When a person begins the process of building a new house, there are many different aspects that need to be addressed including: where to build, what size home to build, what features to include, what items are the most important to have in the home, what costs should be included in the budget, what are the design/build timeframes, who will build the home, and a host of other issues.
After these initial questions have been successfully answered, the next item that must be addressed is that of house plans. There are two basic types of house plans that can be purchased, custom or stock, with each having distinct advantages and disadvantages.
Custom Houseplans
Custom house plans are just as the name implies. The house plans are custom drawn to meet you family's specific needs. The plans are normally drawn by a licensed building designer or, in some cases, a licensed architect in a geographic location close to where the 1.) owners live, or 2.) home will be built. The process is, normally, much more involved and time-consuming since the owner's specific requests will need to be integrated into the overall design of the home. Many times these type "special" requests can present significant challenges to the designer of the home, which as a result, may take additional time to resolve.
Since the home is being custom designed, specifically to meet the needs of that one person/family, the costs associated with the development of the house plans tend to be significantly larger than those for a similar set of stock house plans. However, in some cases, the custom house plan may be the only viable option based on the client's needs, home location, special building considerations, etc.
Advantages:
- Homeowner can get exactly what they want in home design - Special needs can be addressed in the design (i.e. extra large garage for boat, larger than normal master bath, handicapped access, etc.)
Disadvantages:
- Significantly more costly than stock houseplans - Longer, more arduous process to develop - Significantly more time consuming to produce (i.e. many meetings necessary with designer over several month period)
Stock Houseplans
Stock house plans are, by contrast, home designs which have been developed to fit the needs of a particular group of the general populace. They are not custom designed for a particular person, but rather, standardized for the needs of a larger group.
Stock homeplans normally include the "most requested" features including square footage, room dimensions, floorplan layout, amenities, and other like features. These house plans provide an excellent value when compared to the corresponding price of a set of fully custom house plans which may exceed several thousand dollars.
When you buy a stock house plan, you're not paying for the countless hours spent drawing up a plan, re-working the plan, and finalizing drafts. You're paying a reduced fee for a single re-use of that plan.
Advantages:
- Significantly less expensive - Minor plan modifications can usually be made by the original designer or a local designer for a minimal charge. - Very simple and quick purchase process - Can submit the plans for a building permit the day after receiving
Disadvantages:
-Not as extensively customizable
In conclusion, I would recommend trying to find a stock house plan, first, at a reputable online house plan broker website such as House Plan Central.com. There are thousands of stock house plans available online, and House Plan Central.com offers a huge selection of unique house plans in many different architectural styles.
More likely than not, you'll be able to find what you're looking for by doing a simple search. With so many plans available to choose from, it's a safe bet that you won't see your house plan replicated in your area. And if you find a plan you like, but want to make a few modifications - no problem! Most of the plans available at House Plan Central.com can be modified to your specifications.
Determining whether your particular needs merit custom or stock house plans is, ultimately, a personal choice based on your particular situation. Both types will provide you with the information that you need to successfully build your dream home.
By Mark Mathis
Moving into a new house is always exciting. Moving into the dream house you’ve planned and built is the greatest accomplishment ever. If you want to be completely satisfied with moving into your dream home you need to make sure you have the best house plans. Plans give you a clear idea of what your house is going to be like and are indispensable to any construction. The planning phase is without a doubt extremely important and can be a fun and exciting time if you know where to look for unique ideas. Monsterhouseplans.com is where you’ll find one of the widest selections of house and floor plans.
Planning your dream house or vacation home is a process that requires a certain amount of research and decision making. The first thing you have to be concerned with is the land where the house will be built. Geology is very important as the land might not support structures of certain dimensions. You need to take into consideration things like leveling, rain collection systems or constructing on a slope. Once you have a clear picture of what you can and can’t do with the land you own, you should think about how the weather will influence your house plans. For instance, Florida houses often have flat or shallow sloping roofs because of the frequency of hurricanes and tornados which makes peaked roofs a problem. On the other hand, peaked roofs are more desirable in New England because of the massive winter snowfalls. You can also incorporate green technology in your upper floor plans and roof plans – it reduces your energy bill and contributes to an eco-friendly environment.
Another important part of successful home planning is making sure your house plans are going to meet your future as well as your present requirements. For instance, while two bedrooms might be okay for you today, you should consider a plan that includes more bedrooms or unfinished space suitable for future expansion if you’re thinking of having children. Take into consideration personal factors such as children going away to college, elderly parents or marriage. Planning ahead will make you feel more enthusiastic and will help you choose the perfect house plans. At monsterhouseplans.com you can find professional floor plans and home plans to meet your every requirement.
Most people who plan on building a new home are thinking of the comfort of their family. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to get your entire family involved in coming up with the perfect house plans. If your kids are old enough, ask them to think of plans for their rooms or ideas for floor plans. Another good way to approach the planning process is to browse through detailed house plans online with your family. This is a very good way of getting a clear idea of what everyone wants. If you find a plan that almost resembles what you had in mind you can have it customized according to your preferences. At monsterhouseplans.com you can choose any of the featured house and floor plans and have it modified.
Planning your dream home should be a very exciting time for you and your family. For everything to turn out just like you wanted it’s very important to have the perfect house plans. The best plans are those chosen carefully and with the input of all the people involved. Make sure you take into consideration details such as geology or the weather and everything should be just fine. Monsterhouseplans.com has one of the largest selection of home and floor plans anywhere on the web.
Both Kevin Carden & Ken Wilson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Kevin Carden has sinced written about articles on various topics from Finances, Build Online Business and Family. Mark Mathis is a building designer and publisher of several stock house plan websites and informational resources, the most famous being .House Plan Central h. Kevin Carden's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.
Ken Wilson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Software, Cars and Shopping. Finding the perfect can be a great experienced if you share it with your family. Browsing online through home plans is a quick and easy method of findi. Ken Wilson's top article generates over 45500000 views. to your Favourites.