Why buy just any house plans...
...when you can get WISE house plans?
What should you look for in house plans? Any house plans SHOULD:
- 1. maximize energy efficiency: Your hard-earned dollars stay in your pocket, instead of going to utility bills...no matter how high energy costs go, you'll always have an affordable, comfortable home. Any money you spend now to design energy efficient home plans you'll more than get back in the first year of owning your energy-efficient home.
2. utilize the latest energy-saving building methods and technologies: You don't have to reinvent the wheel, trying to educate your architect or engineer about these methods and technologies...they should be built into your home plans.
3. stand up to anything Mother Nature dishes out: Do you want to relax and know that you and your family are protected from even the most severe weather?
4. be affordable: You needn't spend a small fortune on designs; some of the designers/draftsman in our directory charge only $1/square foot.
5. be buildable: Some people spend big bucks on home plans, only to hear their builder say, "What's this? What was this architect thinking?" It helps to have an architect or draftsman with extensive experience building homes, so you don't lose time and money making adjustments during construction.
...that's WISE home design. This list gives you some guidelines when you "interview" one of the architects/draftsman in our directory, so you can get your own Wise Home Design.
Here are some example plans from one of the designers in our directory.
This is a classic cottage-style home that fits well into any neighborhood. It's especially well suited for narrow lots.
4 bedrooms (2 of which have a private balcony)
3 full baths
3,356 square feet WITH porches
2,212 heated square feet
Slab foundation
2 x 6 wood frame construction
Click here to see more photos of the Transversale.
The Seabreeze
This is a small house that's big on class and character. It's wider than the Tranversale, but it still fits well onto suburban or urban lots. Note its use of pocket doors and a curved kitchen counter to maximize space.
This house is built with our favorite building method, ICF (insulating concrete forms). It is virtually hurricane and tornado resistant, as well as insect resistant. Owners report extremely low utility bills, due to its excellent energy efficiency.
3 bedrooms, 2 baths
1,368 square feet of interior space
Slab foundation
ICF construction with 11-inch walls
One owner has shared photos of their Seabreeze plan, which just recently completed construction and now landscaping and exterior finishing is underway.
Click here to see more photos.
If you are interested in purchasing either of these plans, here is the designer's information. If you'd prefer a custom house plan, any of our listed designers can create any type of home plan for you. But first, spend some time on our site learning about all the different building methods and technologies. Then, decide what's most important to you in a home design. AND determine what your budget is. That will allow you to be an informed consumer before beginning the design and planning process.
Our listed architects and designers can create custom home plans for your needs. But remember, if you're going to build, build WISELY!
So contact one of the listed architects and designers today to get us working to create YOUR home plan.
You can also learn more about the house designing process
here.
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