- Empty cart.
- Continue Shopping
Building a new home is an exciting, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and selecting the perfect home design and floor plan to meet your family’s needs can be daunting, but it’s a critical step toward realizing your dream home.
Rick McAlexander, CEO of The House Plan Company, a leading residential plan marketing company based in Oregon, offers four important pieces of advice when choosing the right floor plan for new home construction.
Factor Outdoor Living in the Plan
Outdoor living spaces are quickly becoming the new social hub of the home as families look to spend more time relaxing and recreating together outdoors. As McAlexander notes, more of his company’s clients are asking for formally defined outdoor living spaces, which often comes with its own set of unique challenges.
“One of the biggest challenges with building outdoor living spaces, which can feature fully-equipped kitchens and fireplaces, is that clients don’t necessarily take into account the additional cost to build this space as part of the total costs of home construction. The costs associated with this type of build-out will depend on several factors, such as the climate and whether some type of additional cover is needed due to moisture or direct sun or what type of appliances will be installed. Appliances rated for outdoor use, such as fireplaces, stoves and refrigerators, tend to be more expensive,” he explained.
Don’t Build More Space Than You Need
McAlexander has also noticed a downward trend in the need for bonus rooms in residential floor plans. Instead, his clients are carefully considering how every space of the house will be used.
“In the past, the concept of the ‘great room’ meant that people needed additional rooms for their own space, whether it be an office or media or hobby room, resulting in three- to four-bedroom floor plans,” he said. “Today, great room designs have evolved to include more well-defined separations within the open living space without the need for a third or fourth bedroom.”
