Many times when people are buying a house is very hard for them to conceptualize the use of space and how a house is laid out from the photos. This problem is further complicated when listings use very wide angle lenses in order to capture the entire room. While a photo that was shot with a wide-angle lens looks prettier, the camera heavily distorts the perception of the room. This happens because the camera moves the perspective line back from the viewer and creates a wider perception of space.
Because of this, a room can look significantly bigger from a photo than it actually is. Additionally, even the most well-designed video tours cannot thoroughly document how space flows from one room to the rest. I have lost count of the number of times where I have had a prospective buyer say that they love the way the house looks in the photos and then hated the house in real life because of how the space is arranged.
This is why it is important to include a floor plan with each listing. By including a floor plan with a listing, two problems are solved: The buyer is able to understand how the rooms are put together and they are aware of the dimensions of each room. Additionally, this is a great way of winning more listings by being known as the agent that always includes a floor plan in their listings!
A floor plan can help a buyer, especially one that has never seen the house, to conceptualize how their furniture would fit in it. A buyer that is relocating, may be more inclined to look at a home with a floor plan than one without, because it is easier to visualize the space without visiting it in person.
This is one factor that makes purchasing a new home so attractive. New home builders will always provide a floorplan on their website, and some builders will even go as far as providing a web-based, interactive tool that allows a prospective buyer to position their furniture! There are not any suprises, either your bedroom set fits in the bedroom or it doesn't.
If you are listing your home in Austin, TX there are a few companies that provide this service to resale listings. There are two that I like for very different reasons. Both companies will sent out a qualified technician that will measure the house with precision instruments and draw a CAD drawing of the home.
The first is Floorplan Graphics. Their prices are slightly higher, but they are more artistic. Their floorplans also can include architectural details, such as pop-out ceilings, vaulted ceilings, art niches, and other unique features. Their plans are good for someone that wants a very high quality drawing.
For a more basic drawing, I highly recommend Home Depot's Measuring Service. Their drawings are reasonably priced and very high quality.
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