Obsession with open plan living – the pros and cons
SPACE – we all seem to crave it, and yet we live in enclosed structures and retreat into personal abodes. It’s a conundrum! But seriously, finding the right balance between vacuous and cramped inside your home can be a bit tricky.
One of the biggest trends to sweep the housing market in recent years is open plan living. It has become a veritable obsession for house hunters and home owners. ‘Gutting’ homes and removing walls has been all the rage. But before, getting carried away, it’s a good idea to look at all the pros and cons of this trend.
The Pros
The illusion
As mentioned above, everyone is obsessed with having more space. Even tiny homes can appear bigger and more expansive by knocking down walls and removing doors.
It’s breezy
Opening up living areas can create better airflow throughout the house, helping cool down the home more efficiently and removing any musty odours.
Light and bright
If you read any real estate sales material the words ‘natural light’ are probably the most over-used. As humans, we desire light drenched rooms, and, rightly so! Open floor plans remove barriers and is a good option for homes with dark décor or those that have small windows.
Let’s get close
Open floor plans are great way to increase family togetherness. Why? Instead of being segregated in boxes, family members can be in shared communal spaces. Isn’t that what family is all about anyway? Another bonus is when entertaining guests can mingle, help cook and even clean up!
The cons
I need my own space
Privacy can be an issue with open plan living, especially in a share house. Conflicting activities can cause tension and you may need to move to another part of the house for some quiet time.
Hot, cold, just right?
Getting the right temp in an open plan home can be difficult. Big open spaces may take longer to cool down or heat up. It will cost more money to be comfortable.
Stinky and noisy
Yup, smells travel, and usually it’s the bad smells that pong up homes. The same goes for sounds, the bad sounds travel faster and louder! Be mindful of this when considering open floor plans.
Not much room for art
Knocking down walls has one big disadvantage: You’re left with hardly any room to hang art. Shock Horror! And as you know, a home is naked without art!
Cleanliness is next to…
So you’ve taken off all the doors, but how do you HIDE the mess if you can’t close up a room to get to later? When living in open plan homes, there’s nowhere to hide the mess so keeping the entire house clean can be strenuous.
It’s worthwhile taking some time and tossing up these points on your next inspection and finding out which ones you can openly live with!
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SELLING homes is not just a career; it is an art form – one that is carefully honed over years of life experience and knowledge. And, I can proudly say, that I still absolutely love what I do – day in, day out.