How to read a floor plan and catch mistakes before building

A floor plan looks innocent until you start walking through it in your head. Here is the checklist we run on every design.

Six control points

First: walk the route from the car to the fridge with shopping bags. How many doors along the way? Second: can you see the entrance and the garden from the kitchen? Third: can a guest reach the bathroom without crossing the living room?

Fourth: where does the washing machine stand and can its door actually open? Fifth: does every window have a clear wall beneath it for furniture? Sixth: do any doors open into each other in the hallway?

Dimensions worth verifying

A corridor under 120 cm will feel tight. Less than 90 cm in front of a wardrobe makes it awkward to open. A galley kitchen needs 120 cm between the runs. These are not code requirements, they are experience — but ignoring them ends the same way every time.