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Floor plan should be designed to meet your needs as well as those of your family. First of all it should have an adequate square footage ' not too much, so that you don't have too much unused space and increased costs of maintenance, and not too small, so that you have privacy, and room for all family activities as well as entertainment.

Here are things to look for while designing your floor plan:

' Garage should be close to the kitchen, preferably next to it, so that you have an easy access to the refrigerator or pantry while carrying your groceries to the house. It makes your job much easier for garbage removal as well.

' Two-story house usually costs less to build than one-story.

' When you decide to build a bedroom above garage, be ready to live with the noise caused by the opening and closing of garage doors.

' You need enough room for storage. Most builders don't pay significant amount of attention to this point, yet most homeowners complain about not having enough storage. You should make sure there is plenty of closets in the bedrooms, large enough pantry closet and closets for towels as well for the coats, by the main entrance door.

' Plan your traffic patterns ahead of time. Observe where you spend most of your time and plan accordingly. Try to avoid putting any obstacles or doors in the way of major traffic paths.

' Consider proper room layout for noise. You do not want to have a library or bedroom next to a playroom or close to the area where TV or stereo unit is.

' Place dining room next to the kitchen so that you can avoid unnecessary steps while serving meals to your guests or your family members.

' Include at least half a bath on the first floor when planning a two-story house.

' I often see bathrooms next to the kitchen in older homes. This is definitely a bad combination and something you should avoid at all costs.

' Walk-in pantry is a good selling point at present time but make sure it makes sense in your situation. Regular closets are often more economical and provide more storage.

' Plan carefully on where to put washer and dryer. It is a good idea to have them on the second floor, next to the master bedroom, in order to avoid going up and down the stairs with your laundry. Take the noise into consideration, though. Calculate extra plumbing costs as well. If it all makes sense, go ahead and do it.

' Certain areas of the house, like bedrooms and library should be isolated from sound as much as possible. You can accomplish this by arranging your floor plan properly as well as adding an extra insulation in the walls or floors and by installing solid-core doors with higher sound-proofing qualities.

' High ceilings are very fashionable at present but you have to decide for yourself if they fit both: your budget and tastes. High ceilings take away living space. The same space might be used for an extra bedroom. You have to decide if you are after esthetics or practicality.

' Do you want a basement or can you live without it? Adding a full basement is costly but you should be able to recoup the cost at the time of sale, especially if your house is in the area of homes with basements.