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Archive for the ‘House-Plans’ Category

What are in House Plans?

House plans contain a number of elements needed for the construction workers and others to know exactly how the house is going to be built. There will also be a section that cuts through the building and explains certain points in more detail. The position of the section will be included on the floor plan. A section will show the type of ceiling, its height, the window measurements and type and the measurements of the doors. There will be a site plan that shows the house in context with the site it is to be built on. It is an overhead view that contains boundaries, driveway and footpath location, and the location of utilities.

A floor plan is also included and this will show the exact size and location of all the rooms. Other house plan drawings are called elevations. These detail the exterior architectural style of the home and show the measurements of roof pitches and ridge height in relation to the fall of the land for both the front, rear and both sides. Doors and windows are positioned and details such as the position of built-ins are included. Wall height and width and electrical fixtures are also in the floor plan.

Other house plan drawings are called elevations. These detail the exterior architectural style of the home and show the measurements of roof pitches and ridge height in relation to the fall of the land for both the front, rear and both sides.

There will also be a section that cuts through the building and explains certain points in more detail. The position of the section will be included on the floor plan. A section will show the type of ceiling, its height, the window measurements and type and the measurements of the doors.

Obtaining A Building Permit For Your House Plans

Most house plans include everything you need to build your home; however, additional items may be needed to obtain a building permit. You will need a site plan which shows the location of your house on the property, the property line, and the setbacks. Other items may or may not include a septic tank system design if your lot is not serviced by the city or county sewer system.

Depending on the part of the country you live in, you will need to insure your house plans are in compliance with local codes. Many areas have specific energy codes and/ or special engineering requirements that are to be followed. For instance, the west coast area have strict engineering requirements for areas subject to earthquakes. Areas such as Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and the southeast coast line are areas with high risk of hurricanes requiring special engineering to withstand such risk. North east areas such as New York, New Jersey, Baltimore and surounding areas require houseplans to stamp by a local licensed professional such as an architect or engineer. Building in these areas, will likely require the need to hire a local licensed structural engineer to analyze the house plans and provide additional drawings and calculations required by your building department. If you are unsure as to what is required in you area, check with your building department. They usually have some form of written instructions listing all of the items they require to submit for and obtain a building permit.

You will want to submit your plans and other require documents for a permit as soon as possible so you can begin construction at your scheduled time. Residential permits can take up to 3 months if everything is in order. If it is rejected for any reason this can extend well into your schedule and disrupt the entire building process in the beginning. So be smart and properly plan for the permitting process.

Bird House Plans – Choosing The Right Design

By providing birds with the right bird house design, you are sure to attract the type of bird you want to your property. Different variety of birds will require different styles of shelter. Along with the proper shelter, also be sure to provide clean water and food.

Giving birds shelter will keep them safe from the outside temperature. By building a safe haven the birds will be able to nest, and be safe from predators.

Before you begin building, research the variety of birds known to migrate to your area. Be aware of the bird house size and location that will meet the birds need.

Once you are aware of the types of bird in your area, you can look for bird house plans that will meet their needs. The most common wood used for building bird houses is cedar. Cedar makes an excellent material to use, it doesn’t need to be treated, stained, or painted. Always try to avoid painting, especially around the entrance hole.

Drill the proper entrance hole. It is important to know the size of the entrance hole for the birds you are attracting. Researching online for information on birds is a great place to start. Another good place for information is your local library.

Adding a perch to the bird house is not a good idea. Having a perch will give predator birds a place to wait for the bird to come out. This can result in the bird becoming trapped inside, with fear.

It is important to place the bird house in a good location. When choosing a location, keep in mind how weather and predators such as cats will affect your new guest. Choose a place where there is not to much human activity. Make sure you will be able to see and enjoy the bird house from the location you have chosen. The height should be around three to ten feet high. The bird house can be hung on a tree, or mounted to a pole or tree limb.

Provide food for the birds, especially in the winter, food is hard for them to come by. Find out what kind of bird food and treats you will need for the bird variety you are trying to attract. You can experiment by placing different food in different feeders, this should give you an idea what they prefer to eat. Building a basic bird feeder is quite simple. You can find plans online, or by going to a library or bookstore.

Birds are also attracted to water. Water for drinking and bathing is another necessity that birds require. Any shallow container to hold water will do fine. A good location to add water containers is close to the feeders.

