First time or not, building a new home is a big decision and choosing a layout that will work long-term is crucial.
How Australians use their homes has changed, with homeowners now holding onto their properties for an average of 10.5 years.
With multi-generational living also on the rise, homeowners are more concerned than ever with how the homes they build are going to meet their evolving needs.
“Building a home is a large investment and situations and circumstances change over a life cycle for many of us,” says John Care, New Product Design Manager at Celebration Homes.
“Choosing the right floorplan that can change and evolve over time can minimise stress and headaches later in life and the need for costly renovations and extensions or relocations.”
With buyers holding on to their home for longer, choosing a floorplan that will grow with you is important.
The floorplan features families actually use
When looking at what makes a floorplan practical for a family, Mr Care says that the first thing to consider is the balance between shared and private spaces.
He explains that a well-designed family floorplan will have at least three separate zones in the house to make sure these open and private spaces feel separate.
A parents’ zone with the primary bedroom, and private office or home theatre is important, as is the gathering hub that includes the kitchen and living areas and that connects to the outdoors.
The third is a more flexible zone, one that can be an area for kids or guests now, while also working as accommodation for older family members later in life.
Flexible spaces like this are another must-have feature for families and Mr Care says they’re a smart choice in any floorplan.
“Multi-functional spaces are designed to adapt to modern living while serving as a work from home area and also providing space for wellness activities such as yoga,” he says, pointing to the adaptable rooms in Celebration Homes’ Flynn design as a prime example.
A final feature that makes a home’s layout functional is storage.
Instead of relying on additional furniture for storage, smarter designs build storage into the footprint of the house.
“Storage is increasingly integrated into the floorplan, ensuring homes remain functional without feeling cluttered,” says Mr Care.
He highlights that utilising the ceiling heights of spaces like the kitchen, bathroom or laundry can be one clever way of making the most of the available floor area to add more storage to a family home.
Adaptable rooms like the one in Celebration Homes' Flynn design can help future-proof a family home.
How to plan for the future when building now
Layout is one of the most important choices buyers can make in their home building journey and there are many questions buyers should ask themselves when they’re choosing a floorplan.
Mr Care says that the decision to build is a “moment in time” but that doesn’t mean buyers shouldn’t be thinking about the future as they’re deciding.
Some important questions he suggests buyers ask themselves include thinking about what their family situation looks like now, as well as what it will look like in the future.
He also suggests thinking about what spaces of their home can be multi-functional as is, and what can be easily modified later if need be.
Work, daily routines, and long-term accessibility are all important things Mr Care says buyers should be considering too.
He also says that it’s worth thinking about their current or past homes and what aspects of these frustrated them, so they have a clear idea of what they want to improve in their new home.
Celebration Homes offer a range of well-designed options to suit you that make finding a home that fits now – and into the future – even easier.
A floorplan is well-designed when it can suit the family's lifestyle now and into the future.
Where to find trusted advice for the big decisions
Especially in the research phase your homebuilding journey, selecting a floorplan can be a difficult decision without the right advice and resources.
With Celebration Homes, the first step is speaking to a new homes consultant.
A Celebration Homes consultant can help you start asking yourself the right questions so that you get a better idea of what you need and want now, as well as how your needs might change later.
To get a more practical sense of what you can expect from a layout, visiting a Celebration Homes display home to see the floorplan in person is also an important step.
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