How to Design Your Own House Plans

Though you'll need to have final blueprints drawn up, designing your own home is the best way to ensure that you get exactly what you want. Follow these steps to get a head start on building the house you’ve always wanted.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Graph Papers
• Home Design Software
• Pencils
• Personal Organizers
• Electronic Personal Organizers
• Notebooks

1. Make a listing of your family's requirements: how many bedrooms you need, how large the rooms should be, what floor plan you want in your kitchen, if you want a formal living room and dining room, and so forth.
2. Look around at houses you like in your neighborhood. Take note of details you like on houses you see; for example, you may not like your neighbor's entire house, but you love the porch.
3. Read home design magazines for ideas.
4. Read books on home design as well as those with collections of plans.
5. Draw your floor plan in pencil on blank paper or on graph paper. Draw to scale; make a block or an inch equal a specific distance. Common scales are 1 inch = 4 feet and 1 inch = 8 feet.
6. Consider using some helpful home design software- you'll probably find this easier than drawing. Most packages come with templates so you can easily insert appliances, fixtures and even furniture into your plan.
7. Bring your plans to a architect so he or she can draw up building plans. The architect can also catch any problems or suggest changes.

Tips & Warnings

• Look at as many houses, plans and articles as you can. Nothing gives you more design ideas than seeing a lot of houses. Particularly useful are articles with color photos of the homes finished (and furnished).
• Don't let the architect overwhelm you and change your plan needlessly. Listen to suggestions, but make your own decisions.