How to read floor and house plans
The floor plan is the blueprint of your dream home and one of the most important things to consider when building. It shows you where windows, doors and electrical appliances are located, as well as storage, so it’s important to know how to read it properly.
In this video, Robert Graham, Co-Head of Design at Stockland, shares his tips for understanding floor and house plans.
When drawing up the floor plan of your house, keep in mind that the larger the house, the more expensive it will be to design, maintain and run. It will require more heating/cooling, more lights, more furnishings and, worse, more cleaning!
The direction of your home will help you determine which rooms need extra attention. Some rooms will receive direct sunshine at different times of the day, while others may not get any – these rooms can make great home offices. Your home orientation will also influence cooling and heating requirements and costs, as well as considerations like the best place to put solar panels to make your home as sustainable as possible. Learn more about sustainable homes here.
You may not have heard of zoning before but it’s a handy consideration throughout the building process. Zoning refers to how we organise and arrange our homes in relation to how we plan to use them. It’s a great way to not only plan the layout of your home, but also help you plan for a clutter-free lifestyle. This can help you avoid that feeling of continually cleaning up and misplacing items that you were “literally just holding”!
Having a liveable house design will ensure that your house is safer and easier for everyone. Things to consider can range from getting creative with the space by including an indoor-outdoor area, to wider hallways (particularly good for large families and/or lots of entertaining!) and evenly sized bedrooms. Learn more about lifestyle and liveability here.
Simple ways to reduce the need for major maintenance in the kitchen include:
Simple ways to reduce the need for major maintenance in the bathroom include: