Choosing a Floor Plan for Your Build? Explore the Most Popular Types.
Choosing a floor plan for your custom home is one of the most important steps in the building process. The decision sets the framework for your home’s appearance, its flow, and your overall budget.
This can make choosing the perfect type of floor plan feel like a lot of pressure. But don’t be stressed! With a little bit of guidance, the process is fun and exciting.
KRM Custom Homes helps Des Moines metro families make these decisions every day. While some of our clients design their floor plans from scratch, many others select a predesigned floor plan or use one as a jumping-off point for inspiration. Whether you’re building a semi-custom or fully custom home, floor plans are a key starting point.
Here are the main considerations of selecting a floor plan and how the plans we offer can help solve your unique challenges.
Key Takeaways:
- The floor plan is one of the most important decisions in your home. It affects the appearance and flow of both the interior and the exterior.
- The most important considerations in choosing or designing a floor plan include your lifestyle, budget, and future goals.
- KRM’s interactive tools and model homes allow you to easily tour our floor plan designs and see how different options stack up against one another.
Understanding the Main Types of Floor Plans
When you’re choosing your floor plan, there are many factors to consider. A major factor is the overall structure of the home (for example, 1, 1.5, or 2 stories). Another is the flow (open-concept, closed, or a combination of the two). Here is a closer look at how to choose from these different options.
Choosing the Right Number of Stories for Your Home
Single-Story (Ranch)
Single-story, or ranch, homes are our most popular option. KRM Custom Homes currently has 45 pre-designed ranch-style floor plans available for you to explore. Ranch homes are popular because the main amenities are on a single level, making them great homes for those who are aging or those who have young children. Ranch homes often have basements, which are optional to finish out for additional living space.
Two-Story
Two-story homes have two levels above ground and may also include a basement. These homes are popular for maximizing the available lot space by building up instead of out. At KRM, we currently offer five pre-designed two-story floor plans. Check them out here!
1.5-Story
A 1.5-story home is a midway point between the other two options. It features a traditional first floor and a smaller second level that’s often tucked within a sloped roof. The Copper floor plan is KRM’s predesigned 1.5-story layout. It features a full main level and a second level that includes two bedrooms, a full bath, and a beautiful overlook to the family room.
Open vs. Closed Floor Plans
Open Floor Plan
An open-concept floor plan creates spacious areas with few walls between them. These floor plans typically have little separation between major sections of the house, such as the kitchen, great room, and dining area. This can make homes feel more airy, and the layout encourages togetherness by reducing the barriers between your main gathering spaces. Open floor plans have become especially popular in modern homes, and they are the ones we see our customers asking for the most.
Traditional (Closed) Floor Plan
Traditional, or closed, floor plans have distinct divisions between rooms. This means more wall space, greater privacy, and the opportunity to give each room a more distinct character.
Blended (Flex) Floor Plan
Blended floor plans are a compromise between the two styles. They have large open areas while also providing more closed-off spaces for privacy.
Factors to Consider When You Choose Your Floor Plan
As you decide on the number of stories, type of floor plan concept, and other features, there are several considerations we advise our clients to make. Here are some of the major ones.
Your Current & Future Life Stages
Designing your dream home means choosing a floor plan that can grow with you. If you have young children, you may want a floor plan that places all of your children’s rooms on the same level as your own. Or, you may want your bedroom in a completely different wing of the home from your children or guests. You may opt for an unfinished basement that you plan to finish out later as your family grows. If you plan to live in this home into your older years, choosing a layout that has all of the main amenities on the same floor, reducing the need for climbing stairs, will be helpful.
How You’ll Use Your Space
If you need space for entertaining, you may opt for a larger great room and kitchen area instead of more bedroom space. In ranch-style homes, one of the main choices we see people make is between having more bedrooms or a larger great room/kitchen area. Some families who prefer a larger combined living space will opt for only two bedrooms on the main level. Others are OK with a smaller combined space on the main floor to fit three bedrooms on the top level.
Your Budget
The floor plan you choose will have a significant effect on the final price tag of your home. While it’s only one factor among many, one of the advantages of floor plans is that they provide a more definitive starting point for your home’s budget.
