Author Archives: HouseplanGuy

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A blog discussing the benefits of pre-designed houseplans.

If you decide to build your own home there are two things you can do when trying to decide on a design: you can create completely custom houseplans with the help of an architect or you can choose from an array of professionally pre-designed houseplans.  The obvious caveat here is that pre-designs will be much cheaper than custom, from scratch ones.  The great thing about using a pre-designed plan however, is that you know it’s been done by professionals and it’s not set in stone.

Once you decide on the houseplans you like, you can discuss with your builder the potential of moving the location of a room, abolishing a room entirely or rearranging a room with pre-set fixtures (like a kitchen) to something that suits your personal style better.  Just because you choose to use houseplans that are already drafted up, doesn’t mean you can’t add custom touches.

Houseplans will be a very important part of your home building experience so you want to make sure you choose plans or design plans that will include all your necessities.  It’s also important to think ahead.  If you intend to be in this home for the long haul, you’ll want to consider things such as an expanding family, room for guests, accessibility, storage and resale value.  Although this may be your long term family home, once your nest is empty you might just find that it is far too much space for you to continue to maintain.  If you think that you would like to stay in the family home well past your retirement years then you may want to consider things such as including additional major amenities on the ground floor.  Having a master bedroom and ensuite-bathroom on the main floor will be an asset in later years if injuries, illness or infirmity make it difficult for you to climb stairs. Thinking about these things this far in advance will help you choose houseplans that suit you and your family throughout the various stages of life.


Your houseplans will also dictate your lot size or vice versa.  If you have pre-purchased a plot of land to build on then you will need to choose houseplans that will be appropriate for that plot. If you bought a long narrow strip of land then building a sprawling mansion will be out of the question.  Similarly, if you do want to build a large home, you will have to shop around to find the appropriate space for it.  Urban developments are tightly packed, with neighbor’s just feet away so if you want big, you might have to build up, rather than out! If you would like to avoid the urban jungles that you will have to go rural to find land big enough to accommodate your home – the biggest issue with this is expense.  The more land you need, the more you are going to pay for it.  You also need to consider that rural land will need to be electrified and have a lot of prep work done well in advance of building unless it was previously used for a residence.  Take all of these things into consideration when designing your home budget; otherwise you may break the bank before the foundation is even laid!

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You have finally made the decision to build your dream home and you are overwhelmed with the large selection of house floor plans available; you have not even started yet. Read on to learn what to do to narrow down the choices.

With all the options out there when choosing floor plans, it can be hard to know where you should begin.  Then there is always that possibility that you find a few house floor plans that you like but they are either too expensive or need some minor changes to be able to work.  Since this is most often the case, you will want to read these pointers on how to choose the best house floor plans for you and your family.  With the right calculations and choices, you may still be able to keep some money in the bank.

What does my family need in a new home?  This is the first question you will want to ask yourself before you begin to even look at house floor plans.  How many bedrooms?  How many bathrooms? How many square feet?  These are all questions that will need to be answered in order to narrow down the search for house floor plans.


One of the biggest mistakes a person makes when beginning to look for house floor plans is guessing what size home they need or choosing a home style based on something they have never seen in person.  This is a mistake because it is vital that considerations be made for other options including personal family needs.  It is also critical to establish a budget that you are able to afford comfortably without it being a strain on the family finances.

Once you have gotten these things out of the way it is important to start your research with the average cost of house floor plans. One way to do this is to contact a few different builders in your area and get an estimate on square foot pricing from them.  It is important to remember that this is an estimate and not the final pricing.  You will also want to ask the difference in costs between getting a single level home in comparison to getting a multi level home.  Often times a multi level home costs less per square foot.

The great thing about floor plans is usually you can have minor changes done to make it the perfect house for your family.  If you have found house floor plans that you love but the laundry room is in the wrong area, many times the company will try to adjust the plans for a small fee.  Changing room sizes or location can also be changed if needed.  If the changes become too drastic then it might be time to choose different house floor plans that will possibly take less work to adapt to the needs of the family.

Choosing to build a home can be a very exciting but scary time and the number of house floor plans out there is very intimidating.  Taking some of these tips to start off can help narrow down your search and help you find the perfect house floor plans for you and your family.
If you are thinking about building your own home, we have all the possible house floor plans you can imagine to choose from, over 23,000. The selection of house floor plans is top of the line and all architectural designs are available for your satisfaction.

