A Guide to 3-Bedroom House Plans

When seeking to build a new house for your family that’s not too big or too small, you can’t go wrong with a three-bedroom home. It’s an ideal sized home that will serve your family well as it changes and grows. Depending on the overall layout of the house, you can easily accommodate a growing family or frequent guests as well as establish dedicated spaces for work and play.

Even for empty-nesters, a three-bedroom house continues to be useful and just big enough when you consider the option of turning the kids’ bedrooms into home offices or guest rooms.

Characteristics of 3-Bedroom Houses

Three-bedroom houses tend to offer certain unique characteristics to satisfy the needs of all members of a household. Open-concept living areas are popular, especially in houses with smaller square footage, while walk-in closets and pantries are another of the perks you can find in three-bedroom house plans.

Here are three more common characteristics you’re likely to find in a three-bedroom home:

Porches and Decks

Whether it’s a quaint cottage-style house or a sprawling California ranch house, it’s rare to find a three-bedroom house without at least a porch or deck in the front or back. Some offer lovely covered verandahs or wrap-around porches that are ideal for shady relaxation. Others can include built-in fireplaces or cooking grills to turn these spaces into an additional outdoor room for cooking or entertaining.

These porches and decks are easily customizable to be as elaborate or as simple as the homeowner needs, and they’re especially easy to modify when you build using pre-fabricated floor plans.

“Jack and Jill” Bathroom

Often three-bedroom homes will have one or two bathrooms, which can be more than enough depending on the number of household members. However, many three-bedroom houses feature Jack and Jill bathrooms. While the main suite often has its own private bathroom — which can be elaborate enough to sport multiple sinks and counters — the Jack and Jill bathroom is often the bathroom shared by the remaining bedrooms.

A Jack and Jill bathroom features multiple entrances, most commonly one from the hallway and one from the bedroom — or an entrance from each bedroom — and is an ideal setup for families with multiple kids.

Kitchen Islands or Bars

Whether you have an open-concept kitchen or a separate formal dining space, three-bedroom homes often offer a kitchen island or a snack bar that makes it easy to maneuver around the kitchen. For passionate cooks, the island is ideal for prep work and can even be fitted with a sink and cutting board. The island can also double as a hangout spot for family or casual guests.

Benefits of 3-Bedroom Houses

The biggest benefit of a three-bedroom house is the additional bedrooms. But there are a lot more perks to uncover when you opt to build yourself a three-bedroom house, regardless of how big or small it is or how many stories it has.

Here are five benefits to building a three-bedroom house that you may not have considered:

1. Affordability: Believe it or not, a three-bedroom house may actually end up being very affordable, especially for first-time homebuilders or homebuyers. With a clear plan and budget, you can easily build yourself a spacious home without breaking the bank.
2. Versatility: When the number of bedrooms is the only limitation you have in terms of style, you can take advantage of the versatility a three-bedroom house offers. With various architectural styles and a range of interior layouts available, you can easily have the home of your dreams. You can even choose between a single- or multi-level home, an attached or detached garage and the inclusion of a basement or attic.
3. Space: You likely want a house with more than just one or two bedrooms so you can spread out. Larger square footage inevitably means more space for everyone, but just having three separate bedrooms can do wonders for family harmony. Kids can have their own rooms and space away from their parents and the common areas can be laid out to be comfortable for everyone. The end result is ample space throughout the house so no one feels like they’re cramped under the same roof.
4. Maintenance: While larger than other types of homes, three-bedroom homes are still small enough to be easy to build and maintain, especially if you choose the materials carefully. It’s an adequate size to need little more than the bare minimum when it comes to upkeep, and the interiors are large enough to be spacious without being too much to clean and maintain.
5. Efficiency: Another benefit of a three-bedroom house being spacious without being too big is that its smaller square footage means a smaller carbon footprint for your household. Water, heat and air conditioning are conserved because there is less house to heat or warm — and with an efficient layout, you can save even more.

Common Types of 3-Bedroom House Plans

While you can choose any architectural style, several interior layouts are common in three-bedroom houses. From attached garages to extra rooms, there is a floor plan that suits any family.

Spacious 3-Bedroom House Plans

Spacious can be taken literally or figuratively since you can easily have a spacious home without adding square feet. It all comes down to how the house is laid out. Spacious three-bedroom house plans often feature open-concept common areas, and “Jack and Jill” bathrooms are common since they save space without sacrificing comfort.

Of course, you can also simply have a house that is physically larger, with all the rooms spread out. Ranch or bungalow homes are a good example of spacious homes. But multi-story homes are also an option if you’re limited on acreage but still want to increase your home’s square footage.

Small 3-Bedroom House Plans

As their name suggests, these homes tend to favor the concept of coziness and comfort over all else. Rustic or quaint cottage-style homes are a good example of small three-bedroom house plans.

The core idea isn’t to feel cramped but to instill a sense of warmth and comfort in the home — in this case, small has little to do with size and more to do with a feeling of intimacy.

Simple 3-Bedroom House Plans With a Garage

Most house styles come with an attached garage that can comfortably hold anywhere from one to three cars. These homes offer the benefit of extra space for storage and can be especially beneficial for a multi-vehicle household.

