In this episode of the HousePlanGallery.com podcast, we’ll be answering one of our most popular customer questions and thats “What House Plan Package Do I Really Need to build MY house”?
Since each designer can offer a variety of different ways to buy their house plans, we understand that it can become confusing to a new person shopping for country house floor plans.
We want to take the mystery out of the process and explain exactly what each plan package is… and is not, and give you some guidelines to help you choose which new home plans option makes the most sense for your families’ needs.
As always, you can just give us a call at 601-264-5028 or send us an email via our contact page if you ever have a question about anything you see on the site, and we’ll be glad to help….
For every small house floor plans that you find on HousePlanGallery.com (or any other site), you’ll have several different “plan packages” that are available to you to purchase for a given plan. These include a single set, traditional set, a Reproducible set, a CAD file set, and the popular PDF file set.
Although not all designers offer every type of plan package, every house plan that you purchase from our site is complete and has all the information you need to build your dream home. Now lets go through a breakdown of exactly whats included in each package:
Single Set – The single set package includes 1 full set of printed blueprints, and it can be used by you for obtaining bids. This is NOT a construction set of house plans, and although this package includes a complete set of construction documents, each page in this package is stamped “Not for Construction” and does not include a license to build the home. Additionally, this package does not allow you to make copies of the blueprints and this package may not be available for all house plans.
Traditional Set – The traditional set is the basic package of drawings you will need to obtain a building permit, secure your financing, and build your home. It includes a specific number (usally 3-10 copies, depending on designer) of complete sets of house plans. Each set has all four exterior views (also called elevations), complete floor plans, a basement or foundation plan, a roof plan, building sections, and all other details necessary to construct your house. This package DOES also come with a single license to build the home.
Reproducible Set – The reproducible set can be purchased if you will need to make minor changes to your house plans, and this is a complete set of the house plan working drawings which is printed on erasable Mylar, sepia, or vellum paper. In addition, you’ll also receive a second copy of the plans on bond paper, to be used for reference purposes by yourself or your local design professional. Additionally, A reproducible set includes single build license, and a release so that you can have a local design professional make any required modifications to the plans. Additionally, you receive a release to make unlimited copies of the modified construction documents to aid in the bidding and building process.
PDF File Set – The pdf file set has become one of our most popular plan packages, and it stands for the Adobe “Portable Document Format” filetype. With this package, you receive an electronic PDF copy of the construction documents which make it an excellent option to purchase when you need your plans very quickly, and will need to make substantial modifications and changes to plan. The PDF file option is very popular, especially when you’ll be working with a local design professional on the plan modifications as it can greatly reduce the time and cost to complete the modifications. Additionallym, the PDF file set includes single build license, and a release so that you can have a local design professional make any required modifications to the plans. Additionally, you receive a release to make unlimited copies of the modified construction documents to aid in the bidding and building process.
The “PDF File” plan package is your best value, and provides many advantages over the Reproducible, 8 Set, 5 Set, and 1 Set packages including:
* Need more copies of the plan? No problem! Simply take the file to any local print shop and have them print out your copies in your desired size. In addition, you will have the copies available for use….THAT DAY!
* Need different size copies for different people? Easy! You can print out an 8 1/2 x 11 set for your office, a 11 x 17 set for your local building officials, a 18 x 24 set for your builder, a 24 x 36 master set for yourself! Unlimited flexibility!
* Need to modify the plan? We’ve got you covered! Simply take the PDF to a local building design professional and they will be able to update your drawings in the same way as if you provided them with a printed “Reproducible” set.
* Need your plans immediately! No need to wait for your plans to ship! We can email you the PDF file, usually the same day!
Finally, we have the CAD File Set – The cad file set stands for “Computer Aided Design”, and is an electronic copy of the construction documents that are best to purchase when you will need to make substantial modifications and changes to plan. The electronic file option is very popular, especially when you’ll be working with a local design professional on the plan modifications as it can greatly reduce the time and cost to complete the modifications. The CAD file set includes single build license, and a release so that you can have a local design professional make any required modifications to the plans. Additionally, you receive a release to make unlimited copies of the modified construction documents to aid in the bidding and building process.
If you’re looking for a recommendation on an Award-winning house plan with a very popular design, you can check out one of our most popular home designs – The Avondale Court – at http://www.houseplangallery.com/HPG-2200C-1
This attractive french country style home design has become very popular with our customers and has some great floorplan and design features, especially considering that the home only includes 2,200 square feet of living space.
Thanks for listening to this week’s podcast. Join us for next week’s episode, where we’ll be talking about “Do Stock House Plans Include Everything that I need to build in the state of “INSERT HERE”?
Finally, we’re always here to help you find a house plan for your family, and you can always feel free to visit us online at http://www.HousePlanGallery.com or give us a call at 601-264-5028 if we can help you with your new house plans.
