When viewing a property, an on-site inspection is important, but the floor plan is also a key reference. However, many buyers only focus on how many bedrooms there are or whether the living and dining area is spacious enough, while overlooking other important details. These details can directly affect how usable the space actually is.
First, pay attention to the scale and dimensions shown on the floor plan rather than relying solely on visual impressions to judge whether a space is large enough. Dimensions are generally marked in millimetres (mm). For example, if the living room is shown as 3,000 mm long, that means the actual length is approximately three metres.
Some floor plans also show a scale, commonly 1:50 or 1:100, usually in the bottom-right corner. If certain areas are not directly labelled with dimensions, you can measure the distance on the plan with a ruler and convert it according to the scale to estimate the actual size of the space.
Next, pay attention to walls and columns. Walls can often be roughly distinguished by the thickness of the lines shown on the plan. Structural or load-bearing walls are usually represented by thicker lines and are typically around six to 14 inches thick. These are part of the building’s structure and cannot be removed or altered freely.
Non-load-bearing partition walls, on the other hand, are usually shown with thinner double lines or hollow lines. They are generally around four inches thick and, subject to relevant regulations and building rules, may be altered. Whether they can actually be modified will still depend on factors such as whether pipes or electrical wiring are concealed within the wall.
Columns are usually shown on floor plans as solid black squares or circles. They are important structural elements that support the building and cannot be removed or altered freely. Apart from affecting the internal layout and furniture placement, column positions can also be used as a rough reference for estimating where beams may be located.
Many buyers pay attention to whether a bed may end up directly beneath a beam. As a rough guide, you can try connecting the positions of adjacent columns on the floor plan to estimate where some of the main beams may run, then compare this with the intended position of the bed. However, this method only provides a rough estimate. The actual beam positions should still be confirmed by structural drawings or the conditions on site.
Another detail that is easily overlooked is the direction in which doors open. Floor plans usually use arcs to show the opening direction of bedroom, bathroom and kitchen doors. Buyers can use this to check whether an open door may interfere with furniture placement or daily movement. For example, a bedroom door may block a wardrobe when opened, or two adjacent doors may collide if opened at the same time, reducing the practicality of the space.
You should also pay attention to the position, size and orientation of the windows. Having windows does not necessarily mean that the unit will receive plenty of natural light. The actual effect depends on the surroundings outside. For example, if a window faces a nearby building, an internal light well or a wall at close range, natural light may still be obstructed during the day, making the interior feel darker.
One particularly important point is that the floor plan may not fully reflect the unit’s current condition. This is especially true for second-hand properties, where previous owners may have removed walls, relocated doors, reconfigured rooms, or even changed the position of the kitchen or bathroom, resulting in a layout that differs from the original plan.
Therefore, when viewing a property, it is best to compare the unit’s current condition with the original floor plan. If there are obvious differences, you should look into whether the alterations were approved and whether they comply with the relevant laws and building regulations. This can help avoid discovering only after completion that the property contains unauthorised building works or unapproved alterations that could affect the mortgage or future resale.