Remember to start out by researching the types of birds in your area, so that you can find the right bird house plans. There are many web sites that offer free plans. Also try your library and bookstore for the right plans. Building your own bird house can be a great new hobby, while providing the birds in your area shelter and protection.

Choosing the Right House Plan

Choosing The Right House Plan

Everybody would like to live in a mansion or a sprawling ranch
but there are many factors to consider when choosing a house
plan. There are also a few pitfalls that can be avoided by doing
your homework and making the right choices.

Before you commit to buying a stock or custom house plan, you
should know how much of a house you can afford to build. A good
place to get this information would be the bank that you might
use to get your loan from.

Once you know what your budget is, you can determine how much
house you can afford and pick a house plan that fits that
budget. One way to accomplish this is to call several
homebuilding contractors in your area. Ask them what the
building costs per square foot are. Not all contractors are
willing to volunteer this information, but you will find enough
of them that are willing to help at the prospect of gaining a
customer.

With this information you will be able to determine the square
footage of a house plan you can afford. If your budget is
0,000 and the cost per square foot is 0, then a 2,000
square foot home is in your budget(0,000/0= 2,000).

Another consideration is the size of the lot you intend on
building your home. You don’t want to invest in a blueprint for
a house that won’t fit on your lot. Check with your municipality
or county on the distances you must have between the building
and the lot lines. Most have rules on how much backyard you must
have and how much your house must be set back from the street or
building line.

Some towns and subdivisions also have what are called covenants.
These are rules that dictate what you can and cannot build. Some
of these covenants might include the minimum square footage
house you can build, brick or frame construction, minimum roof
pitch, and types of building materials you are allowed to use.

These are some of the important things you must consider.
Building a new home the biggest investment you’ll ever make.
Doing a little homework will keep you from getting an unwanted
surprise and wasting time and money on a plan you can’t use.

(c) 2005 Mike Merisko www.sawkerfs.com

Important Details You Need to Consider When Choosing Home Plans

Driving by fabulous houses always makes us wish we had our own place some day. When the moment to build your own house finally comes, you will stop at nothing to make sure things turn out perfectly. The most important part of building a dream house is the planning. The home plans represent an accurate reflection of what your house will look like and are indispensable to any construction. Plans also give you a pretty clear idea of how much money you’ll have to spend on materials and other necessary items. Monsterhouseplans.com is proud to offer one of the largest collections of house and floor plans anywhere on the web.

Deciding which house plan is right for your family requires you to take several steps. Probably the most important part of the planning process is deciding on the size of your future home. Before looking at home plans you should know approximately how many square feet you want to build. Next, you need to decide how many floors your house will have and how many rooms will be on each floor. The foundation and the type of roof are also important elements you need to take into consideration. All of these things are essential to establishing an estimated budget for your house. Floor plans with detailed inventories included will be of great help in knowing just how much you’re going to spend on materials.   

The style of your future house is very important – it reveals your personal preferences and creates a comfortable environment for you and your family. Furthermore, once you’ve decided on a particular style, the search for the perfect home plans will be greatly narrowed. Luckily, there are many interesting styles out there; from classical European home plans, to modern contemporary home plans. If you’re building a vacation home, style is a key element. These days, cottage, beach house and French country house plans are very popular. Monsterhouseplans.com also offers a wide selection of detailed floor plans, including farm floor plans, beach floor plans, log floor plans, waterfront floor plans and northwest floor plans.

Once all of the topography issues are out of the way you will have to deal with a number of other important details. For instance, if you live in a torrid climate, you need to carefully plan the orientation of your windows. Large windows orientated towards the east or west will provide a lot of heat and you might need air conditioning in those rooms. On the other hand, if you’re dream house will be situated in a cold climate area, southern windows are a blessing and northern windows are to be limited. If your home plans include an art studio, make sure it’s situated to the north where there isn’t any harsh and direct light. It’s also a good idea to place your office or workshop on the northern side.

Building a new home takes a lot of time, energy and financial resources. If you want a smooth building process you need to have a professional house plan. The house plan will give you a clear picture of your future house and a relatively accurate estimate of the costs involved. Furthermore, planning ahead and with great care is a sure way of avoiding unpleasant surprises. At monsterhouseplans.com you can browse through a great variety of classic and modern house and floor plans.

