You’ll likely agree. Building a new home in Indiana is exciting. You can finally get the living space you’ve dreamed of all these years—built from the ground up, just for you.
But while you certainly have an idea of what you’re looking for, you probably don’t know everything that goes into a well-designed house. And that’s okay. It’s not your job to know all of the minor details that turn an average living space into a dream home. That’s where we come in.
To help you design a floor plan that you, your family, and guests all love, we’ve put together a short list of common regrets we see among Indiana homeowners after building a custom home. So take a look…
And be sure to adjust your plans accordingly.
Regret #1: Missing Drop Zones and Mudrooms
Without a place to leave dirty shoes, bags from trips around town, car keys, and the like, these messes quickly spill into your home.
So if you’re building a home in Indiana from scratch, be sure to include intentional space for keeping these stray items out of your living areas.
Here are a few ideas for designing the perfect “drop zones”:
- Landing Pads: Flat surfaces to hold keys, sunglasses, and the mail. These surfaces work well above designated shoe and umbrella areas in your front foyer.
- Built-In Bench: Similar to landing pads, plan a space to include a flat surface located about 18 inches off the ground near doors with lots of outside traffic. They’re ideal for lacing up shoes and storing underneath.
- Shoe Storage: Pull-out shoe cabinets, open shelves, or baskets tucked under your bench and landing pads maximize storage space and contain dirty footwear. Just be sure to mark a space for these items on your initial drawings.
While these ideas are traditionally associated with the front foyer, don’t limit your thinking. Mudrooms and drop zones work well at all passageways leading from the home to the outdoors and garage.
Not having thought to include them in initial drawings is a major complaint we hear.
Regret #2: Not Enough Natural Light
Abundant natural light keeps a home fresh, healthy, and inviting.
To ensure your floor plan creates enough natural light, follow the “Two-Sides” rule when designing living areas. This rule simply suggests building windows on two walls of each of your main living areas and bedrooms.
It also allows for a nice cross breeze on pleasant days!
Regret #3: Isolating Living Areas from One Another
Gone are the days of isolated dining areas, parlours, and dens separated by walls and doors.
For modern homeowners, open concept layouts—floor plans where there are no walls between the kitchen, dining, and living areas—maximize usable space, allow natural light to flow freely through the home, and make entertaining effortless.
If you’re working with an Indiana home builder, be sure to get their advice on open layout floor plans. You’ll never regret the additional space to move about and enjoy your home alone or with guests!
Regret #4: Impractical Kitchen Flows
Many homeowners—especially those desiring an open concept—decide to maximize counterspace by adding an island in the center of the kitchen—and then later regret it.
When planning your kitchen layout, imagine a triangle between your fridge, sink, and stove. An island blocking any of these path lines means additional walking and traffic jams when preparing meals.
While islands can work—particularly if they don’t cross over the imaginary work triangle—additional counter space in a U or L shape around the kitchen may be a better option. These designs allow for ample counter space without interrupting work flows.
One more thing: if you have a galley kitchen, be sure to leave 3–4 ft between cabinets running along opposite walls. This allows you plenty of room to open doors and drawers and remove large appliances without feeling cramped.
Regret #5: Not Enough Outlets
Modern homes have no shortage of tech. They can, however, have a shortage of outlets—especially in areas where you might not have originally thought to put them.
To make sure you’ve got power right where you need it, consider outlets in the following spaces:
- Outlets on both sides of the master bed
- A pop-up floor outlet under the couch for lamp cords
- Power under sinks for disposals, dishwashers, etc.
- Island ends for charging devices and workstations
- Inside pantries for hiding coffee makers or charging stick vacuums
- In cabinets for hiding charging toothbrushes, razors, etc.
- Under roof soffits, garages, and decks for outdoor appliances and lights
- Charging stations in mudrooms and drop zones
When working with your custom home builder, see what ideas they have for practical outlet placement. And when it comes to running power, more is usually more!
The #1 Regret Among Homeowners: Not Hiring an Architect
If you’re interested in new home construction in Indiana, hiring a residential architect is well worth their hourly fees.
Architects can be hired to design your home from scratch or go over existing plans. Many of our homeowners work with an architect to review their initial concept drawings. In that way, they can keep their custom design while making improvements to flow, natural lighting, and lifestyle requirements based on years of professional experience.
That said, be wary of working with any construction companies in Indiana without professional ties to at least one seasoned architect…
Because an architect’s expertise is worth its weight in gold for maximizing your budget, building a space that suits your lifestyle, and keeping your home up to modern building codes, zoning laws, and permitting.
How to Plan the Perfect Layout for Your New Home
Planning the perfect home floor plan starts with your lifestyle.
Imagine bringing home sacks of groceries to be put away. Taking the kids to school. Bringing them—or a pet—home after a muddy, rainy day.
Consider laundry days: lugging clothes and linens around the house. How you’ll use your garage. Typical flow of traffic through each and every door. And then keep going…
Imagine a Tuesday evening in bed. Are there certain things you don’t want to hear? What kind of privacy do you want? Will you be entertaining in the main living areas? Having guests over for extended stays?
The answers to these questions are what drive practical floor plans. And if you don’t know how to translate your needs into a functional space, don’t worry.
As a trusted new home builder in Indiana, we’ve walked homeowners just like yourself through the entire home building experience—from initial conversations through the design and architectural planning stages, to every step of bringing your dream home to life.
To get started making your dream home a reality, simply reach out to me, John Slabach. I’m happy to help you bring an exciting (albeit perhaps fuzzy) concept into focus… and then walk you through the process of making that dream a reality.
Sincerely,
John Slabach
Owner, New Horizon Builders
With over 20 years of experience and 300+ successful projects under our belt, New Horizon Builders has become a trusted builder for new homes of all types and sizes. And as much as our crews believe in quality work and care, what’s even more important to us is building lasting, trusting relationships with homeowners right here in our beloved Hoosier State.
