Buyer guide · Choosing a home
Read an ARISTA plan beyond its square footage
Builder floor plans compress a lot of information into a small page. Reading them well means understanding elevations, reversed plans, room dimensions, grade conditions and which areas are actually included in the stated total.
Updated with facts checked October 6, 2026. Source dates noted in text.
Elevations and reversed plans
Each Seatonville design is shown in two elevations (C/D for towns, A/B for detached). An elevation is the exterior design; it can shift window positions and sometimes the area.
Lots may be built in a reversed (mirrored) orientation. Ask whether the plan for your lot is standard or reversed so that sun, views and furniture placement are judged correctly.
Dimensions and furniture circulation
Room dimensions are typically approximate. Sketch your largest furniture to scale and leave space to walk around it.
Look for doors that open into each other, narrow hallways and kitchen islands with tight clearances. These matter more day to day than a few square feet.
Decision aid
Annotated plan-reading checklist
- Which elevation and is it standard or reversed?
- Does the total area include any finished basement area?
- Which doors or windows are 'grade permitting'?
- Do my largest furniture pieces fit with circulation space?
- Where are laundry, linen and coat storage?
- Which options are priced, and what does each remove or resize?
- Is the drawing date current, and does its area match the price sheet?
Use the official drawings unaltered; do not rely on resized or redrawn copies.
Grade-permitting doors and basements
Notes such as 'if grade permits' mean a side door or basement walkout depends on the lot's grading, not the model. Confirm for your specific lot.
Basements are generally unfinished unless the drawing says otherwise. The older detached brochure notes the Dunbarton design includes 65 sq. ft. of finished basement foyer in its stated area — an example of why you should check what the total includes.
Optional layouts
Options such as a four-bedroom plan, optional main floor, flex room or fifth bedroom with ensuite carry separate prices on the July 2026 sheet. Each option changes adjacent rooms; read it as a different plan.
Review a plan with us
Frequently asked questions
Why do two elevations of the same model show different areas?
Exterior changes can move walls or bump-outs slightly. For example, Claremont is 2,240 sq. ft. in elevation A and 2,265 in elevation B on the July 2026 sheet.
Is the basement included in square footage?
Usually not, unless noted. The older detached brochure's Dunbarton figures include 65 sq. ft. of finished basement foyer, so always check the footnotes.
What does 'if grade permits' mean?
The feature depends on the lot's grading. Only the specific lot's grading plan confirms it.