Functionality is personal, and what works for one person or household may not sit right for others.
Dale Alcock Homes has been building quality homes in Western Australia for more than 37 years and is committed to creating designs that reflect real living.
The team at Dale Alcock Homes listen to how their customers want to live in their home and ensures they offer a design that works for them and their lifestyle.
Here are some signs a floorplan will suit your lifestyle.
An expert builder like Dale Alcock Homes can help Western Australian buyers choose a floorplan that fits their family.
1. You can ‘walk through’ your day in it
Sales Manager Max Williams says the key to choosing the right floorplan is to imagine a typical day living in your future home.
“When you are picturing the flow of a new home, it helps to think through your actual routines,” he says.
“Walk yourself through a normal morning. Where do you make coffee? How do the kids move through the space?”
If you entertain, he says to imagine people arriving. Think about where they would naturally gather and how they would circulate between the kitchen, living, and outdoor areas.
“The more you tie a floorplan to real life, the clearer it becomes whether it will work for you,” Mr Williams says.
Thinking about your daily routine can be the first step to deciding a practical home layout.
2. There’s a clear divide between shared and private spaces
New Product Design Manager John Care says “zoning” – that is, having clear shared and private spaces – is important in a floorplan.
For those working from home or with children in the house, zoning is particularly beneficial.
“If a floorplan design has a theatre room and bedroom at the front of the home, which is for the parents, that becomes their space,” he explains.
“They can use their bedroom, they can use their theatre room to watch TV; If they've got kids, they'll be at the back of the home in their bedroom wing.”
Zoning is important as it creates some separation for privacy or growing in your own space.
Having a central main living area between different “zones” is effective, he said, as it creates a buffer. Communal areas to bring people together are also critical.
Zones for studying or working can help with privacy and focus for different members of the family.
3. Storage isn’t an afterthought
If you’ve ever lived without storage, you’ll understand just how important it is.
Mr Care says you should think about how storage areas will be configured and used.
“The more you can consider storage in your design at the beginning, the more it will mitigate the risk of converting a bedroom into a storage room,” he says.
At Dale Alcock Homes, storage is a key component of the floorplan design.
From drop zones, where you can dump things like keys, bags, shoes and coats, to generous cupboard space and thoughtful charging areas for everyday devices, it’s all part of those early floorplan conversations at Dale Alcock Homes.
From kitchen cabinets to drop zones, storage should be a key priority when choosing a floorplan.
4. Flexibility is built in
When deciding on a floorplan, it’s a good idea to ensure rooms can evolve with your changing needs.
Will the floorplan accommodate your household in five years’ time?
Could the theatre room serve as a kids’ play room in future, for example?
“Flexibility means considering not just how you live in the home today, but how you plan to live in the home tomorrow,” says Mr Care.
Dale Alcock Homes offers a range of clever multi-use spaces to give clients flexibility and options.
The top-selling Essence home, for example, comes with an activity and theatre room, which can be used for different purposes, from storage to a music room.
Flexible spaces that can grow and adapt to the needs of your family can future-proof your layout.
5. Natural light and orientation are considered
A good floorplan will consider the property’s orientation and natural light.
“Natural light, when used correctly, is a way to give you good light in a room, bring the sun into the home, and maybe in the colder months, it enables you to use the sun to heat part of your home,” Mr Care says.
“Sometimes natural lighting is not just about the window placement, it's also about the visuals it creates to the outdoor area, like the pool or the kids playing in the backyard.”
It’s also important to consider the local climate and how that might impact your floorplan, which is a focus at Dale Alcock Homes.
Prioritising natural light can help your space feel larger and more welcoming.
Choose a design that fits your life, not the other way around
Mr Williams says the first step to nailing your ideal floorplan is to speak with a consultant, who can run through your lifestyle and goals.
“A good consultant will guide you toward the right design based on your routines, lifestyle and non-negotiables,” he says.
“The earlier you start thinking about how you want to live in the home, the easier it is to land on a floorplan that genuinely fits your life.”
Speaking to the consultants at Dale Alcock Homes can help you understand the layouts that are going to suit your family, with their expert advice and clear communication making finding your perfect layout even easier.
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