Selecting an Apartment with the Right Floor Plan

​An apartment floor plan maps the entire apartment drawn to scale. It shows all the rooms, common areas, and features of an apartment, giving viewers an idea of its arrangement and how everything fits together.

If you are in the market for a rental, you will need to analyze each apartment's floor plan to determine whether it will be adequate for you, starting with the total square footage. Just how much space will you need? Use the square footage of your current apartment as a guide. If your home feels cramped, you’ll probably need more space. If only a certain room feels tiny, look for floor plans offering more square footage in that area.

Remember, though, that your needs will not stay static. You will likely need more space if you move in with someone, start a family, or open a home office.

Beyond square footage, storage is another key component of floor plans. Does the apartment have built-in cabinets, pantries, and closets? What are their dimensions? If you have plenty of kitchen and bedroom items, you’ll need a lot of storage space that’s also easily accessible. If an apartment does not have this, don’t immediately write it off. It may have large enough square footage to include non-built-in dressers, shelves, and trunks.

Room layouts are another thing you should look at. Ensure the bedrooms are far from the living room and the bathroom and bedroom entrances are far apart. If you share the home with someone, ensure the bedrooms do not have shared walls. The kitchen should be close to the dining area, and hallways should not take up too much space.

Ariel Soudry

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