I live in a small 1908 bungalow. Small, but lots of vintage charming details. When I have guests over and don't want the bedroom on display, I close the doors. Problem solved! I agree with your dislike of 45° angles. I realize we live in a world where the garage is front and center, which is one reason I chose to live in an older home, where the garage is out back and serviced by an alley. I wish we could go back to that.
I lived once in a very well designed 1400 sq ft 1950s apartment. Basically it was a square layout, where there was a square in the center that held the water heater, laundry, and various closets, and the rooms went around this square: living, dining in the front, kitchen on the same side in the back, with a small hallway around the back of the central square with the bedrooms and bathrooms off of it. Very good separation of space, with plenty of storage. It was a great place to live.
My biggest gripe of house plans these days is excessive number of corners in the exterior perimeter. Corners cost lots of money. The others are as you mentioned, 2 car garages that can't fit 2 vehicles. A 2 car garage should be 24'x24'. IMHO, garages are for parking vehicles not storage areas for you outdoor crap (a shed serves that purpose). The next one that irks me is unequal size bedrooms other than the master. Don't you think kids will complain about that disparity when they get a little older?
I have a 1,500sqft. house. My washer and dryer are in my garage which has turned out to be awesome because that makes my laundry room huge. Lol. We never put our cars in the garage, they stay in the driveway. I would rather have closet space and pantry space in the house than a laundry room and thats what I have. My laundry doesn't care that the garage is not very fancy. Replacing appliances that are in the garage is a cinch too because they go right out the garage door.
Regarding the 1344 s.f. house, you are spot on with your critique of the linen closet only being accessible from the bathroom. My greatest pet peeve. I NEVER design closets in the bathroom because of the humidity, and the potential for mold/mildew. Also, homes with exceptionally long hallways. Major no no for me. As for the peninsula, I never design the raised/42" high variety. One aspect of the layout that you didn't address was the fact that the hall opening to the main bath allowed sight lines from the living room as well. That opening could be shrunk a bit to rectify that issue.
Great idea but not very useful to the average home buyer. You were pointing out obvious flaws in the plan, but for those who can't envision what the plan will translate into, (most people) you need to show the changes that need to be made. Not just mention that things need to be changed and circle the flaw, but actually show the changes on a floor plan so people can actually see a more livable home.
I disagree. I think he explained things pretty well and if you paid attention to what he drew on top of the plan, it is pretty easy to visualize. I personally found this pretty interesting.
He's not being paid to draft up a whole new floor plan. He gave useful information on things to look out for, if you couldn't digest the information, it's not his fault.
To "show changes on a fixed plan", we have A) tiny changes (bigger window, door swining the other way, closet moved) that are obvious as shown, And B) Changes that cascade down, causing a complete new floor plan. Those won't be practical for most home owners to appreciate. Even 3D renders aren't practical for many non-visual people to appreciate, even 3D video walk-throughs or VRs. You'd have to literally build them both houses and have them live in each for a month, with different age kids, host a Thanksgiving dinner in them, maybe a Halloween, the in-laws coming over for a week. Then those people will have an "a-ha" moment for what's a huge problem vs what's actually a non-issue (when they previously saw it the other way around). Showing them a fixed floor plan will accomplish the same for a small % of abstract thinking and visually inclined and sophisticated folks.
The last one is massively better than the others. If you opened the garage to the front patio you could get rid of the door into the laundry and the unnecessary laundry wall to make that much bigger.
one of the most annoying thing I see with many layout is at the front (main ) door. The is no vestibule or foyer I do not like the idea of entering directly into the main room of a home. There are a number of ideas I've seen on TH-cam with smaller house layouts that manage to avoid this.
