Setting Priorities
What you want to have, what you must have
On your wish list of features for your new custom home, there are the things you’d like to have, and the things you simply must have. A simple way to decide is to ask yourself, "If I couldn't have this, would I even bother to build a new home?" If the answer is "no," – you have an essential feature.
Does it affect the floor plan?
It does if it determines shape, size or placement of a built-in feature:
Affects floor plan- Bay window
- Wall oven
- Walk-in closet
- Stained-glass window
- Stainless-steel oven
- Closet organizers
As an example, a family might decide that if they couldn't have enough bedrooms, there wouldn't be any point in moving. On the other hand, if they could not afford to include a separate laundry room, they might still decide to build. The bedroom is essential; the laundry room is not.
Keep two lists – a needs list for essentials and a wish list for non-essentials. Start making your list now with all the desired features you can think of, and add to it as you think of more. Refer back to your needs list and your wish list frequently as your design develops.
If you have many desired features you may want to use a separate list for each room, area or function of the house. It is also helpful to list features that affect the floor plan separately from features that don't.