House Plans Cost Per Square Foot Myth

The first thing most people think about when building a new home is the cost. You may have seen a cost per square foot calculator of some sort on a few house plan broker sites and home designer websites showing you the averages of building a particular home in the south, north, east, and west coast. Unfortunately, the cost per square foot method (CPSFM) tends to mislead unaware homebuyers. When calculating square foot cost of say a 2,000 square foot home, you are able to compare the numbers on home builders who use this method to quote you a price to build. As you will find, the estimates can be very different.

Here are several reasons why the CPSFM is ineffective:

(1) Home styles – A country house plan with wood siding and a traditional house plan with brick at the same square footage would not cost the same to build.

(2) Home type – One story house plans and two story house plans of the same square footage would not cost the same to build.

(3) Specifications – This is the true tale of why the CPSFM is unreliable. Take a 2,400 square foot house plan for example. Two different home owners, one who wants an all brick home with stainless steel appliances and plumbing fixtures, hardwood and marble floors, custom cabinets, and granite counter tops. The other homeowner would prefer only a brick front and siding on the sides and rear, the economy line appliances, chrome plumbing fixtures, carpet flooring, stock cabinets, and laminate counter tops. The difference in price would be several thousands of dollars.

As a rule, you should not rely on the CPSFM. The most effective way to narrow down the cost of building a home is to have your builder prepare a bid with a complete estimate done based on take-offs. Take-offs is a process by which homebuilders would disassemble a house plan (1 set of house plans such as a study set) and calculate the cost of seperate components of the entire home. Seperate components includes every item used in building the home. Some examples are lumber, concrete, masonry, windows, doors, appliances, drywall, finishes, mechanical and electrical systems. There is much more but these are a few of the items that would be included in a take-off.

Performing a take-off estimate is a lengthy task that can take a week or two depending on the builder. Some builders do it the old fashion way using a calculator, pencil, and paper. However, more builders are using computer software designed for take-off calculations in order to cut there bidding time in half, improve price accuracy, and present you with an easy to read cost breakdown of building your home.

American Country House Plan | Americana Decor From Wall To Wall

The American country house plan is a fairly modern term used to express a variety of different elemental structural or design themes which give rise to the feel of years gone by. The charm of a country home can be as simple as a summer cottage or as formal and elegant as a multi-story, columned estate.

A smaller American country house plan can feature a stucco exterior with stone and shingles to create the cozy warmth of a cottage. Add a series of hip roofs, a central fireplace and brick facade to lend an English elegance to the home. A glass or screened in sun room would be an impressive addition.

For the larger American country house plan, some inclusions to be considered are a walkout basement foundation, open living spaces with the main entry giving way directly into the great room, or a secluded master suite with a terrace and a spa. Matchstick details and horizontal siding give a more sophisticated country flavor and don’t forget to add a fireplace to the great room.

You can also add a country flavor to a ranch house with just a few well placed details such as dormer windows, a tray ceiling, central fireplace and enclosed sun room. The feel of a country manor estate can be captured with a drive court leading to private parking in a multi-car garage and separate guest house. Internal elements such as angled walls and sculptured ceilings can also add to the impression of an affluent country barron’s home.

Many home styles can be turned into a country house floor plan as long as you pay attention to the architectural design. From shutters and planter boxes, to ornate woodworking and sweeping verandas, deciding what architectural and design elements give your family the country feeling is the most important factor in planning your American country house plan.

I Have Found My Dream House Plan; What Next?

You have spent dozens of hours combing through websites like houseplancentral.com to find that exact plan for your future dream home. It has everything. The bedrooms are the right size; the kitchen is perfect; the layout superb; and the garage is….well, you would like to modify the garage a little. This is what happens with many house plan buyers. It is difficult to find that exact plan even with such a large selection to choose from. On most house plan websites, you can request a quote for a modification, but the process is typically a little obtuse. Houseplancentral.com has introduced a new tool that allows you to easily communicate your modification request as well as get feedback and pricing from the architect. This is the most cost-effective and professional way of modifying your ideal house plan. Many buyers do not know that it is illegal to take ideas from a plan you find online to an architect to have them create a plan, but it is very illegal.

Now that you have found your dream plan and have had it modified to fit your exact needs, you need to order blueprints. 99% of builders will require at least 5 sets of prints when they are building a plan. If you purchase only one print, chances are you will have to come back and purchase more. The incremental cost to purchase 5 or 8 sets is not substantial, so I recommend at least purchasing 5. There are other options as well. You can buy reproducible sets or CAD files. When you purchase a finite number of plans, you will not be able to reprint those. They are clearly stamped Do Not Copy. Kinkos or other printing stores will not print from these. If you buy reproducible or CAD files, you are able to print from those. Houseplancentral.com also offers PDF files on some of the plans that we carry. This is a new option that provides additional flexibility.