An attached garage is also great for homes that don’t have a basement or attic storage or properties without enough room for a detached garden shed.

Simple 3-Bedroom House Plans Without a Garage

If you’re building your home in an urban core where public transportation is more reliable than driving, you likely don’t need an attached garage for your three-bedroom home. Alternately, a home without a garage also means you can build a detached garage later on, which is especially useful if you include an in-law suite or an extra apartment above the garage to make additional income.

3-Bedroom House Plans With an Office

With more people working from home, home offices are becoming a necessity. While a three-bedroom home can allow for one bedroom to double as a study room or a home office, you can find three-bedroom house plans with study rooms or separate offices built into the layout. This allows you to the added space of a study or office without having to sacrifice one of the bedrooms.

Examples of 3-Bedroom House Plans

As we mentioned, the options for style and layout are numerous when it comes to three-bedroom house plans, but here are three examples to give you an idea of what you can expect.

Southern-Style House

This quaint single-level home sits at 1,611 square feet and features two full bathrooms and an attached two-car garage in addition to the three bedrooms. It also boasts a gorgeous covered front porch that runs across the front of the house as well as a smaller, covered back porch that you can access through the dining room, making it ideal for entertaining.

The main suite sits separate from the other two bedrooms, allowing for ample privacy. It also includes a walk-in closet and an en suite bathroom that features a custom shower, a jetted tub and separate sinks.

The great room and the dining and kitchen areas are separated by a snack bar, and the great room comes with a built-in fireplace as well as cabinetry for added storage.

The attached two-car garage includes an entrance into the home near the laundry room.

Farmhouse-Style Plan

Enjoy the charm of the country with this 2,553-square-foot house. It’s more than the square footage that makes this house spacious. The neat layout, separate office and many storage spaces give you plenty of room to spread out. The open floor plan connects the kitchen, dining room and the great room, and front and rear covered porches expand the entertaining areas.

The master suite sits on one side of the house and its en suite bathroom features a tub, a standing shower, two sinks and a walk-in closet. The other two bedrooms share the other full bathroom, which also has two sinks and two places for storing linens. This layout also comes equipped with a designated mudroom and a powder room.

The attached two-car garage comes with built-in storage space as well as space for a freezer. Over the garage is a second level that can be converted into a fourth bedroom and full bathroom if needed, or it can work as a bonus room or extra storage space.

Traditional-Style House Plan

Bring your suburban dreams to life with this traditional-style home that comes with an attached two-car garage and two full bathrooms. Spread over 1,398 square feet and one level, this home is the perfect example of a small but spacious home. The entrance opens into an open great room which leads to a combined kitchen and dining room. The kitchen also features an island with an eating bar and leads out to a covered rear porch. The front covered porch offers additional relaxation space.

The main suite sits on one side of the house while the remaining bedrooms sit on the other side, offering ample privacy for everyone. The main bathroom also features a shower, two sinks and a linen closet. The main bedroom also features a giant walk-in closet.

Built-in lockers, a utility room and a pantry add even more storage space without making the layout feel cramped, making it ideal for families with children.

FAQ About 3-Bedroom House Plans

People tend to have two common questions about house plans with three bedrooms. Here are the questions and their answers:

How Many People Can Live in a 3-Bedroom House?

The question of occupancy is common whether you’re a landlord or a tenant. Generally, there is no specific limit on how many people can live in a three-bedroom house but there are regulations for how much space an occupant needs. These may change from region to region, so it’s always a good idea to double-check the local laws.

Having an average of two people per bedroom is a common formula. Infants don’t count as an independent person, so if your family of seven includes two adults, two youth, two school-aged kids and a baby, a three-bedroom home would be adequate to fit everyone — as long as the occupancy space requirements are met.

Three-bedroom homes tend to be most common with families that include more than one child or multigenerational families since they’re an ideal way to ensure everyone has their own space without feeling like you are stepping on each other’s toes.

How Many Square Feet Is a 3-Bedroom House?

Your three-bedroom house can be pretty much any size you want it to be. Three-bedroom house plans can cover anywhere from 770 square feet to more than 2,000 square feet. The size of your plot of land will help determine whether your home will be built up or across, which will dictate whether it will be a single- or multi-level home.

The size of the bedrooms themselves will also influence the overall size of the house. If you want especially large bedrooms, your square footage will be higher than if you want more modest-sized bedrooms. Inclusion of extra rooms, like an office or basement, can increase your overall square footage. Opting for a larger common area in addition to larger bedrooms will also inevitably influence the square footage, as would deciding for separate, formal dining and living rooms rather than an open-concept great room.

Contact Family Home Plans to Build Your Dream Home

Creating your home is a task that requires thought and customization without breaking the bank. While you could hire an architect to design your dream house, you can save money by using prefabricated house plans instead.

At Family Home Plans, we offer dozens of home floor plans for all types of houses. Whether you want a bungalow, a cottage or a sprawling villa, we have the floor plans to help you bring your dream house to life.

Plus, we’ll work with you to modify any floor plans to create a unique home for you and your family. Browse through our selection of three-bedroom floor plans today or get in touch for more information by calling toll-free: 1-800-482-0464.