Floor plans help buyers make decisions around how their lifestyle and acquisitions will fit within the space, especially when considering moving to a smaller home.
When you're looking for a new home; whether a house, sectional title or small apartment - it’s valuable to have access to the floor plan. Asking the existing owner for this offers several benefits:
It can help you decide how you want to lay out your existing furniture
It supports decision-making on new furniture or appliances needed
You can plan renovations or modifications ahead of your move
It aids in understanding and visualising the flow and layout of the property
It assists with packing the moving vehicle in the right order
A floor plan is not quite the same as the house plan:
A floor plan is a scaled top-down drawing that shows where windows, doors and walls are positioned—essentially a floor-level snapshot of the property.
House plans are a complete set of drawings, including elevations, roof structure, foundation details, servitudes and structural plans.
If you don’t have a floor plan, you can use the house plan to create a simplified one using online digital tools.
House orientation
Understanding how the house is oriented helps you interpret light, heat and ventilation. Most floor plans indicate north. In the southern hemisphere:
North-facing rooms receive maximum light during the day—ideal in winter, but may require shading in summer.
East-facing rooms capture gentle morning light—great for bedrooms or kitchens.
South-facing rooms stay cooler, offering relief in summer; you'll likely need artificial lighting.
West-facing rooms enjoy intense late-afternoon sun—perfect for sunsets, but may need window treatments or air-conditioning.
Scale
When reviewing a floor plan, check furniture fit carefully. Dimensions and door/window placements affect actual usability. A floor plan is drawn to scale, showing proportional room sizes.
Example: If the scale is 1:50, then:
3 cm on the plan = 150 cm (1.5 m) in real life.
If your couch is 2 m long, it will measure 4 cm on that plan (2 m ÷ 50 cm).
Tips:
Measure your furniture dimensions (length, width, height).
Convert using the scale (e.g., 1 m = 2 cm on a 1:50 scale).
Devices
A scale ruler makes conversion and drawing easier.
Grid paper helps you sketch room layouts with furniture to scale.
AI tools offer virtual staging to visualise room themes and layouts.
Note fixtures
Floor plans should show:
Windows and doors, including direction of swing—helping you assess space for movers or furniture.
Staircases, typically labelled with riser count and height (e.g., 14/25 for 14 risers at 25 cm each).
Fireplaces—if missing, measure these yourself to avoid placing flammable items too close.
Plug points and light switches—vital for planning furniture placement and electrical needs.
Organisation
Using your floor plan can help with efficient moving. For example, review the moving considerations checklist to load and unload rooms in the optimal order.
To streamline the process:
Use masking tape to outline large items in the empty property before move-in.
This helps movers visualise layouts and identify any adjustments needed.