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Many people end up deciding to build a home and pick from a variety of house plans. More and more, people are going with log home plans because they really love all the features and traditional makeup of the log cabin home.

Whether you are in the market for a new home for your primary living quarters or are searching for a dream vacation home for your family to enjoy for generations to come; a log home plan can be exactly what you are looking for.  Modern day log home plans are very spacious and offer all of the amenities that we have come to expect, along with the beauty and characteristic features of a log home.  Wouldn’t you love to wake up feeling as if you are surrounded by nature, but also feel the comforts provided by a log home plan?  The beauty of the timbers and natural stone mesh together perfectly, just as they would in their natural environment.

Most log home plans come in kits which are more cost effective and will save you on architectural expense.  Whatever your desires are, a log home plan can fulfill your every need.  For a smaller family of three or four, a log home floor plan of 1,500 to 2,500 square feet would more than meet your needs.  Even more modest styles of log home plans have many amenities to choose from.  A wrap-around porch or a screened in porch would be perfect to enjoy the kids playing joyfully on the lawn while you are sipping on your tea or lemonade. Your log home plan can even include a cozy fireplace for times during the cool weather or a grilling porch for entertaining family and friends. These charming additions to your log home plan, can allow you to further enjoy nature’s beauty in the comforts of your own home.

If you are a larger family, or plan to use your home as a vacation home to gather many family groups together, a more extensive log home plan may be exactly what you are looking for. If your desire is to entertain large groups then it is great idea to look for plans that include recreation rooms, ample great rooms and open floor plans.  Whether you require multiple bedrooms, or a few exquisite master suites, you will be able to find it all in the log home plans that are available to choose from.

New advances in material preparations will ensure that your log home will be protected from insects and weather which will certainly enable you to enjoy the choice you made of log home plans without any pesky concerns.  You will also get to choose your windows, doors, and roofing to personalize your log home further.  Log homes are very durable and will stand the test of time allowing your family to enjoy your home for many years to come. The sooner you start your search for your log home plans, the sooner you will be able to enjoy all of the benefits and comforts provided by your log home.

We have all the log home plans you desire plus more. Check out the log home plans we have and start envisioning the new log cabin home that even your great-great grandchildren can enjoy!

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A blog discussing how to create decor floor plans that look professionally designed without hiring a professional.

Floor plans are an important part of home decor design.  Changing your floor plans occasionally can be an easy way to refresh your home’s space without investing much financially.  Home decor design is almost its own science as there is a visual philosophy and mathematics that go into each design.  A properly laid out design can be inspiring and evoke specific emotions like calm or serenity.

Most people envision building a home from the ground up when they think about floor plans but there are many ways to think of floor plans and the aesthetic point of view is important too. A visually appealing or inviting space can be a great way to sell a home and is a tactic frequently used by homebuilders in model homes.  You will often find the highest quality finishes in model homes, as well as very stylish accents and tasteful furniture.

“Stagers” are people who come into homes that are either on the market or part of a new development and they stage the homes by bringing in beautiful furniture, accessories and accent pieces which help potential buyers envision how the homes will look when they live there.  Stagers are skilled manipulators of floor plans.  They can take a small confined or awkward space and add the right pieces in the right combination to make it feel livable and practical.  Adding a mirror to a key wall or using furniture groupings can help to define floor plans and make them seem larger and more open than perhaps they really are.

You don’t have to hire a stager to create professional looking floor plans in your own home though.  A good way to get an idea of arrangement possibilities is to go to a furniture store that creates displays and look at the floor plans they have utilized.  Furniture businesses often hire stagers to create their floor displays so by browsing through a few retailers you will be able to see the variations possible for your own space.  Professional displays also often tend to go above and beyond necessity as a tactic to entice buyers.  You can take advantage of this because not only will you glean a few ideas about furniture arrangement but you might also find some unique uses of shelving, mirrors, art, drapery and decorative accessories.

Something else to consider when designing your decor floor plans is your color scheme.  You don’t want it to be too bland or too busy; you need to find a happy medium.  Keep in mind that your furniture and the layout you choose can make a room feel busy too.  Having too much furniture incorporated into your floor plans can result in a chaotic feeling when you enter the space.  Consider pairing down your plans to include a few key pieces or create two separate spaces within the same room which will utilize all your furniture. When deciding on colors, you should have large pieces of furniture in solid uniform color, with cushions, knick-knacks and throws in an accenting color or even another large piece, such as a wing-chair in a complimentary but eye-popping pattern.

