Your Eichler Floor Plan vs. Your House Today: A Comparison Worksheet
FIELD NOTES / BUYING & OWNING
An old floor plan can make an Eichler suddenly click. You can see how the entry leads toward the garden, how the rooms relate, and why a particular view feels so good. But the drawing in your hand and the house in front of you may tell different chapters of the same story.
Use this guide to compare them thoughtfully. The goal is a clear record of what you can observe, what your documents actually show, and what deserves a follow-up question. It works for a first showing, a home you have owned for years, or the preparation conversation before a sale.
Start with our Eichler floor-plan library, then bring this worksheet to the individual property. A similar-looking plan is a starting point for research, not confirmation that it belongs to that address.
First, identify the drawing you have
Before comparing rooms, write down where the document came from. Is it a sales brochure, an architectural sheet, a later remodel drawing, or a recently prepared marketing floor plan? Record the title, date, plan number, architect attribution and address exactly as they appear. If a field is missing, mark it “not shown.”
Keep the original file unchanged and make a separate copy for notes. Include the source link or the name of the person who supplied it. If several versions exist, give each a clear filename rather than choosing whichever looks closest to the house.
Brochure or model plan: useful for exploring a layout, but check whether it identifies the specific property.
Architectural or alteration drawings: read the sheet title, dates and revision notes. Ask which version relates to completed work.
Current marketing plan: useful for orientation, but ask how measurements were obtained and what the drawing includes.
Your own sketch: useful for recording observations. Label it as a personal sketch, not a measured or professionally verified plan.
Make one slow circuit of the home
Begin at the main entry and move through the house in a consistent direction. Keep the drawing oriented to the street and garden so you do not confuse a reversed layout with a changed room. If you are visiting a listed property, ask permission before taking photographs or measurements and respect any areas that are not accessible.
For the first pass, record what is visible. Use neutral descriptions: “doorway shown on drawing; solid wall visible today,” or “drawing labels this space patio; current use needs clarification.” Avoid turning an observation into a conclusion about the work's date, quality or approval.
Entry and atrium
Compare the route from the front door to the living spaces. Note gates, doorways, glazing and the relationship between indoor and outdoor areas. If a space appears enclosed today but open on the drawing, put that difference on the records list. Do not count it as additional living area based on appearance alone.
Kitchen, dining and living areas
Locate the kitchen on both versions. Note differences in counters, islands, openings and the connection to the dining area. Then write down how the space works for you: where you would sit, whether furniture would interrupt a route, and what you can see from the kitchen. Keep those preferences separate from questions about construction.
Bedrooms, bathrooms and storage
Count rooms as labeled on the drawing, then describe their current use separately. A room used as an office today may carry a different label in an older document. Record closet locations, bathroom access and door swings. Have any differences in advertised room counts or area clarified through appropriate records and professionals.
Garage, utility areas and outdoor connections
Note how storage, laundry and parking relate to the main house. Identify any areas that are absent from the drawing or used differently today. Outside, record the doors that connect to the garden and the spaces you could actually use for dining, gardening or quiet time. Do not use a floor plan to determine a property boundary.
Your room-by-room comparison worksheet
Copy this format into a notebook or document. Make one entry for each room or area, and keep unanswered questions visible until you have a source for the answer.
Area: room name and location in the home.
Drawing: document title, date or version, and what it depicts.
Today: what you observed without opening walls or disturbing materials.
Difference: a short description, or “no visible difference noted.”
Supporting record: photo reference, drawing sheet, invoice or other document; write “not yet located” when appropriate.
Question: what you still need to understand.
Next step: who will investigate, the source to consult and a follow-up date.
Example—not a real property: “Kitchen / brochure plan, date not shown / island visible during tour / island absent from brochure / no alteration records reviewed / when was the kitchen changed and what documents are available? / ask for available records and discuss with the appropriate professional.”
This is deliberately more useful than a simple “original or remodeled” checkbox. It preserves the difference between something you noticed and something you have confirmed.
Put missing information in the right place
Create three small lists after your walkthrough: observations, documents received and questions still open. A photograph can support an observation. A dated invoice may help explain a project. Neither should silently become a complete account of everything that happened to the house.
For a Palo Alto property, the city's Planning & Development Services page links to Permit View for researching permit activity. The city also publishes a procedure for requesting duplication of plans. Viewing permit information and obtaining copies of architectural drawings are different tasks; ask city staff about the current process and available records for the address.
For homes in Sunnyvale, Mountain View or another jurisdiction, contact that city's building department rather than assume Palo Alto's process applies. A missing online result is a reason to ask a better question, not a final determination about the property.
Use the comparison differently depending on your plans
If you are buying
Bring the worksheet into your due-diligence conversation. Separate a layout you would like to change from a condition question that needs evaluation. Before relying on a future alteration, discuss feasibility, records and scope with qualified professionals. Our Eichler inspection guide can help organize the next set of questions.
If you already own the home
Add the comparison to your house book. Save new drawings and project records as separate dated versions. After a project, record what was completed and where the supporting documents live. This gives your future design team a clearer starting point and saves you from reconstructing the story years later.
If you are preparing to sell
Gather the information before deciding how to describe the house. Make original details, documented changes and unresolved questions easy to distinguish. Share the material with your agent so marketing language can reflect what is supported. Our Eichler home value guide explains how layout and records fit into a property-specific conversation.
A few questions that come up often
Does finding a matching plan confirm my home's architect?
A visual match can suggest a research direction. Confirm attribution through records that connect the architect, plan and specific property. Keep a tentative identification labeled as tentative.
Can I use a vintage plan to order cabinets or start a remodel?
Use it to explain your ideas. Have current conditions and dimensions checked by the professionals responsible for the project before ordering or building. The historic drawing may not reflect later changes.
Should I remove a feature because it is not on the original plan?
The comparison alone does not answer that. Consider the feature's condition, purpose, documentation and role in the home before choosing a project. An informed conversation can be more useful than rushing to restore a drawing literally.
What if I cannot find any drawings?
Start with an observation sheet and the records you do have. Ask about address-specific records and consider whether a current measured drawing would help your goal. You can still learn a great deal by organizing the questions clearly.
Bring the plan. Bring your questions.
Whether you are comparing homes in Greenmeadow or exploring Fairbrae, the individual house deserves a closer look. Eric & Janelle Boyenga can help you frame the next real-estate conversation around your priorities.
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