A good floor plan can make or break a house. Position or quality of the property are important, but how the house is actually laid out can be the real difference between a good house and great one.
So, what should you look for in a good floor plan?
Separation of living areas is really important. Each section of the house ideally shouldn’t clash. A well laid out property will have good separation between bedrooms and living areas and kitchen, with both able to easily access bathrooms. It’s not overly desirable to have bedrooms opening up to the lounge room, or the laundry accessed via the dining room. Period cottages are a good example of separating living.
Flow between spaces is vital. Open plan living is now ubiquitous in interior design, but still easy to get wrong. Allowing enough space for these areas is obviously important, but crucial is allowing enough space between them. The sense of flow can easily be interrupted by too little or too much space between these areas – 800mm to 1 metre is a good amount.
Ceiling heights are key to influencing the sense of space and size in a property. Generally, the higher the better. If an owner wants to raise the ceiling on their property, the bad news is it’s very difficult. The good news is that some properties have had their ceilings lowered in order to be easier to heat, so if a ceiling seems a bit low, it may be possible to raise, letting in more light and increasing the sense of space. Seek a professional opinion before undertaking this.
Multi-level property should definitely consider the functionality of their floor plans. Amenities such as a powder room on each level is a must. No one likes running up and down stairs if they don’t have to. These sort of considerations will definitely help with the resale of the property and open up the buyer pool. A two level townhouse may be perfect for semi-retired downsizers, but they may not want to be dealing with a staircase in five to ten years’ time.
External access can make more of a difference than you might think when it’s done well. For example, there should be some separation between the entrance and the rest of the interiors; ideally you don’t want to be walking straight into the living room. External access through spaces such as bedrooms also aren’t desirable.
Speak to a property expert about how you can make the most out of your floor plan.