1. General appeal is good
Building a home is exciting because it gives you a chance to customize your own space. You can imagine the layout you’ve always wanted and watch it take shape before your eyes.
But building is also as serious investment, and many people forget that they may not live in their new home forever. Chances are, they’ll put it on the market someday. General appeal and practicality are therefore big considerations when coming up with a design. A house with some unique aspects is good, but a house full of unusual customizations may give you trouble when it’s time to sell. Showing your floor plan to an architect or builder can give you valuable perspective.
2. Ambient noise is a factor
Nobody wants to settle into bed on the first night in their new home, only to find that they can hear the refrigerator running, or that the study should have been placed at the back of the home to cut down on street noise. Always consider where you want the quietest and most private areas of the home to be, and position them according to the outside environment.
3. Many homes have inconvenient wiring
A bedroom with only one outlet? A light switch on the wrong side of the room? Such mistakes are a common source of regret amongst homeowners who went the building route. A detailed visualization of what kind of electronics will be used in each room—and which rooms might eventually be used for different purposes—can help you get the wiring right the first time, rather than having to fork out for big electrical adjustments.
4. Home design is a professional skill
You’re footing the bill, and your house should reflect the floor plan you want. That said, builders and architects are accredited for a reason. They’ve been through years of training in the design and construction of homes, and experience has shown them what works. Their advice is your to take (or not).
Your best bet is to balance your own ideas with professional advice, and be willing to make compromises if that advice runs contrary to certain aspects of your plan. More people are using home design apps to flesh out their ideas, but it’s also important to know good advice when you hear it.
5. Some rooms have more foot traffic
Placing the kitchen far from any convenient entrance is generally not a good idea. Groceries are constantly carried into the kitchen from outside, and there is generally more foot traffic there. Rooms with heavy foot traffic should be more immediately accessible, while areas of rest and study should be nestled out of the way wherever possible.
6. The House may be Renovated in the Future
It may seem ridiculous to think about home renovation when building a new home, yet doing so can increase the home’s appeal—both to you and future buyers. If you’re building a home with a family of four in mind, imagine needing to adapt for a family a six. Or perhaps you can see a larger patio in the future, or new wing for a home gym. If you visualize what kind of addition might be wanted in the future, you can design your home to be more “renovation friendly.”
Along those same lines, you can add an extra room or two to your house for use as a study, gym or workroom. When a larger family looks at the house, they’ll see another bedroom.
What do you think?
Hopefully this post has given you some food for thought as you consider renovating your home. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them here!
