Whether you’re looking for apartment in seattle or an apartment in charlotteYou may be wondering what apartment floor plan is right for you. It can be hard to imagine living in a space without seeing all your stuff in it.
Fortunately, there are some key floor plan elements you can consider before you move in that will help you determine if the apartment has enough space for your needs.
1. Estimating floor plan space
Your main consideration when evaluating floor plans should be space. The property management software team, TenantCloud says, “Think about the overall layout and how it will work with your everyday life and needs.” You need to know if the apartment design includes enough space for you, your family and all your stuff.
Simply looking at the amount of square footage on a floor plan isn’t really a good indicator of how usable the space will be. Interior designers recommend that rooms be classified into three categories: private areas, service areas and public areas; Richard Soto s VIP real estate in Texas, suggests considering “the number of bedrooms and bathrooms based on your needs and on foot traffic.”
Living rooms are an example of public areas. They are the social spaces where you have fun, relax and live most of your daily life. These should be multi-functional spaces where you can engage in various activities from hosting a party to reading a book.
Service areas include the kitchen and laundry room – highly functional spaces with specific purposes. When evaluating these spaces, look for logical layouts that make your life easy.
Private areas include the spaces where you want to be alone: your bedroom, your office, and your bathroom. When thinking about areas like the bathroom, the TenantCloud team suggests considering how much you might need “for morning and evening routines” for those living in the space. In many apartment floor plans, these private areas will be separated from the busy public areas with physical barriers.
Thinking about dividing floor plan space into these three zones should give you a better idea of whether or not an apartment has enough usable space. If you’re still not sure what to look out for, California Real Estate Agent, Logan Wynn suggests “watching @DearModern on YouTube for insightful feng shui videos and modern design principles to help guide your apartment floor plan choices.”
2. Storage Considerations
Don’t underestimate the importance of storage space in your new apartment. Everyone needs a place to put food, clothes and important valuables.
When it comes to considering your storage options, the team at Turnkey Finding says, “Make sure you have enough space for your belongings,” and design experts recommend looking for an apartment that’s 10-15 percent storage. In other words, built-ins like closets, cabinets, and closets make up almost 15 percent of the floor plan with adequate storage. Look for an apartment design that incorporates these storage features throughout the room and makes them easily accessible.
If an apartment doesn’t have as much built-in storage as you’d like, don’t write it off just yet. A floor plan can still work if it is spacious enough to accommodate lots of non-built-in storage furniture such as dressers, shelves, or trunks. Locating Turnkey adds, “Ultimately, the ideal floor plan meets both your functional needs and your personal comfort.”
3. Furniture placement
For those moving with existing furniture, you’ll want to make sure there’s enough space and that the layout can accommodate your belongings.
Marcoantonio Anaya, with The Source apartment states, “Tenants must determine whether they are starting from scratch or bringing furniture from a previous apartment.” He adds: “When moving in with existing furniture, think about which pieces are non-negotiable and measure them before you look for an apartment to rule out options that won’t work.”
Also, for items like a sectional sofa, consider which side the “arm” is on and whether it’s facing right or left. What works in one space may not be appropriate in another.
4. Pedestrian traffic
Traffic patterns are another important floor plan consideration. The traffic pattern of the floor plan refers to how one must pass through the apartment to get from room to room. The best apartment designs are laid out so that you can move easily from space to space and get in and out easily.
Foot traffic also needs to be considered when it comes to entertainment. Ross Quaid, lead locator for Second chance apartment says: “Make sure it’s easy to move around the kitchen when you’re cooking and entertaining – and make sure everyone has somewhere to sit when you have friends or family over.”
5. Location
Another factor to consider is the location of your apartment and whether you want to live on the top floor or closer to the bottom of an apartment complex. Dallas, Texas apartment locator, Lisa Parrish s Spirit Real Estate Group shares, “Top floors may have more sunlight and cross ventilation, while lower floors may be cooler and have access to outdoor spaces.”
Floor Plan Design Questions:
When evaluating an apartment floor plan, ask yourself these questions to determine whether or not a space will fit your lifestyle:
- Will each person in your apartment have enough space for themselves?
- Are the private sleeping areas far enough away from the public living areas?
- Is there room for both entertainment and everyday life?
- Does the apartment design include a logical walking pattern?
- Are entrances and exits conveniently located?
- Is there enough storage space?
The key to finding the right apartment floor plan is to evaluate what works for your specific needs. Think about how you need your space to function and you’ll make the right choice. As you go through the process Apartmentlocating.net shares how you might consider working with an apartment locator for “access to exclusive listings and inside information.” They add that “these services can help you quickly find an apartment that fits your lifestyle.”
