Home for the Holidays: Choosing the Best House Plans for Your Family

The holidays serve as a true test for the functionality of one’s house plans. It’s a time when families tend to pack a lot of action into their homes, such as gifts, decorations, lights, stockings, food and guests – all which compete for space. When considering floor plans for a new home, it’s important that buyers think about not only their day-to-day needs, but what kinds of living spaces they’ll require in order to maintain their cherished holiday traditions.

As you select home plans for your new dwelling, remember the amount of space you will need for your family and guests to feel comfortable during the holidays, and keep the following points in mind.

Overnight Guests

Anytime you have guests staying overnight, you want to make them feel comfortable and welcome with a space of their own. If you like to host overnight company during the holidays, in addition to looking at home plans with extra rooms, you may want to look at those that include guest suites.

In many floor plans, guest suites may be located on the first level of a home and provide ample closet space as well as enough room for at least a queen-sized bed and a small sitting area. More elaborate guest suites may also have a private bathroom. If your guests have children, look at house plans that include a large den or daylight basement where the kids can roll out their sleeping bags and not be in the way of your holiday preparations.

Dinner Parties

Whenever there is a gathering, the most popular place for guests to congregate always seems to be your kitchen. Instead of shooing your guests out, look at floor plans that would allow them to sit, chat and not block your path to the oven. Such home plans can include a large breakfast bar or an island with stools; you may also want to consider an open floor plan in which the kitchen seamlessly opens into a family room.

The dining room is just as important as your kitchen during the holidays, as it need to fit all of your guests effortlessly and comfortably at the same time. Look at floor plans that have dining rooms large enough for your dining table when the extra leaves are in place. Guests should be able to slide their chairs in and out without hitting a wall or bumping into other furniture. Additionally, consider house plans with dining rooms large enough to fit your China cabinet or buffet in the same space. A dining room next to the kitchen is also nice because you do not have to walk back and forth while setting up or cleaning.

The Christmas Tree

Choose a home whose floor plans satisfy your decorating needs year-round. When looking at home plans, keep in mind your preferred location for a Christmas tree and the size of tree you like. If you prefer tall Christmas trees, look at home plans that have vaulted ceilings in the living room. If you love decorating your home and tree and want to show off your skills to the neighbors, look at house plans with bay windows or large picture windows in the living room. The room in which you place your tree should also be appropriately sized so you do not have to rearrange your furniture dramatically every year to make a tree fit.

Chestnuts and Stockings

Fireplaces are a great way to warm your house on chilly days and fit well with holiday songs about Christmas memories. If a fireplace is important to you for hanging stockings or gathering the family, look at home plans that include hearths. Bear in mind that if you do not know how to operate a wood-fueled fireplace, it may best to seek gas-powered options.

No Lines

When you have more many people in your house, the likelihood of more than one individual needing to use the restroom is great – especially during a holiday gathering. Keep your guests in mind when considering house plans, and look at options that include an extra powder room or two.

Peace on Earth

The hustle and bustle of the holidays sometimes calls for an escape. Look at home plans that allow you to create a private space for yourself when you need a mini-retreat, even if it is just to get away for five minutes. Such spaces can include a private study, a large bathroom with a soaking tub, or a reading room. Sometimes people just need a moment to breathe before rejoining family festivities.

The holidays are the time of year when you remember all the features you wish your home had. Think back on those wishes, write them down and compare them with the house plans you review.

Note: The floor plan above is from The Cainsville House Plan 1233.