How to customize a floor plan into a home that you’ll love

Building a new home is an exciting opportunity to select the features you want. One of the most vital decisions is whether you need a custom floor plan.

Every homebuyer has a wish list in mind and an idea of how their dream house will look.

When you close your eyes and envision your dream home, what do you see? Is it a two-story house with a modern kitchen and multiple bedrooms and baths? That might be your ideal home, but others could have a different vision. They may picture a ranch-style house with vaulted ceilings, lots of closets, and a finished basement.

A standard floor plan is a great place to start, but you may need a custom floor plan to achieve your dream. Your builder should be able to design a home that suits your lifestyle and needs. After all, it’s your home, and you should love everything about it—especially your floor plan.

In this article you will learn:

  • What customization really means
  • Why many builders are hesitant to allow changes
  • How you can get started customizing your new home

Customize: What Does it Really Mean?

According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), questions you should ask potential home builders include:

  • “Are there options in the floor plan – for example, can a basement or deck be added?”
  • “How much ‘customizing’ can be done versus standard features?”

 

There’s No Place Like Your Home

Research shows today’s homebuyers prefer a home customized to their tastes and needs. Our team is finding that most people want a new home that’s unique and flexible with a large open floor plan, like the current trends in open kitchen and living or entertaining areas.. 

Some people have a specific item on their wish list, such as a dedicated drop zone to control clutter. Others want to take advantage of building site features like views, sunlight, and trees.

In new home construction, customize might be defined as incorporating structural features that make a house YOUR home. And with reputable new home builders, customizing involves more than just choosing personalized surface changes such as hardware and finishes.

Nevertheless, many home builders give you the perception of customizing by offering a few pre-set floor plans and pre-selected options with little or no flexibility. But if you try to change a floor plan, you’ll be told it’s not possible or strongly discouraged.

Why Many Builders Discourage Floor Plan Modifications

In the highly competitive new home building industry, almost everyone claims they’re a custom builder.

But homebuyers beware: Just because an ad says “Custom Homes” doesn’t mean they’ll offer the same quality or options as an experienced stick-built home builder.

Many builders have little or no tolerance for plan changes because they lack the time and know-how to make proper plan modifications. Don’t settle for cookie-cutter house plans. You have a better choice: custom home plans from an experienced home builder.

Where to begin customizing a Floor Plan

We suggest you start by browsing all of our available floor plans.

While looking at our custom home plans, you might wonder if a wall could be removed or a mudroom or walk-in pantry added. Make a list of the changes and then sit down and discuss modifications with one of our Housing Consultants.

Some common house plan changes include upgrading to a 9’ ceiling height, adjusting the size of a dining room to accommodate furniture, and eliminating walls to attain an open concept.

We’re happy to listen to your ideas about customizing from our inventory of available plans to fit your lifestyle. As long as the structural integrity of the home is not compromised, we can usually make your request happen.

Working with a builder to customize your home

Fine Line Homes is your custom home builder with the best home plans in Central, PA, Northeast, PA, and Southern New York. With over 45 years of building experience in Pennsylvania and New York, we have the expertise to get the job done.

Here’s what one of our happy homeowners had to say:

We contacted several, well-known Builders before talking with Fine Line Homes. We appreciated the detail that the Sales Representative went into with us and every question we had was answered, and every request was met with a ‘yes we can do that’ attitude. So we decided that Fine Line met our needs very well and also had a beautiful selection of home models to choose from which all could be modified to your liking. . . . Yes, we would certainly recommend Fine Line Homes to anyone thinking about new home construction. — Barbara and Jim Scheifley

 

How We Do It: Make it yours with Flexible Floor Plans

A flexible floor plan is an essential feature for homeowners who want to customize the layout of their new home. It allows for versatility and adaptability in the design, enabling you to modify the interior space according to your unique needs and preferences. This means that rooms and spaces within the home can be easily reconfigured or repurposed as necessary.

We offer a variety of custom home plans available throughout Pennsylvania, Southern New York, and North Carolina, allowing you to choose from a range of styles and then begin working with our team to start with one of our pre-designed plans and apply customizations to make them uniquely yours. Our existing inventory of beautiful home plans provides the flexibility needed to accommodate different lifestyles and changing needs over time.

The Bottom Line

When it comes to building your custom new home, don’t settle. Get what you want!

Your builder should be able to design your new home around YOU and not from a cookie-cutter type of plan that most typical home builders use.

To begin, browse through our available floor plans and speak with our team to begin working on customizations to turn our plans into your new dream home! To see the quality of our new homes, please visit one of our five conveniently located Model Homes and Display Centers in Harrisburg, Lewisburg, Hazleton, Sayre, and State College.

We look forward to meeting you!