Before you set out to design your own house, you need to make some basic decisions and get some ideas. How much do you want to spend? What is your time frame? Do you already have a lot or do you need to find suitable land first? Are you ready to deal with the inevitable problems that will materialize on any big project of this size?
These are just some of the questions that you should be asking yourself before you get started. Many people want to design and build their own house but decide against it after they get started because it is just too much. Once they are knee deep and thousands of dollars invested, they realize they are over their head.
One of the great innovations of the 20th century was the computer and now you can use it to not only help you make decisions, but also to save you money in this endeaver as well. Once you have an idea of the house design you want, grab an inexpensive 3D program and build your house online first!
With these advanced but easy to learn 3D software programs, you can build your house and make all the adjustments you want. It is a gigantic step ahead of the old way of paying an architect to draw what you describe to him.
Professional Home Design from Punch is a great choice as you can do everything from design your own house to landscaping design and individual room design.
Another popular choice for computer home design software is 3D Home Architect. This is similar in that you can do all sorts of home design and it is a little cheaper.
Using computer software to get started designing your house is a great choice as you can see all your ideas and make them come to virtual life right before your eyes. It gives you a great starting point and will allow your imagination to operate at full capacity. It will also give you and idea of just how much will be involved in this new project of yours and whether you think you can handle it.
Design Your Own House - 3D Software
Design Your Own House - How Much Can You Afford?
No matter how much money you have, you are going to have to design your own house within a budget. You will need to know how many dollars per square foot you can afford.
Visiting your bank's mortgage department is the best way to figure how much house you can afford to build. They will ask you financial and job related questions which you will need to answer truthfully and honestly. The numbers they will give you are tied to the interest rate at that time which may go up or down by the time you actually want to borrow the money. However, you can use those numbers to get a ball park figure which will help you know how much you can afford when you start to design your own house.
Once you have an idea of how much you can afford, you will want to start making decisions about your home design. You could also start to call some contractors to see what their rates are but it is generally best to do this after you have an actual home design plan to show them. This all assumes you already have the plot of land that you want to build on. If you have yet to buy the land, then you should work on that first.
Design Your Own House Plans
If you want to design your own house, here are some things you should do to before you get started:
1) Look around your neighborhood and many others to get ideas of what you like and don't like. There is no better way than to see something you like right in front of you. Things look different in reality than on paper so if you can find what you want and see what it looks like already built, then you are well on your way.
2) Look through lots of home books and magazines to get ideas.
3) Make sure you get input from every family member to find out what they want. The more ideas you can incorporate from family members the better. Designing your own house can be fun if you involve everyone.
4) Now that computers are everywhere and so easy to use, rather than draw your plan on paper you should take advantage of a 3D computer program. The advantage of these programs is that you can see your house from any angle and come as close to what it will look like in reality. One of the most populare products on the market for home design is Punch Professional Home Design Platinum™ Version 12 MSRP for $99.99.
5) Once you have what you think you want, take it to a professional to find out how well it all fits together. He (or she) will be able to make any needed sugestions and modifications.
Design Your Own House - The Beginning Steps
Before you design your own house, you have to remember to take into account your budget and your lifestyle. Putting things down on paper is fun and you can get creative but you can't get carried away.
When you are deciding what type of house you want to design, you need to ask all members of the family and try to get input from everyone. Narrow down the ideas to ones that are the most practical and affordable. Yes, it would be nice to design that 5 bedroom house with a 3 car garage but do you really need all that and can you afford it?
A good place to start is with a design book
Once you have more of an idea of what you want, you can use an online tool, hire an architect, or a home designer to help design a house for you. You might like to start with an inexpensive online tool and then take your design to a professional who will be able to make the necessary modifications. If you design your own house first, you will always have the satisfaction that it is "your" house and you were the one who came up with the plans.
Design Your Own House - Cool House Plans
If you are looking to design your own house, a great way to start is by using one of the many great online tools. This is a great time to be doing your own home design as the Internet has some powerful tools that were not available in years past.
The common everyday family can now design a great looking home by experimenting online to see what everything would look like in 3D. A great Revolutionary 3D Home Design Tool!: Design rooms, remodel kitchens, plan landscaping and more. Check out Plan3D.com!
Just a few years ago, you would have had to go to a professional to have him design your house and that would not have been cheap. Now you can sit back with the whole family and take your time deciding what type of house plan designs you want. You can try all sorts of different designs and not feel pressured by a professional that you are paying by the hour.
If you are looking to design your own house or just want to design a specific room in your house, this great 3D home design tool at Plan3D.com! may be just what you are looking for. Once you come up with what you feel the whole family wants, you can then take your design to a professional and look into having it built.
Design Your Own House - Start Out Small
When you set out to design your own house, it is best to start with a small house plan. You can always add to it once you get the basics down on paper.
You have the choice of choosing a house plan from someone else, or design your own house plans. If you are doing it for the first time, a good idea is to find several house plans you like and then sit down and make your own which combines the best of all of them.
You want to design your own house plan such that you have room to grow. Will you be having more children? Might your parents be coming to live with you someday? These are things you need to think about way in advance. Also things like how many stories you want your house to have. You can easily climb stairs now but how about in 30 to 40 years? Do you want to have a bedroom (or maybe even the master bedroom) on the ground floor?
Design Your Own House
This website will show you how to design your own house. Designing your own house can be done easily now days with the different Internet programs and the wide variety of resources available.
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