Floorplan Characteristics that Today’s Buyers Expect
November 15, 2019
Why Floorplans Must be Unique, Creative and Practical
As the Melbourne property market continues to shift and evolve, developers are under increasing pressure to lift their game and hone in on offerings that are designed to add flexibility, style and quality to the experience of a new generation of owner-occupiers and investors. ‘Providing quality, beautiful and spacious living space is key,’ says Projects by Buxton Real Estate Director Heath Thompson. ‘Making sure you have genuinely livable space that is designed to meet the lifestyle needs of the appropriate demographic that the development is pitched to is important – and that means designing clever storage, quality fittings, fixtures and details that people want in their own home,’ Heath says. ‘It’s not about banging out low-value developments to suit investors only. Today’s quality developments need to be sustainable and offer a lifestyle for families who demand flexibility, comfort and style.’ That might mean creating a dining zone that’s spacious enough to house an 8-10-seat dining table that is ideal for hosting the family Christmas lunch, or a master bedroom room large enough to fit a king-size bed.
Creating Homes Starts With Smart Design
In the past, Heath says, these things have been overlooked by many developers who were more focused on a high turnover of smaller apartments. ‘Great development is about coming back to basics now.’ ‘Floorplans reflect and showcase an understanding of what it really takes to create a wonderful home.’ ‘Storage is critical – especially when you are creating developments that target buyers in the upper-end of the Melbourne apartment market. These are often people who are downsizing from a large family home and they want room for occasional guests to stay, plus the storage required that reflects the great lives they have lived,’ says Heath. ‘A quality project team, such as the teams we assemble at Projects By Buxton Real Estate, get that it’s not about trying to shoe-horn features into developments just for the sake of it. A great floorplan should display features that make sense and add value and enjoyment to the lives of the people the project is designed for. It starts by understanding the area and the type of people who will want to live there – then designing homes that cater to their needs.’
Architectural Design That Matters
The change in thinking means that, in a 15-apartment development, each apartment doesn’t have to have identical features. ‘Sometimes, each separate apartment needs its own unique resolution to utilise the available space, light and orientation in the best possible way,’ says Heath. ‘That means that a quality development team is thinking carefully about who will be living there and what their needs are – then creating spaces to meet those needs in a way that is comfortable, stylish, practical – and beautiful.’
