The Right Floorplan

The importance of the right floorplan when buying a new home.

You hear it all the time in real estate:  Location, location, location.  This mantra is universally known as the most important aspect when purchasing a new home or a piece of property.  You will hear it all the time in Johnson County, KS, in the Kansas City Metro, and across the country.  Everyone will have their own opinion and thoughts on where to buy.  I will not disagree on this point but I will offer up another crucial and very important aspect when buying a new home: Floorplan.  Better yet, the “right floorplan”.

Other than location, the floorplan is the most important aspect when building or buying a new home (re-sale home for that matter as well).  You can’t change a floorplan once it is built.  The footprint of the home is the footprint of the home.  It becomes very expensive rather quickly when you begin to make structural changes to an existing home.  Furthermore, there is the added “expense” of living in a construction site when major re-modeling is being performed.  That is why, the floorplan needs to work for you, for your family, and be universally liked, otherwise you will find living in the home and trying to sell it very difficult.

What are some things to consider in a floorplan?

A good floor plan will increase the enjoyment of the home, have good flow between spaces/rooms, and increase the re-sale value of the home.  Here are things to consider when buying a home/floorplan:

  1. Versatility/Flexibility– does that office on the main floor have the capacity to be an extra bedroom?  If the basement is unfinished, make sure the egress window is in a location that makes it conducive to add an extra bedroom or a play area for natural light to come in
  2. Room Layout- Make sure bedrooms are far from entertaining spaces. Bathrooms shouldn’t face common entertainment spaces like dining rooms or living rooms. Most people will like if the kitchen opens to the dining or living rooms so whoever is cooking can still interact with guests or keep an eye on the kids playing.
  3. Large and in Charge– how big are the rooms?  Is there enough room to move around?  Be cognizant of how many people are going to be in a room at one time and if they are all going to fit.  Consider how you are going to furnish a room as well.  Nothing worse than being cramped in a room full of furniture.
  4. Lifestyle– For entertaining purposes, it is important that there is good flow to an outdoor living space and/or the great room.  If you splurge on a basement bar and entertainment room, it will need to be large enough yet personal enough along with being distinctly separate to allow for multiple conversation spaces and gathering spots.  The benefit of a home office is great especially when it has adequate light (natural or artificial) and is located in a quiet area of the home.

These are just a few items to consider and think about before buying your new home with the floorplan that you love.  Every floorplan will speak to everyone differently.  Some are going to love the same plan and others will be not be in the same ballpark, so to speak.  The point is:  Does it work?  Will the floorplan stand the test of time and be functional and practical 5, 10, 15, 20 years down the road and beyond?

At Bickimer Homes, we stress the importance of floorplans that fit the client.  We understand that purchasing a new home is a life changing event and we have the floorplans that will not have to be changed to fit your life.  That being said, if it happens that one of our plans needs to be customized to fit a particular need, we are more than capable of making that happen for the client.  Building Dreams on a Solid Foundation is not just our slogan, it’s what we do.