If you are listing your property for sale, a floorplan has become a necessity rather than a ‘nice-to-have’ option. Potential buyers expect to see 2D floorplans in addition to several photos supported by a more detailed description of any property.
However, a decent floorplan of your own home can be useful tool when planning how to use your space most effectively, enabling you to take a step back, as you’re not looking at the furniture but at the house as a series of spaces. This is where you need to be open-minded about the potential for moving walls, reconfiguring spaces and changing the use of rooms as part of a property refurbishment or renovation.
Floorplans for home buyers
Buyers look for accurate dimensions, total square footage and orientation (indicated by a compass rose). Displaying these clearly on the floorplan makes them easier to view. The resulting blank canvas gives buyers the chance to see how they might use the space and even where they might place their furniture. They can therefore see from the outset whether or not the property is right for them.
As so many people are visual learners it’s easy to appreciate the appeal of a good floorplan. So how can you put a floorplan of your own property to good use?
Planning your own space
When you look at a 2D plan, your home is immediately spacious and clutter free. It’s full of potential and ready to be re-imagined. Oddly-shaped rooms and built-in storage are shown in all their glory and, inevitably, some under-used spaces will put in an appearance.
Viewing a floorplan with an open mind, and perhaps the support of an unbiased friend, may enable you to appreciate while you bought the property in the first place and to take view as to how you inhabit your home. Is there a corner, perhaps, for an en suite shower room? Could a stud wall be removed to enlarge the kitchen? Could a bedroom become an office? What about the space under the stairs? And the 101 ways you can use your garage?
Along with a good de-cluttering session, taking a long hard look at the space you have available may persuade you to stay in your existing home. Or it might reinforce the need to move house. It’s definitely a thought-provoking and worthwhile exercise.
