Posts tagged Home Plans
The House Designers and Project Team Up Partner to Provide House Plans to Alabama Tornado Victims
0The House Designers and Project Team Up recently partnered to provide house plans to tornado victims of Tuscaloosa, Alabama to assist in rebuilding new homes for a community left devastated by the worst outbreak of twisters on record in April of 2011. Families can choose from over 6,000 best-selling house plans from the leading designers and architects in the United States. Homes will be built by a team of talented craftsman who are coming from all over the world to offer their expertise and time in building new homes.
“We had gotten offers from local designers to draw up plans, but we wanted to go with an established organization, because we felt having a gamut of house plans would serve us better than forcing a house plan on a family,” said Riz Shakir, Executive Director of Team Up Foundation. He is also a professor at UA, who took a one-year leave of absence to head this project. “We want them to feel special and your portfolio of house plans allows them to browse, choose and finalize a plan for their new home.”
According to Shakir, he approached The House Designers because the website was easy to navigate, user-friendly and the families were enjoying browsing through the collection of over 6,000 best-selling house plans.
“We were so glad when Shakir approached us to offer our assistance with providing house plans to help rebuild a community that lost so many homes,” said Tammy Crosby, CEO of The House Designers. “We were more than happy to provide a discount on all of our house plans and assist with making modifications so these families could have a fresh start and custom their dream home.”
The goal is to have the families very involved in selecting their new home, which is why Shakir sits with them to review house plans on thehousedesigners.com that are applicable to their size (average house is around 2,000 square feet), budget and personal taste. If the family requests changes, he is more than happy to have the designers and architects of The House Designers make changes to the blueprints.
For every million dollars that they raise they will build between 10 and 15 new homes at a cost of about $75k-$100k. “Imagine the 6300 house plan, which would cost about $170k to build, but with free labor and only having to pay for materials the cost is essentially half price,” said Shakir, who is the builder and engineer on all new home construction projects.
The first two homes being built are the Norcuss House Plan and the Morrow House Plan. The Norcuss House Plan is an attractive 1-½ story design featuring plenty of amenities for a mid-size house plan, including a 252 sq. ft. bonus room. Highlights of this home include a 24’ x 14’ vaulted great room with fireplace, a large kitchen with two breakfast bars, 12’ vaulted ceilings in the master suite with a 6’ Palladium window and 3-car garage with bonus space above. They most recently purchased plan is the Morrow House Plan, which has an abundance of features (very similar to the Norcuss) and an open design for just under 2,000 square feet. The traditional brick exterior offers a refined and elegant appeal that is quintessential Alabama.
“The next plan will be the Shenandoah House Plan, which will go to the local Pastor and his family, who despite their personal devastation have spent months living in their parents basement to assist others,” said Shakir, who feels blessed to be in the company of such a loving community.
Donations may be sent to 312 Merchants Walk Suite 7, Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. For more information, call Project Team Up at 855-832-6877 or visit http://www.projectteamup.com/
House Plans: Editor’s Choice Dream Homes from 2011
4The editors of The House Designers have been busy going through over 6,000 best-selling house plans to choose their favorite designs from 2011. These particular house plans were chosen based on their innovation and energy efficiency as well as their interior detailing and curb appeal.
The timeless design of this traditional house plan will be one you will enjoy spending time in with family and guests. It is accented by gorgeous columns, shake siding and stone to create a unique, appealing exterior.
The Palladium House Plan was one of the newest additions to the traditional house plan collection. It was designed to create a multi-generational family-friendly home with flexibility and privacy throughout. The timeless exterior features traditional columns and arches, softened with Shingle-style accents and details. The welcoming front porch opens to a centered foyer, with an opposing den and formal dining room plus butlery and walk-in pantry. The beamed great room with built-in fireplace and entertainment center, gourmet kitchen with its huge island and multi-windowed eating nook create a spacious family area, all opening onto the large, wraparound outdoor living porch.
The Palladium House Plan from The House Designers features an open design accented by beautiful rich hardwood flooring from Lumber Liquidators® and bright white cabinetry, trim and wall coloring. There’s plenty of extra room for seating — something you’ll appreciate when you're entertaining guests.