Thank you for your insight. Here are my suggestions: 1344 sq feet is big enough if you do the following: Close the kitchen with a partition wall (add a glass door) for three reasons: 1-you can heat or cool the kitchen only (energy conservation), 2-you won't see the mess in the kitchen, including the sink, and 3-Put a dining table, perpendicular to the kitchen partition wall, in the living/dining area. By the way, please don't put the sink below a window; instead, against a wall, and put the dish draining rack above the sink. I've seen this feature (it looks like a cupboard) in Portugal, Spain, and Brazil. The water drips in the sink, and it saves space. Also, you can use the partition wall (or is it a load-bearing wall?) between the kitchen and the master bedroom to put some cupboards, closets, etc. As for the bedrooms, it depends on the size of the bed. I agree that the bathrooms need windows, preferably big ones (use frosted glass, it works very well), and the bedrooms need more light (windows). I agree with you about the 1822 sq ft house. An office next to the entry is okay, but not bedrooms! The second bathroom has no window, which is a NO-NO. I like the word "dungeon" for this kind of bathroom. 🙂 1851 sq ft: 1-Take the entry closet and expand the powder room, using that unused space in the garage. This way, the powder room will have a window, and you can also expand the laundry room. 2-Move the kitchen to the wall facing the garden or yard, then the privacy of the master bedroom will be solved (the door). I don't like open-concept layouts, but oh well... Overall, I dislike opening the front door and going straight into the living area! There is enough room to make an entry foyer (where you can use a bench and a closet). This is good for privacy and conserves energy (it does not let outside hot or cold air enter). A walk-in shower is better. Who wants to bend down and scrub the tub? 😀Voilà c'est tout!
One thing I see in so many designs, the laundry room is in the center of the house. This makes the venting of the dryer very long. Frequently there are bends in the vent also. This creates efficiency issues and fire hazards. Please start placing these rooms against an outside wall.
Our house is this way. We have a "never walk out of the house with the dryer running" rule. So far it has never been an issue, but the possibility is there.
first layout: Move the kitchen sink to the outside wall and put a window behind the sink. Move the Fridge and the rest of the counter to the left wall and put the dining table where the sink used to be. I would also put a pantry cabinet and more storage against the left wall in the kitchen.
A coat closet near the front door is non-negotiable when you live where a winter coat and boots are needed. Also, when you have bedrooms side-by-side, put the closet(s) between to dampen noise. Somebody is always a snorer or a late tv watcher!
I have a tract built 2240sqft ranch built in 2003, that’s similar to the last one you show. The floor plan has the dinette on the outside wall and kitchen in the middle. The family room and entry are connected with a vaulted ceiling. The whole home is 9’ ceilings. When you walk in the home on your left is a formal dining room, entry closet on the right, and then a hallway, with a large closet in the middle of the home. The hallway leads to an entry to the dining room and on the right to the kitchen. At the end of the hallway there is a door to the mudroom with washer/dryer, cabinets, sink and shoe and clothes racks leading to the garage. Also a double door going to the master bedroom, with bathroom. The bedroom suite layout has 2 linen closets and a walk in closet with a 5’ wall in the middle making a his and hers closet with double racks on the outside walls. This home has plenty of closet space and a pantry closet.in the kitchen. Because of a 10” higher basement and the 9’ ceiling height in the home, my attached optional 3 car garage, entry through mudroom, has a 10’ 6” ceiling height, which allows perimeter hanging storage (2’ ans 3’ depth). The garage also has storage above the garage, between the ceiling trusses. This is accessed by a pull down ladder (access hole done during construction), that can be used even with 3 cars parked in the garage. The walls and trusses were custom made in a factory, and each installed in one day, using a boom. This tract home is the best home I’ve ever lived in, it’s been 22 years so far. Previous home was a good custom home, 3750 sqft, all brick, 5 1/2 baths, 3 car garage, etc., but had many problems.
Good comments. I noticed only a front door and garage exit, seemed like a fire hazard to me, but I’m not a professional and if the family is coming from an apartment, it probably wouldn’t seem so important.
A garage door that swings inward is much easier to kick in by thieves if they can access to garage without being noticed. It happened to my MIL years ago.
