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We offer a wide selection of house plans here at Monster House Plans.

Craftsman house plans are created using the “Arts and Crafts” lifestyle and philosophy that combines architecture, interior design, landscaping, and applied or decorative arts. This Philosophy became popular at the end of the 19th century and remained very popular until the 1930s. Architects designing craftsman house plans were concerned with unity of the style inside of the home and the appearance of a house’s exterior, especially in relation to its setting or surrounding environment. The Arts and Crafts Movement was concerned with the spiritual connectivity of one’s surroundings whether they are natural or man made. In this way, it made sense that the perfect home for this philosophy would be complimentary to its setting and provide a space to gather inner peace that was far away from the realities of the ugly urban factories where many people worked, and the desolate surroundings of the industrial district.

Today there is a revival of interest and lots of people are seeking craftsman house plans to build their own dream house. The craftsman house plans originated in Britain as a reaction against the ornate aesthetics that typified the Victorian era. When the craftsman style house reached the United States they shared the interests of the simplicity of design and accessibility of materials that were often locally available.

In craftsman house plans there are typical architectural design features such as:

·         Gabled roof

·         Deep and overhanging eaves

·         Decorative brackets under eaves

·         Exposed rafters, and

·         A front porch extension from beneath the main roof

In addition to these elements, many craftsman house plans will also feature hand-crafted elements such as masonry or woodwork, and often there are mixed materials used throughout the entire structure. It is not uncommon to see a house that features stonework on the front of the house that is set off by white painted wood embellishments. The effect is a very pleasing design that conjures up images of a comfortable and ideal home. Craftsman house plans are typically bungalow designs. This means that they are often detached from garages (although the plans can be modified so that the house is attached to the garage), the houses often feature single or one-and-a-half stories, and a veranda.

In modern times the craftsman house plans will also include some design motifs from Frank Lloyd Wright, a very acclaimed architect who was inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement. A famous craftsman design is the Hyland Hotel in Montecito Utah. It displays many of the features that make houseman craftsman plans so appealing including a mixed wood and stone foundation and ornate pillars that nicely frame the front entryway.

A craftsman house is a very beautiful design and the houses developed in this style are well made, so many examples of the original styles still exist. Designers know a lot about the craftsman house plans today because of the increased popularity that has been expressed in owning this style of house. The look has become classic, and is associated with peaceful family living.

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Houses these days come in any size or shape that you can dream up, and throughout history, we have been left the legacy of some beautiful homes that have been popular at various times in the past. Today’s dream house floor plans draw on the gifts of those historical homes from all over.

House Plan 12-747

English country house floor plans draw on the love and romance of the old English countryside, and the great literary traditions. Remember Pride and Prejudice, or The Remains of the Day, Downton Abbey, Atonement—the manors and the cottages. The grand manor houses were places for relaxing by the fireplace with a glass of sherry after a day of rambling through the countryside. They had multiple rooms, many wings, servant’s quarters and libraries. The cottages were full of warmth and rustic charm. Think timber frames, brick construction, and sloping roofs for this house floor plan. Forget the thatching for the roof though. Today’s English country house floor plans use shingles – a safe and effective way to protect the house while keeping all of that old country charm.

House Plan 8-523

French country houses were farmhouses, but with elegance, grace and style. They used natural materials, rough plaster and wood for the construction and the furniture. Large rooms and French doors and windows allow you to grandly throw open the shutters and welcome the world into your home.

House Plan 37-249

When you think of an Italian house plans, you think of the garden that is easily accessible from the house – wide doors that open up to a stone patio that is an outdoor extension of the kitchen, for a large family meal or just for easy access to the herb garden. Stonework, low-pitched, flattened roofs, tall with many stories, and maybe even a cupola are the attractions of this house floor plan.

Gables, cornices, friezes and columns. White paint. These set the Greek Revival house floor plans apart from the others. Imagine a cultured back garden with tiled pathways and a few statues. What do you think of when you see a red-tiled roof, arches over the windows and doors, exposed wooden beams and glorious color inside? How about a Spanish hacienda? Spanish house floor plans look part of the scenery in hot climates, and their deeply shaded porches make them inviting.

