A comprehensive floor plan review is my way of saving a couple’s marriage/relationship and their sanity before, during, and after the building process. This happens by making sure the selected floor plan fulfills their individual needs and desires as well as their combined wants and needs as a couple.
Now you are asking, Whaaaat? Really….Save a marriage and their sanity? Well… aren’t you being a little dramatic?! Well you see, I have a second part time job in my line of work. Somehow, while I wasn’t paying attention, I became a marriage counselor and relationship therapist. I am not sure how I ended up in this situation, as I have no formal training. But as I do with everything, I just kinda went with it. And 30 years later, I am a certified expert in saving relationships before they implode over where to put the toilet paper holder.
You are about to make the largest investment in your life, why would you pay for a stock plan and build a poorly designed house? In life and learning, we don’t know what we don’t know. I would not even pretend to know anything about astrophysics, even though I love The Big Bang Theory. I even bought a book called “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry” (thank you Amazon suggestions) and didn’t even make it one chapter. The goal of floor plan review is to educate you on how the home could function and work better for your lifestyle, not the perceived lifestyle of a random architect or home designer that drew up a plan he/she could sell that had the right style and square footage and met the bed and bath requirements. You deserve much more than this.
In reality, a great floor plan review begins the path to true collaboration between a couple on one of the largest investments they will ever make together. Each person has the opportunity to freely express their individual needs and find out what is important to the other person, all while being refereed by me, a neutral design professional. I will not only listen to what each person is saying, but what they are not saying (or what they say when their partner leaves the room for a few minutes or is across the room having a discussion with someone else). My job is to make sure all those needs and wants are addressed in the proposed floor plan.
Not only do I make sure the furniture (and the new 72’ tv that was purchased weeks ago in anticipation of a new home and is still in the box in the basement) will actually fit into the desired space, but I also make sure the windows and doors don’t negatively affect the flow, function and use of the room. And as you know, no home ever has enough storage. A floor plan review can provide you with suggestions on maximizing storage potential within the confines of the plan.
In reality, many suggested changes do not add to the budget and can truly enhance the function and beauty of the home. It does not cost any extra money to move walls before construction begins. A simple review can significantly lessen the risk of very costly change orders brought about as the home starts to develop in a 3 dimensional form that you can touch, see, and feel as the space comes to life. It can be difficult to imagine what the rooms are going to “feel” like when you are looking at a 2 dimensional floor plan. I use my training and innate gifts of visualization to anticipate what can’t be seen and makes suggestions for improving the floor plan before it’s too late without significant impact to the bottom line.
These plans can be tailored by your builder to your lifestyle (if you know what to ask for.) What changes could be made to make it your perfect home for life? In my designer world, this is called functional design. It is about creating a home that serves our needs and wants, helping us become the best version of ourselves by being surrounded with a beautifully functional environment that physically and emotionally supports our lifestyles. Our homes become a place that it is safe to be who we really are and live out our hopes and dreams. (therapist Christi speaking). In my floor plan reviews, I strive to really listen and learn about how you see yourself living in the future, not only your needs but your desires, so I can help you turn that stock house plan you found into the beautifully functional home of your wildest dreams.