Floor plans are as important in the decor design of your house as they are in the building stage of your house so make sure you consider design potential when you’re deciding on floor plans to build from.

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When planning the design for custom homes, many considerations must be taken into account to create the appropriate layout for your lifestyle. I am currently in the process of constructing the home that my husband and I have dreamed of for years. After living in a number of different houses and apartments, I had a lot of do’s and do-not’s in mind. I knew that I did not want a bedroom with windows that faced the sunrise or hallways that were not handicap accessible. This house will definitely be the last house we live in. So when we met up with architects to create the perfect floor plan for our lifestyle, I emphasized the importance of wheel chair accessible showers, no steps on the first floor, and a security system like Fort Knox.

Traffic Flow Pattern

Traffic flow patterns should be devised in a way that allows people to move from room to room and inside or outside with ease. Identify quiet zones and place furniture in a layout that diverts traffic from such areas.
Traffic patterns should:

•    Be direct and convenient
•    Avoid paths that cut through rooms
•    Allow ample space for doors to open
•    Provide ample space without waste
•    Give easy access to kitchen

Open Space Concept

A common thing among today’s houses is an open floor plan. Narrow, long, interconnecting hallways are a time of the past. It is extremely important nowadays to utilize large open spaces. I find the idea of open floor plans to be especially attractive because they do not block exterior or interior views, space is not wasted, and entertaining guests is much more manageable. In order to successfully pull off an open space concept, consider maximizing square footage while maintaining a sense of separateness. This can be achieved through using small transition walls that have large entrances between each room.

Security System

Given the fact that this house will hopefully be our last house, we made a point to create a residence with a state-of-the-art home security system. Our architect proposed the idea of building a hidden safe below the staircase. We also had wiring placed around the house for motion sensor devices that can be controlled anywhere on the property using an iPad.

Sunlight and Exterior Views

Lighting is key to enhancing the elegance of any custom home. Setting the footprint of a home in the wrong direction can lead to poor utilization of natural light. Be sure to set the foundation of your house at an angle that will not cast shadows for the majority of the day. Take advantage of the views that your custom home has to offer by ensuring that social and entertainment rooms have large windows that are strategically placed to show off the natural beauty of your property. If you are forced to place master or guest bedrooms in a location that faces the sunrise, there are plenty of great blackout blinds.

It is very rare that a homeowner gets the chance to build his or her dream home. I highly recommend that these considerations be taken into effect so that you can enjoy every aspect of your new life.

Hannah is a security enthusiast and likes to stay up to date on the latest home security tips.

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Unless you are Bill Gates or Warren Buffet, you are probably going to need to take out a loan to build your dream home. There are a number of different routes that you can take when you go to get your loan, and each type of home loan comes with its own list of positives and negatives. It’s important to consider each type of loan from a number of different people and institutions before you pull the trigger and get that cash. There are different sets of requirements that come with each type of loan as well, so you need to be careful about what you agree to do with your new home.

FHA Loans

FHA loans are the type of mortgage that most people are going to end up using because they are the easiest to obtain. When you go to apply for this type of loan, you will need to provide the normal loan application materials such as current debt levels, credit score and proof of income. If you are pre-approved after providing these materials, you will then be given a maximum amount that you can spend while you build your home. It is vitally important that you do not exceed the maximum loan amount while you build your dream home.

VA Loans

VA loans are basically a version of FHA loans that give special treatment to veterans. VA loans usually come with a lower rate of interest, but the catch is that you have to make sure that the home follows certain energy efficiency guidelines.

Adjustable Rate Loans

Adjustable rate loans will allow you to get more money up-front than any other type of loan. Since you will be able to qualify for more cash, it is much easier to make sure that you can fit your dream home inside of your loan’s allowed budget. These loans will come with low interest rates at first, but they will begin to rise as the years go by. It’s important to make sure that you will be able to handle the increased interest payments in the future with this type of loan.

Conventional Loans

The last type of loan you can look at when it comes to building your dream home is a conventional loan. These kinds of loans will give you the ability to have more control when it comes time to pay for construction costs, but they are usually not the best idea if you are purchasing your home from a tract builder.

Stay Within Your Budget

The most important thing to remember after you get your loan is that you need to stick with your allocated budget. You will probably have to get rid of a few ideas or tweak some of the nicer things that you were going to place in the home, but building your own dream home is still the best route to take if you want to live in the perfect house.

Brent Taylor writes issues related to mortgage loans and financial matters. He writes for Mortgage Loan, a site that provides daily news and articles since 1995.

