Property Floor Plans: How to Make Them & Why Agents Need Them  

What is a floor plan?

A property floor plan is one of the most important elements of a listings. Property photos, a floor plan and a description of the place are the minimal elements for every listing (for those luxury properties many estate agents include a 360 virtual tour, social media posts and video – all of which PropertyBox can help you here, 👋).

Floor plans can come in all different shapes (2D and 3D), colours and details. What is key here, is that a floor plan is a accurate representation of the space.

Every floor plan should show the layout of the house, allowing viewers to see how the rooms are connected, where the doors and windows are, name each room (bedroom, kitchen, garage, bathroom for example), and provide details around square footage or meterage.

Some floor plans can show furniture and point to north.

It’s also important to say that the property floor plans used by letting and estate agents have one big difference when compared to an architectural floor plan – detail. UK house floor plans show off space, size and many other basic features. On the other hand, an architectural floor plan will be highly detailed, with elements such as wall thicknesses, load-bearing walls, and electrical and plumbing layouts.

Why use floor plans for property marketing?   

Although not required by law, 2D or 3D floor plans offer multiple benefits that agents shouldn’t ignore. These include  

Increased listing engagement

Rightmove found branches that include a first and ground floor plan on their sales listings receive, on average, 12% more leads and sell properties 24 hours faster than competitors.  Also that 1 in 5 potential buyers ignore a listings if it doesn’t include a floor plan. 

When it comes to winning the listing, talking through the value of a floor plan with the seller or landlord builds confidence that you are the best choice to market their property.

Filter out time wasters

Movers who have specific space requirements will use house floor plans to whittle down properties before contacting an agent. This reduces time spent and therefore saves the cost of showing people around unsuitable homes. 

Appeal to renovators  

A floor plan is the most valuable currency for the investor, fixer upper and flipper markets. These buyers will want to see where they can knock down walls, add a cheeky en-suite or squeeze in an extra bedroom.   

Justify prices

Showing a home’s total internal area is vital to justify the price when compared to the rest of the market. There is also the appeal to any overseas viewers who equate sqm/sq ft, not the number of bedrooms, with value. 

Visually tell the story

A picture tells a thousand words. So let the floor plan do the heavy lifting.

Property floor plans convey information you don’t have to repeat in the description, leaving you with more words to sell a lifestyle and the location.  

Increase brand awareness

Floor plans are yet another asset you can brand with your logo, which raises awareness of your estate agency business and keeps you top of mind for homebuyers. 

Want to discover more ways to boost your brand’s online presence? Then take a look at our blog post which covers Building Your Brand in Real Estate! 

How to create effective floor plans   

Effective floor plans should be clear, easy to read, and accurately represent the space. The goal is to help buyers visualise the layout instantly, so simplicity and precision are key.

You can sketch a plan by hand, use digital design software, or rely on purpose-built tools that automate the process. One of the easiest ways is to create your floor plans in PropertyBox, which lets you produce professional, high-quality layouts quickly without needing any design experience.

Creating a floor plan with PropertyBox

Here’s how to go about drafting a floor plan using our software:  

1. Set your preferences
   Explore our customisation tools, including brand colour matching, 2d or 3d, watermark logos, compasses and measurement displays, and set your preferences for every floor plan.
2. Upload your sketch
   Upload a hand-drawn floor plan or an existing floor plan – no need to produce a Picasso-worthy diagram.
3. Wait for professional creation
   You’ll be notified when your floor plan is ready, which take on average of 1hr 20 minutes – just enough time for an income-generating valuation (or a leisurely lunch).  
4. Edit & enhance
   Refine your floor plan by adding fittings, fixtures and furniture, and moving elements around for super accuracy.  
5. Save & download
   Save your changes and download the final version of your property floor plan or sync directly with your CRM.

But what if you’re pressed for time or don’t want to create floor plans manually? No problem. You can select our Pro Content package, and have your floor plans done by a property marketing specialist on your behalf.
 

What should be included in a property floor plan?   

There are industry basics when creating a floor plan.
At PropertyBox, they include:  

• the total sqft / sqm of a property  
• the measurements of each room   
• the positioning of rooms, doors and windows, walls & staircases  
• the arrangement of rooms, such as which are adjacent or connected  
• the orientation of the property  

Extras to be included are:  

• Kitchen islands & breakfast bars  
• Furniture & fitted wardrobes  
• Specific sanitaryware  
• Storage units   
• Architectural features, such as fireplaces, bifold doors & sloping ceilings  

The numbers tell us that homebuyers value a clear and transparent approach which shows them exactly what they’re getting, with 1 in 5 buyers skipping a property listing if it doesn’t include a floor plan.

Who can create house floor plans?   

It’s a collaborative process! Agents are best placed to create the initial sketch and add granular details as they’ve seen the property in person. A professional marketing platform like PropertyBox will turn the sketch into a professional listing asset, leaving the agent to customise in a matter of clicks!  

Bonus Tip: You can save the preferences for your PropertyBox floor plans so that the same settings apply consistently to each of your properties – cutting down your editing time significantly. 

How much do floor plans for estate agents cost?   

This all depends on how you source your floor plans. You can find out about our pricing here.

Ordering stand-alone property floor plans will generally be more expensive than ordering house plans as part of a cost-effective marketing package. Ultimately, prices will depend upon the number of floor plans an estate agency needs, whether they create or outsource them, and what software they are willing to purchase.   

Can you combine floor plans with virtual tours? 

Floor plans are not always static. Agents will often insert them into virtual tours as an interactive ‘map’ of the house. The potential buyer can move through the home virtually, sometimes with an interactive marker showing their location in the property. This is a more immersive way of using a traditional floor plan, with the added visual support of the 3D home environment. 

Ready to create a floor plan for your property? 

Need a floor plan? No problem! If you have a pen and paper, you have everything you need to get started with PropertyBox. Get in touch and we will get you set up with the most cost-effective plan for your agency.