Article by Kirya Duncan

Living in a small house doesn't mean it has to feel small. It also doesn't mean that the house has to look small either. I had a client to tell me that they wanted a ranch house, but wanted it to look like a two-story house. The statement was funny, but I understood what my client was trying to convey to me. Basically, the couple wanted the coziness of a one story home with the look and feel of a two-story home. So how do you go about doing it?

From a design stand point, you would have to manipulate different elements of the exterior and interior of the house plans to achieve this goal. This involves forward thinking of the floor plan layout as well as the style or styles of architecture the designer will employ. Once the desired home style is determined, you can then begin the floor plan concept. The two have to work harmoniously otherwise the design will look awkward.

On the exterior, you have there primary options in which to utilize. You can increase the roof pitch to add more height to the overall building. Anything above a 7:12 roof pitch will present a large girth. The second option is to play with wall heights. Having 10 foot, 12 foot, or 14 foot tall walls can break up the monotony of a single level building quite nicely if done sparingly and in-line with the styles of architecture you are mimicking. The third exterior option is to use tall windows to break up the horizontal lines. By doing so it allow your eyes to travel vertical giving you a sense of height.

The interior of a small house is indirectly affected by what happens on the exterior. You are still afforded several options there as well though. One huge option is ceiling treatments. With one-story house plans there are no rooms above and all you have is attic space. This gives you the opportunity to include tray ceilings or vaulted ceilings giving you more interior height. A second interior option would be to design the house using an open floor plan concept. Minimize the use of non-load bearing walls to let rooms flow more freely. It also allows for more natural light to enter the home too. In conjunction with the second option, the third option includes minimizing the number of rooms in a small house. Nothing makes a home more congested than small, choppy, and dysfunctional rooms. Outside of bedrooms, make your living areas as large as the design will allow and consider making some of the spaces multi-purpose.

Using these techniques, anyone can take a small house and make it look and feel bigger. It all starts with the design of a good set of house plans.

About the Author

Kirya Duncan is a Building Designer who specialize in custom home and stock house plan designs. He is the principal of Design Evolutions Inc., GA (designevolutions.com) which has a collection of home designs that include small home plans and traditional home plans.

Article by Willis Spires

Let me guess, you have purchased or are thinking about purchasing chickens? Your chickens will need a place to live and building your own chicken house is easy and economical. Especially if you have a good set of plans. There are some considerations you should keep in mind when choosing a set of chicken house plans. While not the only things to think about, ventilation, light source, and yard space are three important aspects you should factor into your chicken house.

Make sure your chicken house plans have proper ventilation. This will help to keep your chickens cool in the summer but also allow fresh air in during the winter. Ventilation can come in many forms. You can use metal nail-in vents, windows, or wire mesh. It doesn't matter what kind you use, what matters is that you incorporate it into your chicken house. It is one of major ingredients to having happy chickens.

Make sure your chicken house plans incorporate good lighting. If you chicken house is large you might want to install electric lighting. This will help to keep your egg production up during the winter months. For smaller chicken houses this might not be feasible. In this case maximizing your daylight hours inside the coop is a major concern. Installing windows, roofing, or ventilation that will allow light into the coop, will also help keep your egg production up. It isn't a replacement for an electric light, in the winter, but it will still keep your chickens happy.

If you are building your chicken house in a back yard, don't go overboard. Too many chickens in a small area is never a good idea. Make sure you plan ahead. If you have a small backyard 2 to 4 chickens is plenty. You will get approximately 1 to 3 eggs a day and the amount of chickens won't be unmanageable. Plan your flock and coop size according to your yard space, so you and your chickens can live in harmony with your neighbors.

Choosing a set of chicken house plans is much easier when you know what to look for. Ventilation, light source, and yard space are important considerations for a chicken house. When choosing a set of plans make sure these considerations are incorporated.

About the Author

Willis Spires has been raising chickens since his wife first brought home a flock. He then promptly built a chicken house. If he had proper chicken house plans at the time, it would have been easier. Check out his website, the-chicken-coop-online.co.cc for more information on raising chickens, building chicken coops, and other helpful chicken resources.

Article by Robert Digby

When considering what floor plans to use for a new home, it's important for people to think about not only what their daily lifestyle needs entail, but also how holiday traditions and family gatherings will come into play. With the holiday season upon us, this is the perfect time to test the overall functionality of one's house plans for entertaining.

Home plans for your new house should have space for all the action and festivities that come along with the holidays. Here are some things to keep in mind when in the process of selecting plans for your house:

Overnight Guests

You may find yourself inviting guests to stay in your home overnight, especially during the holidays. In order to make them feel both welcome and comfortable, it's a good idea to have an extra room or guest suite included in your floor plans to be prepared for this kind of situation.

Many house plans incorporate a guest suite on the first level of a home with room for a closet, bed and some sitting room. Some go as far as including a private bathroom. For guests with children, home plans that include a den or daylight basement are great as they allow an out-of-the-way sleeping area for the children.

