We provide information on house plans, garage plans, home plans and floor plans.
I would like to give you some helpful information about finding your dream home. Building a new home is probably the most expensive investment you’ll ever make. I want to make sure I give you as much information as possible.
General House Plans Selection Tips
Firstly, we have a lot of search features on our main home plans page where you can specify if you are looking for single family homes or garage plans, duplex, etc or you can search by square footage (sf).
To narrow down your home plan search, you will need to indicate if you are looking for one (1) bedroom, two (2) bedroom, three (3) bedroom, etc.
You should also indicate whether you want one, two or three bathrooms.
Another specification is the maximum and minimum width and depth that you require.
You will need to check your county’s building requirements to see what size the house can be for the size of lot you have.
Once you know these requirements you can choose a house plan, garage plan or multifamily plan that you like.
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Budgeting for Your New House
Another very important factor is your budget. Your budget will usually determine the size of house you can build.
In most areas there is a cost per square metre for building. This can be used as a guide. It is a good idea to check with a few builders or contractors to see what their fees are.
Another option is to build yourself, which will save you a lot of money. Being an owner/builder may not be an option if you are building your new home in a subdivision.
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Choosing the Right Foundation for Your New Home
The type of foundation is another thing to think about. A basement will give you a lot of extra space in your home. Some house plans have basements built in, others allow you to add them as an option.
You cannot build a house with a basement in most states, such as Florida. You will have to build a slab foundation, a crawl space foundation or build the house on pilings (beach & holiday home plans).Â
Slab foundations and crawl space foundations are the 2 most common types of foundations used. A slab foundation is generally a poured concrete slab, some are called monolithic slabs.
A crawlspace foundation is when the house is built off the ground, usually with concrete blocks and a floor joist system.
Homes built by the sea or near water where flooding, hurricanes and storms may be an issue are usually built on piles. Talk to your new home builder to find out what type of foundation is best for your home design.
Exterior Finishes on Your New Home Plans
There are also many types of exterior finishes that you can use on your new home.
Some types of exterior finishes are cedar, aluminium, stucco, shake, brick, vinyl, hardyboard, shell dash and many other types of siding. The climate you live in will probably help determine the type of siding you choose.
The climate will also help you decide what type of framing to use. 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 timber framing and concrete block are the most common.
Other natural conditions that may require you to use special types of framing or construction are earthquakes and snow loads. This can also add to your cost to build your home floor plans.
Choosing the right size and style of house floor plans
You can build a house that is one storey, two storey, three storey and sometimes even higher (or 1 1/2 storeys).
If you have waterfront or oceanfront, you may want to build a home that is at least two or three stories to maximise your views.Â
This is also a good time to choose a house with lots of porches, decks or balconies.Â
Porches, decks and balconies also add a lot of useful square footage (s.f.) to your home. They can also make your home feel bigger.
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Your floor plan interior considerations
If you do not cook or entertain much at home, you may want to choose a home with larger living areas and a smaller kitchen.
Some of our floor plans have very elaborate kitchens with wonderful islands and eat-in bar tops. You can design your kitchen to suit your needs when you build your home.
The number of bedrooms in your home is also important. We have plans with 1 bedroom, 2 bedrooms, 3 bedrooms, 4 bedrooms, 5 bedrooms and more.
You may also want a guest suite. Many people now work from home, so extra work space can always be used. Finding the right house plan with just the right layout can make all the difference if you need a lot of square footage in your new home but it is not in your budget.Â
