Types of Floor Plans

Homes come in all different shapes and sizes. When designing your future residence, choosing a floor plan for your family is a significant factor in making your house feel like home. Read through these helpful tips for choosing the floor plan for your dream home.

Before you start building your new home, you need to develop a floor plan. A floor plan is an aerial view of how your home will look when you build it. The floor plan typically shows the layout and dimensions of each room in your home. SK Builders offers 90 unique floor plans to help you design your dream home. Here is an overview of some of the different types of floor plans available on our website.

Open floor plan: An open floor plan gives you more space throughout your home, but you won't have much privacy. When considering an open floor plan, decide whether space or privacy is your priority.

Split bedroom plan: A split bedroom plan places the master bedroom on a different floor from the other bedrooms. If you want additional privacy, this floor plan may be great for you.

Single floor plan: A single floor plan places all of the rooms on one floor, so you do not have to climb up a flight of stairs. This floor plan is attractive to elderly home buyers or individuals who may have trouble climbing stairs. A single floor plan also allows parents to keep an eye on their young children and keep them safe from falling down the stairs.

Your floor plan should accommodate your current lifestyle but should also be flexible. If you will stay in your home for years to come, prepare for how your family will grow in the future.

While the various types of home floor plans available may be overwhelming, following the right steps can help you choose the floor plan that is best for your family and your current desires. Follow this ten-step guide to discover how to choose a floor plan.

1. Decide the Size of Your Home

The size of your home should be your highest priority. Decide how many rooms you need for your children and what space you want for your guests. The number and size of rooms will determine how comfortable you will be for years to come, so make sure you take time to consider how much space you'll need now as well as in the future.

2. Consider Your Design Style

Everyone wants to put their own finishing touches on their homes. Your floor plan can either work with or against your design style. If you like everything to have its own place, a traditional floor plan may be the right fit for you. If you want your home to look uniform throughout, the open concept floor plan might be better. The type of furniture and decorations you choose for your new home will also help you determine which type of floor plan matches your style.

3. Look at Where You're Moving

When considering a floor plan, drive around your neighborhood and observe the style of houses on your block. Although your house doesn't have to look exactly like every other house on the block, you may have to choose a floor plan that fits the theme of the neighborhood. Make sure you don't build a home that conflicts with the zoning regulations of your new community. SK Builders have pre-approved floor plans to comply with architectural and square footage guidelines in all of their communities.

4. Release Your Expectations for the Perfect Home

Building your dream home does not mean that your house will have everything you've ever wanted in a home. The different floor plans available are sketches, but they may need to be adjusted to make your home the way you want it. Before you invest in your home, write down what you want in a home, and think about what you're willing to sacrifice to have what you need. Then, browse which floor plan will give you the most of what you need for the money you're willing to spend.

5. Pay Attention to the Layout, Not the Finishes

The layout of the floor plan is the most important element of designing your home. You can always change the wallpaper, but it's a lot more difficult to remove the wall itself. Focus on the layout of the house as a whole instead of the minor details.

6. Consult a McAlister Realty Agent

Real estate agents have experience looking through homes and paying attention to aspects of houses most people don't think about. When you're choosing a floor plan for your family, ask a real estate agent for their professional opinion.

7. Don't Ignore Your Instincts

Much of choosing the right floor plan involves comfort. Your instincts will tell you how comfortable you and your family will be and how at home you will feel throughout your house.

Go with your instincts and make decisions about what is best for your family. Use factors such as the age of your children to determine where you want the master bedroom or the size of each of your other rooms.

8. Think About Your Furniture

Your furniture is what completes your floor plan. However, we often don't consider furniture until we move in. If you're bringing furniture from your previous residence, make sure you measure the furniture and imagine where it will be located in your home. Your furniture shouldn't take up so much space that your floor plan feels cramped.

9. Make a Budget

While you may have your dream home in mind, you need to think about your budget. Don't fall in love with a plan, only to incur a heaping mound of debt. Buying a home doesn't just involve the cost of the mortgage, but also furniture and decorations, as well as taxes and the monthly utility bill.

