How Important is the layout of your house? vs Styling

A property might appear to have the perfect layout in terms of its bathrooms, bedrooms and living spaces at first glance. But is it the right layout for you and your family?
“It’s often hard for buyers and renters to visualise how a layout will work for them,”. “But it’s important to do so, because changing the layout can be very costly.”
Design flaws to watch out for include having a toilet or bathroom located off the main living space. It’s more discrete to distance toilets away from living spaces via a hallway or room.
Houses that are poorly ventilated in summer yet damp in winter are not ideal; nor are bedrooms that are fully exposed to the eyes of prying neighbours.
“It’s far better to have three good-sized bedrooms than four small ones. Similarly, an open plan living and dining room often has more appeal than a small lounge with a separate dining room.”
Luke Whittington, owner of Living Space Constructions, says the layouts of many houses and apartments have fallen out of fashion.
“It’s outdated to have a hallway with lots of doors leading off it into small enclaves. It’s better to have kitchens that face out onto open-plan lounge and living areas, or knock out the doors between a kitchen and laundry to maximise living spaces,” Whittington says.
Bedrooms located on either side of a bathroom are ideal for midnight trips to the loo, whereas bathrooms distanced from bedrooms by steep flights of stairs are less convenient. Inside the bathroom, wall-hung vanities and toilets maximise visible floor space, which is preferable to having sinks, bathtubs and cisterns overcrowding the room.
At open inspections, many homebuyers get so carried away by a property’s location they overlook flaws in the layout. Unfortunately, when it comes to altering floor plans, what’s broken can’t always be fixed.
“Generally any wall can be removed at a cost, but renovations are often expensive and a hassle,” Whittington says.
So what should you look out for when weighing up a property’s layout?
“A north-facing house or garden is preferred for winter sun, although having adequate shade in summer should also be considered. Older-style houses were often designed to keep cool in summer before the introduction of air-conditioning, so they can be damp and cold,”.
Letting in more light or widening windows improves warmth and airflow, but modern layouts can also be problematic. “The danger is to design modern homes with too much glass, which allows too much heat into a home and requires a huge reliance on air-conditioning.”
Feng shui consultant Elizabeth Wiggens, founder of Feng Shui Living, says the key to choosing the right layout for your lifestyle is as simple as trusting your instincts.
“Check the location of power boards and electricity switches as some people don’t like sleeping close to power mains. Make note of the things you can’t change, like the vacant block next door to your apartment block, or the ugly building across the road,” Wiggens says.
“Generally speaking, you should trust your intuition. If the layout feels good, go with it. If it doesn’t, don’t try to justify it — you probably feel that way for a reason.”
Once you have found the perfect layout for your home and your happy with everything, you then need to find a removalist company that is experienced and offers value for money.
On The Move Removals will get the job done for you, stress free, great vlaue and you can just sit back and relax.