Shopping for a house plan is not as simple as it may seem. When confronted by tens of thousands of different house plans available, it is easy to get overwhelmed. It is important to narrow your choices down as much as possible before you begin your search. Get specific on details such as the number of bedrooms and baths, the square footage you are looking for, the house style you desire, how many floors the house should have. Most decent house plan websites will have plenty of options with the criteria that you have specified. You can start your search on www.houseplancentral.com.



After the initial search, be systematic about tracking the house plans that you like. If you have definitely decided to build your own house, you should also set a date for when you will have selected a plan by. Local architects may customize a plan for you that you could have found for thousands less online if you had been diligent about the search process. Make sure to store your plans if the website you are using offers that feature. Make lists of pros and cons about each house plan. Ask for feedback from friends and family.

When you have found your dream plan, don’t hesitate to call the house plan website you found it on if you have any questions or you want to verify their credentials. I don’t want to scare you, but remember that taking someone else’s plan to a local architect to have them customize it is theft. Usually the same online designer will customize that plan for a fraction of the cost of taking the plan to a local designer.

By Kevin Carden