We were recently asked this question:  "Can I move the pantry on this floor plan?  I really need some more storage space."

The answer, almost always, is YES.  When working with a custom home builder, you should be able to adjust a floor plan to better suit your needs.  Here's a recent example.

In the original floorplan for this home, the kitchen area was a bit awkward. 

The laundry closet impacted space in the breakfast room, and the kitchen felt small because of the entrance door to the garage.

As a custom home builder, we're often able to make changes at little to no cost if these changes are requested in the planning stage. 

Here's what we did with this one:

This is a view from the family room looking into the kitchen and breakfast room.  We added a bay extension to the breakfast room, creating a much more open feel.  The garage was large enough that we were able to create a full size laundry room by moving it into the garage.  The garage is now accessable through the laundry room, which means there's only one doorway needed.

This is a view diagonally into the kitchen.  There is now plenty of pantry space - we shifted the cabinets to the right, and created a full walk-in corner pantry.  Plus the original pantry space still exists - we just bumped it into the garage to create more space in the kitchen.

The increased cost?

Much lower than you would think. 

The structural changes in this case added only to the additional framing materials needed for the expanded laundry.  There was a little more floor surface, so the tile cost increased slightly.  The bay required no additional windows, so cost was held there.  The cabinet package remained the same - they were just better arranged.  There was a slight cost for the additional framing for the corner pantry and the additional shelving.  Altogether - less than $1,000 additional to redesign and build this kitchen, while adding about 60 more square feet of living space. (And the total cost of this home was right around $279K.)

If you have a floor plan that you love, but wish it had more pantry or storage space, bring it to your local custom home builder.  When no structural changes are required, it may be easier than you think to find exactly what you're looking for.  

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