If you know anything about homes or general home design, you have most likely heard of the term “open-concept” when referring to a home’s layout. Home design trends tend to change  throughout the years, but open-concept floor plans have remained consistently popular.

While open-concept floor plans might not be everyone’s cup of tea, many homeowners and home buyers love this particular home layout for its sprawling, open rooms that allow for more natural light, flowing movement, and home design opportunities. However, this layout offers more benefits than just those. Here are 5 reasons why people love open-concept floor plans. You may want to consider this layout when looking for your new home, building new construction, or fixing up your current one to sell.

1.) Flexibility with Home Design and Décor

Open-concept provides homeowners with flexibility to design their space to suit them and their lifestyle. Homeowners can be as creative as they wish with their furniture and decorations to define each living space. Without separating walls in this way, it’s easier to reconfigure different areas of the living space for different purposes in a way that makes sense to homeowner. With an open-concept floor plan, the opportunities are truly endless.

2.) Better Lighting and Air Flow

Open-concept homes are often built with large windows and glass doors that invite natural light in. That, combined with the larger size and openness of the layout, help open-concept homes have a lighter and airier feel than those with more separated layouts.

The openness allows this abundance of light to easily travel from one side of the room to the other without obstruction from interior walls. Along with brightening up the space with natural light, open-concept floor plans also improves airflow as air is also able to move unobstructed. This makes for a brighter and lighter home, as well as a healthier and more comfortable one too.

3.) Family-Togetherness

Home layouts featuring wall-separate rooms can make the home, as well as the family, feel distant and disconnected. An open-concept floor plan joins together the most used common living areas (kitchen, living room, dining area, etc.). This type of home layout accommodates everyone into a space rather than separating some family members in adjoining rooms. This also provides a double benefit for parents wanting to keep their children within eyesight from wherever they are in the home.

While the rooms are connected into one, they are also still defined. This means that family members can spend time together in the same living space yet also participate in different activities from one another. Having this added sense of togetherness in the home helps bring the family together and strengthen the relationships between them.

4.) Perfect for Home Entertaining

Open-concept floor plans are an entertainer’s dream. Just as separating walls within the home can interrupt your design flow, they can also interrupt your home entertaining flow. Open-concept layouts help connect otherwise separate living spaces to create a single space that flows together seamlessly.

The natural flow between spaces ensures that guests can move around more freely without feeling disconnected. It also allows the host to keep a good eye on what is happening in the home and easily work their way through the living area to mingle with their guests. Plus, most open-concept layouts also have outdoor access that extends the open interior to the open exterior outside.

5.) Increases Space and Efficiency

Square footage is important. Eliminating separating walls within a home creates the illusion of more square footage. In many homes, it can actually increase the amount of square footage. Additionally, most open-concept layouts also feature soaring ceilings, taller doors, and larger windows that further reinforce the spacious feeling within the home’s interior.

If you’re feeling tight on space and your home has a layout that lends itself to becoming open-concept, consider taking on the project. Opening up a single wall between the kitchen and living room can increase the square footage and create a more efficient space. Maximizing home efficiency pays off when you decide to sell too as open-concept renovations yield a 70% ROI. The bigger the space, the bigger the payouts.

6.) Improves the Home’s Energy Efficiency

What if we told you that an open-concept floor plan are also energy efficient and could potentially save you money? Thats right, the benefits of an open-concept layout goes far beyond aesthetics and entertainment. Large, open spaces take less time and effort to heat up or cool down. This can greatly cut down on energy bills during the warm or cold months. Also, thanks to the abundance of natural light brightening up the home’s interior, you will  have less use for interior lighting which will save you money on electricity bills.

7.) Greater Accessibility for Everyday Life

In the same way ranch-style homes are more accessible for many people, so are open-concept floor plans. This is a huge determining factor for older homeowners or homeowners who have older relatives living with them. Open-concept layouts consist of fewer hallways, tight corners, and other areas that may be difficult to maneuver through for those with wheelchairs or mobility restrictions. A home’s living space is more enjoyable if it is accessible for your everyday way of living.

Whether you’re looking to buy or sell, make sure you partner with an experienced agent to get the most value out of your transaction. Our team at SimpleShowing is dedicated to providing the best services and savings to our clients. Contact us today to learn how you can save on your home sale or purchase.