How to Pick the Best Floor Plan
August 5, 2009 by Rebecca
Filed under Home & Garden
Picking floor plans when building a new home is exciting. However it can get a bit confusing when presented with multiple options and an overwhelming number of potential upgrades.
Look for Energy Efficient Homes
Energy costs are going up, so if you’re able to cut costs considerably for the future while building your home, you’ll be in a far better position down the road. Look for energy efficient floor plans or Energy Star house plans to better understand what these plans offer. In most cases, it is the more technical details of the plan that make a difference in your future energy costs – the layout of the home will remain the same or similar to non energy efficient plans.
Look For the Right Size Floor Plan
It’s easy to get swept up in excitement and max out your budget buying house, but look instead for the size of house you realistically need and can maintain. You might plan ahead to the future, but do that through rooms rather than simply square footage. Giant rooms look grand but can be more difficult to keep clean. An open floor plan with plenty of smaller bedrooms and office space would provide more usable space.
Choose the Right Amenities
When looking at house plans, be sure you pick the right amenities for your family. With a limited budget, you might opt out of fireplace you might use once a year and include a build-in computer niche or separate sinks. Add bathrooms when able as these will add value to your home and be indispensable for children and guests. Consider the use of stairs every day and how a two-story home might affect your lifestyle differently than a one-story house.
Choose the Right Flow
When looking at floor plans, imagine yourself walking through the home. Look for problems that would present themselves later, such as the nursery being next to the automatic garage door or the back door opening into a living room rather than kitchen. Find the flow that would work best for your family. In some cases, flow is better in smaller homes than larger ones with more unusable space.
Easy Step By Step Instructions For Picking a Floor Plan
- Look for an energy efficient home that will pay off down the road
- Consider floor plans that are the right size for your family
- Choose the right amenities in the plan
- Imagine the flow of the home and how it would accommodate your lifestyle
Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions When Deciding on a Floor Plan
When looking at floor plans, always remember that options shown will be expensive additions to your total cost. Plan your budget accordingly.


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Hi Rebecca, thanks for your great article on picking the best floor plan. I just built a Energy Star approved home and I bought my plan from the internet which I thought was kind of strange, but I found just the house I was looking for and it came with Energy Star details and now my home is Energy Star certified. The company was thehousedesigners.com and I was told that they were the only internet company that had Energy Star approved home plans. I was also surprised at our final costs to make our home Energy Star approved. It was a little less than we were planning to spend. I wish everyone would make the investment in our environment. Thank you.