10:39 IMO, that's one of the better solutions to the blind corner cabinet problem. Maybe not in this particular layout because the stove and dishwasher cut off access to the plumbing, but that could be altered in the planning stage. And with a sink here, you don't have to floss behind the faucet! 😄
Great video. I love all your insights. I'm in the process of getting my custom home designed. First time for a custom home. I didn't see any more critique videos on your list... Do you recommend any other channels/videos etc. that can provide some education on layout mistakes to avoid? (obviously this is a big investment and I'll be living in it so, I'm looking for resources to avoid regrets....)
One thing that needs to be mentioned is when was the home buiilt from the design this house could have been built in the 1930's, 1940's, 1950's or 1960's. This could change the views on where things were placed or if they even existed at the time. For example the TV may have just became mainstream when this house was built so a TV may not have been the focual point of the living room but instead may have been radio, bookcase, or just having it as a sitting area like a parlour.
I have looked at a lot of new builds from about 2018 and newer. Wow, they are making kitchens so small and no room for a table, even in 1900 to 2000 sq. Ft. Homes. So disappointed with new houses.
6:18 Putting your kitchen sink against an exterior wall increases your risk of having your pipes freeze in extreme cold weather. Just sayin'. I agree about snack bars; they're a waste of space as they're inaccessible to the disabled and not particularly convenient for the able bodied.
Small is in the eyes of the beholder. It was not that many years ago that a 996 square foot house was being built for the family. Before that the high 700's.
Are these actual floor plans for new homes? If so you should name the guilty party pushing these sorts of incompetent designs on the public. You are offering thoughtful, earnest insights but these plans are so bad I'm not sure it's worth it.
The third house doesn't need a powder room because it's all on one floor. Free up that space and reconfigure that laundry/foyer/coat closet situation. Square off that bedroom and make its closet larger. What's in there right now is a joke. Keep the little toilet room where it is in the primary ensuite, but add a small window for light and ventilation,
Because there are more than one possible solution. I see it more like "if you are looking for house plans, beware those situations". I just bought my future house plan. But even if it's near perfect, there are still a couple things I want to change about it.
One critique, new life style issue uncaptured in your designs. Dinning Rooms are antiquated and now people work from home so Home Offices are in. Swap that. Abandon the Dinning room. You can go to your Boomer parents house for ThanksG... Make it a secure, sound proof, thought through office space that respects both partners office needs for privacy and quiet during a Zoom/Teams call. I cringe when I look at new homes with that 1968 dinning room concept... I work from home and NEVER host large dinners. I suspect most people would say the same and would cherish some legit office space in their house. Complete with Ethernet and floor boxes so your desk isn't against a wall.
You have a tendency to point out problems but not offer solutions. In the first example, you moved the sink which is great, but where would you put the fridge in order to still have a landing area? Where would you put the kitchen table? How would you avoid that "wasted" space between the living room and kitchen? How would you rearrange the floor plan so that someone walking in the front door wouldn't see the sink and refrigerator first? How would you give it a bigger garage (most likely they're at maximum size right now given setbacks--otherwise it would already be bigger). How would you make the master bathroom bigger? Where would you put a coat closet and additional storage for the vacuum cleaner and mops? It's easy to say "Just make everything bigger!" Sure, but then we have a 2,000 sq ft house instead of a 1,344 sq ft house. We would love some solutions rather than just pointing out problems. For example, move the washer and dryer out into the garage next to the water heater; add half that space to the master bath and the other half can become a coat/storage closet. Remove the peninsula in the kitchen and create an island instead that could also function as a seating area. Move the refrigerator further toward the bedroom wall, and make a single door exiting to the backyard instead of a slider, which would provide a landing between the fridge and sink. For me, a complete redesign would have the kitchen and living room reverse locations; you could investigate how that might work. Anyway, food for thought.
A vessel for defecating/ toilet next to my head nose to nose while bathing , is the worst for me, disgusting ! Switch the toilet with the sink so the sink is next to the tub!
Newer spec homes such as these are what's wrong with this country. No thought to natural light, efficiency or layout. Probably built with the lowest quality building materials and poor craftsmanship.
