With any project you should have blueprints to outline exactly what you are looking to build. But before you can even get to that point, you need to determine what things are a must verses things that would be nice but are not a necessity. To help you do that I want to urge you to think outside of the traditional norms of labels that areas of a home are given. A house is what it contains, not the walls that make up the structure. That is the most beneficial way to think about your new home, not simply as a "dining room", "kitchen" or "living room." Everybody lives and how they do it has nothing to do with the square footage of the room.
Instead consider how you are going to use the space. Will you be preparing food, sleeping, entertaining, storing or washing? The most intensely used space in a home is usually the kitchen, and it tends to be the most overdone room in the house. Stocked full of shiny appliances and cabinets jammed into odd sizes and shapes. Consider your living style when determining what you'll really be using everyday. Say you just have to have that double oven, will you actually use it or will you be using your microwave to cook dinner on the fly? If you prefer to entertain and eat in a separate room of the house, than perhaps a kitchen that is compact where simple meals can be prepared will suffice.
Traditional dining areas are also something that many people say they absolutely must have, but then is left barren except for three or four meals annually. If that's the case, than maybe having the additional room isn't a must after all. Instead you may want that space to be dedicated to the "living" area where you spend more of your time. Write down the use of each space and be specific to paint a picture of what you will want to include there.
Sit down and think about how you would like the flow of the house to be. I'm not talking about feng shui, simply the way you will be moving through the house. The majority of homes are set up with one long hallway with rooms branching off of them. Is that a beneficial structure to use in your life? Or would it make sense to use a different configuration so that each room flows into the next, specifically in the areas like your kitchen and living room?
Having all of your ideas written down and determining a list of the non-negotiable items will help you when you begin drafting the design of your new home or addition. Especially if a portion of the project exceeds your budget. You will already have figured out what parts are nice to have but not vital and can be omitted. This will make planning and construction less stressful for you to make adjustments along the way to building your dream home.
Author Resource:
Construction Santa Barbara is a local, licensed and insured building contractor in the Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpenteria area. If you are interested in more construction advice feel free to check out our website at www.constructionsantabarbara.com
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