If you are in the market for your next home, which floor plan is best for you? Below are some factors for you to consider.
IMMEDIATE USE
What are your life-style needs now? If you have a young child or children still at home, the proximity of bedrooms will be important. Likewise, an adequate eating area in the kitchen would allow for the mishaps of youngsters at meal time as well as a great place for supervised homework for school age family members. In today’s world of telecommunications, does someone need a quite space to work from home? Do you need a formal living room and dining room or is a great room satisfactory? The floor plan of your next home will affect your daily life in a material way. When looking at a house, try to picture your family needs and how this home will provide for those needs.
FUTURE USE
If you plan on living in this house for many years to come, does it have the ability to handle your requirements for the future? Is it, for example, expandable? Is there enough yard available to add an additional bedroom without violating the existing floor plan? Would it permit an in-law suite if you need to care for an ageing parent? Though they may not be practical for a growing family with young children, many Baby Boomers are considering a home with a first floor master suite so once the children leave the nest, parents can continue to enjoy their home while aging in place.
INVESTMENT POTENTIAL
Some floor plans bring a higher price than others. This usually depends upon the housing stock available in each local area. As a rule general rule, certain floor plans are in greater or lesser demand depending upon the trends in local buying habits. Naperville, for example, has been predominately a two-story town since the 1970’s due to the limited land and cost of it; and the builders able to sell more square footage by going up and not out. Consequently, ranch-style homes with one level living have become quite high in demand in Naperville as the Baby Boomers are aging and most of our inventory are two stories.
To be safe, don’t hesitate to ask your Realtor about the popularity of one floor plan over another. This information will impact the amount of profit you will realize upon resale.
ADVICE: Choose your floor plan carefully. As you can see from some of the ideas presented above, floor plan is important. Seek the advice and guidance of a local Realtor®. He or she is in touch with today’s buyer trends and could guide you into a wise decision that will pave your way to success in today’s most complex market.