After 5 minutes, I knew that he was clueless. Furniture placement? Wrong. Seal off door to front bedroom for the perfectly-acceptable linen closet and do what? No windows in the side walls? Probably because neighbors’ houses are 20 ft away.
So you wall off the front bedroom (why????) and do what… crawl in a window? Other option is a door DIRECTLY off the living room wall which is already short for a sofa and end tables. In a small house you don’t have the luxury of a pantry or utility closet. That’s what the garage is for. I have been analyzing house plans for 60 years. You need to learn what will fit in 1200 sq ft.
Agreed - and I was also puzzled by his claim that changing the location of the master bedroom closets to put big window/s in that wall was an "improvement". Window placement is very site specific, with factors like orientation to Sun, proximity to neighbors, and traffic noise.
LOL Y'all are a tough crowd. I don't think he actually meant to wall off the door to the front bedroom, even though he drew that red line there. I understood him to mean to place a door to the room in that wall so the linen closet could be accessible from the hall way instead of the bathroom. At least that's what I hope he meant.
I live in a small 1908 bungalow. Small, but lots of vintage charming details. When I have guests over and don't want the bedroom on display, I close the doors. Problem solved! I agree with your dislike of 45° angles. I realize we live in a world where the garage is front and center, which is one reason I chose to live in an older home, where the garage is out back and serviced by an alley. I wish we could go back to that.
I wouldn't dream of having to deal with an alley in the back of my house. Front entrance/side entrance garages are much preferable to me.
I don’t like the garage being the most prominent thing when you drive up to your house.
It is always surprising when you go house shopping just how many houses have bizarre unworkable layouts.
I lived once in a very well designed 1400 sq ft 1950s apartment. Basically it was a square layout, where there was a square in the center that held the water heater, laundry, and various closets, and the rooms went around this square: living, dining in the front, kitchen on the same side in the back, with a small hallway around the back of the central square with the bedrooms and bathrooms off of it. Very good separation of space, with plenty of storage. It was a great place to live.
My biggest gripe of house plans these days is excessive number of corners in the exterior perimeter. Corners cost lots of money. The others are as you mentioned, 2 car garages that can't fit 2 vehicles. A 2 car garage should be 24'x24'. IMHO, garages are for parking vehicles not storage areas for you outdoor crap (a shed serves that purpose). The next one that irks me is unequal size bedrooms other than the master. Don't you think kids will complain about that disparity when they get a little older?
I have a 1,500sqft. house. My washer and dryer are in my garage which has turned out to be awesome because that makes my laundry room huge. Lol. We never put our cars in the garage, they stay in the driveway. I would rather have closet space and pantry space in the house than a laundry room and thats what I have. My laundry doesn't care that the garage is not very fancy. Replacing appliances that are in the garage is a cinch too because they go right out the garage door.
It would be cool to see you redesign the floor plans.
great observations
Regarding the 1344 s.f. house, you are spot on with your critique of the linen closet only being accessible from the bathroom. My greatest pet peeve. I NEVER design closets in the bathroom because of the humidity, and the potential for mold/mildew. Also, homes with exceptionally long hallways. Major no no for me.
As for the peninsula, I never design the raised/42" high variety. One aspect of the layout that you didn't address was the fact that the hall opening to the main bath allowed sight lines from the living room as well. That opening could be shrunk a bit to rectify that issue.
Great idea but not very useful to the average home buyer. You were pointing out obvious flaws in the plan, but for those who can't envision what the plan will translate into, (most people) you need to show the changes that need to be made. Not just mention that things need to be changed and circle the flaw, but actually show the changes on a floor plan so people can actually see a more livable home.
Well, rather than redesign it he could just show a similar size design with the same # of bedrooms without the mistakes.
I disagree. I think he explained things pretty well and if you paid attention to what he drew on top of the plan, it is pretty easy to visualize. I personally found this pretty interesting.
He's not being paid to draft up a whole new floor plan. He gave useful information on things to look out for, if you couldn't digest the information, it's not his fault.