House Plan 68-116

All of these styles, from all over the world, have their place in America’s housing history. But America has some house styles of its own that are popular as well. The Cape Cod House Plans from New England that were popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. These are small, economical and charming. Early American style house floor plans incorporate many of the historical stylings of the past. But other houses show purpose or need of the area in their style, such as the log house, ranch house and beach house floor plans.

House floor plans can be anything. This listing is not all of the styles of house floor plans available at Monsterhouseplans.com. They have over 22,000 different styles to choose from, and each one could easily be the house of your dreams. All of these plans and more can match your style, whether you are looking for a casual relaxed home, or an ornamental, opulent luxury house. Take a look that the styles and see what you can dream.

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So, after all the stress of selling your home, you now have to buy one, which can be equally, if not more stressful. To make things a little easier for you, here’s a guide to help you on your way, and hopefully make it a much less stressful journey…

1. Buy a home you can afford

This may seem obvious, but please don’t overlook it. Too many times people get their heart set on a beautiful home that is way out of their price range. Work out how much you have to spend on a house first, then only look at houses in that price range. A good starting point is to look at houses that are worth 2 and a half times your yearly salary. There are plenty of online calculators that can help you work out how much you will be able to get on a mortgage, and then tell you how much and for how long you will be paying it back (just Google ‘online mortgage calculator Canada’.)

2. Don’t be afraid to get help

If the whole buying process is getting a little bit too much for you then you can enlist the help of a real estate agent to help you find your dream home. Not only will they help you to find a new home, but they will help with the bidding process too, and their professional experience could go a long way here!

3. Look for houses that are near schools

If you don’t have children then this may seem like a strange thing to do, and if you do have children, it will seem like a very obvious thing to do. The fact is, that homes near schools are always in high demand, so if you want to sell that house in the future it will be a lot easier, and you may even get an increased price for it.

4. Done buy before you have had the house inspected

There is nothing worse than buying your dream house and then finding out you are going to have to spend a fortune on house repairs because you didn’t know about the house’s structural problems before you bought it. Don’t be blind sighted by the need to buy a house quickly, employing a house inspector to look around prospective houses may save you a fortune in years to come.
And remember, it may be stressful, but this whole process is also supposed to be fun! Happy buying everyone…

Niqui Stubbs is a medical student with a passion for home interiors, who also works for a company called Search Laboratory. She has lived in 4 rented houses in the past 4 years and is now looking to buy a house of her own. She also loves writing about interior design, as it is what she would have gone into if she wasn’t going to be a doctor. She is currently writing for Agent Find, a company in Canada who are dedicated to helping their customers find the perfect estate agent in order to sell their house, or buy the home of their dreams.

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The house you dream of can be yours with the right house plan. Let yourself go with your dreams and then let the house plans you choose fit the dream.

All of us, at some time in our lives, have dreamed of living in a luxury home. What does the luxurious home of your dreams look like? How is it laid out, and what rooms will be inside it? Can you imagine it right away, or do you need to look at some luxury floor plans to get you started?

Let’s start with the rooms – what do you dream of? How many bedrooms will you have in your house plans? How many bathrooms? How big will they be, and what will be inside them? Walk-in closets, of course, an en suite spa with whirlpool tubs and a steam room. Beautiful, but dream bigger. How about a grand entertainment room with a big screen and comfortable arm chairs, a yoga studio or an exercise room—or both?

You will need servants’ quarters in your house plans, a butler’s pantry, and guest quarters. You’ll want them. Your dream house is going to attract a lot of guests. So you’ll also want a big kitchen with a chef and doors opening out into the garden beyond for fresh vegetables and herbs.

Just imagine these other elements of your house plans: the entry way, the long, curving driveway with the shiny sporty car parked in front, the steps leading up to the front entrance with its grand doors made of polished wood and glass that sweep open to reveal a graceful, curving staircase leading up to the second floor. Oh, and you’ll want an elevator, too, so that staircase doesn’t get all cluttered up with people. The elevator will lead down into the wine cellar, which you will keep stocked with all the best of France and Italy.

