Finding the right house plans
Finding the right house plans is an important step in building a house, whether it is a starter home, retirement home, or the house of your dreams, as an average civilian, you probably can't come up with these plans all by yourself. They just would not be accurate and up to code. The following is a list of places you can look to find house plans:
- Planning services:
If you are going to be getting your plans from a planning service then you are probably going to be getting stock plans. House planning services specialize is standard plans. Such plans can usually be found in books that are generally available through bookstores or construction magazines. The books catalog into different styles: traditional, modern, contemporary, etc. and of course sizes of homes and price ranges. So, you look through, find the plans you want and then order the complete blueprints from a planning service.
The benefits of using a planning service are that the plans have all been refined over time. They are standard which means they get used a lot, so you benefit from other's experience and from low cost plans.
What are the drawbacks? Well, they are standard plans, so you don't get the custom part of home building as much. However, many planning services are starting to offer custom design services to incorporate your design changes into these basic plans. - Residential architects:
A residential architect tends to know and can provide the design skill and knowledge of local architectural styles. Also, while they will probably offer you a portfolio of design plans that they have come up with, they tend to specialize in custom designs. Often times it is nice just to look at their portfolios to get inspiration or ideas, and then manipulate those plans to fill your personal needs and wishes for your home.
Of course, you will want to make sure the architect you hire is certified. Basically they need AIA credentials. Also, architects cost more than the other alternatives. So, you want to make sure they have a clear understanding of your budget so they can use their creativity to help you get as many of your design ideas as possible for your price, but warn you if you are getting carried away.
- Draftsman:
A draftsman is basically an alternative to hiring an architect, and since they are not licensed, it is a lot less expensive alternative. Most draftsmen are entirely capable of creating working drawings and plans for your dream house, despite the lack of licensing.
The drawbacks to a draftsman is that their knowledge of structural and design problems is usually limited, so a draftsman is better suited to making minor changes to near completed plans, or help you customize a finished set of standard plans.
- Hybrid Plan:
This is probably the most used option to get inexpensive plans that give you exactly what you want. What a hybrid plan offers you is the chance to find a plan that is close to the home of your dreams, then pay a draftsman to alter it to your exact specifications. Another example of a hybrid of plans is taking a draftsman several plans that you want to combine to make into your plan. Draftsman usually charge by the hour, so get them to give you an estimate of how long it will take to turn what you give them into what you want-they tend to stick pretty close to this.
- Computer Plan Software:
This is a great option if you just aren't sure, or if you want to see what another option may look like, but don't really want to pay to get the blueprints for it. A plan software program will let you play around and experiment all you want. However, it can't warn you when your design violates structural codes etc. So, even if you use a computer program to design your plan you will want an architect or draftsman to review it.
- Find a Designer:
You can always use plans already made and make a few minor changes. If there is a set of plans you like, call the designer on the plan and buy from them at a reduced cost. They have already made their initial investment out of it and can now afford to sell it cheaper plus it has already been through the building process and had all the corrections and engineering completed so it will sail through much easier in areas where that is a concern. Or you can take a plan that you like to a draftsman and have them recreate it for significantly less than an architect.
Something to note is that when it comes to house plans the most expensive route to go is to have an architect design the house from the ground up. There are so many great plans out there that it would be just plain stupid to have an architect do that, but it is your money.
