In this episode of the HousePlanGallery.com podcast, we’ll be talking about flexible floorplan design in house plans and this episode includes excerpts from an interview that we did with Home Ideas magazine a few months ago. In the interview, we talked about flexible home living spaces and the current trends are in using more flexible floorplan layouts in residential home design.

What follows in this audio are the questions from the reporter, and my responses…

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 any of our house plans, and we’ll be glad to help….

Question 1 – When you design a new craftsman house floor plans home how important is it to design a floor plan that allows the homeowner to choose how they use the spaces provided?

Its extremely important, and one of our primary considerations on every new home plans we design. Since our homes are typically in the 1400 to 2500 sq ft range, we want to make sure that the home can fit the needs of a growing or changing family, and to make sure to minimize wasted space in the floorplan.

In addition, we want to make sure that the simple house floor plans home fits the needs of, not only a family, but also retirees, empty nesters, or just single individuals in a way that makes sense for them…

In homes of this size, every square inch of the living space is needed and we’ve always tried to provide a very flexible floorplan layout where the usages of the spaces can evolve to meet the current and future needs of the homeowners…

Question 2 – How important is it for the house plan to be flexible enough that the homeowner can make changes as their life changes i.e children, empty-nest, office space, additional bedrooms (in-laws) etc.

Very important. Over time, every person’s life changes and every family’s needs change. We realize that, and thats why, in our designs, we try to minimize the “labeling” of different living spaces to a particular usage, at least where possible.

For example, in the past, we might have labeled a room off the great room as a “dining room”, and even though that room could certainly be used for that purpose, we’ve found that labeling that room in that manner is actually a turn off to many younger homebuyers.. Dining rooms are not important for many of our buyers, which are many times younger families with children, so they would much rather use the space as a kids playroom or a home office, for example.

For whatever reason, when we label that room as a dining room on the floorplan presentation, many people seem to get that usage stuck in their mind and sometimes its difficult to get that specific “dining room” usage out of their mind so they might automatically discount the house plan and move on…

What we try to do, to better illustrate the versatility of the space, is to label that type of space as a “flex space” which then implies that the space’s usage can be whatever the homeowner wants it to be… and then they can also change its usage over time…

Question 3 – Is it pretty standard to include a bonus room in a house plan?

We think it SHOULD be, however its not for many designers… We know that, especially if you have a smaller home design with a roof design that can easily allow for the inclusion of this space…typically over the garage area, we always try to include this feature because its a HUGE value-add for the homeowner.

As I had noted earlier, the majority of our designs are in the 1400 to 2500 sq ft range so having a bonus room space as an option, is a tremendous selling point for a plan.

Its a great way to get alot more space in a home for very little additional cost…

If the homeowner’s budget is tight, then they might choose to just build the stair portion up to the bonus area, and that could just be used as a convenient way to access the attic area until a time when they actually wanted to build out the space..

At the point where they want to build out the space, all they would have to do is finish out the walls, ceiling, and floors of bonus room, which is a fairly simple and inexpensive process (esp when compared to doing an addition), and they could just continue using the existing stairs…

They then have, typically, between 200 and 500 additional square feet that they can use for a kids playroom, another bedroom/bath, a large home office or anything else…

Probably 90% of our home designs include bonus room spaces, whether included or optional, and we find that probably 70% of our customers go ahead and build out these spaces initially, because its not really that much more money to do in the beginning while your building the rest of the house…

Question 4 – Most popular flexible spaces are?

Probably home offices are #1, then kids’ playrooms, then guest bedroom spaces, then dining rooms.

Question 5 – How challenging is it to design a small home that still offers flexibility?
It can be very challenging.. Again, when you’re talking about plans in the 1400 to 2500 sq ft range, every square inch counts so you want to make sure that you first have all the essentials like a large great room and kitchen, an eating area off the kitchen, plenty of storage, large closets, comfortable bedrooms, a utility room and pantry, etc.

At the same time, you need to take into consideration all the “other” spaces that might be good options for identifying as a flexible space..

Some good examples of flexible spaces in a smaller home are bonus rooms, rooms off the great room, multiple large closets in a master bedroom where one might be sufficient, sitting room areas that might be better used as storage / home office / etc.

Its definately challenging to provide high levels of flexibility in a small footprint, but we think we’ve found the balance in our floorplans…

Question 6 – Outdoor Flexible Spaces…Is there a trend to including outdoor living spaces to house plans?