To "show changes on a fixed plan", we have
A) tiny changes (bigger window, door swining the other way, closet moved) that are obvious as shown,
And
B) Changes that cascade down, causing a complete new floor plan. Those won't be practical for most home owners to appreciate. Even 3D renders aren't practical for many non-visual people to appreciate, even 3D video walk-throughs or VRs. You'd have to literally build them both houses and have them live in each for a month, with different age kids, host a Thanksgiving dinner in them, maybe a Halloween, the in-laws coming over for a week. Then those people will have an "a-ha" moment for what's a huge problem vs what's actually a non-issue (when they previously saw it the other way around). Showing them a fixed floor plan will accomplish the same for a small % of abstract thinking and visually inclined and sophisticated folks.
Great info for those of us interested in house design but don't know much about the practical details.
The last one is massively better than the others. If you opened the garage to the front patio you could get rid of the door into the laundry and the unnecessary laundry wall to make that much bigger.
You and I see eye to eye on all of this. I see so many poorly designed plans all the time. I wonder who draws them.
one of the most annoying thing I see with many layout is at the front (main ) door. The is no vestibule or foyer I do not like the idea of entering directly into the main room of a home. There are a number of ideas I've seen on TH-cam with smaller house layouts that manage to avoid this.
Thank you for your insight. Here are my suggestions:
1344 sq feet is big enough if you do the following: Close the kitchen with a partition wall (add a glass door) for three reasons: 1-you can heat or cool the kitchen only (energy conservation), 2-you won't see the mess in the kitchen, including the sink, and 3-Put a dining table, perpendicular to the kitchen partition wall, in the living/dining area.
By the way, please don't put the sink below a window; instead, against a wall, and put the dish draining rack above the sink. I've seen this feature (it looks like a cupboard) in Portugal, Spain, and Brazil. The water drips in the sink, and it saves space. Also, you can use the partition wall (or is it a load-bearing wall?) between the kitchen and the master bedroom to put some cupboards, closets, etc. As for the bedrooms, it depends on the size of the bed. I agree that the bathrooms need windows, preferably big ones (use frosted glass, it works very well), and the bedrooms need more light (windows).
I agree with you about the 1822 sq ft house. An office next to the entry is okay, but not bedrooms! The second bathroom has no window, which is a NO-NO. I like the word "dungeon" for this kind of bathroom. 🙂
1851 sq ft: 1-Take the entry closet and expand the powder room, using that unused space in the garage. This way, the powder room will have a window, and you can also expand the laundry room. 2-Move the kitchen to the wall facing the garden or yard, then the privacy of the master bedroom will be solved (the door). I don't like open-concept layouts, but oh well...
Overall, I dislike opening the front door and going straight into the living area! There is enough room to make an entry foyer (where you can use a bench and a closet). This is good for privacy and conserves energy (it does not let outside hot or cold air enter).
A walk-in shower is better. Who wants to bend down and scrub the tub?
😀Voilà c'est tout!
Pet peeve is no hood exhaust to outside. Every time you fry bacon, you smell it all through house. and cupboards get greasy.
One thing I see in so many designs, the laundry room is in the center of the house. This makes the venting of the dryer very long. Frequently there are bends in the vent also. This creates efficiency issues and fire hazards. Please start placing these rooms against an outside wall.
Our house is this way. We have a "never walk out of the house with the dryer running" rule. So far it has never been an issue, but the possibility is there.
first layout: Move the kitchen sink to the outside wall and put a window behind the sink. Move the Fridge and the rest of the counter to the left wall and put the dining table where the sink used to be. I would also put a pantry cabinet and more storage against the left wall in the kitchen.
A coat closet near the front door is non-negotiable when you live where a winter coat and boots are needed. Also, when you have bedrooms side-by-side, put the closet(s) between to dampen noise. Somebody is always a snorer or a late tv watcher!
