What to Look For When Choosing a Floor Plan Vendor?
So you need floor plans? When it comes to floor plans, some people have specific requirements, while others need help to determine the best options for their needs. Here’s our quick guide on what to look for when choosing a floor plan vendor.
The requirements differ a bit, depending on what you are planning to use the floor plan for:
- If you’re an interior designer, you probably want to create 3D floor plans and want a wide variety of furniture, fixtures, and colors from which to choose. Additionally, good 3D visualization features will help you communicate your ideas to your clients.
- On the other hand, a real estate agent often wants both 2D and 3D floor plans. Plus, it is ideal for the floor plan design to match their agency’s brand profile, to make the listing attractive in their marketing efforts.
No matter if you want to use floor plans for business or personal use, here are the things you should consider when choosing a floor plan vendor.
Draw Yourself or Order Floor Plans?
At most vendors, you have to choose whether you can draw yourself, or order floor plans. If you want to draw floor plans yourself, you will spend some time learning the software, but the reward is that you have full flexibility and can make changes in real-time when you come up with new ideas. Based on our experience, most personal users and interior designers prefer to do the drawing themselves.
If you are a real estate agent or are using floor plans for other business purposes, it may make sense to hire out the drawing, and thus reserve your time for other tasks.
User Friendliness
If you decide to draw yourself, the software should be intuitive and easy to use. If possible, request a free trial before you subscribe to the software. To shorten the learning process, make sure your vendor has tutorials, a good help center, and effective customer support.
Furniture Selection
Some vendors offer a very basic furniture selection, while others offer a wide variety of furniture. A real estate agent will usually be happy with a basic selection, as it is the floor plan itself that is most important, but if you are an interior designer, you probably have higher demands when it comes to furniture selection.
The Ability to Replace Materials on Fixtures and Furniture
To make a floor plan unique and customized, you need to be able to specify floor and wall materials and colors, furniture fabrics, patterns, and color, etc.
Customer Support
Customer support can be via phone and/or online. The most important thing is that you receive answers to your questions within a reasonable time.
Price
Floor plan pricing for relatively simple projects is usually fairly priced at most vendors. The price differences are more noticeable when you order a high volume of floor plans and require high volume pricing. And keep in mind – price is not everything – quality, user-friendliness, and support are important too!
Branded Floor Plans
If you use floor plans for real estate marketing, you want them to look as good as possible and match with your agency’s brand profile. Many floor plan vendors deliver floor plans with their logo, rather than yours. Wouldn’t it look more professional if the floor plans had your agency or project logo and colors on it? Just look at how Arden Estate Agents has branded their floor plans:
Edit Floor Plans Yourself
This is a feature real estate agents love but is a service very few vendors provide. When you have ordered floor plans and received them back, you may notice a few things you want to change. E.g., replace room names or remove a wall. If you can access the software, you can make the changes yourself on the spot, rather than having to explain the changes you want and wait for the vendor to make them.
Features
More features give you more opportunities! Don’t get limited by incomplete solutions. Does the vendor provide good options for visualizing the project? Snapshots, 3D Photos, 360 Views and Live 3D are all features that help you better visualize a project better than just a 2D floor plan can.
Fast Delivery
This is relevant if you decide to order floor plans. How long do you have to wait for the finished floor plan? Make sure that you are ok with the delivery time your vendor provides.
If you are looking for a floor plan vendor, go ahead and check out what RoomSketcher has to offer. At RoomSketcher you can both draw and order floor plans. If you have any questions, please reach out to us!
Don't forget to share this post!
Recommended reads
Order Floor Plans Online
Need floor plans? Order floor plans online quickly and easily with RoomSketcher Floor Plan Services. Ready the next business day!
A Step by Step Guide to Creating 3D Floor Plans Online
Looking for an easy way to create 3D Floor Plans? Now you can create beautiful 3D Floor Plans online with RoomSketcher.
Share Live 3D Floor Plans
Live 3D Floor Plans are the latest trend for home sales, remodeling, and interior design projects - allowing users to take engaging virtual home tours right from their computer or mobile device.