3 Top Tips For Building A More Functional, Larger Family Home
Posted on: 9 September 2018
For many people with families, there comes a time when the current family home is no longer meeting their living requirements. As children grow, smaller homes that were suitable for babies and toddlers no longer seem to accommodate tweens, teens and the inevitable tribe of friends. For this reason, many families choose to upgrade to a larger custom home that better suits their spatial needs and lifestyle.
If you're planning to build a new family home, then it's important to plan carefully. The home will need to meet your existing needs, and it will also have to accommodate your future needs. Here are three top tips for building a functional and comfortable new family home.
1. Have it custom designed
It's common practice to build new homes that are one of several standard designs from a home building company. While these are often very well designed, they're also very generic and might not be the ideal choice for your family. Instead of compromising on your home's design, use a builder who will work with you to develop a custom design.
This may be a re-work of one of their existing plans that you modify so that the living space works better for you. Or you may like to come up with a completely new design entirely. Another thing to consider is the shape and size of your block of land. A custom design will ensure that your house makes the most of views and sunshine, and that it accommodated outdoor living space.
2. Create separate living spaces
Another vital element in a cohesive family home is having separate living spaces. Adding a second lounge room away from the main living space of the home means you have flexibility in how, when and where different family activities take place.
A second living space, that can preferably be closed off if needed, means you won't have a kids' movie blaring in your open plan living space while trying to entertain guests. It also gives you or your children a quiet space to retreat to if needed. This second living area can also double up as a study or guest bedroom as desired.
3. Focus on functionality
A large, busy family is by nature loud, messy and busy. You probably can't do much to avoid the loud and messy side of family life, but there's a lot you can do to minimise the mess. One of the benefits of building a custom home is that you can include specific spaces, storage and room layouts to keep your new home running smoothly and efficiently.
The laundry is one of these key areas. Don't skimp on size, and make sure that you have plenty of space to move. Having a small boot room at the entrance to your home will also make life easier. This can be a space to store shoes, coats, school bags and sporting equipment in convenient, purpose-built cabinets instead of having it spread out through your home.
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