I have a tract built 2240sqft ranch built in 2003, that’s similar to the last one you show. The floor plan has the dinette on the outside wall and kitchen in the middle. The family room and entry are connected with a vaulted ceiling. The whole home is 9’ ceilings. When you walk in the home on your left is a formal dining room, entry closet on the right, and then a hallway, with a large closet in the middle of the home. The hallway leads to an entry to the dining room and on the right to the kitchen. At the end of the hallway there is a door to the mudroom with washer/dryer, cabinets, sink and shoe and clothes racks leading to the garage. Also a double door going to the master bedroom, with bathroom. The bedroom suite layout has 2 linen closets and a walk in closet with a 5’ wall in the middle making a his and hers closet with double racks on the outside walls. This home has plenty of closet space and a pantry closet.in the kitchen. Because of a 10” higher basement and the 9’ ceiling height in the home, my attached optional 3 car garage, entry through mudroom, has a 10’ 6” ceiling height, which allows perimeter hanging storage (2’ ans 3’ depth). The garage also has storage above the garage, between the ceiling trusses. This is accessed by a pull down ladder (access hole done during construction), that can be used even with 3 cars parked in the garage. The walls and trusses were custom made in a factory, and each installed in one day, using a boom. This tract home is the best home I’ve ever lived in, it’s been 22 years so far. Previous home was a good custom home, 3750 sqft, all brick, 5 1/2 baths, 3 car garage, etc., but had many problems.
Informative and helpful. Thank you.
Good comments. I noticed only a front door and garage exit, seemed like a fire hazard to me, but I’m not a professional and if the family is coming from an apartment, it probably wouldn’t seem so important.
Please show several revised or optimal plans with similar square footage. Thanks 🙏 will show your talents.
A garage door that swings inward is much easier to kick in by thieves if they can access to garage without being noticed. It happened to my MIL years ago.
A door that swings out can be pried open by thieves with a crowbar.
10:39 IMO, that's one of the better solutions to the blind corner cabinet problem. Maybe not in this particular layout because the stove and dishwasher cut off access to the plumbing, but that could be altered in the planning stage. And with a sink here, you don't have to floss behind the faucet! 😄
And the laundry room is so far away from the bedrooms! I don't know who designed this plan, but that is awful!
Great video. I love all your insights. I'm in the process of getting my custom home designed. First time for a custom home. I didn't see any more critique videos on your list... Do you recommend any other channels/videos etc. that can provide some education on layout mistakes to avoid? (obviously this is a big investment and I'll be living in it so, I'm looking for resources to avoid regrets....)
It was very useful thank you!
One thing that needs to be mentioned is when was the home buiilt from the design this house could have been built in the 1930's, 1940's, 1950's or 1960's. This could change the views on where things were placed or if they even existed at the time. For example the TV may have just became mainstream when this house was built so a TV may not have been the focual point of the living room but instead may have been radio, bookcase, or just having it as a sitting area like a parlour.
I have a 960sqft plan I designed in SketchUp that you can critique. I think the plan is good for the size but would like to see the flaws
Depends on the land it's on and how the neibours property relate, if you can park elsewhere, biggest room in your house is for your car
I have looked at a lot of new builds from about 2018 and newer. Wow, they are making kitchens so small and no room for a table, even in 1900 to 2000 sq. Ft. Homes. So disappointed with new houses.
Which app should I use to create a floorplan plus the exterior? TY!
You did not talk about the fact the walk-in closet of the master bedroom on the 1822 sq.ft. house is a future mold nightmare.
6:18 Putting your kitchen sink against an exterior wall increases your risk of having your pipes freeze in extreme cold weather. Just sayin'. I agree about snack bars; they're a waste of space as they're inaccessible to the disabled and not particularly convenient for the able bodied.
On the 1st one add an eat in bar, floor to ceiling cabinets on that kitchen wall
Small is in the eyes of the beholder. It was not that many years ago that a 996 square foot house was being built for the family. Before that the high 700's.
2nd i would NOT want my kids bedrooms on the front of the house. Pocket door bathroom
Are these actual floor plans for new homes? If so you should name the guilty party pushing these sorts of incompetent designs on the public. You are offering thoughtful, earnest insights but these plans are so bad I'm not sure it's worth it.
