With so many floor plans, options and the challenge of utilizing todays property sizes, building a new home or renovating existing spaces can seem daunting. So what’s best for you and your family?
Asking the right questions can make this process much easier. Here’s a few questions to help get you started:
What is the purpose of your home?
Inner sanctuary: A home away from work and the busy of the outside world. What does peaceful feel like to you? Large windows pointing to the mountains? A jet soaker tub? An outdoor space filled with flowers and plants?
Entertaining: For family, friends and business connections. Does that look like a large open floor plan so you can visit while you work in the kitchen or would the kitchen be separated off from the dining and sitting room?
A large family home: Easy clean floors, matte paint for quick wiping and either a laundry chute or 2 laundry rooms; up and down are great ideas for a young family.
The teen hangout: A walk-out basement, media room with theater chairs and a ping pong table in the family room would be a good start.
Retirement home: A bungalow to eliminate stairs, and a main floor laundry is nice.
The home office: A space designed so you can work from home while keeping your living spaces separate. Would you like your office space by the front door or a separate entrance in a walk-out basement?
Once you determine the larger purpose of your home, take some time to envision how you would live within those walls. This helps you determine more details of your floor plan as well as what options you need to incorporate to create a space that you love to come home to.
Do you want the children’s bedrooms close to yours or on another floor?
How about your guest rooms?
Does someone in your family do a lot of cooking, baking or grilling? How do they work in the kitchen? Design your kitchen with height differences in mind. I’m 5’1” and my husband is 6’. We have a large island with banks of drawers where we keep our dishes that we use daily so I can reach them. The higher cupboards my husband uses so he doesn’t have to bend down as much. He loves to grill so we have a grilling deck just off the kitchen with his Traeger smoker.
What other questions would you ask yourself in the design process?
Asking the right questions, taking time to dream and plan is worth it as you create the home of your dreams. Creating a space that you and your significant other will love together can be fun.
A wise home builder can help guide you through the process of building the home of your dreams so you love where you live.
~ April Dueck, Jasher Homes