homework at the kitchen table or spending other time in that room? If so, be aware of what can be seen outside the home.
If you plan on putting in a front door with windows, you may want to consider what can be seen from the front entrance.
Another spot that you want to keep private is the master bedroom. Many home designs
5. Staircase Placement
A final consideration when creating your perfect layout is staircase placement. There is no one correct spot to place your stairs. Every person has their taste, and not every home style will function well for your family.
For starters, some people love a beautiful staircase. If you fall into that category, then consider placing them in full view with a gorgeous banister to show off.
Other people want to minimize the view of the staircase. There is no right choice, so choose whatever design you make happiest.
You will also want to consider the functionality of the staircase. Will you have all of the bedrooms on the top floor? If so, you may want them easily accessible from the kitchen or other main living areas.
Or, if you only put a master bedroom or a loft upstairs, you might not care as much about accessibility.
Building a Custom Home?
At Tropic Coast Homes, we can help you build the house of your dreams! We help southwest Florida homeowners buy, sell and create beautiful homes. Contact Us to learn how we can help you.