After you checkout and buy your plan, you can then take it to a builder to get building cost estimates. I recommend that you take the plan to at least 3 builders to get cost estimates.

Kevin Carden

HousePlanCentral.com

What Should I Ask Before Deciding On A Home Plan?

If you decide to get a home plan, there are certain questions you need to ask. Make sure that everything is clear before you make your purchase.

You should know all of the following before deciding on a home plan:

1. Do the plans or blueprints include the electrical and the plumbing? – The rough plumbing should be included in the plans. It should have a detailed presentation of the pipes and where they come into the house. The electrical lightings and outlets should be included.

2. How will I customize my plans? If you want to customize your plans, you can buy a reproducible master copy printed on erasable paper. This erasable paper will allow you to make changes. You can ask your local draftsman or engineer to make changes for the plan and layout. This will also allow you to reproduce copies of the plan after the changes have been made. Customizing your plan is often necessary to make your plan perfect for your individual tastes.

3. What are the things included in the blueprints? – Of course a blueprint should be well detailed. It should include:

a. Foundation plan – a foundation plan shows how the foundations are built. This is where the thickness of the foundation walls are emphasized including the spacing, floor joint sizes, column locations, furnace, water and heater locations, plumbing, windows, doors and other miscellaneous details that are related to the basement and foundation.

b. Coversheet – a coversheet is a representation of the house when it is built. A coversheet may not be compulsory for a home plan but it would be better if it is presented. The purpose of a coversheet is to give the owner a perspective of how the home will look after it has been constructed. This may contain the front, top, rear and side view of the house. This is important so that the owner can give suggestions.

c. Floor plans- the floor plans indicate the construction and layout of each part or floor of the house. The ones naturally included are wall sizes, room dimensions, plumbing and electrical locations, doors, windows, flooring and the structural information and the special conditions related to the floor plan.

d. Elevations- this is a representation of the exterior of the house, its size, shape of the doors and windows, size of the trim, the dimensions and the height, the depth of the foundation, shingle types and moldings, replacement of materials, the pitch of the roof, and the gutters and downspouts.

4. Are the blueprints signed and approved by the architect? – This is very important to ensure that an architect has reviewed the blueprint and it has passed all the requirements of a home plan. You can also ask about the background of the architect who signed your home plan.
These questions are essential in choosing a home plan. Take the time to get the answers, this is your home after all.

Why Stock Home Plans Are Perfect For Your Dream Home

Stock home plans are perfect for your dream home because they save you time and money. Also, you may prefer to look at homes while not under the watchful eyes of a real estate agent. Home plans are a great way to look at homes without any sales pressure. There are a lot of resources for home plans and a good place to start is on the Internet.

Stock home plans have a lot of advantages. They allow you to determine the price range. If you have been planning on building a house for a long time, you probably already have a budget and now is the perfect time to research that budget to see what you can get for the money. Keeping within your budget is important at this stage. You don’t want a large mortgage later.

You can look for the best locations in all 50 states. You can even make a specific research for the exact address and state of your choice. Your search can be by region, city, neighborhood, and ZIP code.

You can decide on the property category and the age of the home. For example, you will be asked what type of house you want. It could be a condominium, single-family, multi-family, or co-op. It’s up to up to you to decide whether you want a new house or an older house.

You can decide on the size and number of rooms. The number of rooms will depend on the size of your family. If your family is big, you will need more rooms, and if your family is small, you can minimize it. You can also choose the area on a square-foot basis.

You can also determine additional features that you want in your dream home such as fireplaces, swimming pool, a second-story, or even a waterfront view. You can personalize your home the way you want.

Home plans are easy to find. You can visit Internet sites that offer listings like http://Realtors.com. This is the site of the National Association of Realtors and it includes specific agents and brokerages in the area you are searching.

You can look at the expanded information and photographs to get a better perspective of the homes that you like. This will give you a brief introduction to the house so that you can decide whether you like it or not.

You can call the agent once you see the ideal home that suits your criteria. If you have further questions, you can ask for information such as the history and photographs of the home.

After you have decided that you want the home plan, you can set up an appointment with your agent and tell him that you are interested. These reasons are just perfect for you to choose a home plan for your dream home.