which floor plan do you like better and why?

[binny]

Ok we're debating on which floorplan we like better.

Could really use your opinion
Thanks!


1st floorplan:

2nd floorplan:

for larger floorplan go to http://www.aspenhomesofidaho.com/images/floorplans/nevada.jpg



EDIT: In HP2, instead of a living room we have an office so there is no seperate living area.


Pros

House plan number 1

Bedroom #5 can be an office or another bedroom which is great for resale
still nice neighbourhood, just not as many ammenities
Upgraded hardware throughout
Bigger bedrooms in all but the master which is slighty smaller
Upgraded appliances throughout
$10,000 cheaper
sprinklers and landscaping in front



Pros houseplan #2
Neighbourhood has more ammenities
VERY nice pantry and extra storage everywhere
sprinklers and landscaping included front and back
2 sinks in main upstairs bathroom



Both have 3 car garages, nice front landscaping, same general area ( one is a few blocks North of the other) and comparable lots sizes.


Im really at a loss. Any ideas? Which do you like better and why?


ETA sorry I had the descriptions flipped

 

[binny]

BTW,

things we woudl change:

houseplan number 1 the "family room" would turn into the dining room and vice versa

and bathroom downstairs would face the laundry room not the kitchen.




oh yeah house #1 has a much larger laundry room

 

[Nite0wl71]

I like #1. I like the 5th bedroom off of the kitchen, I could do so much with that. Also it has a dining room, I don't see one in #2.

 

[Beth76]

Wow that's tough. Number 1 doesn't have a coat closet and I absolutely do not like where the pantry is in the kitchen. I would much prefer to have a window there. It looks like there's nowhere to eat in the kitchen? The bathrooms are also not as nice.

Number 2, the upstairs bathrooms are much better, but do you want your guests trapsing through your laundry room to get to the powder room? This one also lacks the extra bedroom and a loft.

Are there any other floorplans to choose from? Unless you could make some changes, I find both of these plans to be heavily flawed.

 

[mickeyfan2]

You said both have 3 car garages. But plan #1 only shows two. Also what is the sq footage of plan #1.

From what I see I like plan #1 better.

 

[Cruisin]

They are both very nice floor plans.

Do you have a want or need for a dining room? If yes then number one is probably the better choice. There is the dining nook in the second floor plan that is okay too.

Are you the type of family to actually live in your living room? If no, then number 2 has a really nice family room.

The kitchen in number one seems bigger and more open than the kitchen in number 2.

I like the extra (bed)room on the main floor in Number 1, lots of good uses for that room.

I like the exterior look of Number one better.

Heck I guess I'm no help at all They both have their good points, I'd have a hard time picking one as better than the other.

 

[Swimnoid]

I like them both but best of both worlds I would combine stuff in either of them. I like the 5th bedroom in the first one and the open kitchen family room but I like the more "seperate" living room in the second one

And I like the bedroom configuration better in the first one

 

[binny]

see??

LOL



Ok here is the run down:

Both have very open floorplans in the kitchen areas. On the model of number 2 that we have instead of the living room it is an office with french doors that are nice but also if someone comes to my door its the first thing they see.



The pantry is number one is smaller but is still ok. It is an odd placement for it I will agree.


If in number one we didnt change the "family room" to the dining room there really wouldnt be any place to eat other than the island, which is large, but who wants to eat in the kitchen all the time? So we would definately change that out. It would be a HUGE dining room but thats ok I think. It also would have enough room to have a really nice built in installed.
I could never understand why he put the dining room where he did. Makes NO sense to me at all!


Number one is 2743 sq ft. so a good size larger than number 2 which is 2467.


coat closet in #1 is where the stairs go down ( this floorplan that we would have only has a crawlspace option you cant build a basement in this area water table is too high) there is also ample storage that goes all the way around where the stairs are.


I have to have a seperate quiet area which is what I would do with the loft area in number 1. Make that into a reading loft area.


Bedroom 4 in #1 would be the toy room.



Like I said the ammeinities in #2 are nicer, they have a pool and a community center but they are in the "ritzy" part of the subdivision so we would have to drive to them. The neighbourhood is still nice where #2 is but the rest of the neighbourhood that it belongs to are almost million dollar homes. Thats a concern for my ego to be frank, living in the low rent district I know it shouldnt bother me but it does.

 

[binny]

anymore opinions?

Thanks

 

[Meriweather]

Number one.
I like the 5th bedroom.
Like the larger house.
Don't like the closet entering off the master bath in #2.

but both are nice....you must have a "feeling" when in them.
go with what that is telling you.

 

[Sandy V.]

I like the first floorplan better.

In addition to what others have written, I like the laundry room better in the first plan. (The laundry room is one of the first things I look at on a floor plan because in most houses, that's the area where the family goes in and out of most of the time). I am NOT a fan of how the second plan's laundry room is set up - it just seems very small to me with not much storage. And if there isn't any storage, it all gets dragged into the rest of the house. Just something to consider.

