When I was about 10, my parents moved our family from suburban New Jersey to small town midwestern Illinois and in the process, decided build a new home rather than purchase a resale home. It was an exciting time...from cabinet choices to the pitch of the cedar shake roof, we were caught up in the excitement of custom building a home.
After both of my parents passed away, upon going through their photos & documents, I came across the original floor plans for that Cape Cod styled house in Quincy, Illinois. Unrolling the architect's rendering on paper of our family home, I remembered how my parents had agonized over the dimensions of the bay window in the living room, created a perfect "working triangle" space in the kitchen & added a unique two sided fireplace, giving both the family room and living room a cozy feel.
Today, even when building a new home, it almost seems like Buyers seldom get to choose finishes, let alone create a custom floor plan. This can actually be a good thing as many people (including myself) have difficultly envisioning a 2D drawing into a 3D living space. Having a limited floor plan options allow a builder to create model homes for Buyers to walk through and "try on" what that living space feels like.
When choosing a builder floor plan, here's 5 things to consider...
1. Note where the main bedroom is located in relation to the shared living spaces. If the main bedroom shares a wall with either the kitchen or family room with no hallway separating, expect noise to travel.
2. Consider en suite bathrooms for each bedroom. Worth the investment if the builder offers this option. Any guests you may have will want their own bathroom. Not to mention, try to get kids over about 8 years old to share a bathroom peacefully...! You'll benefit when you resell the house in years to come.
3. Don't downsize the pantry. You can make do with fewer cabinets and a kitchen island if your floor plan offers a large walk in pantry. Your island does double duty with counter space for cooking and an additional seating/dining area. Plus storing away all your small kitchen appliances & allowing for extra storage for Costco runs will have you thanking yourself for years to come.
4. Pay attention to closet storage throughout the house. I once bought a house with no linen closets (though in my defense, I was pregnant at the time with a 10 month old toddler, so I wasn't quite myself). I was annoyed each time I did a load of laundry & had nowhere to store towels.
5. Don't ignore the ceiling height. Increasing ceiling height will always make a house feel more spacious though two story open plan rooms can feel a bit boxy if not broken up by large windows or floor to ceiling fireplaces.
In the northern Georgia real estate market, we're lucky to have several builders who offer an array of floor plans to choose from. Here's a few you may want to consider when starting your home search in the Gwinnett, Hall, Barrow, Oconee & Jackson counties...
In Greensboro, located in Oconee county, if smaller town life is what you're after, check out Traditions at Carey Station, built by New Leaf Homes. Link to floor plans & further information...Traditions At Carey Station By New Leaf Homes
Jackson county has much to offer and Cresswind at Twin Lakes is a great place to start if you're searching for Active Adult 55+ communities, built by Kolter Homes. Link to floor plans & further information...Crosswind At Twin lakes By Kolter
Tucked into the northern corner of Gwinnett county, nationally known builder Taylor Morrison has Overlook On Lanier taking lot reservations now. Link to floor plans & further information...Overlook By Lanier By Taylor Morrison
The Barrow county side of Bethlehem has Labb Homes showing out with River Meadows. This community features 40 home sites with 5 different floor plans that you can check out here...River Meadows By Labb Homes
One of Hall's county's most sought after developments, Reunion, has opened a new phase with 140 lots on offer. Located in Flowery Branch, Pulte will be continuing the high standard Reunion is best know for. More info & floor plans can be found here...Reunion By Pulte Homes
And remember, before stopping in to any model home or new construction community, call me! Many builders will not work with a Buyers Agent if they are not present at the Buyers first visit. I'm alway happy to meet you onsite!
- Caralyn Nicol, Realtor/Associate Broker
Chapman Hall Professionals
caralyninatl@gmail.com 678.358.3583