Tracing their origin to the 90’s, open floor plans have become a rage among homeowners for multiple reasons. Open floor plans usually involve a combination of the living room, dining room and kitchen combined into a single space. Open floor plans do not imply that all the rooms of a home are connected. Neither does it mean that there is no separation between the rooms. Often pieces of furniture, flooring variations or decor may be used to differentiate the rooms. However, there are several things you must carefully consider if you are thinking about converting your home to an open floor layout.
Can I convert my existing home to an open floor plan?
It depends. Your home will have to be inspected by an experienced structural engineer to see if your existing home can be modified to create the desired open floor plan layout. You can also work with the contractor to create a workaround if your desired plan is not feasible.
What are the advantages of an open floor plan?
Open floor layouts owe their popularity to the multiple advantages they offer homeowners.
- More natural light
In the absence of walls separating rooms, the natural light from windows in one room can easily flow to the other rooms, brightening living spaces.
- Multifunctional spaces
Depending on your needs and requirements, an open floor plan can serve as a home office, recreation room, family room etc.
- Increased value of your home
In most cases homes with open floor plans have a much higher economic value due to their relative popularity among home buyers. Once listed, such homes are quick to attract the interest of prospective buyers.
- Better traffic flow
Open floor plans have the potential to allow a much quicker and smoother flow of foot traffic between the various rooms, improving your overall efficiency.
- Layout flexibility
Without walls and/or partitions, you can easily configure your room and move around pieces of furniture when the need arises.
What are the disadvantages of open floor plans?
While open floor plans offer several advantages, they also have some down-sides. Below are some of the disadvantages of open floor plans.
- Loss of privacy
Open floor plans are obviously not great for privacy. They enable socialization but make it harder to find a quiet place for reading or conversation.
- Increased heating and cooling costs
Heating and cooling costs are higher for open floor plans since the entire room must be heated or cooled as compared to traditional floor plans where only individual rooms need to be temperature controlled.
- Higher construction costs
Open floor plans require installation of steel or laminated beams for support, leading to an increase in overall construction costs.
- Elevated noise levels
Open floor plans provide the advantage of increased socialization but this can also mean increased noise levels that hinder you from focussing on
If you are looking to evaluate if your existing home can be converted to an open floor layout or for other home remodel services, MW Construction can provide you with top-class services at a reasonable price irrespective of the size of your project. To get a free estimate for any home remodeling requirements in the South Jersey area, reach out to us.