6 tips on choosing the best house design for you

Choosing a home can be one of the most exciting times of your life! There are so many choices to be made – which city to live in, which neighbourhood I want to raise my family in, what are my priorities for the house. How you will live in the house and whether it fits with your lifestyle is at least as important. That is why the layout of the house is one of the most important choices. You have to evaluate the size and shape of the house as well as how the rooms interact with each other. We offer you 8 effective steps to help choose the best house layout for you.

1. Choose the size that best fits your family
Not every family needs a mansion that requires a lot of work and expenses or conversely will be comfortable in a two bedroom house. Choosing a layout should start by considering how large a house is best for your family and lifestyle. Determine the number of bedrooms and bathrooms you, your children and, possibly, guests will require. The size of the house should be the first consideration.




2. Determine what type of building fits in the chosen construction site
The positioning of the house can determine the most appropriate layout of your house. A larger plot allows for a larger single storey house which would be the best choice if the family includes a member with limited mobility. It might be more cost efficient to build multiple storeys thereby decreasing roofing and foundation expenses per m2 of floor area, especially if the house is larger. Building in the city might mean having a town-house design. Before developing the house design, find out the restrictions on construction on your plot from the municipality.


3. Know the limits of your budget
Let’s be honest – we all like to dream big. But before choosing a house design be aware of the expenses. Determine the costs of construction and maintenance to understand the size and type of house within your budget.


4. Consult with a specialist
You might know what you want from your house but a specialist will help you see the less tangible aspects of the building. A specialist can help you consider factors like energy efficiency, comparative costs of various options, maintenance, latest technologies, sustainability etc.


5. Understand the pros and cons of the layout
No one house design is perfect. Each has its advantages and disadvantages and you have to decide what your priorities are and what drawbacks you can live with.  A huge window in the living room beautifully fills the room with light and gives a spacious feeling but it will also be more expensive and increase your heating costs. An open layout can mean that working from home is difficult when children are watching the TV in the next room. Rooms and utilities have to be laid out so that every family member feels comfortable. For example, a family with young children might want the parent bedroom to be between childrens’ bedrooms but parents of teenagers might feel better to have their bedroom further away. Weigh the pros and cons of your situation to choose the right house design.



6. If you know what you want – create your own
Most often when a person wants to build a new home, they have very specific ideas of what they want. You can change an existing design to fit your idea or choose to design the house altogether from a sketch so that it matches the vision as much as possible. That, of course, will be a more time consuming and expensive process but is sure to produce exactly what you want.