The third house doesn't need a powder room because it's all on one floor. Free up that space and reconfigure that laundry/foyer/coat closet situation. Square off that bedroom and make its closet larger. What's in there right now is a joke. Keep the little toilet room where it is in the primary ensuite, but add a small window for light and ventilation,
Redesign, please
Why bother pointing out the perceived deficiencies without showing your revised changes/plan?
Because there are more than one possible solution. I see it more like "if you are looking for house plans, beware those situations". I just bought my future house plan. But even if it's near perfect, there are still a couple things I want to change about it.
@@nathalie_desrosiersyes but still pointing out problems without showing several revised plans or an ideal with similar footage.
One critique, new life style issue uncaptured in your designs. Dinning Rooms are antiquated and now people work from home so Home Offices are in. Swap that. Abandon the Dinning room. You can go to your Boomer parents house for ThanksG... Make it a secure, sound proof, thought through office space that respects both partners office needs for privacy and quiet during a Zoom/Teams call. I cringe when I look at new homes with that 1968 dinning room concept... I work from home and NEVER host large dinners. I suspect most people would say the same and would cherish some legit office space in their house. Complete with Ethernet and floor boxes so your desk isn't against a wall.
You have a tendency to point out problems but not offer solutions. In the first example, you moved the sink which is great, but where would you put the fridge in order to still have a landing area? Where would you put the kitchen table? How would you avoid that "wasted" space between the living room and kitchen? How would you rearrange the floor plan so that someone walking in the front door wouldn't see the sink and refrigerator first? How would you give it a bigger garage (most likely they're at maximum size right now given setbacks--otherwise it would already be bigger). How would you make the master bathroom bigger? Where would you put a coat closet and additional storage for the vacuum cleaner and mops? It's easy to say "Just make everything bigger!" Sure, but then we have a 2,000 sq ft house instead of a 1,344 sq ft house. We would love some solutions rather than just pointing out problems. For example, move the washer and dryer out into the garage next to the water heater; add half that space to the master bath and the other half can become a coat/storage closet. Remove the peninsula in the kitchen and create an island instead that could also function as a seating area. Move the refrigerator further toward the bedroom wall, and make a single door exiting to the backyard instead of a slider, which would provide a landing between the fridge and sink. For me, a complete redesign would have the kitchen and living room reverse locations; you could investigate how that might work. Anyway, food for thought.
A vessel for defecating/ toilet next to my head nose to nose while bathing , is the worst for me, disgusting ! Switch the toilet with the sink so the sink is next to the tub!
Newer spec homes such as these are what's wrong with this country. No thought to natural light, efficiency or layout. Probably built with the lowest quality building materials and poor craftsmanship.
I don't think this young man has lived in his own home,plus most of these home plans are obviously from the 80s.
After 5 minutes, I knew that he was clueless. Furniture placement? Wrong. Seal off door to front bedroom for the perfectly-acceptable linen closet and do what? No windows in the side walls? Probably because neighbors’ houses are 20 ft away.
Wow 2,000 ft² is considered small, damn you must definitely be a rich entitled guy
So you wall off the front bedroom (why????) and do what… crawl in a window? Other option is a door DIRECTLY off the living room wall which is already short for a sofa and end tables. In a small house you don’t have the luxury of a pantry or utility closet. That’s what the garage is for.
I have been analyzing house plans for 60 years. You need to learn what will fit in 1200 sq ft.
Agreed - and I was also puzzled by his claim that changing the location of the master bedroom closets to put big window/s in that wall was an "improvement". Window placement is very site specific, with factors like orientation to Sun, proximity to neighbors, and traffic noise.
LOL Y'all are a tough crowd. I don't think he actually meant to wall off the door to the front bedroom, even though he drew that red line there. I understood him to mean to place a door to the room in that wall so the linen closet could be accessible from the hall way instead of the bathroom. At least that's what I hope he meant.
Useless information