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In a “buyer’s market,” it may be a desirable option to buy a large area of land and build a house on it instead of buying an aged home that comes with unknown maintenance issues.  One of the most important aspects of building your dream home is ensuring you have professional homeplans that meet your needs and desires.

Homeplans are crucial for the way you want your home to look in the end.  Once you are sitting at the dining room table and looking around, you want to be more than just satisfied, you want to be excruciatingly happy about the home design.  The home designs are drawn out professionally in homeplans.  They are not just simple, drawn up documents.  If it is, then you certainly do not want to pay the money to have a home built off of it.  You want a customized plan for building a house that is going to incorporate the way you live your life, ones that help you to relax and help you live your daily lives easier.  A homeplan, or blueprint as it is commonly called, is a collection of working or construction drawings that detail all the specific construction aspects of a house such as layouts, dimensions, installation techniques, methods and materials.

The basic information that can be found in a set of homeplans includes site plans, a floor plan and elevations. A site plan shows where the house is situated in context to the property it is on. A floor plan shows what the house would look like from an overhead view, including lines that run parallel to show to scale the width of the walls as required.  Elevations are drawn to scale to reflect such items as ridge heights, exterior finishes and other details pertaining to the architectural styling of the home’s exterior details.  Some other information you can find within a set of homeplans are placements of windows and doors, columns, molding, electrical outlets, built-in shelving and roof plans.  This information is crucial to each step in the construction and build up process of your custom built home.

Many architects and home designers are currently using computer graphics to illustrate homeplans to people in three dimensions.  The 3-D homeplans enhance the construction detail and perspective views to allow both the home buyer and the builder to have a better understanding of the intent of the designer, preview specific finishes, verify construction ability and make alterations where necessary.  This kind of graphic representation is intended to make the home building process as smooth and accurate as possible while both party’s are still staying within construction abilities and the buyer’s expressed preferences.

To see how 3-D homeplans can help you in your home building endeavors, consult with a professional design and architectural planner.  They may not help you per se, you’ll be able to see thousands of floor plans that they already have designed through the 3D program.  There is even a company in the industry that uses “The Intelligent House Plan,” where you can view multiple angles and vantage points of the 3-D model of your new home, review construction ability, explore additional modifications, ensure accuracy and get the peace of mind that everything is designed to the highest standard for your dream home.

“Building Information Modeling” will model your house just as it’s to be constructed, with every element of the construction and design portrayed to you in three dimensions.  There is nothing more you could ever ask for when it comes to picking and designing your homeplans.  Use a reputable and experienced architect or designer, feel good about what is being designed and enjoy your new home once it is built.

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For thousands of years people have been building houses, often with the goal of constructing their dream home that meets all their needs, desires and style.  Find out how floor plans like these are done now.

If you are thinking of building your very own home or are even considering it, then working out and designing your floor plans are going to be the most critical aspect to the process as they are the foundation for all the wants and desires you have in your dream home.  Floor plans are an important instrument used by architects and building designers to draw the house’s rooms, its spaces and other features at one level of the home at a time.

Floor plans include dimensions drawn between a room’s walls to specify the size of that room and the length of the walls.  By detailing the length and width of each room or area in the home, a potential homeowner can get a feel for how things will look upon completion of the construction.  They can also show various fixtures such as water heaters, sinks, bathtubs and furnaces.  Your final home plans can also include special notes for the construction crews to represent the actual construction methods or finishes and it may even have symbols to show where electrical items should be placed for the most detailed and perfect job competition.

Whether for additional space, luxury or simply to meet necessities, floor plans give homeowners various options to choose from before their home is built.  A potential homeowner can view and alter various floor plans to adjust the sizes, locations and layout of rooms in the house, as well as determine how to best use the space that will be made available.  Picking desired specifications is often considered to be one of the most satisfying aspects of designing the place you intend to call home for many years or even the rest of your life.

Your house is one of the biggest and most significant investments that you can make in your lifetime. That is why it is absolutely vital to find floor plans that reflect what you want and what you need in the style and designs that you want and choose.  By knowing what sizes and designs you desire in your future home, you can work with a floor plan professional to have those options easily customized so that they are included in the house construction.

