All homes big & small start as a floor plan – understanding how to read a floor plan will go a long way in helping you to visualize what living in the home will truly be like.
Whether you are buying a new home or exploring your options to build a new home, reviewing the floor plan can help you understand the relationship between each of the spaces within the home, the flow from room to room, window locations, kitchen & bath layouts & features, and so much more!
A floor plan is a bird's-eye view of the home and shows the main features, such as kitchen & bathroom configurations, where the porches & patios are, and smaller details like where the water heater is located, where the washer, dryer and refrigerator connections are and also where the appliances go.
An elevation is each "face" of the home - commonly referred to as the front, back and sides. When you build a new home, you are able to choose from pre-designed options to decide what you want the appearance of the exterior to be.
When looking at floor plans, avoid looking at the big picture. Start at the front door and work your way through each room individually.
Prioritizing your "must-haves" and your "nice-to-haves" is key to focusing your home search on the floor plan that will fit your lifestyle best.
To learn about different floor plan layouts, features and determine what works best for you, check out our field guide complete with floor plan check list: Choosing the Right Floor Plan for Your Lifestyle
Editor's Note: This post was originally published in August 2017 and has been updated to reflect the most accurate information.