Right-Sizing: Choosing the Perfect Floor plan
Whether you’re looking for your first home or your fifth, there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all house. Whether you live in a tiny studio apartment or a spacious mansion, every space has its own unique needs and desires that should be met by the layout of your home. That’s why it’s so important to choose the right floor plan to fit your needs (and your wants).
How do you know if a floor plan is right for you?
When you’re looking for the right floor plan, it’s important to take into account a few key factors. An important start is deciding how many people you want to live comfortably within the space. Does everyone need their own bedroom? Will the dining room fit everyone for a family meal? Knowing how many people will call the house “home” is a good starting point.
In every big life decision, knowing your budget will come in handy. It’s important to find the number you feel most comfortable spending and sometimes additional exploration into how much you can afford is needed. Another important deciding factor is location, location, location! Some people may find their ideal home closer to downtown Kansas City, whereas others may feel more comfortable in a neighborhood in Overland Park. If your family has younger children, knowing what school district you fall in can be another important element to take into account.
What size home do you need?
Paying special attention to the size of the home you need can be another deciding factor in home-buying. Rooms can always be converted but knowing your minimum square footage could be a decent starting point. If you’re a first-time home buyer, your only frame of reference may be an apartment. Touring a few homes can help you get a feel for what size house you feel comfortable in and what additional furniture you may need to fill the space.
Don’t let your idea of size stop with indoor space. Consider your desired outdoor space. Does that include a deck or patio? Does the family dog need a yard? Outdoor and indoor space should be taken into consideration while you’re looking for homes. Once you have a concept of how much space you may need to live comfortably, you can then start thinking of how you want that space laid out inside your home. That’s where floor plans come into play.
Different floor plans and their benefits
Each house is made up of a floor plan. A floor plan is a drawing or a visual representation of a home’s interior from above. Floor plans can be unique but oftentimes they fall into certain categories known for the way space is used. Each floor plan has its own advantages and each home buyer may prefer one over another. Here are a few of the most common floor plans you’d find in Kansas City and what they have to offer.
Tudors and bungalows
A tudor is a house that has a steeply pitched roof and usually has dormers and exposed beams. The exterior is often brick and stone with arched windows. Tudors were popular in the United States during the 1920s through 1940s as they were considered “English” or “traditional.” Tudor-style homes often come with distinct designs inside and outside the home.
A bungalow is a single-story house with low-pitched gabled roofs, wide eaves, exposed rafters, and decorative brackets. The exterior is often stucco or wood clapboard siding with large front porches for shade during warm summer months. Single-story homes can be useful to older home-buyers that don’t want to deal with stairs each and every day.
Tudors and bungalows can be found in older neighborhoods like Waldo and Brookside. Waldo offers a charming, walkable neighborhood in the heart of south Kansas City, Missouri, and Brookside boasts historic homes, tree-lined streets, unique shops, and eclectic restaurants.
Split-level homes
Split-level homes are typically more affordable than similarly-sized single-family homes and combine the best of both worlds—the simple maintenance of an upper-level house with the main floor space that comes with a lower-level home. The many levels of short stairs leading from floor to floor are the most notable feature of a split-level home. For families, a split-level home offers greater separation of space than an open floor plan and can muffle noise that may carry, allowing more privacy.
Split-level homes can be difficult to remodel, so taking into account the space you need in your time living there can be vital. You can find split-level homes throughout Kansas City, including Overland Park and Lee’s Summit.
Tri-level homes
For families looking for even more space than a split-level home can offer, the tri-level home may be the best option. Tri-level homes offer more privacy for each family member and allow kids to play in their own space without disturbing other members of the household. In addition, tri-level homes provide ample space for entertaining guests, with plenty of open areas where multiple people can gather at once. Tri-level homes can be built with vaulted ceilings offering a beautiful look that can be decorated to fit many design aesthetics, from modern to traditional.
Neighborhoods like Olathe, Kansas, and Blue Springs, Missouri, offer tri-level homes and excellent school districts for growing families.
Two-story and 1.5-story homes
Two-story and 1.5-story homes give you a lot of space to move around in. These types of homes offer great spaces to entertain, while also allowing individuals to spread out and have their own private space. These types of floor plans are extremely popular and can be easier to resell than others.
A two-story home offers plenty of room for a large kitchen and family room, plus bedrooms that are big, with optional guest rooms or office spaces. And with all that extra space comes extra storage—so no more searching under beds or in closets!
1.5-story homes are the middle ground between single-story and two-story houses, meaning that they provide the best of both worlds for homeowners. This home design maximizes the square footage while saving on construction costs. The extra half story is often used for additional bedrooms or is built as loft space. Typically these layouts include a main floor master suite, a living area on the ground floor, and an open floor plan layout on the main level.
Use the right real estate agent to find the right floor plan
Using a trusted real estate agent that knows your needs can make finding the right floor plan and the right home a breeze. As Kansas City Ambassadors, Team Blake knows the Kansas City area and can better match your needs to where you can thrive. We’re happy to talk through your must-haves and offer support in every part of the home-buying process. Contact us today to get started on finding your perfect floor plan!
