How important is the floor plan?

By: Dian Hymer

April 22, 2002

Buyers usually focus on price and size when they fine-tune their housing preferences. It's wise to buy a home that's big enough to suit your needs at a price you can afford to pay. But, don't overlook the floor plan.

The floor plan of a home, or room layout, will affect the way you use the space. A home that's big enough in terms of overall square footage may not work well for you unless the space is organized appropriately.

Recently, buyers bought a new 4000-square-foot home in the Oakland, Calif. There were several listings to choose from. Most of them had all of the bedrooms on the same level--either at a level above or below the main living level. The winning house had a bedroom and bath on the main living level; the other bedrooms were on a separate level. This layout provided an ideal arrangement for the buyers because an elderly relative, who had difficulty navigating stairs, would share the house with them.

Before you make an offer to buy a home, carefully analyze the floor plan in terms of your particular needs. For example, if you need a home office, will a built-in desk in the kitchen/family room suffice or do you need a serious workspace that's away from the rest of the family activities?

If you have young children, you may prefer to have the children's bedrooms close to your own. However, if you have teenage children who thrive on rock music and video games, you may want the master suite located as far away as possible from the other bedrooms.

HOUSE HUNTING TIP: Some buyers find it useful to sketch the floor plan of a home they're interested in buying. Builders of new homes often have floor plan sketches available in their sales offices. It also helps to make a list of everything you need and want in a home. This should include not only the number of bedrooms and baths, but also your special use requirements, such as a formal dining room for corporate dinners or an extra space for your exercise equipment.

Some floor plans are better than others. A desirable layout is one with a central hallway that serves as a hub for other rooms. The central hall plan allows for a good circulation or flow of traffic from one area of the house to another. Less desirable is a floor plan with a maze of rooms laid out like train. You can't get to one room without walking through another room. This layout is not conducive to good traffic flow and usually results in an inefficient use of space.

A good floor plan will have a mix of public and private spaces, preferably with a nice separation between the two. Ideally, your family room won't be located right next to the bedrooms. If you and your partner both need home offices, and he's messy but you're a neat freak, your offices should be in two separate rooms.

Other desirable floor plan features include: plenty of storage space; an attached garage that opens level in to the kitchen; easy access to the yard; a conveniently located laundry room; three or four bedrooms on one level; a bathroom on each level; a master bedroom with its own bath.

THE CLOSING: After carefully analyzing your housing needs, take another walk-through of a home you're seriously thinking of buying. Carefully consider how you'll use the space in the house. Also, determine if there are any glaring deficiencies in the floor plan in terms of your personal housing needs.

Dian Hymer is author of "House Hunting, The Take-Along Workbook for Home Buyers", and "Starting Out, The Complete Home Buyer's Guide," Chronicle Books.