In this episode of the HousePlanGallery.com podcast, we’ll be talking about what are the most popular home design features that people are looking for in their new house plans.
In part 2 of this 3 part series, we’ll talk about another very important aspect of what makes a particular southern house floor plan design MUCH more popular than another… and that is the much-requested “split floorplan layout”…
Again, before we get started, we’d love to hear your feedback on what features you’d like to see in your new house plans, so be sure to give us a call at 601-264-5028 or contact us via our contact page….
#3: Split-Floorplan Layout – There are two basic types of new house floor plans layouts, which are primarily differentiated through their inherent treatment of the master bedrooms suite vs. other bedrooms vs. public space (i.e. great room, den, kitchen, etc.).
The first type of floorplan layout is a traditional layout whereby the master bedroom/suite is usually located on the same side of the house as the other bedrooms. The logical grouping of the home’s bedroom spaces, within a relatively-contiguous location in the floorplan, lends itself to several different design styles of homes, and may be an alternative for particular groups of home-owners, including families with infants / small children and/or retired couples with little need for multiple bedrooms, who utilize the extra space as a small home office which is conveniently located.
Both the primary advantage and disadvantage of this type of layout relate to the location of the master bedroom vs. other bedrooms. For example, if you prefer more privacy in the master suite OR you have teenage/college children in the house OR (name your specific condition here), the traditional best house plans floorplan layout would probably not be the best choice for you.
Alternatively, the split-floorplan layout addresses the shortcomings of the traditional layout by physically separating the master suite from the other bedrooms, and many times, from the more highly-trafficked public areas such as the kitchen, great room, and eating area. It is this feature that has made the split-floorplan layout increasingly popular with today’s home buyers.
The primary advantages of this type of layout is that of its relative privacy and sound-deadening benefits that such a physical room arrangement can provide. The downside to this floorplan layout can be that it is sometimes a little more difficult to implement in the home design, especially on narrow lots, since certain floorplan spaces and features only lend themselves to positioning in a relatively small number of locations in the home.
For example, a foyer is normally located off the front of the house and the great room is usually (though not always) positioned in the rear center of the house to provide views of the property. The additional bedrooms are usually located in close-proximity to one another since they normally share bathrooms, etc, etc..
The combination of all these type items increase the complexity of developing a solid split-floorplan house plan design that meet all of the livability features of today’s home builder. Regardless of these type items, the split-floorplan layout continues to enjoy exceeding popularity with family’s looking to build a new home.
If you’re looking for a specific example of an Award-winning split floorplan design, you can check out one of our most popular home designs – The Remington – at http://www.houseplangallery.com/HPG-1752-1
This traditional ranch style home has become very popular with our customers and has a tremendous amount of usable space, not to mention including many of the most requested floorplan features in 1,752 square feet of living space.
Thanks for listening to this week’s podcast. Join us for next week’s episode, where we’ll continue into part 3 of our series on the most popular home design features in stock house plans.
Finally, we’re always here to help you find a house plan for your family, and you can always feel free to visit us online at http://www.HousePlanGallery.com or give us a call at 601-264-5028 if we can help you with your new house plans.
In this episode of the HousePlanGallery.com podcast, we’ll be continuing our talk about what are the most popular home design features that people are looking for in their new craftsman house floor plans.
In part 3 of this 3 part series, we’ll wrap this topic up by talking about a very important, though not often talked about, consideration of families when looking for a new house plan, and that is “ease of maintainance”…
Again, before we get started, we’d love to hear your feedback on what features you’d like to see in your new house plans, so be sure to give us a call at 601-264-5028 or send us an email via our contact page…
#4: Ease-of-Maintenance – The relative time constraints of today’s family unit is at an all-time high. Many families now include two full-time working parents, additional outside work commitments, professional commitments, family commitments, and 2.5 children of varying ages. Time is a extremely precious commodity for which home maintenance is ranked right below doing your taxes and going to the dentist for a root canal.
Today’s homeowners want a new home design that is, not only, aesthetically pleasing and functional, but also includes modern building materials and design features that utilize the most current research developments and minimize the amount of maintenance (i.e. cleaning, painting, replacing, etc) needed over time.
One example of these type low-maintenance building materials is hardi board, which is a type of exterior covering similar, in look, to wood siding but made from an extremely durable concrete base. Hardy board/plank is the trade name for one brand of concrete fiber siding, however there are numerous other similar brands.
The product does not rot or deteriorate, and with proper installation and maintenance, appears to last for very long periods of time without deterioration. Additionally, the hardy board siding does need to be painted or re-finished, as any dirt, etc. can simply be washed away with minimal effort.
These type products can help to improve the quality of life of the home owners by minimizing the time and related costs associated with maintaining a home.
