How to spot a bad floor plan

Showroom furniture, throw blankets and endless formations of pillows have become common fixtures at open-for-inspections.

But while perfectly staged apartments and homes may look appealing, some are disguising a fault that can be hard to fix: an unworkable, clunky floor plan.

We’re talking homes with limited airflow, bedrooms that open right next to noisy living areas and long hallways that take up space in a tight footprint.

It may be a period home with the kitchen a country mile from the living space, or a new build with a coven-like gloom due to scant natural light.

“A faulty floor plan becomes unworkable when it isn’t compatible with the people who’ll live there,” says architect, property investor and founder of Declutter LUX Design, Heather Morris.

Morris advises buyers to ensure the floor plan ticks four major boxes:

1. Flow: Can you move through the space without bottlenecking or backtracking?
2. Light: Do living areas get sunlight, or are you relying on downlights at 11am?
3. Zones: Are quiet spaces separated from loud ones, or is the primary bedroom practically in the living space?
4. Storage: Is there enough, and is it where you need it? A single wardrobe in the hallway may not suffice.

When inspecting a property, Morris recommends filming a quick walkthrough on your phone to watch back later so you can see what works without the “open home adrenaline”. As you watch the video, imagine yourself hosting friends, cooking or doing the washing.

“That’s when the truth about the layout usually jumps out,” she says.

While period homes were built long before open-plan living, modern floor plans are not always superior.

“Right now, we’re seeing two extremes: thoughtfully designed contemporary homes that understand light, flow, and flexible living, and modern builds with major compromises thanks to shrinking blocks, cost-cutting and developers who prioritise facades over function,” Morris says.

Many older homes have “gorgeous bones”, Morris adds. They just need updating for today’s lifestyle.

“The real test isn’t the age of the home. It’s whether the plan supports natural light, good flow and how people actually use their homes.”

Nat Gordon, founder of property advisory service Propolic, agrees.

Gordon once lived in a home that presented beautifully, with French doors that opened onto a courtyard.

“It had great space but there was nowhere to actually put furniture or a TV because there were windows and doors everywhere,” she says.

Gordon sees multiple examples of faulty floor plans in her work.

In multilevel homes, bathrooms can be in short supply. There may be no toilet on the living level or just an en suite on the bedroom floor.

“Developers might do this to cut costs because bathrooms are expensive to install, and home owners may simply not think of it,” Gordon says.

However, flaws in the floor plan don’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t buy the property.

“As a buyer, it’s really important to consider how fixable the issue is and how much that’s likely to cost,” she says.

“Can you move a non-load-bearing wall? Is it a case of just knocking a hole through to connect a closed off kitchen to a dining area?”

If it’s fixable, it can actually be beneficial in some cases, as you might face less competition for the property, Gordon says. “And if you have purchased the property in your perfect location, then an imperfect floor plan gives you an opportunity to really customise the space to your needs.”

Not all flaws are universally bothersome, and one person’s tiny bedroom is another’s ample study space.

“You could argue that a small bedroom is an issue for some people and for other people, such as parents who have their children only part of the time, it may suit them,” Gordon says.