We are excited to announce the winner of the 2010 House Plan Gallery Client “Success Story” contest…

The winner’s of the $750.00 in cash prizes are Ken & Beverly Smith of Lascassas, Tennessee who built the very popular HPG-2369-1: Easton Ridge house plan, which is a beautiful 2,369 square foot home design with 3 spacious bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths… all contained within the a very popular French country Architectural style…

In their own words:

It was a wonderful experience and we would heartily recommend your company and home plans to anyone out there!

Our story is one that is 20 years in the making. We relocated to Tennessee and purchased our first home which was approximately 1300 sq. feet. While this was adequate for my wife and I, we knew that eventually we would want to build something to suit our particular needs and lifestyle. Over the years, we put together lists of likes and dislikes. We also spent a lot of time touring homes, looking at house plan magazines and online sites, as well as studying local housing designs and trends.

When considering house plans and designs, we always kept in mind our needs as a growing/changing family. Our first home was a cookie-cutter, two story, Cape Cod style, with the master on the first floor and the others on the second floor. We quickly realized the inconvenience and safety concerns of this design after our first child was born. When we had our second child, our desire to find a more family-friendly house plan became our number one priority.

Fortunately for us, the House Plan Gallery website was one of the first sites we accessed. We found the website extremely easy to use and the search options gave us the opportunity to look for the specific features we were hoping to find. We found that with HPG-2369-1!

This particular house plan offered one-level living with zoned bedrooms which provided optimal living for our diverse schedules. We were very impressed with each room’s square footage. The extra bedrooms have ample living and closet space.

The master suite is a wonderful retreat since it is located away from the primary living area of the home. The master bathroom is extremely spacious with a jetted tub and walk-in tiled shower. There are his and her separate vanities offering much storage and counter space. Additionally, the two separate walk-in closets provide all of the storage and hanging room anyone would ever need.

The kitchen was wide enough for an island which was one of our most sought after features. It is now the hub of our kitchen and allows us to maneuver easily when preparing meals and cleaning up. The corner pantry is conveniently located and large enough to store all of our food items and then some!

Because of the kitchen’s ample space, we were able to install both a gas cook-top and double electric wall ovens. The laundry room with utility sink is an area that definitely suits our needs.

With the inclusion of a large bonus room, our family is able to utilize the space for many things. It is truly a multi-purpose room. It is where our children store and play with most of their toys. There is also a built-in area for a projector television screen that we can use to watch movies and sporting events.

Off of the bonus room, we were able to add an additional room that can be utilized for many different things. This house’s layout is very fluid which allows you to easily and efficiently flow from one room to the next. The interior is wonderfully bathed in natural light from the many large windows situated in optimal areas around the house.

While the interior of this home is fantastic in and of itself, it wasn’t the only reason we went with this particular house plan. The exterior of the home is exactly the style we were drawn to. The French Country architectural style is very appealing and this house holds true to those characteristics. The roof pitches, gables, dormers, and arched entryway aesthetically accentuate the French Countryside look.

We also selected brick, soffit, gutters/downspouts, doors, and shutters in colors and styles that compliment the house’s design. We definitely achieved the look and feel we were dreaming of inside and outside our home.

We love everything about this house plan! Some of our favorite features include: every square foot is utilized efficiently (no wasted space); one-level living with zoned bedrooms; an abundance of storage; eat-in kitchen large enough to accommodate a center island; and charming architecture.

Thank you so much House Plan Gallery for providing this house plan that so fully met our needs. We also would like to compliment you on the customer service you provided to us on the purchasing of our plan. It was a wonderful experience and we would heartily recommend your company and home plans to anyone out there.

Ken Smith
Lascassas, Tennessee

Here is their walkthrough video:

Here are a few of their photos:

Please join me with congratulating Ken and his family!

Award-Winning Home Design - HPG-2510B-1 - The Windsor House

You may have always heard the old adage that “first impressions” are the ones that count most – and this is all too true when it comes to curb appeal and your home.  

If you are having new home floor plans designed, or revamping your existing home (perhaps to put it on the market), then you must add some curb appeal in order to make your home a stand out in the neighborhood. Landscaping choices can go a long way towards adding curb appeal – which means that lawn maintenance and lawn care has taken on a whole new importance.

