How to Choose the Right House Design For You

At My Modern Home, we understand that investing in a new home is not only one of the largest financial decisions that most people will make in their lifetime, but it is also of the utmost personal importance. We each want to love the home we live in!

Whether you plan to build a narrow home plan on a small city lot, or you plan to build a large multigenerational home, this article will help you choose the right house design that fits your lifestyle.

Start with a House Design Brief

A design brief is simply a document that describes your background information, space needs, any specific requirements you may have for your home, and aspects that are important to you when you picture living in your new home. A design brief gives you an opportunity to reflect on how you live, what you value, and how your home will support your lifestyle and values.

It’s a good idea to identify which spaces and aspects of the functional program are ‘must haves’ and which are ‘nice to haves’ when considering how to design a house. Aside from helping you better understand your needs, this information is also helpful in establishing a budget and prioritizing space and design aspects to fit your budget.

Set Your Budget for your House Design

Of course, we would all love to have an unlimited budget, but most of us will never have this luxury! It’s important to understand your budget in order to help you choose the right house design for you. Your budget will influence aspects of your house design like the size of the home you build, the number of stories, whether or not your home has a basement (finished or unfinished), or the type of material finishes you chose for your home. Don’t forget to include the cost for your property in your new home budget – the size and location of your lot will certainly influence the perfect floor plan and house design for you.

Decide on Your Floor Plan Needs

Now that you have set a budget and completed a design brief, you will have a good idea of the size of house you plan to build. Other house design elements to consider as you narrow in on your ideal house design include:

• Kitchen Design: Some homeowners love an open kitchen that is connected to the living area and dining area. Other homeowners prefer a more traditional kitchen, which is a separate room from the dining room and living area – often with a more casual dining nook for family meals.
  
  
• Number of stories: Do you prefer a bungalow, or a two- or three-story home? Do you plan to include a basement in your design? If so, will it be a finished or unfinished basement?
  
  
• Number of Bedrooms and their Locations: Is a main floor bedroom important to you? Do you have young children and want to have many bedrooms on the same floor?
  
  
• Number of Bathrooms: Will your budget and the size of your home allow for each bedroom to have a dedicated washroom, or will bedrooms share a bathroom?
  
  
• Other Rooms do you Want or Need: What other spaces will facilitate the lifestyle that you want your new home to support? These may include a home office, fitness room, or separate formal and casual living rooms.

Browse Home Designs for Inspiration

Once you have completed a design brief, set a budget for designing and building your new home, and have a good sense of the overall spatial considerations for your new home design, spend some time pursuing design magazines or online idea sources for design inspiration such as Pinterest or Houzz.

There is no one best layout for a house or one best house design - each home buyer has individual needs and preferences – the best house plan for you will be the one that reflects your needs and your wants.

As you browse, consider the style and type of home that you tend to prefer. Do you love modern home design? Do you tend to prefer a home with an open floor plan? Have you considered a courtyard home plan? Save images of rooms that inspire you – kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms, home offices – as well as home facades.

Pro Tip: Make a point of naming and organizing your images (by room, feature, exterior, designer, etc.). Be sure to include the designer's name or URL in the file name - this will help you find what your looking for in the future.

Most likely, you’ll discover that there are common elements to each of your favorite home design ideas. Use these ideas to find a home plan online or to take to your designer or builder to help them design your home.

Select and Purchase a Home Plan Online or Work with a Builder or Architect

Once you know the style of home and type of floor plan you prefer, you are well on your way to choosing the right house design for you. The next step, of course, is to find and choose your house design!

Options to purchasing a home plan include purchasing a home plan online, working with a builder, or hiring an architect to design your new home. Each of these options has benefits and limitations, which we have explored in our article, Why Hire an Architect?, if you would like to learn more.

However, one of the primary benefits of purchasing a home plan online is the certainty of knowing that a plan is right for you before you build. Your home plan is also then a tool that you can use to help engage the right local builder and have confidence in your budget before you start construction.

What's Next?

At My Modern Home, we sell our architect-designed modern home plans online, but we also offer customization services (performed by our staff architects) to ensure that your home plan can suit you perfectly.

We are also available to work with you and your builder to provide additional support at your request throughout the building process. If you’d like to learn more about My Modern Home, explore Our Modern House Plans, or contact us for a free consultation.

Whether you choose to purchase a home plan online or work with a builder or architect, we are confident that following the tips outlined in this article will help you understand how to choose a house plan that is perfect for you and your lifestyle.