Latest News

Eliminate Wasted Space When Designing Your Custom Home

July 3, 2018

When you get the chance to design a custom home, it can be an incredibly exciting process! This provides you with the opportunity to create what you really want, so you can end up living in the house of your dreams. But it can also be quite stressful for that same reason. You don’t want to end up making a mistake and then be stuck! One thing that can often happen in new home designs, which you should try to avoid, is wasted space. This is the type of space in a home that is larger than it needs to be or that even ends up going unused. Sometimes wasted space is just for looks and utterly nonfunctional. By being mindful of how to eliminate wasted space while you are in the process of designing your home, you can prevent something you’ll ultimately regret. Space planning is a crucial early step in your home design process. Read on to find out what you should consider when designing a home that will allow you to find the most effective use of space. What are the benefits of eliminating wasted space? First of all, it can actually make the house cost more to build as you will often be charged by the square foot. It can also cost you more money in the long run, and it can make your home less energy efficient. The more space in your home, the more area you have to heat and cool. And it’s also just more area for you to clean and maintain. For this reasons, it’s essential to consider each space and its function before you start to build. Overall, the best way to eliminate wasted space is to think about what will work the best for your needs and your lifestyle. Sometimes people can get too hung up on what they think they should include in their new home design. That’s how they end up with rooms or spaces they never even use. You don’t have to follow the traditional layout or floor plan. And you don’t have to end up with a house that just looks like everyone else’s either. This is your house, so don’t be afraid to ask for what you really want. Consider working with a home builder like us at New Tradition Homes, which really allows you to personalize and customize your new home design with over 25 different plans and thousands of different options. We’re also the Northwest’s leader in energy efficient home building, and earned the national ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award in 2016 and 2017. Wasted space often occurs when you are more concerned with looks than with functionality. Function should always be more of a priority, so every space in your home serves a purpose. Also, be sure to put your square footage where it counts. Do you actually need a huge bathroom, for instance? Do you need a closet in every room? Do you really need a foyer that’s as large as a bedroom? Or would that space be put to better use in the kitchen and the living room, if that’s where you will spend the majority of your time? Another thing that can lead to wasted space is having multiple small, closed off rooms. This is a relic of older home designs. Consider, for example, whether or not you really need a formal dining room. This is a more traditional idea and they aren’t as common in new home designs. Really, dining rooms are formal spaces for dinner parties, not everyday necessities. If you don’t think you’ll need one, you can either use that room for something else or get rid of it entirely. Open floor plans are more modern and much more popular in new home designs. They also typically lead to the most effective use of space. This means that you can take out walls you may not need. By doing so, open layouts can make the space appear larger, which is a great benefit. For example, many people choose to eliminate the wall in between their kitchen and family room and just have a kitchen island instead. This makes the kitchen, dining area, and living room all just one open area. That way, someone can be preparing a meal while still being in view of their family members. Open spaces also create a more social environment. This is especially nice for entertaining as you can cook without a wall between you and your guests. Consider eliminating unnecessary hallways as well. How many times have you been in a home where there appear to be hallways just for the sake of having them and serve no discernible purpose? Instead, you can either have archways or just totally open spaces. Finally, consolidate space where you can and work to make rooms multifunctional. Really be creative with your thinking. Do you need a whole extra room for storage or can you add something like shelves, cabinets, or a closet into other areas and rooms? There are lots of innovative options for storage available. If you want to keep a number of hallways, find ways they can serve an additional purpose aside from just being passageways. You can also plan for rooms to function for multiple purposes in case things change in the future. Flexibility will always be your friend. The best part of designing your custom home is that you get to tailor it just for you, so embrace that. As long as space has a purpose, it’s not a waste. And be sure to plan for the future. If you’re thinking about growing your family and know that you’ll need extra space for that, then include it! Think about both your current daily routine and your future plans, and make sure your layout fits your reality and your dreams. If you are unsure about anything, architects and home builders are there for you to make the most effective decisions, so you can always ask them questions and discuss the best options. There’s a lot to consider, but when you have your dream home it will all be worth it!