Dinner Parties

Whenever there is a gathering, the most popular place for guests to congregate always seems to be your kitchen. Instead of shooing your guests out, look at floor plans that would allow them to sit, chat and not block your path to the oven. Such home plans can include a large breakfast bar or an island with stools; you may also want to consider an open floor plan in which the kitchen seamlessly opens into a family room.

The dining room is just as important as your kitchen during the holidays, as it needs to fit all of your guests effortlessly and comfortably. Look at floor plans that have dining rooms large enough for your dining table when the extra leaves are in place. Guests should be able to slide their chairs in and out without hitting a wall or bumping into other furniture. Additionally, consider house plans with dining rooms large enough to fit your China cabinet or buffet in the same space. A dining room next to the kitchen is also nice because you do not have to walk back and forth while setting up or cleaning.

The Christmas Tree

Look for floor plans that will meet your year-round decorating needs. Take the Christmas tree, for instance. Size and placement of your preferred tree are good things to keep in mind when you are on the hunt for home plans. If you like a nice tall tree, make sure your house plans include vaulted ceilings in the living room. If you like the world to see how lovely your tree looks adorned with decorations, consider plans with large picture or bay windows.

Chestnuts and Stockings

Fireplaces aren't solely a source of heat, but also a place to gather around with your family and build Christmas memories. Think about including a hearth in your home plan for hanging stockings. If you are not comfortable operating a wood-fueled fireplace, there are always gas-powered options to consider.

Peace on Earth

Sometimes holidays and a multitude of guests can be overwhelming. Think about adding a private room or area for yourself in your home plans to allow you a place of escape. This can be as simple as a reading room, large bathroom (with a tub to soak in) or private study.

About the Author

Houseplans.co not only offers a fantastic selection of unique stock floor plans, but also caters to custom house design projects. Visit www.HousePlans.co to learn more about how to create a custom home design that fits all your needs.

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Article by Michael Mock

If you are looking for luxury house plans, perhaps you are looking for extra bedrooms, or maybe extra rooms for entertaining. Perhaps you enjoy hosting dinner parties and need some extra entertaining space for socializing with your friends. Maybe you just like to have a lot of space to yourself, and are looking for luxury house plans to build a home where you can quietly enjoy your time in your own space. Before choosing your home plan, you'll definitely want to consider the use of the space, and what you hope to get from your house.

In the process of looking for luxury house plans, you're going to need to decide which luxuries suit your preferences. Will you be looking for a large number of bedrooms, in order to house a large family, or perhaps to have several rooms available as guest rooms or multi-purpose rooms? Is there someone musically inclined in the family, so that you may be choosing to include a music room in the luxury house plans? Are you considering rooms such as a library or conservatory? Are you hoping to build your home on acreage, or are you hoping to avoid yard work demands, and looking for a smaller lot size? All of these are possibilities, and once you know what it is you want in your home, you are one step closer to getting the home of your dreams.

Luxury house plans may include extras such as a family home theater as part of a basement or family room area. Plan to host the next big Super Bowl party, or just relax in front of the big screen TV, watching your favorite movie while sprawled across the theater seating. These house plans may include full wet bars, as well, and can definitely be well-suited for entertaining a crowd. Luxury house plans may also include a butler's pantry, where you can hide away some of the mess of the party prep, or just a super-sized kitchen with upgraded appliances. You may expect to find assorted extras throughout the house, too. Large closets and other storage locations are a definite plus in home plans. A three-car garage may give you room for three vehicles, or perhaps you'd like to use two spaces for cars, and the third space as a workspace.

Upgraded bathrooms are another perk people are likely to be looking for with luxury house plans. Whirlpool tubs, separate tubs and showers, and upgraded bathroom building materials are all things people may expect. Conveniently located utility rooms may or may not be high on your list of requirements, but lots of people like easy access to their laundry room, and appreciate main-floor laundry vs. basement space for these machines.

In order to make sure you get what you hope for out of your house, you need to have a good idea of the features you will most appreciate. The best way to enjoy your luxury house is to decide upon house plans that fit the way you live

About the Author

For more information on our Home Plans or to read more on Luxury Home Plans or see our Luxury House PlansDistributed by ContentCrooner.com

