Custom House Plans:
Tips on designing your dream home.

Custom house plans can provide you with a great way to visualize your dream home. The way to get the most out of these plans is to do your research before you start working with an architect or draftsman.

Initially, you want to be able to take advantage of the piece of property that you are going to be building on. Most home sites have certain features that you will want to highlight.


This can be something as dramatic as designing a home around fantastic views or as simple as maximizing the curb appeal of a home in a neighborhood.


The various details of a particular lot will have a large impact on the design of custom home plans.

Do Your Homework FIRST
Most areas of the country have building regulations that dictate certain aspects of new homes.

These regulations need to be carefully considered before designing your new home. For instance, most municipalities will have minimum requirements for the setbacks of your property. This means that you-and your neighbors-will have to keep permanent structures a certain distance from the property lines.

Other restrictions might include such things as height restrictions, or finishing material requirements. These types of restrictions are for everyone's benefit. It would be very upsetting to most people if someone put a very odd or unsightly home in your neighborhood.

Get Creative
It's smart to look at as many houses and house plans as possible to get inspiration. Drive around your favorite neighborhood, or search online for photos of homes that you like. You can take these photos to your designer.

Another idea is to buy a drafting sketch pad, where there is a grid pattern on each page. You can designate a certain number of feet per box on the grid, such as 5 feet, then sketch some ideas for room layouts, etc.

Measure the room dimensions of the home you're living in now to get a point of perspective. Also measure your furniture and keep those measurements handy so that you can refer to them later in the process. You want to avoid making design/plan changes during construction, so it's vital to iron out all of the details of your custom plan BEFORE construction begins. In the world of construction, changes = cost (not to mention headache for everyone involved).

Modern design processes allow the homeowner to carefully plan out various dimensions and design characteristics in a fast and efficient manner. This type of give-and-take between a designer and homeowner means that both parties can achieve their goals without wasting time or money.

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