Our Floor Plan

Last Oct. we moved into a new home that we custom built.

We hired a builder, Highland Homes.

We presented a floor plan that we had found online, to the builder's architect.
Then, Chris and I worked with the architect for several months
and lots of drafts to tweak the floor plan to our liking.

2nd Floor

 1st Floor

There were lots of decisions.
Basement or no basement? Formal Dining Room?
Master Bedroom on the main or upstairs?

In the end, it's impossible to do everything.
Otherwise you end up with too big of a house, or a house stretched out too long,
or going way over budget.

My mom told me it's good to make a list of the top 5-10 things that you must have.
Then work from there.

Here was my 10 Top List:
1. Family Room/Kitchen hidden from entry
2. A Guest Bedroom/Bath on Main floor w/bathroom entrance to backyard
(For kids coming in and out during the summer to use the restroom)
3. 4 kids bedrooms
4. Family room and kitchen in one large rectangle shape
(Not the L shape that you find in most homes and floor plans.)
5. Lots of storage spaces
6. A bonus room/toy/family movie room
7. 2 kids bathrooms, 1 boy and 1 girl upstairs near their bedrooms.
8. Separate Mud room and laundry room (laundry room needed a window.)
9. 2 story entry
10. Kitchen with an island, and space for our family computer and command center.

I made a blog for our home building experience, to document selections and photos.
But, when you're moving, selling a home, building a home, and taking care of 5 kids in the summer. Who has time to blog?
So the blog, is a little lacking but it does have some things on there, if you're interested.