There will be a beautiful view, naturally, and landscaping. Think carefully planned, meticulously kept landscaping with cut green lawns, stone pathways, and courtyards. How about a tennis court, or swimming pool, or trails through the trees? Don’t forget to include the landscaping in your house plans.

There must be a library in your house plans. One with walls of books and sliding ladders moving along the shelves. There should be long wooden tables in the center of the room, comfy armchairs off to one side, near the fireplace, and windows that let in the light and the view.

What do you think? Is that your luxury house? Can you dream it bigger? Or is that too much house for your family? Even if a luxury house may not be where you’re heading, you don’t have to let go of all of your ideas. You can enjoy some of these elements in any of the house plans that may become your dream house. You can build in some of the features, the ones that are important to you and your family, and let the others go. Monster House Plans has a lot of house plans to choose from—over 22,000 are available. One of those might be your dream home, but if none of them are quite right, they can be. All plans can be modified to your desires, tweaked to become your dream. They have an architect available who has a lot of experience and has heard it all. He can answer all your questions and make sure that the home you dream of is the one you plan.

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Today is the day! That special day you decided to build your house.  Maybe you are a young couple that endured bagged lunches and home brewed coffee for two years while you saved up a down payment.  Perhaps you are in the business of real estate and you build, decorate and sell houses.  Maybe this is the second or third house you have built.  No matter where you are in life, when it comes time to shop for home floor plans, it’s exciting.

Do not let that excitement cause you to overlook some very fundamental facts, however.  A home is a very permanent structure.  Although you can do renovations at a later date, it is much more cost effective and satisfying to get the elements you want the first time around.  Before you decide on which home floor plans are in your top ten list, do the following:

1.    Visit local show homes:  Visit different show homes and open houses that feature a variety of styles.  While you may have your heart set on the beautiful symmetry of Colonial home floor plans, you may fall in love with the chic elegance of French Country home floor plans.  You may discover ways to enrich your plans that you would not have thought of without seeing different options.  For example, an arch connecting the living and formal dining room rather than a door, or ganged windows instead of a single bay window.  Taking a good look around allows you see the actual elements you want to include in your plans as well as others you may wish to add.

2.    Be realistic about your needs:  Sure, it would be great to have a massive pool fed by a man-made waterfall all set in imported Aegean marble, but is that practical for your budget and lifestyle?  Will you use a large, formal dining room or does your entertaining taste run more to a comfortable great room with space for a home theater?  Will several children be living in the home?  If so, plan for storage space and perhaps a playroom.  Does one partner work from home?  Then don’t forget a home office.  Make sure your home floor plans include all the elements that will make your life easier, but do not exceed your budget.  Develop the spaces you will use the most and leave room to expand on the rest at a later date. A simple sod job in the back yard leaves room for a modest pool later on and an unfinished basement can be turned into a pub-style hang out when that bonus from work comes in.

3.    Budget, budget, budget.  You only live once.  So don’t live it under the crushing stress of a debt load you cannot afford.  If the bank approves you for a $300,000.00 mortgage, you do not need to spend every single penny of that on new place.  Budget for closing costs, lawyer fees, home decor – even the pizza and soda you will consume as you live out of boxes for the first few days of settling in.  Once moved in, make room in your household budget for regular maintenance items.  Budget ahead of time for large maintenance repairs that are years down the road, such as hot water heater replacement or re-shingling.  Budgeting for a new home starts when you look at home floor plans and continues long after you unpack the last box.

Shopping for home floor plans, designing your home, and watching the construction is a true joy.  Ensure that lasting happiness by taking the time to do some research, carefully planning for both form and function, and sticking to a realistic housing budget.

Monster House Plans has over 22,000 home floor plans in every style and theme you can imagine.  If you don’t see the one you imagine, you can customize any of our home floor plans to ensure it is perfect for you.  We know you are excited about building your home.  That is why we’ve made it easy for you to search our many plans with advanced search options and browse-by-style choices.  Helpful customer service agents are standing by in case you have questions.  So go ahead.  Take a look.  We know we have the home floor plans you have been looking for.

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What makes Craftsman house plans different from a log house plans, Victorian house plans, Colonial house plans, etc?  The answer is in the word “craftsmanship”.  Craftsman house plans have an exceptional level of craftsmanship in every single detail.