Curb Appeal Tip: Go For a Healthy Lawn

Just like a bright smile is a sign of health, a beautiful, healthy, green lawn that is lush and full, yet manicured, is a sign of a well-kept home.  Whip your lawn into shape by using fertilizer, weed eliminator, and good techniques with edging to add maximum curb appeal.

Curb Appeal Tip:  Choose Contrasting Plants

The plants around your lawn can make or break the appearance of your Country style house plans, and give it an inviting look.  Choose plants that contrast with the mulch you are using for maximum visual impact; as an example, if your plants are dark and rich, then choose light mulch and dark mulch for light colored plants.

Curb Appeal Tip: Choose Plants by Foliage, Not Flowers

While flowers are beautiful and can add some nice curb appeal, they don’t last very long. To get the most for your money, choose plants and landscaping that have beautiful, dark foliage instead.

Curb Appeal Tip: Keep it Manicured

When we want to make a good impression, we make sure our appearances are manicured.  The same is true for your lawn.  Mow it, trim it, edge it, and clip it – including your lawn, trees and plants – to get the most curb appeal.

Curb Appeal: Don’t Go Over the Top

Keep your landscaping simple and clean, don’t overdo it.  One of the obvious disadvantages to “too much” landscaping is that it is harder to maintain properly.  Likewise, it creates visual clutter that may detract from your home.  You want your home and your property to be inviting, but too much landscaping can actually be intimidating – especially if you’re trying to sell your house.  Who wants to trim two acres of hedge? That might be an exaggeration, but never do more landscaping than you are comfortable with maintaining regularly.

Curb Appeal: Other Exterior Concerns

Besides your landscaping, there are other concerns for the outside of your traditional home design that you should take into consideration when it comes to adding curb appeal.  Obviously, you want a great walk way to the front exterior.  Make sure the walk way is uncluttered and laid out well.  The driveway to the home should be in excellent shape (no “pot” holes or cracks).  The exterior lighting should be clean and in good working order as well.

When you take these considerations and put them into action, you’ll find that enhancing your home’s curb appeal is easier than ever.

CLICK HERE to shop online for your family’s new house plans!

Hope you’re having a great day so far… In our continuing series of home plan walkthrough videos, we wanted to let you know that we’ve just added the THIRD video in this series for the best-selling Traditional / European house plan HPG-20002-1, which includes 2,000 square feet of living space in a 3 bedrooms / 2.5 bath layout, and you can view the video at:

http://www.houseplangallery.com/index_files/house-plans-prod_detail.php?planid=HPG-20002-1

Hopefully, this type video will give you a very good idea of the layout, sizing, and flow of the home and will be helpful for you.

Also, remember that modifications are available for any of our plans, and we’d be glad to provide you with a no-obligation, free quote on any changes that you might want. Just give us a call at 601-264-5028, and we’ll be glad to help!

Thanks again and have a blessed day,

Mark

Good afternoon, and thanks for all your feedback on our first floorplan walkthrough video of plan HPG-1752-1.

We’ve just added the second video in this series for the best-selling Craftsman home plan HPG-2067-1, which includes 2,067 square feet of living space in a 3 bedrooms / 2.5 bath layout, and you can view the video at:

http://www.houseplangallery.com/index_files/house-plans-prod_detail.php?planid=HPG-2067-1

Hope this is valuable, and please let us know if we can be of any help..

Thanks again and have a blessed day,

Mark

Hope you’re having a good one today.. We wanted to let you know that we’ve just posted the first of a series of floor plan walkthrough videos, where we actually go through the floorplans of a particular home and provide commentary on specific features, common modifications, opportunities for future expansion, etc.

This first video that we’ve completed is the very popular HPG-1752-1, which includes 1,751 square feet of living space and 3 bedrooms / 2 baths, and you can view the video at:

http://www.houseplangallery.com/index_files/house-plans-prod_detail.php?planid=HPG-1752-1

Hopefully, this type video will give you a very good idea of the layout, sizing, and flow of the home and will be helpful for you.

Also, remember that modifications are available for any of our plans, and we’d be glad to provide you with a no-obligation, free quote on any changes that you might want. Just give us a call at 601-264-5028, and we’ll be glad to help!

Thanks again and have a blessed day,

Mark