12 home design questions that’ll shape your wish list

A home design wish list provides clarity and transparency while saving time. 

When our clients decide to follow their dream of constructing an oak framed home, they’re naturally flooded with an array of ideas.

If this sounds familiar, we recommend that the most effective way to move forward with your aspirations is to put pen to paper and prepare a wish list. Doing so means they’re all in one place, they won’t be forgotten, and, just like an acorn, they can begin growing into something greater with the support of your chosen Architect. 

Here at Oakwrights, during the architectural design process, we work closely with our clients to develop and finalise their wish lists. Having a clear understanding from the outset of what they aspire to achieve alongside their ballpark budget is invaluable. For our clients, it means they’re one step closer to unlocking the doors to their new homes. For our teams, it enables them to craft bespoke oak frame designs which tick all their boxes and are set up for success in receiving planning permission approval.

To create your clear and concise wish list, we recommend structuring it around your answers to these home design questions:

1. What type of plot of land are you looking for?

For example, a rural setting, perhaps within a village, or a suburban location…

2. What architectural style are you fond of? 

For example, a barn-style home, a country-contemporary home, a cottage-style home, or maybe a farmhouse design…

3. What external materials catch your eye?

Roofing: for example, clay, zinc, slate…

Walls: for example, brick, render, horizontal cladding, stone… 

Glazing: for example, bi-fold doors, large sliding doors, face glazing…

4. What house size (GEA) do you picture building?

· <300sqm

· 300-500sqm

· 500-1000sqm

· 1000sqm>

5. How many storeys will your home have?

· One

· One-and-a-half

· Two

6. How many bedrooms do you have in mind for it?

Things to consider: future proofing, a growing family, a downstairs room that could be a bedroom later in life, a guest bedroom...

7. Have you thought about the orientation of different rooms?

For example, would you like your main bedroom to be bathed in sunlight in the morning or in the evening? How could you maximise energy efficiency through solar gain? Would you like your oak sunroom to be south-facing?

8. What home features form part of your wish list?

To answer this question, consider how you envision your home functioning around your lifestyle… List the rooms which are important to you and that you need, and where you’d position them:

9. What do you like or want to improve about your current home?

Not sure where to start? Think about the layout of your home; do you like the way the rooms flow from one to the other? Would you prefer to be able to chat to your guest while you make dinner?