In real estate, you often hear "location, location, location" because the location of a property is so important to its value and desirability - and it's a pretty hard item to change! A house is where it is, and short of moving it, that location better be one that you like! I think the floor plan of a house comes close to being that important as well. It is relatively easy to repaint, change out floor coverings, counters, appliances etc - but if the floor plan really doesn't fit your needs, changing it may go from an expensive remodel all the way to no way, impossible, not going to happen. (Also known as time to move!)
So when you are planning to buy a house, really think about the way you live, and what floor plan is going to provide you all the spaces you need & in the configuration you need. This is going to be a room by room process - & do talk it through with everyone who is going to live there (or at least all those old enough to talk!).
Figure out if you would use a formal living room and/or dining room or do you want a great room where everyone can congregate. Are you thinking you need a dining room because you have dining room furniture? Are you SURE you want to buy a house around your furniture if you don't actually USE it on a pretty regular basis? Or if you love to entertain & regularly have lots of people around a table, then DO make sure you have a spacious area for that to happen.
How about the kitchen - do you frequently have two or more cooks working at once? Do you need plenty of counterspace for rolling out cookie dough and kneading bread - or are you really only going to need a microwave and sink and fridge? Think, too, about how many cupboards you need to store your necessary kitchen items (it's a drag to have to go get the mixer out of the linen closet every other day) and whether you need a pantry for food items or do you stock up only a few days worth of groceries at a time?
And bedrooms - you probably already know how MANY you need, but where you want them located is worth thinking through as well. If you have tiny children in the family or are planning to, you might want all the bedrooms on the same floor. If you have teenagers, you really, really might NOT want all the bedrooms on the same floor (although many parents of teenagers also don't want ONLY the kids' bedroom on the main level - by the door - where they can come and go after the parents are asleep...)
Other considerations also pop up like do you need a guest room? Can it be a double duty room with an office or den if you have overnight guests about every 5 years? Do you need a room of some kind where you can have kids toys or craft projects spread out? Where do you want your washer and dryer - near bedrooms, near garage/kitchen? in garage?
Then after you think through what rooms you need and what they should be like - go look at some homes! Remember that it is really, really hard to tell how a floor plan flows without walking through it in person. And that square footage can feel smaller or larger than its actual size depending on the floor plan - & you just can't tell until you are inside walking through it.
Happy house hunting!!
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