That is not to say other types of house plans do not pay attention to details.  Nothing could be further than the truth!  With Victorian house plans, for example, a great deal of work is put into small touches that hearken back to the rich and opulent Victorian era.  With ranch house plans, care and effort is put into creating that down-on-the-farm feeling.  But with Craftsman house plans, you can count on a strong, comfortable design in which every detail is lovingly handled by a master tradesman.  Heart, soul, sweat, and tears of joy go into every piece of wood, every nail, and every tiny little detail. Craftsman plans are a labour of pure love.

You can see the family orientated feeling of Craftsman house plans.  Although they can range in size from one bedroom dwellings to spacious mansions, they tend to share some common elements.  Wood shingle siding gives a cosy yet polished feel.  Wide window and door casings add an unexpected aesthetic visual. Large front porches with big tapered columns make the perfect gathering place for family and friends and the dominant low-pitched rooflines keep the family inside secure and protected.  All aspects point to a dwelling that every member of the family longs to come home to.

While the finishes and wood details may hint at the grander of yesteryear, Craftsman house plans are perfect for today’s modern family.  Most have a large, spacious kitchen in the heart of the home for parents and children to gather for a meal or to do homework together in style and comfort.  A cosy breakfast nook is the perfect place to snuggle your sweetheart over a cup of coffee or tea before the kids wake up.  The nook is also the perfect spot for a nice chat about your day after the kids have gone to bed.  (Not to mention this is a very handy place for a healthy family breakfast! So many uses!)  Many Craftsman house plans have built in cabinetry and bookshelves, giving you an easy way to keep treasures, books, antiques, and more organized while on display.

Original Craftsman homes were built using local materials, which made each one unique despite their common elements. If you are looking for a house plan that is unique, that has the charm of days gone by yet is fully function for today’s family on the go, you need Craftsman house plans.

Here at Monster House Plans we have hundreds of Craftsman house plans to choose from.  We also have experienced architects on staff to help you with any questions you may have, volume discounts for builders and accurate price-to-build estimates based on your building location and preferred building materials.  Our plans can be modified to suit your needs and style.

Craftsman house plans are among the most unique plans on the market.  You will not be disappointed with this choice.

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Have you ever thought that perhaps your small house plans just weren’t visionary enough? A massive home with an echoing front hall isn’t everyone’s ideal.  Smaller homes provide a warmer atmosphere in a reasonable space. There are practical benefits to more modest homes as well, including the cost to build, utility costs, the amount of land needed and future upkeep.  Ultimately, the bigger your home the bigger the costs associated with it.

It’s not all about money though; small homes are fantastic in many ways.  So if someone is teasing you about your small house plans for the future, you can make an excellent argument.  Things to keep reminding yourself about include; you have a larger variety of locations to build available to you, it will be cost effective and custom and your small house plans will be fulfilling your big dreams!

Some people just have home envy. It’s true, home ownership is something that is not within reach for everyone.  Your small house plans might be a bone of contention for some because not only are you buying a new home, you’re building a new home! You get to choose each detail from the ground up and you will undoubtedly have friends and family who purchased an existing home that they were not one hundred percent satisfied with. Even though you have small house plans, building from the ground up is going to allow you to make sure that you structure your home to your personal or family needs.

Perhaps you have small house plans because it’s your second home, a rental property or a vacation home?  In that case you need to consider several different things; a rental home should meet all generic needs and be highly functional, don’t waste any space! If it’s a second home or vacation home then be sure your small house plans cater to the needs you’ll need met while you are there.  For instance, you aren’t there all year round so perhaps a massive bedroom is less important than a beautiful deck overlooking the scenery.

A vacation home implies time and luxury so maybe consider looking at small house plans that allow for an opulent bathroom where you can really relax.  Don’t overlook the fact that, despite not living in it all year round, you still have to maintain it.  Consider house plans that have features which will allow for easy or low levels of maintenance.   Some of these features could be; a low-pitch roof, easily accessible eaves troughs and a durable exterior building material.  Don’t overlook exterior additions either.  If you are planning to build a deck onto the home, ensure all the wood is cured and sealed so it doesn’t warp in temperature extremes.   There are also weather-friendly and environmentally friendly materials available for decking that are made of resin and require very little work to maintain.

