Home And Family : House Plans

House Plan.

Its such a big decision…and can sometimes be overwhelming.

If you don’t have a sense of design or cannot visualise a plan, it can be a very daunting choice.

We are very lucky these days that we can visit display homes. To be able to walk through a house and see it as a reality. But there are some things you need to be cautious of…

1- Your house will not look the same as a display home. Display homes are designed and furnished by professional interior designers… so unless your budgeting to buy all new furniture…your furniture may not look or fit as perfectly as the furniture in a display home.... Unless you design your home around your furniture which is a great idea if you have a few signature pieces or family heirlooms.

2- Display houses have no expense spared. They have the highest specs. The highest quality tiles in the wet areas, the most expensive flooring, extra lighting to make it look bigger and better. Where you see 4 LED down lights, your inclusions may only include 1 bayonet light… so making these changes can creep into the tens of thousands if not over $100,000+ very quickly.

3- Display homes are professionally landscaped. You will receive you house on a big dirt patch. No grass, no trees, no landscaping!

4- Colours. Display homes have colour consultants that tie everything together… your brick choice or render colour, to window frame colours, roof selections, to wall paint, to flooring, to tiling, to window treatments, to laminate colours, to your tap selections, handle selections, door handles, gutter and fancier colours… if this is something you are not good at… then it’s a fantastic investment. This house is a big investment. You want to enjoy your home and for it to look lovely; if it’s an investment, a colour consultant will help you sell the property for a higher price because they know how to make it look great cosmetically.

Question you will need to ask yourself when you find a plan you like....

Will it fulfil what my family needs now?

Will it fulfil my family’s needs in 10 years time? (if your planning to stay long term)

Will it fit my family now?

Will it fit my family in 10 years time?

Does it fit onto my block?

If you're building on a corner block, is your plan designed for a corner?

Do I want rear access onto my block?

Are there any street drains, electrical nodes, streetlights on my block that I need to miss when choosing where to situate the house on the block?

Does this style of house suit my area and suburb?

What is the orientation of the house on the block? Will your house stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer?

Will my outdoor areas be protected from the weather?

Is our money going into areas of our house that we will be using the most?

If your interested in a custom plan you need to look through lots of different plans and designs and circle parts that you like - discard the rest. Once you have LOTS of ideas sit down cut out rooms and start placing them to work out a flow you may like. Draw, shade, scribble, glue....and speak to a professional. Ask for their ideas, tips. Tell them your vision, get them on board with your style. You will start to see it come together on paper.

This plan is one step prior to our final plan... I will show you our final plan soon...Its so similar but we were still making changes. Fireplace to go in, moved the scullery around, added double showers, deleted the recessed verandahs, added a HUGE back verandah, adjusted sizing of rooms, placements of doors and windows, ceiling heights.
Both plans are so similar but yet so different. You need to look beyond the lines on the page. Look and measurements and placements. Visualise it as if you're walking through the house.

Please NOTE this plan is COPYRIGHT (C)

Front Elevations is another important aspect of your build.

How will your house look from the street.

This is one thing I feel I have had to learn and improve on each house I have built.

Its not been something I have held high on my budget list... however learning that if you do it correctly you will sell you house more quickly and with a greater value. Its your first impression.

Your friends and family's first impression and your upcoming buyers first impression.

Make sure the front of your house says something about you. Look into detail... little inexpensive changes can make a huge difference.