How You Can Design Your Own Home Floor Plan
If you are planning to have a home built, like most potential homeowners you will want to control the design phase of the process. This will allow you to customize your new home in a manner that suits you best. Today's modern technology gives you the opportunity to create your own floor plan design at home on your own computer. Downloadable floor-planning programs guide you through the steps of creating your own home floor plan. No preplanning on your part is necessary. These programs enable you to create a virtual floor plan that can be printed and given to an architect or contractor for review and implementation in real life. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Use an Internet search engine to research and review floor plan software. Two examples of this type of software are SmartDraw, which offers a limited-time trial with options for purchasing the program, and Floorplanner, which offers a limited-scope version for free that allows you to complete one plan. There are many other programs in various price ranges depending on the features offered. If you wish to go beyond a simple floor plan, some of the software can get relatively sophisticated, with three-dimensional program features that can give you a virtual view of your future home.
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Familiarize yourself with the floor-planning program. Utilize all design tools available to you. Know and understand how each tool works so you can make the most of your design. There may be a tool that automatically shows you dimensions as you proceed. Another toolbar may allow you to drag and drop furniture into place. There will be a tool for you to locate a door in a wall that automatically creates the opening. You should be able to view your floor plan from different angles.
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Create your floor plan. Use real-life measurements to create a small-scale version of your future home. You can use available templates on the floor plan program as a beginning. For example, if you see a template with a contemporary floor plan that you like, you can readily change room sizes and other features to meet your needs. Or you can draw walls from scratch and insert windows, doors, appliances and other features as desired. Follow tips for stair placement, bathroom placement, kitchen appliance placement, and door and window placement.
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Use a high-quality printer and paper to print your floor plan. If you plan to use your design as the floor plan for your actual home, take it to an architect or contractor for review. At this point you will enter into a cooperative design process with these professionals, who can determine how to go about making your idea a reality. They will have the knowledge of building codes and other construction concerns. Remember that prior to construction, building permits must be obtained.
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- Photo Credit compass on blueprint image by FrankU from Fotolia.com
