You're dreaming of the perfect 2 story house layout. You’ve got to be able to float through your morning routine. Every built-in, hall closet and guest bathroom should be intuitively located for your lifestyle. That’s the joy of building a new home. Your custom home design starts with a floor plan. Identifying the perfect layout for your new home takes a little thought and a bit of research. Gerber has designed and built hundreds of custom homes in the Rochester, NY area and has much to say about choosing the perfect floor plan.
Floor Plan Basics
The hot statistics that appear in every floor plan won’t be much of a surprise to you. These are quick ways for people to identify whether they should look closer at a floor plan or move on to another option. Every floor plan lists the square footage and number of bedrooms and bathrooms. Most floor plans include the dimensions of each room. Many floor plans will also be sorted by architectural style or the number of stories.
Can I Design My Own Floor Plan?
If you’re building your forever home, a stock floor plan may not cut it. Why compromise on something as important as your home's size, shape, and layout? We can only speak for ourselves. Gerber’s expansive floor plan options are a great jumping-off point for your personalized design. You can make tweaks and updates to ensure your home features the layout of your dreams or collaborate with us to create a completely unique floor plan from scratch.
Floor Plan Features to Consider
Bedroom Location
The best configuration for your bedrooms depends on your preferences and the age and stage of your other family members. Many clients with very young children prefer one group of bedrooms close together so parents can hear and help young children at night, but it’s also important to consider changing needs. Families with older children or multi-generational families often prefer a layout with several different bedroom locations to provide privacy.
Home Office
Many floor plans include home offices or multi-purpose spaces. Building in a dedicated workspace allows harmony as adults work from home or provide the option for another bedroom, playroom, or studio space if that suits them better later.
Laundry
Everyone has different preferences for the location of their laundry.
- Locating your laundry station on the second floor reduces your need to lug heavy baskets and contains the mess if your bedrooms are primarily located on the second story.
- First-floor laundry helps you weave laundry into your daily life. Moving a load of laundry is easy when it is just a few steps away, and big messes from outside are quickly contained.
- Some clients enjoy basement laundry stations because this allows them to dedicate a larger space for laundry and doesn’t eat prime real estate on the other stories.
What Are 3 Things to Consider When Designing a Floor Plan?
Here are some important considerations when choosing your floor plan.
Flow
Walk around the layout in your mind’s eye. Perform your daily routine for the evening and morning. Do weekend chores. Does this layout have you running in circles and working against your instincts? You’ll soon learn about your priorities for your home’s layout by identifying what doesn’t work for you. Don’t stop at the macro level. Consider the flow of each room individually when placing elements like built-ins.
Doors and Windows
Your floor plan is more than just the arrangement of your rooms. It also dictates the placement of your doors and windows. Moving doors changes the experience of walking through the home and the overall flow of the house. The placement of your doors and windows also influences the amount of natural light available in every room. Taking the time to ensure your home is built to make the most of the sunlight pays dividends in pools of cozy light in perpetuity.
Furniture Placement
Forgetting furniture placement is a common mistake when creating a floor plan. The size and shape of each room will influence your choices for furnishings. If you have elements you’d like to feature, it’s important to consider how they will fit in the floor plan you’re considering. Also, consider the path you will take to move furniture into your new home. Building in odd angles or sharp corners could create frustration when it’s time to get your king-sized bed upstairs.
Gerber’s Favorite Floor Plans
We’ve got almost 100-floor plans to get you started. Picking a favorite is almost like picking a favorite child. You’ll find our floor plans sorted into the following categories to help you ensure you’re viewing plans with the elements you’re after.
- Colonial Homes
- 1st Floor Master
- In-Law Layout
- Patio Home
- Ranch Home
Gerber is Committed to Your Custom Home Journey
The success of our custom home build is measured in more than just the beautiful results. Your experience during this exciting time matters, and we don’t want you camped out in your parents’ basement or crammed into a crumbling condo. If you’re between homes while we build your custom home in the Rochester, New York area, you can stay in one of our comfortable properties and enjoy free rent to keep your experience stress-free.
Ready to learn even more about creating a custom home in the Finger Lakes region? Download our complimentary custom home guide for future reference.