Why Floor Plans Are Crucial To Finding Your Perfect Home
A soft light filters through the windows in your brand new living room. Your significant other calls from the kitchen about what should be made for dinner, but you can’t quite hear them. You mute the tv but still can’t hear what is being said - your kitchen is too far away.
Once in a while this may not be a troublesome problem, but if your floor plan does not allow for the seamless interaction between those who live within the house, there’s an issue. Before making the leap into the real estate market it’s important to do some research. Together, we'll make it both easy and fun to be your own floor plan designer. First, think about what kind of purpose you want your house to serve. Let’s look at the following three examples:
Family
Raising young ones can be tough, but planning for the perfect space could allow for optimal childhood development. Creating an open environment with lots of natural light will give parents an opportunity to keep an eye on things while they go about their routines. Think about an open floor plan, while still carving out space for bedrooms that encourage adolescent privacy.
Relaxation & Restoration
What do you envision as the most relaxing day after a long week of work? If it is lounging in your study, the walls lined with books and a glass of scotch in your hand, make sure you include that in your floor plan. Do you enjoy sipping a glass of lemonade on the deck while the sun sets and your barbecue emanates a delicious aroma? Before buying a new house, take a few minutes to zone out and imagine your perfect day of relaxation. Once you’ve constructed a detailed daydream, let it manifest itself in a floor plan. Turn dreams into the 2-D bird’s eye view of a blueprint. When you reach that blissful day of realization at the end of a satisfying or burdensome week, you will thank us (or not but you’ll be much happier).
Entertaining
Here at Icon Living, we embrace the centuries-long tradition of entertaining friends and family. From the technology you’ll need to smooth out a party, to what kind of backyard games will keep conversation rolling, we understand what it means to make your loved ones feel valued. This has never been more crucial than when you are choosing a floor plan. How would you like to show your guests that they are welcome to make themselves at home? Does your kitchen invite them to sit and talk with you while you make a charcuterie board? Can you easily take food out to the patio while they play a round of bocce ball? Similar to the restoration and relaxation piece above, imagine a group of friends at a surprise birthday party. Start asking yourself the questions above, and filter your answer through the perspective of floor plan. If you need a more tangible visual, glance at a few of your perspective houses and go back to your visualization.
Floor Plan Apps
Since not all of us are skilled with the drawing pencil, but we still want to visualize our dream floor plan, might I suggest these three high quality floor plan apps:
Floor Plan Creator (Free w/ads - Large Tool Kit with Laser Meters)
Grapholite Floor Plans (Free - Traditional Blueprints - Costs Money to Export Plans)
MagicPlan (Free -3d Models - Some Objects Blocked by Paywall)
Each of these apps is unique in its experience and can be done either on your computer or mobile device. Try each one to see which gives you the most tangible and effective tool kit. Creating floor plans has never been so accessible and user friendly. Happy planning!