Buy a home with a layout design that suit your needs and be comfortable for you is important. Unfortunately, some homes simply do not have the best layout designs. In fact, some homes have a layout design that is actually bad. More than one homeowner; however, has found himself in the position of owning a home with a bad layout design because they simply didn't know how to spot it when they first toured the home before buying it. After moving in; however, they quickly learned that the flow of the house layout design just didn't work.

While you could certainly correct a bad layout design, this often involves quite a bit of expense and work. It generally means moving walls and that can result in more expense than you may be prepared to spend. In addition, it is important to understand that in some cases, you may not be able to move walls at all in order to correct a bad layout design if the walls in question or load-bearing walls.

Therefore, it only makes sense to learn how to spot a bad layout design before you make the important financial decision to purchase the house. In fact, the floor plan may be one of the most important features to consider in a prospective home. This is because the room layout will ultimately affect the ways in which you use spaces in the home. If the home is laid out well you can maximize the use of each space within the home. On the other hand, if the home has a poor layout you may find that many areas in the home are simply unused and wasted, even if the home is technically large in terms of square footage.

Stairway and Hallway

One of the most common layout design problems is a stairway that faces the front entrance. This can be a problem for a number of reasons. Some people object to it because it's simply bad Feng Shui but in another sense it is not practical. Along the same lines, a hallway that faces the front entrance is also quite impractical. It does not present a warm, welcoming appearance and the space it takes up can often be a waste.

Dining Room

Buyers should also be wary of homes that have a dining room located in the center of the home. While this type of design layout may have been popular sometime ago once you have lived in the home for awhile, you may quickly discover how inconvenient it can be. With this type of design layout you may find yourself having to walk through the dining room, and around the dining table, to get from one room to another.

Adjoining Bedrooms

You may also want to steer clear of homes that feature adjoining bedrooms. This is a matter of convenience and privacy as well as value. In fact, some real estate appraisers won't even count the rooms as two bedrooms; they will be counted as one room instead and that can affect your property value.

Bedrooms

Bedrooms which are located just off the living spaces of a home can also prove to be problematic. There is certainly a reduced level of privacy in addition to the fact that noise from the living areas tends to seep in the bedrooms. Try to avoid homes that feature a floor plan which has been sliced up into smaller rooms.

What is good home layout design?

The best layout designs will feature a large separation between secondary bedrooms and the master bedroom along with a central living area where family members can congregate, such as a family dining area, living area and kitchen. A central hallway that works as a sort of hub for other rooms in the house is also highly desirable. Not only does the hallway allow for excellent flow of traffic from one portion of the house to the other but it also allows for good circulation as well. In addition, try to look for a home that offers a good combination of private as well as public spaces.

Other key features that are important to look for in a good design include large windows. Homes with smaller windows tend to let in less light not to mention are more unattractive. If you ever decide to sell your home you could find that small windows make the process difficult. Finally, don't forget to look for other highly desirable features in your new home such as an attached garage that opens into the kitchen, ample storage space, a laundry room that is conveniently located and a bathroom on every level of the home.

Before seriously considering the purchase of any home be sure to analyze how the home stacks up in terms of your needs and how you can use each space within the home. A second or even third walk-through of the home may be in order to help you determine whether the home's layout will actually meet your personal needs.

Remember that finding your ideal home is not only a matter of finding a house layout design that will suit your needs and provide comfortable living space but also a matter of holding its own in terms of resale value.