Collaborate with a contractor to build a home within your budget. Consider how much you're willing to put toward a down payment and how much the bank is willing to give you. You don't have to spend an excessive amount of money to build the home of your dreams.

10. Modify Your Floor Plan as Needed

A standard floor plan might not have everything you need. Maybe you want to knock down a wall to expand the living room or add a closet to your child's bedroom. As you browse through your floor plan options, remember that you can customize a plan to make it work for you. Remember, customization will add to the cost of your home and will have to be approved by the builder.

Before you choose a floor plan, ask yourself the following questions.

What Would I Change About My Current Home?

What do you wish you had in your current home that you want to incorporate into your next home? When you build your own home, you have the option to make your home look however you want it to. Think about how much space you need, what features you want to have and what bothers you about your current home.

Your new home will have to accommodate your current lifestyle. Imagine yourself working and relaxing in your new home. Consider what you could do to your new home to make your life more enjoyable.

Will This New Home Accommodate My Life for the Next 10 Years?

Hopefully, you will be in your home for at least 10 years. Your family will change during that time. Maybe your family will grow, or your children will be old enough to move out of the house.

You may only see your current situation, but don't forget about the circumstances you will face in the future. Don't just build a home for what your life looks like now. Build your home to accommodate your future.

While we can't know for sure what the future will bring, a flexible house plan will future-proof your home and help you to adjust your space as needed. Rooms can serve multiple purposes. What is a playroom now can be a bedroom when your next child is born.

What Does My Lot Look Like?

When you're building a home, you should have a plot of land. If you do not already own a plot of land, you can build in one of SK Builders communities, or buy a plot of land and SK Builders can build on your own lot. The location and size of your lot should determine your floor plan.

If you have a plot of land with a great view, take into consideration the best way to accommodate sunlight and highlight the natural beauty around your property. Window placement can help you avoid unpleasant views, capture great views and save money on heat regulation.

Will My House Fit in With the Other Houses on My Block?

Your house doesn't have to look exactly like every other house on the block, but you may not want it to stand out too much either. Subdivisions may have requirements about square footage, storage buildings, fence type, and so on, so check what restrictions and regulations are in place before you start building.

What's My Priority: Size or Amenities?

Because of budget limitations, you may have to choose between size and amenities. You can either have a big house with a few details or a small home with charm and cute features. Before building, decide what matters more to you.

Can I Imagine Myself Living Here?

It's hard to visualize what your home will be like based on a drawing of your floor plan. Take some time to picture yourself walking through the floor plan you have created. SK Builders provides virtual tours of some of our most popular floor plans to better help you imagine the layout of your dream home.

Is the bathroom in an awkward spot? Do you need more kitchen storage? Did you leave enough space in that additional fourth bedroom? If you can picture yourself making this floor plan your home, you can move forward with building.

What Functional Spaces Do I Need?

Don't neglect the functional spaces of a home that are not as exciting as the main areas. Functional rooms, such as mudrooms, storage rooms, laundry rooms, and bathrooms, are important as well. Make sure they have just as much of a priority in your floor plan as your master suite.

Along with that, make sure that the size of each room matches its function. You may want a master suite that's bigger than your living room, but how many hours per day will you be spending in your master suite? Use that extra footage to design a more functional space that you will use throughout the day.

Does This Home Match My Design Style?

Not every floor plan will accommodate your decorating style. If you have a consistent style throughout your home, an open concept would work for you. However, if you like to have unique rooms in each part of your home, you might have more fun with a traditional floor plan. Consider how your furniture and decorations will fit in with your plan.

Can I Add Special-Interest Rooms?

As you're designing your home, consider rooms that cater to your hobbies. Many of SK Builders' home plans include finished bonus rooms that can be used for a multitude of purposes.

Let the team at SK Builders provide you with an affordable home in one of our communities in upstate South Carolina. We build floor plans that fit a variety of price points and lifestyles. Choose from one of our 90-floor plans in one of our many residential communities.

We are also proud to offer a warranty program that will give you the peace of mind you deserve during the building process. Contact us when you're ready to break ground on your new home!