The best ones will have the ability for you to go online and optimize search options to narrow down what best fits your desires.  You will be able to get a close idea to the type of floor plans you are interested in speaking with someone about and then move on from that point to reach your desired and completed plans for your home.  A true professional architect will work professionally and closely with the designers and you.  This way you should end up very satisfied and living in a most comfortable and relaxing home space that you know is yours forever.  To make your home building experience not only an enjoyable and lasting one the best companies will make your journey the best construction experience you will ever have.  They will do all they can to help you get your brand new house you can not wait to call home.

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So, you have finally made the decision to build your dream home but after hours of searching through home plans instead of finding that one perfect plan you instead find you are frustrated with everything.  Learn what to do.

It is not that you hated every plan you came across but there was not one of the home plans that screamed “Choose me, I’m perfect!”  If you are going to be making the type of commitment like building a home, then you want a home plan that is not only perfect for you and your family but one that will allow you to stay within your budget.

In all of your searching you most likely came across at least a couple of plans that you felt had potential but there were minor changes you wanted to make with each and every one of them.  Maybe the laundry room was in the wrong spot for you or your plan would include ‘His’ and ‘Her’ closets in the master bedroom.  There are many architects that offer home plans to go through modifications to the plans they have available. The option to modify an existing home plan rather than drawing a home plan from scratch saves you a ton of time and money, and still allows you to end up with the home of your dreams.

When modifying home plans there are a few things you will want to keep in mind because it will affect the structure of your home.  You will need to be very familiar with your lot.  It is vital to know whether the land you are building on is suitable for a walk out basement before you just decide to simply add one to the home plan because you want one.  If it is moist ground there might be greater chances for a leaky basement so rather than finishing a basement, you might want to choose a bonus room on the second floor to add the extra space.

While you may not be able to predict the future it is advisable to look ahead and try to account for things your family might need in your home plans.  For instance, if you are planning to have more children you will want to have enough bedrooms to accommodate.   Extra bathrooms for a few years down the road when your kids are older might be something you will want to consider, especially if they are girls.  The weather conditions and patterns in your area is another factor you will want to take into consideration when planning your dream home.  Being aware of the type of damage the weather in your area typically causes is important.  There are some things that can be built as resistance.  There is never any way to protect completely against Mother Nature but if you know in advance the area is prone to flooding or tornadoes then certain construction aspects can be designed to help and protect the home if possible as well as the family during these disasters.

Ultimately, be sure you that you are in love with the home plans before the home is constructed.  You would never want to pay money to have something built that you already know you are not happy with.   If you are not perfectly happy do not settle.  You can always try a different home plans to get exactly what you want.

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If considering designing your own home floor plans in any way, then read on to learn about certain factors to think about.

Have you ever wanted to design your own home?  If given the opportunity, many people would answer yes to that question.  There are many factors to consider in the creation process though.  First, you need to determine what your dream home would look like on both the outside and the inside, including each and every room in the house, as well as any outdoor structures you want installed or built up.  This can be slightly difficult if you have a significant other who has a different taste in architecture and style than your own.  While you may be able to come to an agreement on home floor plans, it is possible that you could run into trouble when determining the purposes for all of the various rooms.  By brainstorming together, you will find that it can be a very fun and exciting process.

You can start by coming up with individual ‘Top Ten’ lists of the different home floor plans that both you and your spouse like.  Take the two lists and carefully compare your selections.  You may be surprised to find that you both had similar choices picked out with only minor details separating the lists.  Individual details about the size of the rooms can be discussed later because at this step you are simply coming up with an idea or concept for the floor plan of the home.  Be sure to be open-minded and concentrate on listening to the ideas of your partner as you will both be collaborating on the design together.  Both points of view are important since you both will be living in the built space.  It is critical that both people living and paying for a custom home is provided with surroundings that they are comfortable and relaxed in, no matter how differing the two tastes in styles or designs may be.

There are many different types of home floor plans to choose from and it all depends on the space that you need for your home.  Your main objective in choosing a floor plan should be creating a space to house the things that are most important to you.  To individuals that have children, this may mean including sizeable bedrooms for your family that will provide enough space for them and their belongings as they grow.  If you are a person who works from home, then building the perfect home office may be your focal point in the design.

Smaller home floor plans are important to take into consideration as well.  Designing a larger home just to allow space to store lots of furniture may not make much economical sense.  A better solution is to incorporate double duty areas into the floor plan.  A large great room with high ceilings is an ideal option for large gatherings but they can also be broken up into smaller spaces with furniture or tables to create a cozier look. With the addition of a formal dining room, you can create a dining space that can be used for informal and formal eating arrangements.  There are many ways to design a home that is not only functional but beautiful.