Looking for a new Toronto townhome? Learn how to Read a Floor Plan

May 10, 2019

Reading floor plan

When looking for new townhomes in Toronto, it’s important to pay attention to your floor plan. You want to ensure you get the right fit for you and your needs.

At first glance, a floor plan can be a little tricky to visualize—taking it from the two-dimensional space and imagining the walls around you can be tough at first. But floor plans feature key information you’ll need to make an informed decision when finding the right new Toronto townhome. Once you pick up your floor plan, start at the very beginning.

Identify the walls and entrance

Begin at the floor-plan entrances and get a sense of how the home opens as you walk through the space. Take a look at the walls of the floor plan and take note of how they create the rooms of your home. Do your best to picture what that space looks like around as you walk through. Look for tight corners in the floor plan. Look for small closet space. Does this layout work for you? Do you have room for what you need at these entrances? It’s important to know.

Look at the square footage of each room

Pay attention to how the space unfolds. Getting an idea of the room shapes is helpful, particularly in relation to the square footage. A poorly laid out room can make it feel small when you’re actually standing inside. You want to look at the length and the width. Is it long or wide enough for the king- or queen-sized bed that you want? Make sure you have room for night tables, a dresser or armoire. There’s nothing worse than finding your highly prized Toronto townhome, only to realize you can’t have all the furniture and features you want.

What about your living room? Where would you want the TV? Is the space big enough? You have to be sure. You can have a room at 100 sq. ft., but what if the width is only five or six feet? You’ll have a bowling alley, not a living room. Take a tape measure outdoors and mark out the room sizes. Mark the area with tape, so you can stand inside and truly visualize the actual space.

new Toronto townhome

Locate essential key features in each room

Reading a floor plan is all about working inward: once you identify the layout and space of each room, it’s time to identify if your home has the essentials you want and find out exactly where they are located. Your dream kitchen will need enough room for that fridge and stove. Can you host a good meal the way the kitchen and dining room are positioned?

In the kitchen, ensure you know where you want the dishwasher and the sink. Again, tape off an area and mark where your appliances will go. Then walk around and get a feel for the room. As you know, you’re going to spend the majority of your time in the kitchen and, at times, with guests. Make sure you know how your new kitchen will function before you settle.

Lighting your new Toronto townhome.

You’re going to want plenty of light in your new Toronto townhome, so pay careful attention to where the windows will be placed. If you’ve already mapped out the size of some rooms with tape, then mark off where your windows are going to sit. Are there enough windows? Fewer windows mean less natural light. Make sure every room can let in light, wherever possible.

Think about how the windows will affect your experience. What way are they facing? The appropriately positioned window can give you maximum light. Obviously, you want south-facing wherever you can. But even if you have such a wall, you need to look for obstructions. Are there big trees or other buildings that will shade your light? These are the details that will help ensure you’re exploring the right options for you.

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