For the size homes that we typically design, outdoor flexible spaces are not typically a primary consideration of our buyers.. We always include a comfortable outdoor living space which might be a large covered porch, and/or might include a large screened in porch or patio, and thats what our primary customer is looking for…

And thats basically, a simple, inexpensive design that provides them with everything they need to comfortably spend time outdoors with their family…

I would recommend your customers check out our house plans: the HPG-20002-1, the HPG-2067-1, the HPG-1752-1, and the HPG-2200C-1 house plan for examples of some of our most popular flexible home designs.

Thanks for listening to this week’s podcast. Join us for next week’s episode, where we talk about even more house plan buying tips & tricks.

And as always, we’re here to help you every step of the way to find that dream house plan for your family. 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.

Thanks again, and let us know if we can help!

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.

Again, you can view this plan online at http://www.houseplangallery.com/HPG-2200C-1

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.

Thanks again, and let us know if we can help!

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.

Again, you can view this plan online at http://www.houseplangallery.com/HPG-1752-1

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.

Thanks again, and let us know if we can help!

In this episode of the HousePlanGallery.com podcast, we’ll be answering another one of our most popular customer questions and thats “Do Stock House Plans Include Everything that I need to build in the state of “INSERT HERE”?

We understand that when you begin looking for traditional house floor plans on the Internet and in plan books, the process can seem a little confusing and unclear… Especially when you’re looking to build the home in a part of the United States with very localized building codes and requirements.

We want to help you understand, exactly, whats included in a stock plan, and what items you’ll need to check with your local building offices to confirm what other details, if any, are needed to actually get a permit to build in your local area…

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….

One question that we receive, almost every day, is whether the new house floor plans package for plan 12345 contains everything that a person would need to build the home in the state of “INSERT STATE/LOCATION HERE”… As such, we wanted to provide some additional information to clarify the subject.

In most areas of the country, House Plan Gallery top house floorplan will be everything you need to build, but not necessarily everything you need to obtain a building permit.

In addition to the house plans you order, you may also need a site plan that shows where the house is going to be located on the property. You might also need beams sized to accommodate roof loads specific to your region. Your home builder can usually help you with this. You may also need a septic design unless your lot is served by a sanitary sewer system. Many areas now have area-specific energy codes that also have to be followed. This normally involves filling out a simple form providing documentation that your house plans are in compliance.

Additionally, in some regions of the US, there is a second step you will need to take to insure your house plans are in compliance with local codes. For example, some areas of North America have very strict engineering requirements. Examples of this would be earthquake-prone areas of California and the Pacific Coast, hurricane risk areas of the Florida, Gulf & Carolina Coasts. New York, New Jersey, Nevada, and even parts of Illinois require review by a local architect and/or engineer.

If you are building in these areas, it is most likely you will need to hire a state licensed structural engineer to analyze the design and provide additional drawings and calculations required by your building department. If you aren’t sure, building departments typically have a handout they will give you listing all of the items they require to submit for and obtain a building permit.

Additionally, stock plans do not have a professional stamp attached. If your building department requires one, they will only accept a stamp from a professional licensed in the state where you plan to build. In this case, you will need to take your house plans to a local engineer or architect for review and stamping. In addition, plans which are used to construct homes in Nevada are required to be drawn by a licensed Nevada architect.

It is always a good idea to check with your local city, municipality, and state building authorities to ensure that your home construction will meet all applicable building codes.

Keep in mind that, even though you may need to obtain a few additional small items to obtain your building permit, you’re still going to save thousands of dollars by purchasing a high-quality stock house plan from a reputable designer like House Plan Gallery, when compared to the cost of having a fully custom set of plans developed.

Stock house plans offer a tremendous value over custom home plans, and if you ever have questions about the house plna buying process, we’re always just a phone call away…

Finally, 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 Wilson Creek – at http://www.houseplangallery.com/HPG-1509B-1

This attractive craftsman style home design has become very popular with our customers and has some great floorplan and design features in 1,509 square feet of living space.

Again, you can view this plan online at http://www.houseplangallery.com/HPG-1509B-1

Thanks for listening to this week’s podcast. Join us for next week’s episode, where we’ll be talking about some tips for being “green” and eco-friendly when buying your new 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.

Thanks again, and let us know if we can help!