What are the benefits of an open plan home?

When you're searching for the perfect piece of Surfers Paradise property for you and your family, chances are there is a set of specific criteria that need to be satisfied before you'll even consider the home. These factors will vary depending on your life circumstances, as well as your own personal preferences. However, one thing that could be beneficial to keep an eye out for are open plan homes. 

What are open plan properties?

Open plan homes have become more popular over the last few years and could be an interesting concept to consider for your own home. The term open plan references a style of home or office space that has fewer internal walls and bigger spaces, with rooms often blending together – such as having a shared kitchen/dining/living room area. This is a move away from the traditional idea of individual, secluded rooms broken up by barriers like doors and walls. 

These types of properties are great for the modern family, with lots of room for living and entertaining being put to the most functional use possible. If you're interested in buying an open plan home, now could be the time to get in touch with your local real estate agent and begin discussing the potential options in the local area. 

What are some of the benefits of an open plan property?

There are a wide range of benefits to considering an open plan home for you and your family. For example, these designs are great for families with young children in the home. By reducing the number of barriers throughout the space, this means parents can watch their children from another room while taking care of their day-to-day tasks. Individuals working from home can look after their young one while working in the dining room – as well as keeping an ear out for any telltale signs from the child. 

Furthermore, it's possible to reduce your power bill through living in an open plan home. By utilising natural sunlight more efficiently, you can help reduce your reliance on using lights in your home. This is especially present in summer, where the evening light seems to last well into the night. Taking advantage of any possibilities to reduce your home's expenditure is a great way to help you not only save money, but work towards creating a more sustainable life. 

The creation of space is another potential upside of seeking out an open plan property. If you prefer to live in spacious environments, open plan living areas often seem expansive and large due to the lack of walls and negative spaces. When combined with mirrors and furniture, it's easy to develop a free and open property for you and your family to call home. Combining these techniques with lighter pains and a high roof will work to create the ultimate illusions of space and scope. 

How do you define between the different rooms?

With open plan properties, the decision to have wide open spaces could negate the idea that you need to define where rooms begin and end. However, if you'd like some simple ways to recognise these limits, one thing to consider is using different flooring materials throughout the space to provide some unobtrusive definition. 

For example, having a hardwood floor in your living and dining space before transitioning to a tiled floor for the kitchen is a simple but effective way of giving some idea of different rooms. Furthermore, the types of furniture employed as the rooms change could also be a telling sign – such as couches in the living room and a table with traditional chairs in the dining room.