How to Choose a Floor Plan for Your Home

Whether you’re getting ready to build a custom home, or you’re browsing available home plans, choosing the right floor plan is key to ensuring your happiness in your new home. After all, the way your home is laid out has a direct impact on the way you live in it. It can be incredibly frustrating to live in a home that isn’t conducive to your family’s lifestyle. But living in a home that fits your preferences feels natural and freeing. And when you build with Hanson Builders, you are free to customize your floor plan to fit your family’s needs.

With that said, there are several things to consider when choosing your floor plan. Join us as we explore each of them in detail.

Understanding Your Lifestyle

First, consider your family’s lifestyle, needs, and preferences. What does your dream home look like?

Needs

If you’re preparing to build or buy a new home, you most likely have a list of features that your new home absolutely must have. These can be broad ideas or categories, such as an open-concept or closed layout, a certain number of bedrooms, or a plentiful amount of natural light. They can also be specific features, such as a prep kitchen, dedicated home office, or an upstairs laundry room.

Write down your must-haves but be sure to prioritize and choose only those things that are non-negotiable. There will be room for additional features in the next category.

Wants

This is the time to have a little fun and consider features that, while not necessary for your new floor plan, would add value and enhance your life. For example, you may enjoy having a dedicated hobby or craft room, a workout area in the basement, or an indoor sport court for the kids to play in. Write down these desires and keep them in mind.

Family Dynamics

Next, consider how your family lives. Think about each person’s daily routines, habits, and lifestyle. Close your eyes and imagine yourself walking through your dream home. Where do you go when you first enter? Where are your kids hanging out? Can you keep an eye on them from the kitchen, or do you prefer more separation between the kitchen and the living room? Where do people go to gather, and where do they go for privacy? Your new home’s floor plan should reflect and support these daily rhythms.

What Makes a Floor Plan Function?

Now that you know what specific features you want in your floor plan, it’s time to consider a few practical elements.

Flow and Circulation

This refers to how easily you can move through your home. A good floor plan creates logical connections between areas and minimizes wasted space. Consider what rooms people will want to pass between frequently, and make sure the transitions are spacious enough to avoid traffic jams.

Proper Room Sizes

The size of each room in your home should be appropriate for your family’s use of it. Some people enjoy larger bedrooms, while others prefer to have extra space in their main living area, for example. Consider what you’ll be doing in each room—working, hosting guests, watching TV, etc.—and plan accordingly. If you have furniture that you want to bring into your new home, make sure each piece fits in the space you envision for it.

Distinct Zones

A good floor plan, whether it is open or closed, creates zones for different activities. This is especially important for ensuring privacy and minimizing disruptions. Your home may have a bedroom/sleeping zone, a living/entertaining zone, and a work/study zone, for example. When designing your floor plan, try to group similar-use rooms together to see what kind of zones you can create.

Discover Your Ideal Floor Plan with Hanson Builders

At Hanson Builders, we create homes designed to fit your lifestyle. Whether you’re customizing one of our professionally designed home plans or creating a custom home from scratch, we will listen to your needs and partner with you to craft the perfect floor plan.