Things to Consider when Choosing a House Plan

Things to Consider when Choosing a House Plan

One thing to consider when choosing a house plan is how long a person intends to live in the structure.  One level homes are the easiest to build, maintain and use. One of the most common mistakes I see is when people decide to move from a one level home to a two level home at or near retirement.  These people don't consider climbing stairs in their golden years.  A one level home is typically easier to sell than a two level home because it is more user friendly than one with stairs.

The correct way to incorporate a two level home into your life is to choose this type of house plan early in life while you are still physically capable of walking on stairs.  Two level homes are generally more appealing because those homes have more exterior to enhance curb appeal, but two level homes are harder to maintain because floor number two is usually accessible only by ladder.

In most cases, purchasing a plan on the internet will be cheaper than hiring an architect to draw your plans.  Drawing your own plans is another option, but I only recommend this to people with the knowledge and experience of drawing house plans. The average cost of plans for a moderately sized home purchased online is seven hundred fifty dollars.  An architect can range between seven hundred fifty dollars to two thousand five hundred dollars.

]]>

Also, check the restrictive covenants or rules of your neighborhood for minimum square foot requirements, verneer or exterior requirements and type of garage entry requirements. Building a home that does not meet the rules of the neighborhood is not a mistake you want to make.

When choosing a floor plan, consider options that are offered with some of the newer or more modern home plans like split bedroom floor plan. This type of plan offers a master bedroom and bath apart from the smaller bedrooms and baths, usually located on the opposite ends of the house from each other. My personal favorite is a one level split bedroom plan with the master bedroom and bathroom on the same side as the garage and kitchen as opposed to a plan with the master bedroom and bathroom opposite  the garage and kitchen.

A two level split bedroom plan with the master located on the first level and the other bedrooms located on level two is my personal favorite plan in a two level house plan.  Again, in a two level plan, if the master bedroom and master bath are located near the garage and kitchen then the floor plan is more user friendly.

Never buy a house plan before you purchase your building lot or home site. If you do this, then the number of lots available to you are greatly reduced because you need to find a lot to fit the house plan. Its much easier to buy a lot with a certain type of house plan in mind than shop for a lot for a particular house plan. I have a website committed to helping those make the right decisions when building a home. Visit me at YeraBuilder.com