Category Archives: Home Plans

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Home design has always centered around the family unit. In this way, the legacy of domestic architecture can almost be read as a social history as much as it is an industrial one. Over the decades and centuries family structures have evolved as the world has changed. Some of the classic American house plan designs reflect this changing social reality. The Craftsman, for example, was a very popular home in the early industrial stages of American suburban life and the layout reflects the changing roles for mothers working inside the home. No longer were homes owned solely by the wealthy, and the lady of the house often did not have servants to manage the previously extensive housework. The kitchen and pantry areas were restructured to be navigated by a single person, and the big open windows overlooking yard spaces also denote the multitasking that was required of these new arrangements.

House plan design almost always centers on the movements of a family through the house. As we see design evolve, it is almost always the result of changes in life movements. For the last many years the priority has been on flexible space as family structures change and roles of parents evolve. Home offices and in-law accommodations are on the rise as families adapt to new challenges and find creative solutions to their needs.

This is one of the best parts of my job: designing homes that successfully meet the needs of today’s families, and to recognize the hard work that goes into making that house plan into a home. In honor of Mother’s Day, I’d like to say thank you to all the moms out there: whether you’re a mommy or a nana; whether your family is biology-based or blended; if you have more than two generations under one roof; if you work both inside and outside the home…. thank you for filling these many structures with love and support for all the growth we all continue to do.

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Families are a dynamic organization. Whether your family is growing in number or becoming smaller; whether your kids are getting older or your parents are looking to age in place; toddlers tuning into teenagers, in-laws and parents aging, family pets, job changes…. nearly any change in life can alter the demands we place on our home spaces. As the years go by we are often in a position to rethink and retool the way we move through our house, adapting to the changing needs of a life affected by many elements.

When looking for a house plan to suit the needs of a family, many people are prioritizing flexible spaces as a way to ensure that the house they choose will continue to be functional for many years. And it’s not just extra bedrooms we’re talking about here, although that is one of the easiest ways to evolve your needs: a guest room easily converts into a nursery; the home office adapts into a craft/work space with ample storage. In addition to convertible rooms, these days there are often flexible spaces built right into the house plan. This gives the buyer the ability to imagine how that space could best be utilized by their unique family.

The country-style house plan is growing in popularity- in large part because of its ability to offer such flexibility. These house plan styles stand with one foot in each of two worlds: a modern interior with loads of flexible space housed behind a classic country-style façade. This style is often denoted by its ability to prioritize functionality over traditional needs, as seen by the lacking of a formal dining room in favor of a large eating space right off the kitchen much better suited to today’s modern, multitasking family. And yet the great room echoes the traditional dramatic space perfect for celebrating holidays and get-togethers. These rooms often boast vaulted ceilings and classically functional features like built-in book shelves flanking an impressive mantle.

No matter which phase of life your family is currently in, it is important to find a house plan that can suit everyone’s needs as they grow and change. This is, in fact, why most people would choose to build their dream house over buying something already standing: who better to predict the future needs of your dynamic family but you?

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Back when architects were designing house plans by hand at large tilted drafting tables, a 3-D model was a luxury items usually relegated to large industrial or commercial projects. The benefit of those models, however, was paramount: having a replication of your dream project as it stands in actual space is a vital part of the process.

With countless improvements in technology, those architectural models are now available without the balsa wood and gluing processes of previous years. And this accessibility makes for a better home in the long run: from designer to builder to purchaser, having a model to work from allows everyone involved to be on the same page.

After nearly 40 years of designing homes, I am thrilled to be empowered to harness this technology. I have found that the improved clarity and transparency makes all the difference to families working on building their dream homes. This tool is of paramount importance when it comes to bridging the gap between designer and builder, and makes custom alterations a simple process.

At MonsterHousePlans.com, we offer thousands of house plans. And once you’ve searched through them and narrowed down your favorites, this 3-D Intelligent Design option allows your dream floor plan to come to life. This is an invaluable tool when it comes time to begin work with your builder: the 3-D model allows us to include the architect’s specific designs and characteristics, while giving the builder real-space awareness of how all these pieces come together. And as terms of customizing your floor plan, this is the tool that allows you to see the impact of individual choices as it translated to the house as a whole.

This industry has changed so much over the years. And while relics like the electric eraser have gone by the wayside, I am so thankful that modeling has followed us into these new methods of designing homes. There is nothing like taking an idea from your mind onto the page, and then again translating it into 3-D. It remains one of my most favorite examples of how the technological age has benefited the architectural industry: bringing real life examples of your dream home into the tangible process of everyone who buys a house plan.

– Brian Piling, architect

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A blog detailing important points that will affect how and which home plans you choose.

Home plans vary from massive to quaint and from Cape Cod styles to craftsman and even log cabins. The great thing about choosing home plans today is that your choices are endless. Depending on your particular needs, whether you live alone, have a large family or are just beginning a family – or if perhaps you are now retired, you can find a layout that is customized to you.

Although the world is your oyster when you begin shuffling through home plans to narrow down your wish list- there are a few things you should consider before settling on any one plan. First and foremost you need to think about where you are building. Is it an area that has a high water level – such as California? If you live in an area with high water levels, as in, you are more on par with the sea level then you may not be able to build a home with a basement. Similarly, if you purchased a plot of land in an already established area, there may be building restrictions enforced – such as the style of the home plans may need to match with the neighborhood or due to power lines or utilities access your home may have size restrictions. Make sure you are fully aware of any restrictions, either natural or enforced that may limit your selection before you set your heart on something you can`t have.

