Buying pre construction real estate has its advantages such as potential for capital appreciation, low cost of ownership with minimal deposits and the benefits of purchasing a brand new home. But it all starts in the Sales Centre where you’ll take the time to learn about the neighbourhood and the interior and exterior features including the floorplan design. Because the home usually isn’t complete, you are required to look over floorplans to get a better idea of the size and layout of the home you desire. But how well can you read floorplans and can you tell the difference between a home that looks good on paper versus a home that fits your needs?

Floorplans are more than just lines on a page. They are simplified architectural drawings representing the home that you may purchase. Floorplans usually indicate the pathing of the home indicating the location of your living and dining room, kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms. It also helps you understand the location of your appliances, closets and in some cases the type of flooring in each room.

Here are some tips to help you better understand floorplans as you are looking over them - some of the questions you should be asking yourself and things to consider, so you can determine if the home is right for you.

“Walk-through” the home
Begin going through the floorplan by picturing yourself in the home. If you have a tough time with understanding the scale, then it usually helps if you walk through the display suite in the Sales Centre (assuming it has one) with the corresponding plan in hand. This way you’ll get a clear idea of the space in the display in relation to the floorplan.

Ask for measurements
Sometimes it’s hard to visualize the size of a room or ceiling heights on paper. Asking for approximate measurements from the sales associate can help you better understand the space. With these approximately measurements you can compare them to the display suite or to your current home and the spaces there. Sometimes people will use painters tape and trace mark the size of each room. It’s also a good idea to use the floorplan to lay out your furniture. How far is the couch from the TV? How wide is the kitchen? Are the bedrooms big enough for your bed and a dresser? Will the furniture you have now fit in the space? These are all questions you’ll be able to answer with measurements in hand.

Ask yourself questions
As you’re picturing yourself in the home, you must be sure to look out for details in each space. How much cabinet space is in the kitchen? Is there enough counter-space? How many windows are in the home and which way do they face? Is there enough wall space for furniture or art? How much access is there to the balcony? Is the balcony big enough? The list of questions can go on, so it’s never a bad idea to write all of your questions down and then walk through the plan with a sales member who can help you answer your questions.

Floorplans can be presented in many ways whether it is in the form of black lines on a page or rendered illustrations. Either way, they are a tool to help you understand the design and layout of a space that you hope to call home. So it is important that you are aware of the benefits and limitations of each home in order to understand whether the home is right for you.

You’ll quickly realize that the time you put into thoroughly understanding the floorplans will pay dividends in the comfort of your new home as you make the final step of moving in.

[pictured: The floorplan shown is from 15 West located in North Vancouver's Central Lonsdale high-rise district. This plan shows a typical 1 bedroom home. Also shown is the floorplate that indicates where in the building this \"Grouse\" floorplan is available. Understanding the position of the unit in the building helps you to read the floorplan and start to picture what life might be like in your new home. In this example, you can see that the bedroom and living/dining room windows and the balcony all face to the north and will provide views of the North Shore mountains.]