Happy Floor Plan February! Maybe that’s not a thing, but at IMOTO we take our floor plans very seriously, so we are dedicating the month of February to our simple, yet fantastic product: the floor plan. 

A floor plan showcases the entire home in a 2D scaled diagram, with exact dimensions, shown from above. It helps viewers identify the traffic pattern and physical features of a home. Floor plans are helpful for anyone who is making decisions about a listing, be it a home for sale, a long term rental, or a short term rental. Let’s take a look at the significance of floor plans, as well as review testimonials from renters, home buyers and a world traveler. 

Floor plans answer buyers’ questions upfront. 

People will always  have questions about the layout, dimensions, natural lighting, wiring system, and more if they are seriously considering living in a home. A floor plan puts the consumer at ease when they are able to see the true layout of a home. Questions like, “Can I see myself living here? How much natural light is there? Is one bedroom bigger than the other? What about privacy or noise aspects?” are usually answered with the inclusion of a floor plan. 

These questions are not limited to home buyers either - they can also come from renters or even travelers. For example, a renter may want to know about the different bedroom sizes if they are splitting the rent fairly with a roommate or two. Knowing the layout upfront could allow the renter to narrow down their search and only view listings that meet his or her requirements. Similarly, home buyers may be looking for specific layout features that fit their family needs - i.e. master bedroom on the first floor. 

Floor plans help buyers use their imagination.

Knowing the interior dimensions of a listing can help buyers visualize living or staying in the home. By including a floor plan in your marketing, you give buyers more information than when just photos are included. This results in buyers being able to use their imagination and see themselves using the space. Once people make an emotional connection with a listing, they are more likely to pursue it. By laying the foundation for buyers to picture themselves in the home, sellers are increasing their chances of converting potential buyers from interested to sold! 

Floor plans provide buyers with transparency.

Floor plans bring more transparency to listings, as photos and property descriptions can be deceiving and leave out important information. In some instances, travelers can end up staying in listings much smaller than they perceived by looking at the listing photos. Without getting the chance to “walk through” the listing prior to booking, travelers can be seriously impacted by listings with a lack of detail. For example, “home sleeps 4” might mean there is only 2 beds with one being a pull out couch, but the viewer does not know that. If a floor plan was provided with the listing, this information would be clear. Using a floor plan to provide factual detail is a win-win for both buyers and sellers.

Testimonials on Floor Plans: 

Meet Akee, world traveler from New Orleans, Louisiana.

Akee has lived in Milan, Italy and has traveled and stayed in many airbnbs, VRBOs and hostels across the globe. 

Akee recognizes the value of floor plans, even when traveling around the world. 

Q: Is a floor plan just as important to you as the photography of a listing? 

Akee: The floor plan helps a lot in addition to the photography. For example, when I’m looking for a hostel or airbnb to stay at, based off the photos, the place can look cluttered and I would choose not to stay there. Also,  I’m usually traveling with multiple people so it’s even more crucial to see the layout of the place. When I stayed in an Airbnb in Milan, the photos looked great but the airbnb was so much smaller than we thought.

Q:  Would you be more likely to look at an airbnb with a floor plan rather than a airbnb without one?

Akee: Yes, I would 100%. It also depends how long I’m staying there. lf it’s 3+ nights, knowing the layout of the rental is key.

Meet Haley, Director of Marketing at the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce.

Haley is from Washington D.C. and lives with two roommates in New Orleans. 

Haley values floor plans because they made her search for a rental with roommates an easier process. 

Q: Does a rental listing with a floor plan make it more valuable?

Haley: Absolutely, a landlord who can provide a floor plan is already more trustworthy than one who does not. Also, as a renter with two roommates, it is important for us to use the floor plan to decide which bedrooms are worth paying more in rent than others. For instance, one of my roommates has the largest room in the house and is closest to the bathroom, so she appropriately pays more in rent than my other roommate and me. 

Q: What other benefits do floor plans provide?

Haley: Because floor plans typically include windows, it is easy to gauge the amount of natural light in each room, which is very important to me. Also, with a bird’s eye point of view it’s easy for me to visualize the space from a design standpoint. Knowing the dimensions from the floor plan helped me a lot when I was moving across the country and deciding what furniture I should bring. 

Meet Louis, architect and yogi living in New Orleans, LA.

Louis is from Hong Kong and studied at Tulane School of Architecture. 

Louis values floor plans because they emphasize the space relationship between rooms. 

Q: What do you think are the benefits of having a floor plan?

Louis: For me, the primary benefit of a floor plan is being able to see the space relationship of the different parts of the building. 

Q: On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the most important, 1 being the least important), how important is a floor plan to you when searching for a home? 

Louis: 10, I would not look at a listing that does not have a floor plan.

Meet Brett, general contractor from San Antonio, Texas.

Brett values floor plans because they portray a clear and exact image of a building. 

Q: What do you think are the benefits of using a floor plan? 

Brett: A floor plan can show you the exact layout of the house, which for many can help decide if it is the right one for their needs. 

Q: Does a listing with a floor plan make it more valuable?

Brett: I believe it does. It can give a potential buyer a true view of the home. 

Meet Mary Ann, home owner from Metairie, Louisiana. 

Mary Ann values floor plans because they save time in the home buying process. 

Q: Is a floor plan just as important to you as the photography of a listing?  

Mary Ann: Definitely. Seeing a floor plan along with the photography is ideal because if the plan and photos are what I want it then it instantly moves to the top of my list.

Q: Are you more likely to view a listing that has a floor plan, rather than one that does not have a floor plan? 

Mary Ann: I would look at a listing based on price and location first, but having a floor plan is a plus. Floor plans reduce wasted time for me and the agents showing the properties because it eliminates the need to look at properties that don’t fit my needs.