You should also, always, get your builder in on the home plans discussion.  They will be able to tell you about possible changes you can make to certain plans or advise you of changes that cannot be made. This can be a simple way to pare down the many options you have to choose from.  It is always best to narrow down your home plans to a short list but you don`t want anything on your short list that is impractical or impossible for your builder to provide for you – this is why it is important to consult them.  The more involved you are with your builder and the more aware they are of your tastes and preferences, the more likely you are to walk away from the homebuilding challenge a happy person.

Building your own home from the ground up is an exciting undertaking. More than that though – it`s actually more affordable to build your own home in some cases than it is to purchase a pre-existing one.  That`s pretty incredible but the final thing you need to think about when narrowing down your home plans short list, is your future. Invest in home plans and a well thought out design that is going to meet your needs either as an individual or a family for the next twenty years. Yes, you may decide to sell way before then but it`s nice to be able to choose to sell as opposed to having no choice because you have outgrown a home that you put so much time and effort into customizing. So remember, when the time comes to sift through the array of home plans out there think: Restrictions, Builder, Future and you will be on your way to a great, practical short-list of homes for you or your family.

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In a “buyer’s market,” it may be a desirable option to buy a large area of land and build a house on it instead of buying an aged home that comes with unknown maintenance issues.  One of the most important aspects of building your dream home is ensuring you have professional homeplans that meet your needs and desires.

Homeplans are crucial for the way you want your home to look in the end.  Once you are sitting at the dining room table and looking around, you want to be more than just satisfied, you want to be excruciatingly happy about the home design.  The home designs are drawn out professionally in homeplans.  They are not just simple, drawn up documents.  If it is, then you certainly do not want to pay the money to have a home built off of it.  You want a customized plan for building a house that is going to incorporate the way you live your life, ones that help you to relax and help you live your daily lives easier.  A homeplan, or blueprint as it is commonly called, is a collection of working or construction drawings that detail all the specific construction aspects of a house such as layouts, dimensions, installation techniques, methods and materials.

The basic information that can be found in a set of homeplans includes site plans, a floor plan and elevations. A site plan shows where the house is situated in context to the property it is on. A floor plan shows what the house would look like from an overhead view, including lines that run parallel to show to scale the width of the walls as required.  Elevations are drawn to scale to reflect such items as ridge heights, exterior finishes and other details pertaining to the architectural styling of the home’s exterior details.  Some other information you can find within a set of homeplans are placements of windows and doors, columns, molding, electrical outlets, built-in shelving and roof plans.  This information is crucial to each step in the construction and build up process of your custom built home.

Many architects and home designers are currently using computer graphics to illustrate homeplans to people in three dimensions.  The 3-D homeplans enhance the construction detail and perspective views to allow both the home buyer and the builder to have a better understanding of the intent of the designer, preview specific finishes, verify construction ability and make alterations where necessary.  This kind of graphic representation is intended to make the home building process as smooth and accurate as possible while both party’s are still staying within construction abilities and the buyer’s expressed preferences.

To see how 3-D homeplans can help you in your home building endeavors, consult with a professional design and architectural planner.  They may not help you per se, you’ll be able to see thousands of floor plans that they already have designed through the 3D program.  There is even a company in the industry that uses “The Intelligent House Plan,” where you can view multiple angles and vantage points of the 3-D model of your new home, review construction ability, explore additional modifications, ensure accuracy and get the peace of mind that everything is designed to the highest standard for your dream home.

“Building Information Modeling” will model your house just as it’s to be constructed, with every element of the construction and design portrayed to you in three dimensions.  There is nothing more you could ever ask for when it comes to picking and designing your homeplans.  Use a reputable and experienced architect or designer, feel good about what is being designed and enjoy your new home once it is built.

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So, you have finally made the decision to build your dream home but after hours of searching through home plans instead of finding that one perfect plan you instead find you are frustrated with everything.  Learn what to do.

It is not that you hated every plan you came across but there was not one of the home plans that screamed “Choose me, I’m perfect!”  If you are going to be making the type of commitment like building a home, then you want a home plan that is not only perfect for you and your family but one that will allow you to stay within your budget.

In all of your searching you most likely came across at least a couple of plans that you felt had potential but there were minor changes you wanted to make with each and every one of them.  Maybe the laundry room was in the wrong spot for you or your plan would include ‘His’ and ‘Her’ closets in the master bedroom.  There are many architects that offer home plans to go through modifications to the plans they have available. The option to modify an existing home plan rather than drawing a home plan from scratch saves you a ton of time and money, and still allows you to end up with the home of your dreams.

When modifying home plans there are a few things you will want to keep in mind because it will affect the structure of your home.  You will need to be very familiar with your lot.  It is vital to know whether the land you are building on is suitable for a walk out basement before you just decide to simply add one to the home plan because you want one.  If it is moist ground there might be greater chances for a leaky basement so rather than finishing a basement, you might want to choose a bonus room on the second floor to add the extra space.

While you may not be able to predict the future it is advisable to look ahead and try to account for things your family might need in your home plans.  For instance, if you are planning to have more children you will want to have enough bedrooms to accommodate.   Extra bathrooms for a few years down the road when your kids are older might be something you will want to consider, especially if they are girls.  The weather conditions and patterns in your area is another factor you will want to take into consideration when planning your dream home.  Being aware of the type of damage the weather in your area typically causes is important.  There are some things that can be built as resistance.  There is never any way to protect completely against Mother Nature but if you know in advance the area is prone to flooding or tornadoes then certain construction aspects can be designed to help and protect the home if possible as well as the family during these disasters.

Ultimately, be sure you that you are in love with the home plans before the home is constructed.  You would never want to pay money to have something built that you already know you are not happy with.   If you are not perfectly happy do not settle.  You can always try a different home plans to get exactly what you want.