Article by John Greyling

Many families always want to change how their old house looks depending on their lifestyle and their needs therefore they gather home renovation tips they can apply. They may require a more spacious house especially if their family is growing. They may want to conform to the latest house designs and go for the minimalist look. Their children may want to have separate rooms. They may also demand a place in the house where they can entertain their friends. Before you apply home renovation tips to your house, it is better to have a blueprint or a design to look at for proper guidance. This way, you will not depend on a trial and error project and will not waste money and materials. There are also municipal building laws that the local housing authorities may require so before you undergo house remodeling, better familiarize yourself with these. Have an expert examine the structure of the whole house first, especially the exterior before going into the interior. The exterior structure must be sturdy so as to keep the interior safe. One of the first things your house should have is a clear pathway from your garage to the kitchen so that you will not have difficulty in carrying your groceries to the kitchen. Some people use the front door to go to the kitchen and this can be a little uncomfortable and difficult especially when you have things to carry all the way. When there are guests in the living room, it would also be a little embarrassing if you pass through them with the stuff you have brought home. With a pathway or an entrance from the garage to the kitchen, you can easily hide what you have bought from visitors. That is one of the home renovation tips that give a systematic way of entering the house.The bathroom should also undergo renovation so that it will appear new, fresh and clean. Instead of moving your current bathroom, it should be renovated so that there will be no need to change and add pipes. Placing the existing bathroom to another area of the floor will be costly since it involves adding pipes and other bathroom fixtures. For home renovation tips on the bathroom, just change the colors of the tiles and paint the walls and the cabinets. If you plan to put a bathroom on the second floor, make sure to place it above the bathroom in the first floor so that the existing pies will be used.You can also add a new room next to the kitchen for entertainment purposes. You can place a home theater, couches and a bar inside. You can hold parties there and since the kitchen is near, food and drinks can be transferred easily. If you plan to listen to music in this room, make it sound-proof by placing tiles that absorb the sound. This room will also make you, the rest of the family and your guests bond with one another.These home renovation tips are just a few suggestions that will help give you an idea for the new look of your house.

About the Author

Ready to learn all about home renovation tips? For more information on home improvement visit http://www.betterhomeguide.com.

Article by Kirk Smith

Building A House Extension: An Introduction

So you've finally decided that you've had enough of that pokey little house your living in and it's time to start making more space available. So what are your options? Well I guess you could just move and buy a bigger place, but they prove to be very expensive, or you could arrange to have an extension added to your current house

How Does Building A New Extension It Work?

Well I'm afraid there is a little more to it than you may actually think. It's not just a case, as some would have you believe, of getting a small set of plans drawn up, submitting them to the local council and then a couple of weeks later you get a nod to go ahead with them.

There are many considerations to think about when planning on building a home extension. Are you plans adequately drawn? Have you applied for building regulations approval or will you be submitting a building notice? Is the ground suitable for extending on?

In fairness, when we are talking about development to an existing premises, we actually inherit whatever ground conditions actually already exist but even if this is the case, we should still not be put off conducting a thorough site investigation to ensure everything is as it should be before we even start to think about building a house extension.

You will need to know where the water main runs, the layout of existing drainage pipes or soak ways etc, and more to the point, will these pipes get into the way of your proposed building plans of building a house extension.

The last thing you want is to be pleasantly surprised just as you start to excavate your site, and find out that you can't build in the spot you want due to obstacles that could have been avoided if only you would have done your homework.

Make sure you have contingency plans in place and even go so far to plan another position or placement for your extension should you not be able to build in your first sought after position. Being prepared and ready will stop any unnecessary delays that may hold up your project.

There is much to cover on this topic that cannot be possibly covered in one short article so I will therefore continue this text in 'Building A House Extension | part 2' which can be found via the articles contents.

About the Author

4K Construction are professionalLiverpool Builders Please also visit http://www.4kconstruction.co.uk  for further reading and more about the Merseyside Builders.

Renovating, designing and even constructing a house is a skillful job. The look of the house after the construction or the renovation plays a very important role in satisfying the minds which have worked for it. The cool house plans, planned by you, can make a house look spacious and similarly the plan can make the house look crumpled up or jammed. Unfortunately, a human's life is full of limitations and these limitations start from the money and end with the space required.

Once the plan of the house is done and the house gets constructed, renovating or designing the house is a work of patience and skill. Lot of market survey needs to be done to find the artifacts or the things we want for the house which we like and that suit the purpose and the needs. It is not all that simple. It is vital to find the right plans for the house and to get the best your pocket can buy.

When planning a house it is always necessary to plan it with some extra room in the plan as this might come handy or can be used for any emergencies on the future for e.g. if you keep some extra room or an area in the plan you can use it for a garage or make it a guest room. You might feel that the idea of coming up with a plan of your own house is very time consuming. But it is suggested that instead of wasting the time in making your own plans you can just look for cool house plans that suits your needs. This way you might be able to find perfect the house plan which matches with the imaginary ideas.

There are various styles of plans that are available in the market. Choosing from the wide variety of the house plans available may give you some new ideas which can be used while constructing your house. Various plans like the beach house plans, cottage house plans, carriage house plans, craftsman house plans and the chalet house plans are the cool house plans which are available in the market. You simply have to choose the perfect one that solves your purpose. These house plans are often tailored and customized according to the customers needs. These plans are available at affordable prices.

You can specify your needs in regards of the money and the availability of the space. The house which these plans offer can be single storey or double storey. The kitchens are well equipped with closets which serve the purpose of the storage. The master suites are attached with private bathroom with showers and tube. These rooms have attached walk in wardrobes and attached dress rooms. The living rooms have a fireplace which is perfect place for the chilled evenings. The specialty of these plans is that they have a great space for the lobbies and the verandas. Ornamental gardens surround these houses which are perfect for an evening stroll. These gardens are designed with staircases which lead to the upper floors of the house. The outside area of the house consists of a garage which can accommodate minimum two cars. From the variety of the cool house plans you can choose anyone which solves the purpose of a new house and the one which fits your budget.