Designing your new home can be a stressful experience for even the most seasoned of homeowners, but breaking it down and following these 9 steps can help you make sure you don’t forget anything when planning and designing your new home.
When planning and designing your new home, you should consider the following specific points which we’ve explored in further detail below;
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House Style
- – Single Storey or Multi-Storey
- – Floor Plan
- – Kitchen Style/Design
- – Number of Bedrooms
- – Number of Bathrooms
- – Master Bedroom Suite
- – Extra Rooms
- – Is your home functional
- House Style – The style of your home is the best place to start. You’re going to be spending a lot of time in your home, so you need to make sure you’re happy with your style choice. Would you prefer a modern or more traditional home style? Will it be the same style as your neighbours (and does that matter to you)? Will the style you choose suit the external and internal finishes and furnishing? Choosing a style of home that you can agree on is often challenging for those building together as your favourite styles may be very different.
- Single Level or Multi-Level – How many storeys your home will have is very much a personal preference. Perhaps you would rather not have stairs to climb up and down every day, or you have small children and safety around stairs is a concern. Conversely, some blocks of land may not offer very much usable space; therefore, a multi-storey home may be your best option.
- Floor Plans – When drawing up your floor plans, visualise how you’ll move around your home, how you intend to furnish it and what each room will be used for. Grab a tape measure and measure out the rooms in your current home, so you can get a feel for how big a room is or will be in consideration with how you want to utilise it. Take into consideration the direction of your block of land and the way it faces, so that you can take advantage of natural light and efficient heating and cooling.
- Kitchen Style and Design – The kitchen is often referred to as the heart of the home and for good reason; outside of sleeping, most adults tend to spend the bulk to their time in their kitchen space, particularly now with open plan living designs. However, that may not be important to you; everyone has a slightly different idea in their mind of what their dream kitchen layout and style will be. Also consider how long you intend to keep the home – for example, many of today’s kitchens have large walk-in-pantry space and a middle island bench, but will these style trends still be popular in 5 years’ time? Talk to your builder and kitchen designer about your options and ideas you might have. Visiting display homes are one of the best ways to see how a kitchen fits into a home.
- Number of Bedrooms – This question may seem simple and easy to answer, but its worth discussing and thinking about. You may need to consider not only your current family size and needs, but your future needs also. Will you be having more children? Will your children be growing up and moving out soon? Do you regularly have guests? If you add in an extra bedroom now, can you convert it to a study or hobby room later?
- Number of Bathrooms – The number of bathrooms is also a personal preference. You may want an ensuite to each bedroom or just the master suite, and one main bathroom. You’ll need to consider and adjust the number of bathrooms you have according to the number of bedrooms you have, and where the bedrooms are located. A toilet only powder room is also a popular option for multi storey homes.
- Master Bedroom Suite – Modern homes usually offer a master bedroom suite with a large walk-in-robe and ensuite. In these ensuites, shower cavities including more than 1 shower head are also increasing in popularity as well as built-in shower niches to hold an assortment of shower products. Having these extras generally increases the value of your home should you sell in the future, however if you want to keep it simple there is absolutely no reason not to!
- Extra Rooms – (Playrooms, theatre or media rooms etc.) Gone are the days of formal lounge and dining rooms, today’s popular trend is having a dedicated playroom for children. It is generally tucked away upstairs or towards the back of the house so there are no toys scattered around your home, and it is easy to “hide the chaos” by closing the door at the end of the day. A theatre room is another popular optional room for today’s families, creating a comfortable and cinematic experience without the price tag of the movies and in the comfort of your own home.
- Is your home functional – Start by comparing your current home with your proposed house plan. What do you like and dislike? What would you move or change if you could and why? From this starting point you can begin to plan according to these factors. For example, if you have young children you may want the master suite close to their rooms, as opposed to away from the other bedrooms if you had teenagers.
So, there you have our 9 steps for getting it right when designing your home! If you don’t know where to start, Crystele Homes offers an all-inclusive design and styling service when you build your custom new home with us, contact us today to book in your appointment.