To view this dream home and many others visit the latest issue of Dream Designs.
Don’t miss out on previewing some of the newest, most innovative house plans from The House Designers by receiving Dream Designs each week. The next issue features Fun, Flexible Living Spaces and showcases some of the most innovative game rooms, entertainment rooms, wine cellars and much more. Simply click here to subscribe to this free newsletter.
House Plans: Innovative New House Plans from The House Designers
2The newest house plans from The House Designers feature a mix of innovative green home products and building practices combined with timeless architectural styling and open floor plans to ensure years of comfortable and efficient home living. You’ll find everything from unique mountain homes to gorgeous Mediterranean estates to traditional two-story house plans, as well as designs from their exclusive collection of ENERGY STAR homes.
A gorgeous two-story stone turret welcomes guests to this new Mediterranean house plan from The House Designers.
Enjoy outdoor living on a covered patio featuring a fireplace and kitchen, which overlook the luxurious pool area.
The Cariati House Plan is one of The House Designers newest luxury Mediterranean designs. The two-story stone turret opens into a two-story living room with fireplace. Just outside is a covered patio with fireplace and outdoor kitchen that overlooks the in-ground pool and hot tub. Pamper yourself in a master suite with a sitting area and access to the outdoor living area. The master bath has an extra long vanity area, separate whirlpool tub and walk-in shower. There’s also a sauna room and his and hers walk-in closets. Other amenities include a gourmet kitchen featuring the latest appliances, a breakfast and formal dining room and a sunken media room. Upstairs are three additional bedrooms (each with their own full bath) and a game room that opens to the covered balcony. This dream home has it all.
Enjoy the view and warmth of the outdoors from the two-story wall of energy-efficient windows featured in this new log home from The House Designers.
The House Designers has also added a new mountain lodge home, which features all the latest energy-efficient building products and green building techniques. This log home can easily be customized to feature any exterior or interior styling.
Check out our editor’s favorite new house plans in the latest issue of Dream Designs.
Homes Designed with Plenty of Storage
0You can never have enough storage space for all your things. This is particularly true as you get older and start a family and expand your interests and activities. If you’re building a new home, now is the perfect time to assess all of your storage needs and make sure that your house plan can accommodate these needs before you begin construction. If not, sit with your designer or builder and have them modify your existing floor plan. One of the simplest ways to increase storage space in a new home is to modify existing closets and/or add additional closets. Closets not only improve your storage needs but will help keep you and your family organized in your new home. With the demand for additional storage space by homeowners, you’ll find most new house plans feature large, walk-in closets and additional storage spaces throughout the design.
Our most recent issue of Home Ideas features two new articles – Getting Organized: Storage Solutions and Ideas and Choosing Cabinetry for Your New Home, as well as the latest cabinetry and storage units for your bedroom, mudroom, bathroom, kitchen, great room and garage.
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The Seligman House Plan features plenty of inventive storage spaces, built-ins and flexible spaces like this study room featuring a wall desk unit with plenty of cabinet space.
Stunning Stone Home Designs
1Architectural stone veneer adds unsurpassed warmth and character to your home’s exterior façade. The versatility, creativity and affordability of manufactured stone allows you to easily enhance the aesthetics of your home’s interior such as walls, floors, columns, fireplaces and outdoor living spaces. This week’s issue of Dream Designs, our free weekly e-newsletter highlights several house plans that incorporate stone veneer into their exterior and interior design.
Create a grand front entrance using stone columns, as shown in this contemporary house plan:
You’ll find stone veneer being used throughout all the interior rooms of this floor plan, which also features an eye-catching stone and cedar facade. Be dazzled by the rear outdoor living space of this modern home plan:
Natural stone veneer with brick accents sets the tone for the warmth of this French Country house plan:
Great House Plan For Entertaining
0If you love entertaining, then you will absolutely love this two-story house plan. It has a spacious gourmet kitchen that opens to a great room, which is wrapped by two large decks and a four season room. Whether you enjoy formal or casual dining or simply want to have a home with lots of social and entertaining potential – this home plan is certainly worth checking out.
There’s a game room that’s big enough to have a pool table and plenty of seating.
A large wet bar with countertop seating and built-in cabinetry.
