Choosing your new house plan is hands-down the most exciting part of retirement planning.

If you’ve picked the perfect town for retirement living but are striking out with the available real estate, this might be the solution. We’ve gathered a few of our favorite house plans to make the ideal abode for soaking it all in. Our collection of Southern Living house plans includes single-story and two-story house plans. Our house floor plans will run the gamut from simple house plans to more elaborate, larger options. Choosing your new house plan is hands-down the most exciting part of retirement planning.

Whisper Creek

This 1,555-square-foot cottage is all about the porches. They’re ideally suited for rocking the afternoon away with a glass of tea. The interior features two bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths, so there is enough space to entertain guests.

2 bedrooms/2.5 bathrooms
1,555 square feet

Palmetto Cottage,

Looking to downsize in style? You won’t believe how much charm 656 square feet can hold. This floor plan also makes an ideal size to add as a guest house (hint, hint). Despite thinking small with this house plan, the architects at Court Atkins Group had to leave enough room for a proper Southern front porch.

1 bedroom/1 bathroom
656 square feet

Eastover Cottage

The stately Eastover Cottage is a beautiful place to call home. The wide front porch adds even more livable space to the 2,530-square-foot-cottage. With three bedrooms and three and a half baths, there will be plenty of room for hosting the grandkids.

3 bedrooms/3.5 bathrooms
2,530 square feet

Tideland Haven

If deep front porches and a sprawling layout are what you’re after, this might be your retirement plan. The 2,418-square-foot home is designed with comfort in mind and includes two bedrooms and two and a half baths.

2 bedrooms/2.5 bathrooms
2,418 square feet

Farmhouse Revival

This floor plan is dreamy. It clocks in at 3,511 square feet with four bedrooms and four-and-a-half baths, but that’s just the beginning. The porches are the real stars here.

4 bedrooms/4.5 bathrooms
3,511 square feet

Sparta II

This one-floor home gives you everything you need in less than 2,000 square feet. There’s an opportunity for three full bedrooms or two bedrooms and an office if anyone in the family needs a work-from-home spot before retirement. Keep the doors open from the dining area to the screened porch for pleasant summer nights. Will you spend more time on the front patio or the screened porch? Decisions, decisions.

3 bedrooms/3 bathrooms
1,804 square feet

Tucker Bayou

If the coastal lifestyle has been calling your name, check out the Tucker Bayou Plan. The 3,554-square-foot home, inspired by historic seaside architecture, packs five bedrooms and four baths. While it may look like a vacation home, the thoughtful design of Tucker Bayou makes it an excellent choice for year-round living.

5 bedrooms/4 bathrooms
3,554 square feet

Amelia River Cottage

This spacious one-floor cottage is the ideal forever home. With an expansive owner’s suite on the wing, you have privacy and relaxation when your family is in town. Adapt the front porch stairs between the garage and mud room to include a ramp.

3 bedrooms/2.5 bathrooms
2,449 square feet
See Plan: Amelia River Cottage

Nautical Cottage

It’s easy to see why this is one of our all-time favorite house plans. Small summer cottages inspire it, but they are easily adaptable to whatever climate and locale you call home. It’s chock-full of charming details like cedar shakes and a Nantucket star design on the porch railing. Don’t be deceived by its tidy exterior. This home is larger than it looks: 1,315 square feet, three beds, and two baths.

3 bedrooms/2 bathrooms
1,315 square feet

Crabapple Cottage

Look no further than the Crabapple Cottage for plenty of space and a timeless design. Its spacious 3,945 square feet, four beds, three baths, and two half baths is hardly a cottage, but it just sounds much more charming.

4 bedrooms/3 full bathrooms, 2 half
3,945 square feet

Farmdale Cottage

This 2,057-square-foot cottage oozes Southern charm. A stunning entry and plenty of bedrooms and baths make this one to consider seriously.

3 bedrooms/3 full bathrooms
2,057 square feet