Choosing the Right Floor Plan to Build on Your Unique Twin Cities Lot

When you embark on a new home build with an existing lot, your floor plan selection will at least partially depend on the features of that lot. Some of the constraints a lot poses are practical, like the maximum horizontal dimensions you can build to. Others are about optimizing its best features, such as the views of the surrounding area. Regardless, with careful consideration, you can ensure your final layout takes the greatest possible advantage of everything your lot has to offer.

To help you decide which floor plan would work best for your property, we’ve put together this quick and easy guide. By the end of it, you’ll know what house features complement different lot types. We’ll also explain the process of adapting a design to perfectly suit your lifestyle and fulfill all your dream home goals.

First, Choose a Builder with a Diverse, Flexible Catalog

The key to ensuring you get just the right floor plan for your lot is having enough potential plans to choose from, plus enough flexibility to adapt that plan as needed.

Take the Country Joe Homes semi-custom approach as an example. Our catalog includes more than two dozen floor plans with a broad range of square footage options and room configurations. What’s more, if you want to adapt any of our designs to further suit your lot, we work with you to explore your customization options.

This process helps make new home construction more affordable, since starting with a proven floor plan helps control construction costs and reduce build time. What’s more, it ensures you have every opportunity to tailor your build to the unique specifications of your property.

See Our Portfolio of Homes Built on Varied Lots

Next, Choose a Floor Plan Based on Lot Characteristics

This process starts by identifying which lot characteristics will have the biggest impact on your potential floor plan features. The most common characteristics impacting floor plan selection include

• Lot Dimensions: How wide and long your lot is can place hard limits on your floor plan’s footprint.
• Setback Requirements: Mandatory setbacks from public infrastructure, adjacent properties, wetlands, etc., can further impact the maximum footprint your lot can accommodate, or require you to seek a variance from the local board of appeals.
• Established Vs. New Neighborhoods: Often, infill lots in established neighborhoods require more contained footprints to accommodate narrow or unusually shaped properties. On the other hand, new and in-development neighborhood lots are often larger and allow for more floor plan flexibility.
• Natural Features: Certain features, like attractive views and adjacent water bodies, should be prioritized by your floor plan, increasing your enjoyment of the home while improving its value as an investment.
• Grade: Sloped lots are often best optimized with a floor plan that features a basement-level walkout.
  

Examples of Optimal Floor Plans According to Lot Type

Alright, it’s time to put the theory into practice with some real-world examples. Say you’ve bought a beautiful, sloping lot in Lakeville’s Summers Creek neighborhood. The Bradford and the Albany are two perfect options for capitalizing on this lot’s grade, since they both offer spacious lower levels with options for a walkout.

But what about an infill lot in a well-established neighborhood, such as Inver Grove Heights? The Watkin’s constrained footprint and spacious overall design make it the perfect choice, effortlessly maximizing your living space even on narrow or restricted properties.

Next, let’s say you’re looking at an unusually shaped lot that’s wider than it is long, thanks in part to a natural creek running along the rear property boundary. The Rockingham would take full advantage of this lot’s features, with a wide front profile that maximizes curb appeal, and a covered porch in the back that provides stunning views of the tranquil, flowing water.

Explore Floor Plans by Lot Type

Build the Right Home for Your Lot with Country Joe Homes

With 50+ years of homebuilding experience in the Twin Cities south metro, we’ve worked on more different types of lots than we could possibly list here. Now, we want to put that expertise to work for you, building you a beautiful home that elevates your lot to its maximum potential.

Whether you want to follow one of our proven floor plans exactly or you’re looking to adapt one of our designs to more precisely suit your lot, we’re ready and excited to work with you. Request a floor plan consultation today, and let's get the conversation started!