A recreational room with a full home theater system.
A wine room designed to hold a very extensive collection and a cozy music room.
Adorable Beach Cottage House Plans
0This 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
0Stock 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
1Our 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.
House Plans with Pools & Patios
1There 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.
Explore our 3D Tour of Homes
0Consumers looking for the perfect house plan can enjoy viewing an exciting collection of 3D house plans from The House Designers. This 3D feature provides a 360-degree view to visualize your dream home from all four orientations.
“We wanted to offer consumers more than just color photography and renderings, which is why we created our 3D house plan videos,” said Jerry Axelrod, architect and president of The House Designers. “Consumers have always enjoyed our collection of color photography, particularly our interior images. This is just another great tool to allow our consumers to view our house plans in great detail.”
Check out this week’s selection of our editor’s favorite 3D house plans in Dream Designs.
Take a virtual tour of this one-story house plan with 17 foot vaulted ceilings.
Finding The Right Master Suite
0The master suite is your own private retreat so you’ll want to pay close attention to the details that make up its floor plan so it fits your needs and lifestyle, after all you spend a third of your life in your bedroom and no room in your home is more personal.
Many of our master suites feature sitting area, large master baths with spa tubs, private showers and dual sink, walk-in closets, large windows and private access to the outdoors. Keep in mind, if you find a house plan that you really like but want to add some amenities to the master suite, our designers offer free modification quotes on all their house plans. Gone are the days when a master bedroom was designed simply for sleeping – it’s all about pampering and a place to enjoy some private time. Check out this week’s issue of Dream Designs featuring our best-selling master suite house plans.
Affordable floor plan that has it all, including four oversized bedrooms.
Quality Of Home Construction On The Rise
2Builders may not be putting up as many houses this year, but what they are building – they’re building better. This is due to better and more eco-friendly building products and practices, as well as working from better and more detailed home plans to satisfy consumers request for smaller more efficient homes. You’d be amazed how many amenities architects and designers can pack into a tiny house plan.
I recently read an interesting article about the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 U.S. New Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study, overall customer satisfaction with newly built, single-family homes is up 32 points to 811 on a 1,000 point scale from last year.
“Fierce competition among home builders has led to a market where only the strongest companies have survived,” said Paula Sonkin, vice president of the real estate and construction industries practice at J.D. Power and Associates. “This is great news for new home buyers – particularly first-time buyers – since builders are offering unprecedented high levels of quality, value and service at relatively low prices.â€
And don’t forget that the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit is set to expire on Nov. 30.
Great floor plan layout and plenty of amenities packed in this small house plan.
Small & Green Home Plans
2Our eco-friendly, small house plans have a wide range of energy saving elements, including ENERGY STAR® details that can help you save 20% to 30% off your energy costs. Our green home plans have all been selected from our best-selling collections and architectural styles, which include everything from tiny house plans, country home plans, fabulous kitchens to luxury one story and two story house plans. Check out our some of best selling green, small home plans in this weeks issue of Dream Designs.
One of our more popular green designs is the Shelton Road House Plan, THD-1858. This beautiful traditional green design is easy-to-build and features a flexible floor plan. The great room has 11’ 6†trayed ceilings, built-in cabinets and large energy-efficient windows to let in natural lighting. A well-equipped kitchen offers easy access to the formal dining room as well as the casual breakfast area. The expansive and well-appointed master suite features a 10’ trayed ceiling, his and hers walk-in closets, an oversized jet tub, separate shower, compartmentalized toilet and dual vanities. This home plan also comes with a 240 square foot unfinished bonus room.
Traditional and flexible floor plan.
Tiny House Plans
3Building and designing an economical home is being made easier as designers and architects continue to create small house plans. Many are even taking small to a whole new level with a special collection of tiny house plans, which are generally less than 1,000 square feet. Building a small house, gives consumers back the freedom to have more money and time to enjoy their lives. Why? Because a smaller home costs less to build, own, clean, heat, cool and maintain. The less money you need to run your home, the less stress of earning more money and the more time you have to enjoy the things you like to do.
Enjoy browsing through our collection of small house plans and our latest issue of Dream Designs.
Tiny House Plans