Plus, it looks like your guests would have to go through your laundry room to get to the downstairs bathroom. Do you usually keep your laundry room picked up, or is it like mine - perpetually trashed?!?!?!

Best of luck in your decision.

 

[Brianne]

Bedroom 4 in #1 would be the toy room.

The first thing I usually look for in a floorplan is the bedroom placement. I swore I'd never have the master bedroom next to a kid room ever again--too many nights of waking up to a child kicking the wall in their sleep. Our current house has the master away from the other rooms, which works for us--I can see staying in this house after the kids are gone because the other bedrooms could be used as guest rooms without being near my space.

Making Bedroom #4 into a toy room makes more sense, but can you sleep through the playing if the kids are in there early while you're wanting to sleep in?

Otherwise, I prefer the layout of #1 overall. The utility room is much larger; the powder room is accessible for guests. The kitchen seems more open. The stairs have a bit more interest to them with the turn rather than the straight shot upwards in #2. The loft could be great for resale value--someone could even close it off for a bedroom #6 if they desired.

 

[sha_lyn]

well I like the exterior of 2 better but the floorplan of number 1.
I like no 1 mainly because it does have a down stairs bedroom.
However changes I would make for no 1

1/2 bath would become coat closet
untiily room would become full bath...... company would need to bathe, or incase of injury/illness that prevent use of stairs you might need the full bath

upstairs double door closet would become washer/dryer area.... Keep the laudry near where it belongs. Saves time and trips up/down stairs.

I'd try to rearrange upstair bath (not the master bath) to have double sinks.... have more than 1 kid? Do you want them fighting over sinks when brushign teeth etc?

 

[helenabear]

BTW,

things we woudl change:

houseplan number 1 the "family room" would turn into the dining room and vice versa

and bathroom downstairs would face the laundry room not the kitchen.




oh yeah house #1 has a much larger laundry room

After you said this, no doubt about it, plan #1 for me. I think it just looks like a great layout. The other I don't care for quite as much. And lack of dining room (unless I missed it) would be big for me.

 

[binny]

yeah the double sinks are a mjor pet peeve of mine, I really wish #1 had them upstairs.


There is space for them so I dont think it would be too big of a deal to install them there.



I love the space of the laundry room downstairs it has a nice mud room organizer in there with 3 seperate cubbies and hangers for the kids clothes ( perfect for my 3 kids )


there is a hall closet, its right next to room #5



We are really leaning towards #1. The fact that it has more space, is less money and has nicer upgrades is making me change my mind from number 2 that we thought we loved.

 

[ckmommy]

we built our house 4 years ago. We are thinking of building again. So, my thoughts my be affected by my thoughts for my own new house.

Here are my thoughts:

House #1--I do not like the living/dining combo. In fact I would have passed on this house because of this. I did not want a living room--I did not want to funish a room I would rarley use. But reading that you are going to use the FR as a DR, this would probably work.
I love the ability to put a freezer in the utility room. This is something our current house does not have and I wish it did.
I like the study/5th bedroom.
Pantry placement is a bit odd, but it would be OK.
The loft would make a great game room, and you would not have to sacrifice a bedroom.
Upstairs bath needs to have 2 sinks!!

House #2
I do not like the placement of the guest bath--poor design.
No game room. This would be a must have for me.
I like the upstairs linen closet and downstairs entry closets.


Not sure if there are other plans in your price range, but a first floor master bedroom is a must have for our family.

Both homes are very nice. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Disney Doll]

I like #1. That bedroom off the kitchen could have a million uses. I saw a house once that had a similar set-up and they used that as the in-law bedroom, and everyone loved it. On the first level, but removed so if the in-law wanted some privacy, they had it. It could be an office, a craft room a sewing room, storage, added pantry space...my God, the possibiltiies are endless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I also like your idea of making the family room the dining room. I am not sure what the builder was thinking having the space right next to the kitchen be the family room and then having space near the front of the house, pretty far from the kitchen, be the dining room.

Your little "off the kitchen" room could be a den for the kids and their friends to hang out in too, so you and DH could have the more spacious livingroom!!!!

 

[sha_lyn]

Since you like the mud area in the utility room.... you could still arrange a shower only full bath (or do they still call that a 3/4 bath?) and a mudroom with sink. I would still move the washer/dryer upstairs.

 

[sha_lyn]

oh...which exterior on 1 did you like?
I love the craftsman style

 

[pyrxtc]

I like #1 better but don't really like either since I hate when they put the garages on the front of the house like that. I would rather have more of a view than a large garage door. I know in some places you cen't help bu get that kind of house but up here, we prefer it seperate or under the house on the side.