Luckily, no matter why you need small house plans, you are definitely going to love designing the home (or vacation home) of your dreams!  We have many great small house plans available for you to choose from.

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The ultimate vacation spot is a log cabin tucked away in the woods overlooking a beautiful lake.  Wouldn’t you agree? Well life at the cottage isn’t for everyone but what if you had the opportunity to build your own log home from the ground up?  Imagine you won the lottery and you could literally choose from dozens of  log home plans or even design your own.  How would one even choose?  Certain things would obviously effect what plan you chose but if you were rich you could have just about anything you wanted.  Then again, if you were rich you might be considering more modest log home plans that would afford you a discreet hiding spot somewhere.  A guilty pleasure for some people is flipping through the charity lottery brochures and gaping at the grand prize homes and cars while trying to picture yourself winning. So, in that spirit, let’s consider this an exercise in guilty pleasure.

Design your own log home plans.  What would they include? How about an impressive fireplace for the winter months and a large open family-style kitchen? You would likely want more than a couple bedrooms so you could entertain guests and maybe a game room.  What do you picture when you think about the outside of the home?  Log home plans should include some spectacular feature that really catches the eye.  Maybe a dramatic A-frame roof or a gorgeous wrap-around deck would be just the ticket.  Then there is the question of location…should it be secluded or in a community of log homes?  Would you put it right on the lake or not quite?  The options to consider are endless.

If you managed to come up with even a vague idea of what your log home plans would resemble then why don’t you think about building it?  Seriously, just because it’s a log home, doesn’t mean it can’t be your primary home too. It’s very common these days to build your own home as opposed to buying a pre-lived in one.  You now have the log home plans so you’re part of the way their! If you are on the market to purchase a new home anyway then it might not be the worst idea to look into what building new will cost you.  In many cases it can be right on par with purchasing used, depending on the area.  Something else to consider would be finding some land for sale, buying that, and then when the time is right financially you can dust off those plans and get building.

It would be nice to live everyday as if you were on vacation.  Waking up every morning to a beautiful community or wonderful scenery that surrounds a breathtaking home is the epitome of the life. Log home plans can be found through online home plan databases too, so, even if you weren’t able to come up with the perfect log home plans in your head – someone else can for you!  Don’t sell your dreams short – think big and then make it happen.

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It is a little-known fact that the air inside your house is dirtier than the air outside it. No matter what you do – how many windows you open or whatever – this will always be the case. This is true simply because of the amount of hiding places that your house has for dust and other particles, while at the same time having a limited amount of escape routes for the particles.
To go some way towards alleviating this problem, you might want to consider getting an air purifier. This will be especially useful to you if you have allergies or asthma that can be aggravated by dust or other particles such as pollen, as an air purifier can remove most of them from the air for you. If you smoke, you should definitely consider an air purifier, as otherwise all the pollutants in the smoke will build up in your house’s air over time, making it very unpleasant to breathe your indoor air.
Air purifiers come in all sorts of different types, each working in different ways. The most popular filter is a kind of fibre mat that goes inside a frame or housing, and can quickly remove 99.97% of pollutants from the air – this is known as a high efficiency particulate absorbing filter. However, these highly effective air purifiers can be expensive, especially as they need to be replaced quite often at a high cost each time.
If you just want your air to be cleaner, but not necessarily completely purified, you might consider a cheaper filter, or an air cleaner or air filter, all of which are terms used to describe cheap air purifiers. These devices may only remove 99% of particles from the air, but for most users, that will be enough. It is worth giving a cheaper filter a try first before you go all-out and buy the most expensive one, as you might be buying far more than you really need.

 

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Use of solar energy is becoming more and more popular every day. The price of electricity is rising and the best alternative that we have today is using solar energy. We all know that global warming is on an everyday rise today. The main reason for this being burning of fossil fuels like coal, which in turn is being used to produce electricity, so if we want our future to be safe, this is the time we step forward and start using solar technology.

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Arguments that have constantly supported that electricity is of utmost importance and needs to remain are: Continue reading →