When you choose a new custom Florida home, its features should enhance how you and your family enjoy your home.

Have you always wanted that built-in gas grill out back? Go for it. How about a third garage to house bicycles, sports equipment or a home workshop? The choice is yours. But planning for and selecting these must-have, wish-list features isn’t all you should consider when building or buying a new custom Florida home.

Every square inch of it should enhance your lifestyle, including the fun stuff (that third garage) and the utilitarian (the laundry room). Thinking about how to make the most of your new spaces should be a personal process for you and your household, and we at ICI Homes have several tried-and-true suggestions germane to most any potential customer.

You can read on for more about the most important features to consider in a new home.

Mind-map your current home features

Take a few minutes to mentally inventory your current abode, then jot down a list of the features you like, those you can’t wait to leave behind, and those you want to have going forward.

Bonus: doing this exercise with family and friends might help you narrow down the features that will be the most important in your new home, regardless of whether you have them now.

Then, prioritize the hardest-working spaces

You know what they are. Our kitchens, bathrooms and entry/exit zones are constantly busy.

These are the features that get the most use and are the most visible to residents and visitors alike in today’s open floor plans, and you’ll want to make sure their design, cabinetry, flooring, hardware and fixtures are up to their tasks.

They also should be attractive, comfortable places where you, your loved ones and guests will enjoy spending time.

Other important hardworking features include a laundry room, and possible home office and family activity spaces. If you’d like to have the latter features, every ICI Homes floor plan includes a flex space that can morph into specific functions like a craft room or kids’ lounge area.

Include peace and quiet

A home office works well in this capacity, as does a reading nook tucked in a corner, or on an upstairs landing.

Bedrooms are the most obvious places for peace and quiet in a new home. Pro tip: choose a floor plan that distances bedrooms from open living spaces.

Get the fun stuff in your new home

Outdoor kitchens and living areas are priorities thanks to Florida’s temperate climate. Every ICI Homes floor plan comes with a covered lanai that can serve as a springboard to other features such as swimming pools, fire pits and putting greens.

But if those aren’t your jam and you want a floor-to-ceiling garage storage system, by all means! The most important features to consider in a new home are the ones that work best for you.

Ready for your new custom Florida home? Talk to ICI Homes here.