The simple house floor plan trends and “most-requested features” listed in this podcast convey the general interests of today’s current stock house plan purchasers. It should be noted that certain parts of the country will include construction practices / demographic profiles / disparate geographical characteristics which is in stark contrast to those same characteristics evident in a different part of the United States.
In these instances, you can be assured that a designer, like House Plan Gallery, has already developed a stock home plan design to fit your needs. A design that provides an excellent value, with all the features, and at a more affordable price than that of a fully-custom set of houseplans.
If you’re looking for a specific example of an Award-winning house plan with a very low ongoing maintainance needs design, you can check out one of our most popular home designs – The Morgan Landing – at http://www.houseplangallery.com/HPG-2067-1
This particular craftsman style home design has become very popular with our customers and has a tremendous amount of usable space, not to mention including many of the most requested floorplan features in 2,067 square feet of living space.
Thanks for listening to this week’s podcast. Join us for next week’s episode, where we’ll be de-mystifying the house plan buying process and will be talking about the different plan packages that are available, and how to decide which plan package is best for your particular needs…
Finally, we’re always here to help you find a house plan for your family, and you can always feel free to visit us online at http://www.HousePlanGallery.com or give us a call at 601-264-5028 if we can help you with your new house plans.
In this episode of the HousePlanGallery.com podcast, we’ll be talking about what are the most popular home design features that people are looking for in their new house plans.
In part 1 of this 3 part series, we’ll talk about two very important aspects of popular home designs – Livability and Floorplan Flexibility…
We’d love to hear your feedback on what features you’d like to see in your new house plans, so be sure to give us a call at 601-264-5028 or send us an email….
One of the most popular questions that people ask when searching for that “perfect” house plan is “What are (currently) the most requested floorplan / home features that people are looking for”"
This particular question is one that is quite difficult to answer, in absolute terms, since each person/family can be in a completely different stage of life (senior vs. younger, families vs. individuals, etc), can have different livability needs, and can have incredibly diverse tastes in home style, building materials, etc.
As such, I”ll try to provide you with several general trends, as they are, for today’s current crop of stock home plans.
#1: Livability – The first key feature is that of Livability. Today’s home buyer/builder wants a home plans that fits the way that they conduct their daily lives. For many younger families, that can mean a re-purposing of a formal dining room into a children’s play area or much-needed home office.
Another livability enhancement might be that of incorporating an open floorplan layout that better facilitates the interaction and close relative proximity of the family unit. Large amounts of storage space and large walk-in closets are also a feature that most home buyers are looking for in their next home design.
#2: Floorplan Flexibility – Many of the more progressive stock house plan design firms, like House Plan Gallery, have realized the inherent need of house floor plans flexibility, and have met those needs by including a number of multi-use type spaces in their floorplans, including flex-spaces and bonus rooms.
Generally speaking, a “flex-space” is exactly as its name implies. A flexible-space which can be used for a purpose most needed by the individual / family living in the house at the current time. The room’s function might change over time, due to the family’s current needs, but typical uses include an children’s playroom, home study, extra storage, and/or an extra bathroom.
Conversely, a “bonus room” is usually created (by designer’s intent) due to an inherent feature of the particular house design style. For example, a house with a traditional style might utilize a relatively high-pitched gable over the garage area of the home. The “unused” space created by the gable and the relative location of the “bonus space” in the overall floorplan, can create a usable space that, if appropriately accessible via stairs in the house floor plan layout, can create a extremely useful livable space, which would ordinarily have been included as part of the attic.
This type of space represents a extremely good value in a price per square foot regard, as its relatively inexpensive to additionally build since the core structure of the space has already been built (the floor via the roof of the garage, and the ceiling via the vaulted interior roof of the house).
This traditional country style home has become very popular with our customers and has a tremendous amount of usable space, not to mention including many of the most requested floorplan features.
Thanks for listening to this week’s podcast. Join us for next week’s episode, where we’ll continue into part 2 of our series on the most popular home design features in stock house plans.
Finally, we’re always here to help you find a house plan for your family, and you can always feel free to visit us online at http://www.HousePlanGallery.com or give us a call at 601-264-5028 if we can help you with your new house plans.
How many people have dealt with contractors without getting a signed contract only to bemoan, “I wish I’d got that in writing”? Far too many to count, and you may be among them if you are having work done on your property or having a new home built – without proper contracts in place. A contract is your ace in the hole when it comes to dealing with shady contractors or those that try to tell you one thing and then do another! Even for the most simple home improvement projects, when you hire a general contractor to make the project go along more smoothly, you still need a written agreement with the contractor. Let’s look at some tips to keep your project from turning into a money-pit and what you should do before you hire a general contractor.
