This article is part of Fortune’s ongoing series on building a modern, functional home.
Learn more about how to do that.
The first step is finding a place that feels good to walk into.
You want to be in a place where the people in your community are supportive of your idea, so the place you decide to go is the place where people will feel like they have something to contribute.
“The first thing you want to do is look at a lot of different properties, look at the types of things that you want,” says Scott Folsom, an interior designer and former vice president of interior design at Abrasoft.
“There’s a lot going on that needs to be considered.
It might be the style of the house, it might be what the space is like, the number of rooms, the floor plan.”
The next step is figuring out what kind of floor plan you’re going to want.
Folsam says you should look at “the most basic, most common building materials that people have access to,” and then look at different types of design that are “the least expensive.”
For example, if you’re building a home that will have a basement, you’re probably looking for a two-story basement.
If you’re trying to do something that requires a lot more space, like a two story living room, you may want to consider a three-story or four-story house.
“So, what’s the simplest way to make that kind of a basement space?”
Folsman says.
“It’s not that you need to go to an existing structure.
You can go to a smaller home that’s less than four stories, or it’s not going to be that big a deal.”
The last thing you’re looking for is a basement that is “the minimum necessary,” so that you’re not building a house that’s just going to feel like a dump.
Fillsom also suggests you use the term “minimum necessary” when you’re talking about the dimensions of a space.
If the dimensions are the same for both floors, you can use the “minimum” to indicate the minimum floor space that needs be there.
“But, if there are some extra dimensions, you might want to look at those,” Folsoms says.
And if the dimensions aren’t the same, you could try to make the space more comfortable, or add a little bit more space in the form of an elevator.
“I would say that you can do this as long as you’re taking the minimum necessary approach,” he says.
For example: Folsamy says that if you have a large bathroom that you’d like to add, you need a space that’s smaller than the height of the bathroom.
If your home has a lot in common with other houses, you should consider a smaller bathroom, too.
“If the bathroom is bigger than the house and you’re just going for a more intimate look, you would probably look for a three or four story bathroom,” Fellsom says.
If it’s more intimate, you’d want a smaller one.
“For a home in the middle, you want the best possible space, so you’d do a little more to make it that way,” Fillsoms says, but you don’t need to have an elevator or a giant space with an elevator and a bunch of people on it.
“A home that is built for a large amount of people, or a family with multiple families, you probably want the most basic possible space,” he adds.
Fellsam says that you should also look at whether there are other ways you can increase the space inside the home.
If there are any other ways to increase the size of your space, you have to consider those, too, Folsams says.
In the same way that you look for things to make your living space look nicer, you also have to be careful not to have the most “expensive” options.
“In a small home, the average price of a house is very low, so if you can’t afford to spend money on something that’s more expensive than what you’re paying now, that’s not good,” he explains.
“And so you want as many things to work together as you can to make something that looks good and is usable.”
Folsomy says that it’s important to remember that you don`t have to pay a lot to get a home you’re happy with.
“When you’re buying a house, you don�t necessarily want to pay the price that’s already paid for,” he notes.
“That’s just how the market works.”
If you do decide to spend a lot, you’ll want to know what’s available in the market, Fellsoms says: “If you’re a large family that doesn’t have a lot on the budget, you really want to have a big kitchen, or you want a huge garage, or something that has a big lot of space and is in the right