The House Designers

Adorable Beach Cottage House Plans

Christine — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 03:44:13 +0000

This affordable, two-bedroom cottage house plan is perfect for any waterfront property. Enjoy the view with a full-length porch and second floor balcony. The living room has two-story ceilings for an open floor plan and the master suite enjoys a private bath on the first floor. It also comes with a garage plan featuring a carport, utility room with washer and dryer, storage room and covered porch.

Save Money With Stock House Plans

Christine — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:32:24 +0000

Stock house plans offer something very important to new consumers — great value. Not only is the cost of a stock plan considerably lower than a custom design, but you’ll save on building costs because stock house plans have already been built and the design is proven. A custom plan works out the kinks as you go along, which can dramatically increase your cost to build.

For example, a custom blueprint by an architect or designer can begin at $2 per square foot, which means a 3,000 square foot home plan would cost minimally $6,000. A similar stock house plan averages around $750. Even with modification costs, a stock plan can easily be half the cost of a house plan drawn from a custom designer or architect.

You can save on construction costs when you use stock house plans, since most stock home plans have already been used at least once so any construction issues regarding the plan have already been resolved. You can also avoid unnecessary building costs and have more accurate budget estimates since the building process should be faster and more efficient.

One of the greatest things about using a stock house plan is the selection. There are thousands of architectural styles and collections to choose from so most likely you will be able to find what your are looking for. Don’t think for a minute that you’ll be forced to accept every single detail in your stock house plan. Making a few changes is no problem, because house plan modifications are very common and offered by most companies. Even with the additional modification costs, stock house plans give you more value for your money.

Our best-selling house plan is also ENERGY STAR approved.

Inspiring Spa-Like Bath Designs

Christine — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 03:36:57 +0000

Our recent issue of Home Ideas, our free weekly e-newsletter focused on how to create a stylish, spa-like bath that resembles the look and feel of a real spa. You’ll enjoy browsing through our designers and architects hottest house plans featuring photographs of well designed and amenity filled bathrooms. No matter what size the house plan all our designers are spending extra time creating a spa-like retreat in the bath.

Learn how to incorporate a vessel sink into your design to create a really unique look. Vessel sinks are available in so many sizes and shapes that it’s easy to find one that will complement your homes architectural style and décor.

The master bath in this two-story luxurious house plan has been integrated with the master bedroom to create a haven for rest, relaxation, pampering and romance. No amenity has been spared in this design.

This house plan is ENERGY STAR® approved and features one of the most gorgeous green bath designs. Enjoy a great view while relaxing in the hot tub with an oversized window seat and large glass window.

Join Us On Facebook!

Christine — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 03:24:46 +0000

If you’re on Facebook, we would love for you to join us and “become a fan.” Share pictures of your home or tell us some of your favorite stories about building or remodeling your home. Anyone who owns a home has a great story and image to share. You’ll find helpful tips and inspiring information about what’s happening in the home building industry. And of course you can be on the inside of the latest house plans our leading designers and architects are creating. Hope to see there!

House Plans With Spectacular Windows

Christine — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 01:39:36 +0000

The recent issue of Dream Designs, our free weekly e-newsletter, showcased five fabulous house plans with exquisite window designs to create aesthetically pleasing living spaces so you can enjoy exceptional views, maximum ventilation and natural light all while improving your home’s energy-efficiency.

Enjoy this Mediterranean estate with gorgeous stacked windows and plenty of elegant architecture inside and out.

The two-story foyer of this European design offers an open view directly to the vaulted living room and rear-covered porch.

The rear of this home offers a wall of gorgeous windows to enjoy the outside. For added outdoor living there’s a bbq deck, screened porch with fireplace and large corner deck.

Celebrate National Ice Cream Month

Christine — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 03:15:44 +0000

Thanks to former President Ronald Reagan, July is National Ice Cream Month, not that we need an excuse to eat this delectable confection, since it’s enjoyed by 90% of Americans and generates over $21 billion in annual sales. We would love for you to Tweet us your favorite ice cream flavor or better yet show us a picture of you making homemade ice cream or enjoying it at your favorite ice cream shop. If you enjoy creating edible masterpieces, you’ll want to check out our collection of best-selling kitchen designs and top kitchen products to create a professional cook’s kitchen in your own home.

Stylish Columns & Millwork

Christine — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:31:04 +0000

Whether you use columns as an aesthetic design element or give it a supporting role — your home will be greatly enhanced by fitting columns into your architectural house plans. Our editor’s recently gathered some of the hottest new columns and millwork products so you can easily create a stylish and timeless look by top companies like Pacific Columns®, HB&G®, Fypon®, Worthington® and a new green comer Spero® by Moulding & Millwork Inc.®.

Dramatically transform any room in your home using decorative molding and interior columns.

Participate in the WaterSense Campaign

Christine — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 17:39:12 +0000

As part of the EPA’s WaterSense new We’re for Water campaign they’re sending their “spokesgallon” Flo on a road trip across America that will go from Los Angeles to New York starting July 14th. She’ll stop at national landmarks in each city to educate people about water efficiency. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

The EPA encourages homeowners to take the I’m for Water Pledge as well as make simple changes to save water at home. If you’re looking to build a new home, you’ll want to find a green house plan that has been designed to be energy and water efficient like our exclusive ENERGY STAR® approved plans which feature WaterSense labeled bath and kitchen products.

Follow Flo, the We’re for Water “spokesgallon,” as she begins her cross-country journey on July 14 from LA to NYC, stopping at national landmarks to teach people about water efficiency.

Tiny Green House Plans

Christine — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 23:00:06 +0000

Whether you are looking to down-size, build a vacation cottage or build your first home, our collection of tiny house plans features a wide variety of floor plans and architectural styles so you can build a fully functional and flexible living space without sacrificing any amenities. We have small/affordable homes in our exclusive ENERGY STAR®/Green House Plan collection to help minimize your yearly HVAC and maintenance costs.

This is one of our most popular small and affordable homes. The house plan includes a design option on the blueprints that substitutes one main floor bedroom for a greatly expanded master bedroom with a luxurious master suite. You also get a second floor bonus space and a walkout basement floor plan featuring a game room, full bath, two bedrooms and computer/flexible space.

Our most popular small and affordable house plan is also ENERGY STAR® approved.

House Plans with Pools & Patios

Christine — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:29:50 +0000

There is no better time to think about your outdoor living spaces and how to have fun and stay cool in the summer than now. The majority of our house plan collections feature an outdoor living space, particularly a pool and patio. Even if you don’t plan on building your pool and patio right away, it is a great idea to choose a house plan that has the design already on the blueprint so you know it will fit properly and you won’t have to pay extra money down the road to have it designed for you.

This house plan features a great outdoor living space with a gorgeous pool design that is accented by a large covered patio with an outdoor kitchen and fireplace. Enjoy browsing all of our collections and architectural styles, particularly our exclusive ENERGY STAR®/green house plan collection.

Enjoy spending time outside with this gorgeous pool design and covered patio with kitchen and fireplace.