When you work with KRM, price certainty is an essential part of the process. One of the major differences in our custom home pricing model is that we give you the full up-front price for your home before construction. This eliminates surprise costs down the road. As you talk with us about which floor plan to choose, we will help you understand how each choice plays into your overall price tag.
Sunlight
Keep sunlight in mind when you’re planning different areas of your home. If you love a bright, sun-drenched kitchen in the morning, positioning your main living areas with large windows facing east is key. If you want great sunset views, you’ll want them to face west.
But sunlight is about more than the view. If your main living space sees a lot of sunlight during the day, you’ll also catch the intense Des Moines afternoon heat. As we help you choose a layout, we’ll look at how the plan sits on your specific lot to maximize natural light without skyrocketing your utility bills.
Exterior Aesthetics
Whatever floor plan you choose, you’ll have a major say in the materials and finishes used on your home. However, the footprint of your layout dictates your home’s overall shape, roofline, and curb appeal. Your layout will set the architectural stage for the outside.
Take Guesswork out of the Process: Explore KRM’s Floor Plans for Yourself
Scrolling through dozens of floor plan options can easily feel overwhelming. That’s why we’ve worked to make it as easy as possible with online tools and in-person tours. When you work with KRM, here are three ways we help you visualize what floor plan is right for you.
Model Homes
Nothing compares to experiencing a floor plan in person. That’s why KRM has built model homes for a variety of our floor plans. This lets you walk through them to see how the space feels, what you may like, and what you may want to change. For example, if you love the Lincolnshire floor plan we built in Urbandale’s Biltmore development, but you just want the great room a little bigger, that is very easy for us to do in a custom build!
The Floor Plan Comparison Tool
We recently added a simple floor plan comparison tool to our website. As you’re browsing our floor plan selection, simply check the “Add to Compare” box on the floor plans you want to take a closer look at. This will bring each of them into a side-by-side comparison screen that lets you see how each stacks up.
The Interactive Floor Plan Tool
For select floor plans, KRM’s website offers virtual walk-throughs that allow you to take a comprehensive look at each floor plan. This feature includes:
- An interactive measurement tool that allows you to draw lines to determine the length and width of different areas.
- A “dollhouse style” view of the home that lets you see each area from multiple perspectives.
- A vertical “floor plan” view that shows a top-level view.
- A 3-D virtual walk-through.
Explore KRM’s Most Popular Floor Plans
KRM Custom Homes has more than 100 floor plans and variations to choose from. Fun fact: Most of them are named after Chicago suburbs, which is where our owner Kirk Mickelsen is from.
Arlington Heights
- Square Feet: 1,416
- Stories: 1
- Bedrooms: 2
- Bathrooms: 2
- Brief Description: A ranch-style layout featuring an open-concept kitchen, dining area, and great room with large windows for natural light. The main floor includes a primary suite with a walk-in closet, a guest bedroom, a dedicated laundry room, and a mudroom drop zone with built-in lockers. The optional finished basement can add a large family room, two more bedrooms, and an extra bathroom.
Lincolnshire
- Square Feet: 1,645 or 1,579 (two options)
- Stories: 1
- Bedrooms: 2
- Bathrooms: 2
- Brief Description: A spacious ranch layout highlighted by a vaulted great room with a fireplace and a kitchen featuring a walk-in pantry. A sun-filled dining area opens up to a 12×12 back deck. The main level mudroom features a custom locker and connects directly to the laundry room and the primary closet. Finishing the lower level opens up space for an additional family room, two bedrooms, and a bath.
Berkeley
- Square Feet: 2,260
- Stories: 2
- Bedrooms: 4
- Bathrooms: 2.5
- Brief Description: A functional two-story home featuring a bright, open main floor with a spacious great room, fireplace, kitchen, and a dedicated office or flex room. All four bedrooms are located on the upper level, including a primary suite with a dual vanity, The upper level also includes a full guest bath and a conveniently placed second-floor laundry room.
Ready to Find the Perfect Floor Plan for Your Home?
Head over to our Floor Plans page to explore Arlington Heights, Lincolnshire, Berkeley, and more using our floor plan comparison tools. Want an in-person tour? Contact KRM Custom Homes today!
