The New Construction Title Fight: Open-Concept vs. Traditional Floor Plans
For new home buyers, it’s the title card matchup – should you choose a traditional floor plan or today’s modern open concept?
With current house prices at an all-time high, many homebuyers are forgoing the traditional homebuying process and are choosing to build their own custom home.
The concept of choosing your own style for everything seems appealing… until it comes time to select a floor plan. Your new construction floor plan is the foundation of your entire home. Whether you're a first-time or a seasoned homebuyer, this decision will ultimately affect how livable your new house is for years to come.
The last few years have seen the fight between open-concept floor plans and traditional floor plans become one of the most prominent trends in new construction homes. Many homebuyers prioritize large, open living areas over smaller spaces such as formal dining rooms and dens.
But what's the difference between open-concept floor plans and traditional floor plans? How do they affect your new construction? At Llano Real Estate, our years of experience in new home construction in Texas have given us a front-row view into the latest trends in house design.
To help you make the best decision for your next home, we’re proud to present the ultimate prize fight in new construction: the defending champion traditional floor plans vs. the up-and-coming star of home construction, open-concept!
What's In A Floor Plan?
Before we look at each floor plan, it's essential to know why your choice is important in a new construction house. There are a variety of reasons why floor plan matters:
1. Functional Space:
Your floor plan will decide where your family spends their time, so it's crucial to choose a home that fits your lifestyle. The style of floor plan you choose will ultimately impact the amount of functional space you have to work with.
2. Energy Efficiency:
If you're building a new home, you'll want to be sure that your investment remains protected for many years to come. If your house is close-quartered with lots of wasted space, your energy bills will inevitably reflect this.
3. Focal Points:
Every home needs a focal point! Whether you choose an entertainment system, a fireplace, or a wall of windows, your family will benefit from having at least one area that brings the entire house together.
Once you choose a floor plan, your contractor team will go to work to bring your ideas to life – so it's essential for you to choose a floor plan that suits your home's future interior.
In This Corner: The Traditional Floor Plan
A traditional floor plan can best be described as a "home-shaped house." These homes have traditionally been the foundation for families all over America, and they feature formal dining rooms, dens, open kitchens/living areas, and likely several secondary bedrooms.
Traditional floor plans are often defined by their core characteristics:
Functionality and Aesthetics:
These homes are built with a distinct desire for practicality. The space is laid out based on the family's needs, providing for separate rooms that have detailed purposes (e.g., a formal dining room) while sacrificing some aesthetics (e.g., minimal windows).
Privacy over Natural Light:
Traditional floor plans prioritize privacy, providing multiple walls and barriers between the main living areas and secondary rooms. These homes are built with a minimum number of windows, resulting in a lack of natural light.
Separate Spaces over Open Areas:
In traditional floor plans, spaces have distinct purposes (e.g., bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens) that do not overlap. These homes are perfect for a family looking to keep their interactions with each other to a minimum.
These new construction floor plans also provide lots of privacy options… because one size does not fit all when it comes to floor plans! With so many different shapes, sizes, and options for your new construction home, there's a variety of living areas that will suit any taste.
Pros & Cons of Traditional Floor Plans
Choosing a traditional, closed floor plan offers several benefits and a few challenges, too:
Traditional Pros:
A traditional home offers many different living areas that can suit the needs of any family.
This type of floor plan typically provides more storage space for your belongings and furniture.
With a focus on private living spaces, this style also allows for more privacy.
Traditional Cons:
That same "house-shaped" design that provides so much space can also be a huge drawback – if you're not careful, you could end up with tons of wasted space in your home.
For families who want to keep their house clean and organized, the traditional floor plan may not be as functional as it seems!
It can be easy for guests to get lost finding their way around a home with many rooms and hallways.
In The Other Corner: Open-Concept Floor Plans
The open-concept floor plan is becoming more and more popular with families who want to enjoy lots of open space without sacrificing function. The open concept floor plan emphasizes the kitchen and family room areas, which is perfect for busy families who want to spend as much time together as possible!
Open-concept floor plans are defined by their own set of common characteristics:
Functionality and Aesthetics:
Open-concept floor plans maximize functionality, providing an open kitchen/dining area that can suit any family. The lack of walls between living spaces allows for various use cases (e.g., the family room can be used as a playroom during children's nap time).
Open Area over Separate Spaces:
Open-concept floor plans focus on open spaces and natural light. This style of the floor plan, with fewer walls, allows for more visual space (with the bonus of enhanced daylight) and increased privacy.
The openness is also great for families who entertain frequently! There's no wasted space in an open concept home, and guests won't have any trouble finding a place to sit or stand with the open layout.
Creative Storage Options:
Because many people love open-concept floor plans for their increased space, storage is sometimes sacrificed – but that's okay! If you're attentive about your design decisions (e.g., installing shelving), you can easily make up for the lack of built-in storage in the home.
Open-concept floor plans are also great for new families because they can see across major areas of the home, which is perfect for those with small children. These new construction home floor plans also include several secondary bedrooms, so your family can grow as needed.
Pros & Cons Of Open Concept Floor Plans
Choosing an open-concept floor plan can be a two-edged sword: they provide tons of functional space, but they can also come with their own challenges. Here's what you should know before making your decision:
Open Concept Pros:
Open-concept floor plans are perfect for entertaining guests! Anywhere you go in your home, you'll have a perfect view of the open-concept living space.
Open-concept homeowners can enjoy greater natural light and ventilation, too – no more feeling closed off from the great outdoors.
Parents of small children will love the ability to see across the entire floor of a home from anywhere in the house.
The clean and modern design is functional enough to entertain several guests at once.
Open Concept Cons:
Open-concept floor plans provide little privacy for your family. With no walled-off spaces, you may feel the crunch when it comes to finding time alone.
The larger spaces may reduce the amount of wall space for decor and artwork, so your home's design is up to you.
You may find that the reduction in available rooms becomes a hassle when your family grows.
Picking A Floor Plan Winner
When it comes down to the final round, the true winner of the floor plan fight is the one that’s right for you. Both open concept and traditional plans have their benefits and drawbacks, and each depends on your personal preference, future plans, and more.
The great thing about new construction home floor plans is that they're tailored to the needs of your family! So, no matter which one you choose, you'll have a beautiful and functional design for your home.
When choosing between an open-concept floor plan and a traditional design, ask yourself these simple questions:
What's more important to me? Privacy or space for entertaining?
How many people am I planning to host at once?
Will my family be spending most of their time in one area or all over the house?
What’s my long-term plan for my home (will we grow into a larger home, stay put where we are, etc.)
How does the design of my home impact the resale value?
These questions will help you define the goals of your home and will help you choose which new construction floor plan is best. By figuring out what you and your family really need from your new construction home, it'll be easy to pick the right floor plan for your needs!
Discover the Floor Plan Possibilities with Llano Real Estate Group
If you still aren't sure which floor plan is right for you and your family, working with the new construction home professionals can help you make the best choice possible!
At Llano Real Estate Group, our team of new construction home experts can help you find the perfect floor plan for your growing family. Whether you need more space, privacy, or both, we'll walk you through every step of the process to make sure you get exactly what you're looking for!
Llano Real Estate Group is a full-service real estate team in Amarillo and surrounding areas in Texas, specializing in new construction homes and new home communities! Whether you're looking to buy or sell a home, our team of experts will work with you every step of the way.
From finding your next house to building the new construction home of your dreams, contact Llano Real Estate Group to schedule an appointment and customize a home from our extensive portfolio of floor plans.
