How to Choose the Right Home Floor Plan in Knoxville, TN

How to Choose the Right Home Floor Plan in Knoxville, TN

Building your own home is an exciting time! You’ve likely been dreaming of this for a while. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some difficult choices along the way.

One of the biggest decisions you have to make when deciding to build a home is choosing a new home floor plan. There are countless options out there - so how do you choose?

In this article, we’ll share all our best tips on choosing the right home floor plan for your dream house, from first steps to special considerations.

First Steps to Choose a Floor Plan in Knoxville, TN

Before you can start going into details, there are a few things you need to establish first.

Find a Custom Builder

If you haven’t already, you need to find yourself a custom home builder. Custom builders will have many different floorplan options for you to choose from, which can help you narrow your selection. Seeing their special floorplans can also help inspire you and guide you in a particular direction.

From there, your custom home builder can guide you through choosing customizations that will make your home truly yours.

Pick Your Favorite Style

There are many different home styles out there. Some of the most popular styles out there include:

• Ranches

• Victorians

• Mid-Century Modern

• Colonial

• Tudor

There are dozens of other styles out there, but those are just a few to consider. Choosing a style first can help whittle down your preferences further, which can help you settle on a floor plan you fall in love with.

Consider Your Vision

Are there specific features you’ve been dreaming of up until this moment? Do you want an extra large kitchen, or a separate laundry room? What about an in-home movie theatre?

Whatever your dreams are, take those into consideration when choosing a floor plan for your new home. If you see a floor plan with extra rooms or special features that interest you, put it into your finalists list.

Things to Consider When Choosing a New Home Floor Plan

It’s great to dream about the perfect floor plan, but you have to be practical too. Here are the top things you need to consider when choosing your floor plan.

Lot Size

One of the most important things to consider is your lot size. The larger lot you have, the more options you have for a floor plan.

If you have a particularly small lot, you may be a bit limited as to which floorplan you can choose. Your home should fit comfortably on the lot and still leave you some space to park vehicles or add other buildings later on, like sheds or garages if needed.

Check your documents carefully to ensure you know how large your lot is. If you aren’t sure, you can pay a visit to your county clerk’s office for another copy of your property line map or plat.

Space Needed (Now and Later!)

Floor plans come in all shapes and sizes. You’ll want to think about the amount of space you need to help you make a choice.

It can be easy to think only about the space you need now when building a home. However, you also need to consider future you to ensure your build is going to meet your needs for years to come.

You don’t want to put in the money and effort building a custom home now just to have to move in a few years due to space restrictions!

Consider if you’re thinking of growing your family in the future, whether by marriage, having children, or getting a new puppy. You should also consider if your job may ever require you to work from home, which could result in you needing a home office at some point.

If any of this is a potential for you, you’ll want to opt for a larger floor plan than you need at the moment. Consider a floor plan that is two stories, or that has at least 1-2 more bedrooms than you need for the current inhabitants.

Cost and Budget

Of course, you need to think about your budget in all of this. While you may want the biggest, most intensive home floor plan out there, your wallet might not!

You’ll have to weigh out home features versus the budget you have available. More features will cost more money, so you may have to opt out of some features to fit within your financial means. Be sure to sit down with your financial advisor to determine how much you can reasonably spend on your custom home before making a final choice on a floor plan.

Top Tips to Help You Choose

Having trouble? We’re here to help. Here are some of our top tips to help you with a difficult choice.

Narrow Your Options

Most importantly, you want to narrow down your options. There are so many floor plans out there for Knoxville, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

Narrow your options by features you need and want and go from there. For example, if you know for sure you want a garage, eliminate all floor plans without garages. This can also apply to features such as:

• Second-story homes

• Open living spaces

• Deluxe tubs and showers

• Porches

Limit yourself to the features you love that are within your budget and make a choice from there.

Picture Yourself There

Sometimes choosing a home floor plan is as easy as picturing yourself in there. Try to envision what it would look like to walk through your home in the floor plan you’re looking at. Think of something you do regularly, like a morning routine.

Does it feel right as you envision yourself in the home? Is there anything you realize the floor plan is missing as you begin to imagine yourself going through a routine in there?

This can help you find “the one” as you navigate so many different choices. If it feels right in your gut, it’s probably a good choice.

Talk it Out

Talking it out can also help you finalize your floor plan ideas. This may mean talking it out with a partner you plan to share the home with, or perhaps a friend willing to listen to your thoughts.

Talk with them about your desires for your home as well as your needs for certain features. See if they can help you weigh the pros and cons of certain floor plans. Sometimes, others can see things that aren’t always obvious to us. Bouncing your thoughts off of another person can help you make a solid decision in the long run.

Final Thoughts

Picking a floor plan isn’t always easy, but it should be enjoyable too. You’re finally being able to build your dream home, and that’s an exciting place to be!

Always be sure to go through your wants and needs for different features while still being practical. Remember your budget and lot size, and try to narrow down your choices from there to find the right fit for you.

To learn more about our floor plans here at Red Door Homes, you can reach out to us and schedule an appointment. We would love to talk out your dreams for a custom home with you further!

To get you kickstarted, take a look at some of the features and benefits of the Westmoreland floor plan from Red Door Homes.

FAQs

What is a new home floor plan?

Your floor plan is basically a blueprint of how your home will be designed. It is a diagram drawn from a birds-eye view so you can see exactly how your home will be laid out. It’s the easiest way to choose a particular home design, as it lists every detail from window location to room sizes.

What are some common mistakes people make when choosing a floor plan?

There are several things you can accidentally overlook when choosing a floor plan. Some of the finer details you’ll want to think about include:

• Window locations

• Bedroom and bathroom locations

• Hallway navigation

• Natural flow of the home layout

• Purpose of each room in your home

If you can think out these smaller details, you can choose a floor plan that is best suited to your needs.

What makes a good floor plan layout?

While everyone has their own unique tastes when it comes to their homes, there are a few things that generally make a layout better than others.

For one, you need to carefully look at room size. It’s easy to look at a description like “2 bed, 2 bath” and think it’s plenty of space. Then, you get in there, and realize each room is extremely tiny!

Always look at specific room sizes so you can determine if they’re large enough for your preferences. Think about the size of the furniture you have, as you need everything to fit properly.

Proportions matter for this too. Rooms that are longer one way may fit some types of furniture, while a room the same size but a different shape may not. Consider if there are closets or storage areas to put some of your belongings as well.

Also, most of your floor plan should be useable space. Make sure it isn’t mostly hallways or negligent space.