Plan A House

If your considering building a new house then a good place to start is with a good set of house plans.

If you would like a new house, beach house, kit-home, bungalow, log home, semi or a detached house you will need a set of architectural plans.

What size should you go for?

Most of the time...people are limited on the size they want due to the lack of capital they have.

I was faced with the same problem, so I made the decision to start with a small footprint and allow for the house to be extended.

Developing a Design Brief

Before starting any drawings you should develop a design brief.

To plan a house, you will need to develop a list like the following:

Room	Floor Area	Outline description
Kitchen Living Room Entrance Hall Family Room Master Bedroom Children's Bedrooms Bathroom Utility Room	140 sq ft - 43 m2 350 sq ft - 110 m2 50 sq ft - 15 m2 300 sq ft - 90 m2 200 sq ft - 61 m2 132 sq ft - 40 m2 100 sq ft - 30 m2 110 sq ft - 35 m2	Large double sink with waste disposal unit Separate stove, large oven Refrigerator with deep freeze compartment Plenty of working areas Well-arranged cupboards Plenty of light both natural and electric. Flooring: Exposed Floor Board, Floor Tiles, Carpet Glazing: Large Glazed Window to Garden, Bay Window, French Doors Interior Design: Wallpaper, Coving, Wall Panelling Fireplace: Mantelpiece, Surround Understair coat and boot store small To be not too far from kitchen to include storage and cupboards, book shelves and television cabinet. Two wardrobes with rods and shelves shoe racks walk in closet cross ventilation private bath with shower no tub dressing table in bath linoleum floor in bath oak floor in bedroom heat light in bath ceiling Wardrobe with rod and shelves, book and toy shelves with doors. Opening from hall tub with shower over linoleum floor built-in around wash bowl medicine cabinet. Space for washer and dryer single china laundry tray cupboard for supplies place to hang work clothes broom closet outside door

Room

Floor Area

Outline description

Kitchen

Living Room

Entrance Hall

Family Room

Master Bedroom

Children's Bedrooms

Bathroom

Utility Room

140 sq ft - 43 m2

350 sq ft - 110 m2

50 sq ft - 15 m2

300 sq ft - 90 m2

200 sq ft - 61 m2

132 sq ft - 40 m2

100 sq ft - 30 m2

110 sq ft - 35 m2

Large double sink with waste disposal unit
Separate stove, large oven
Refrigerator with deep freeze compartment
Plenty of working areas
Well-arranged cupboards
Plenty of light both natural and electric.

Flooring: Exposed Floor Board, Floor Tiles, Carpet
Glazing: Large Glazed Window to Garden, Bay Window, French Doors
Interior Design: Wallpaper, Coving, Wall Panelling
Fireplace: Mantelpiece, Surround

Understair coat and boot store small

To be not too far from kitchen to include storage and cupboards, book shelves and television cabinet.

Two wardrobes with rods and shelves
shoe racks walk in closet
cross ventilation private bath with shower
no tub dressing table
in bath linoleum floor
in bath oak floor
in bedroom heat light
in bath ceiling

Wardrobe with rod and shelves, book and toy shelves with doors.

Opening from hall tub with shower over
linoleum floor built-in around wash bowl
medicine cabinet.

Space for washer and dryer
single china laundry tray
cupboard for supplies
place to hang work clothes
broom closet
outside door

Once you have a brief you can move on to design stages.

If your ready to move onto the design stages here's a guide which shows how to draw house plans.

Design guidance and advice on planning new homes

Every successful house plan is made to fit a specific piece of land. First consider the approach to the property; how will the driveway and the car affect the arrangement?

Consider the view; don't let the garage obstruct it or if it does then conceal it within the the mass of the building profile to make it less obvious and awkward looking as this would be frowned upon by the the planners.

Now think of the drainage, the utilities, the use of the land, the public lawn, the private outdoor living spaces, swimming pool, and all the features desired in a contemporary home and how they could be arranged to link and flow together seamlessly.

Consider the orientation in relation to the sun, if you decide to have a pool make sure it can gain the benefit of solar radiation by locating in an un-shaded southern part of the site.

Most people like to have the main part's of the house to be south facing because they are naturally lighter and will require less energy to heat and light.