Signing on the “Dotted” Line
When hiring your general contractor, find out if he has his own contract, or if you need to draw one up – either way is fine as long as both of you agree to and understand the terms of the contract. If the contractor has his own contract, make certain that you read through the entire contract and that everything in the contract is something that you are willing to say “yes” to; if not, make sure that you go back to the drawing board and have the contract revised before you sign it. The contract between you and your general contractor should cover all of these very important points:
-Spell it out. No matter how minute or unimportant something may seem, you want to make sure that you have spelled everything out for the contractor, including your name and address, the contractor’s name and address, the exact specification of what work is to be completed and so forth. Everyone involved needs to be able to look at the contract and determine that everything is completed at the end of the project so that neither you nor the contractor is surprised. It is completely legal for the contractor to demand more money for work completed that is not within the scope of the original contract, so make sure to spell it out before the work is started so that you don’t end up paying extra.
-Itemize all materials. Your contract should include an itemized list of everything that the contractor plans to use for the project. Do not use phrases that are non-specific of a particular cost or item, such as the phrase ‘of equal value’. This gives your contractor more room to pocket the difference between an item that you plan to pay for and something that may cost less but is considered to be of an equal value. Your contract should state that any substitutions require your prior approval.
-Arrange for milestones. You should outline the milestones for the project, and the date that certain parts of the project should be completed by, along with a payment plan of a certain percentage of the project’s total cost to be paid at the time the milestone is reached. The reason that milestones are so important is very obvious; many contractors will ask for a percentage of money upfront, and you may not hear from them for long periods of time. For this reason, make sure that the contractor understands that work must be completed in a timely fashion to qualify for payments under the milestone plan.
-Penalty section. While not legal in all states, a penalty section is a good idea to protect you against problems that may arise if the work completed is not up to code or to your specifications. You can also include a penalty for late work that is not completed according to the milestone payments plan – but you will need to make some considerations for inclement weather or circumstances beyond the control of the contractor.
-Always triple check your contract before signing it. If possible, have an attorney review contracts for especially large projects, and to make sure that the contract is legally binding in your location.
Award-Winning Traditional House Plan - HPG-1752-1 - The Remington
How many people have dealt with contractors without getting a signed contract only to say later on, “I wish I’d got that in writing”?
Far too many to count, and you may be among them if you are having work done on your property or having a new home built – without proper contracts in place.
A contract is your “ace in the hole” when it comes to dealing with shady contractors or those that try to tell you one thing and then do another!
Even for the most simple home improvement projects, when you hire a general contractor to make the project go along more smoothly, you still need a written agreement with the contractor.
Let’s look at some tips to keep your project from turning into a money-pit and what you should do before you hire a general contractor.
Signing on the “Dotted” Line
When hiring your general contractor to build your new 4 bedroom house plans, find out if he or she have their own contracts, or if you need to draw one up – either way is fine as long as both of you agree to and understand the terms of the contract.
If the contractor has his own contract, make certain that you read through the entire contract and that everything in the contract is something that you are willing to say “yes” to; if not, make sure that you go back to the drawing board and have the contract revised before you sign it. The contract between you and your general contractor should cover all of these very important points:
-Spell it out. No matter how minute or unimportant something may seem, you want to make sure that you have spelled everything out for the contractor, including your name and address, the contractor’s name and address, the exact specification of what work is to be completed and so forth.
Everyone involved needs to be able to look at the contract and determine that everything is completed at the end of the project so that neither you nor the contractor is surprised at the end of the process building your small house plans.
It is completely legal for the contractor to demand more money for work completed that is not within the scope of the original contract, so make sure to spell it out before the work is started so that you don’t end up paying extra.
-Itemize all materials. Your contract should include an itemized list of everything that the contractor plans to use for the project. Do not use phrases that are non-specific of a particular cost or item, such as the phrase ‘of equal value’.
This gives your contractor more room to pocket the difference between an item that you plan to pay for and something that may cost less but is considered to be of an equal value. Your contract should state that any substitutions require your prior approval.
-Arrange for milestones. You should outline the milestones for the project, and the date that certain parts of the project should be completed by, along with a payment plan of a certain percentage of the project’s total cost to be paid at the time the milestone is reached.
The reason that milestones are so important is very obvious; many contractors will ask for a percentage of money upfront, and you may not hear from them for long periods of time. For this reason, make sure that the contractor understands that work must be completed in a timely fashion to qualify for payments under the milestone plan.
-Penalty section. While not legal in all states, a penalty section is a good idea to protect you against problems that may arise if the work completed is not up to code or to your specifications.
You can also include a penalty for late work that is not completed according to the milestone payments plan – but you will need to make some considerations for inclement weather or circumstances beyond the control of the contractor.
-Always triple check your contract before signing it. If possible, have an attorney review contracts for especially large projects, and to make sure that the contract is legally binding in your location.
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