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Top 5 tips before buying Stock House Plans
How to Buy House Plans to Build Your Dream Home!
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stock plans are generic... Allow the cost to modify plans to suit your needs. |
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Custom-designed residence to showcase the client's lifestyle.
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| San Francisco's Victorian 'Painted Ladies' |
So, why not put as much thought into finding your perfect dream home plans - remember these are literally the 'Blueprints' for your dream home.
Here are a few tips to save you time, money & effort in your process of selecting a Stock set of Plans from which to build your dream home.
1. First & foremost, I can't emphasize more - buy from a reputable vendor
This one in self-explanatory as there are many reputable vendors to choose from online. But we have all heard the horror stories of internet purchases. Don't take chances with your dream home. Find a site you like. Ask questions; ask about the designer, the vendor & the plans you will be receiving. Ask for their policy information and also ask for references from previous clients.
2. Determine the style(s) you want, size of house, # of bedrooms/baths & construction budget upfront.
This will help you pinpoint your choices. There are too many plans to choose from. Are you looking for a Victorian 'Painted Lady', a Italian villa or a Rustic cottage for your lakefront property?
Knowing what you want, upfront, will come in handy since most internet sites offer search engines that allow you to look for plans not only by square footage or number of bedrooms & baths, but also by styles. Searching without these parameters in mind will only frustrate you, since like I said, there are simply too many choices.
3. Do your research. Scan Plan Books & Magazines until you find a plan that fits most of your liking.
There are many style and types of homes to choose from. Compare plans from one vendor to another. Don't neglect to look into local sources such as architects and residential designers as well. There are many architects and residential designers that have stock plans to choose from. There are many plan sources to choose from & you are sure to find a plan that will fit your style, lifestyle and needs - don't get frustrated - keep looking. Look beyond the aesthetics of the house. Check the plan for specifics that would meet your local conditions. Check with your local building department for code requirements & submission requirements. Check this against the plans you are looking to buy & see what is missing. This way you will have a better idea of what your total costs for plans wiil be.
4. Call the vendor. Get as much specific info as possible before purchasing!
Ask what is provided with the sets of plans you are interested in purchasing. Know what your requirements for plans will be. For example, a well known plan vendor sells a 4 set & an 8 set package. Many people will, rightfully so, choose the 4 set package to save some money, but don't realize that they are more than likely going to need more than that. Sure you can copy them, but keep in mind that most vendor's copyright agreement specifically states that sets are NOT reproducible.
Image this scenario: In a typical construction project (2) sets will go to the building dept. for permitting, (1) to the builder/contractor & (1) for your records. Where are the sets for the trades to bid/build from? Definitely not enough! Also your local Architect/ designer/ draftsman who will be editing the plans cannot make modifications from 'blueprints' cost-effectively. Ask about CADD files or erasable vellums in order to make modifications locally & in order to print the sets you will need for permitting & construction.
5. Keep in mind that stock plans purchased from Plan Books are generic & DO NOT necessarily comply with local codes. Allow the cost to modify to suit your needs and your local conditions.
The plans purchased from plan books are not specific to your area. You will still need a local Architect or Engineer to modify your plans to meet your local building department's requirements and the conditions in your part of the country. Also most municipalities require that plans submitted for permitting be signed & sealed by a local architect/engineer. We've been in this business for more than 20 yrs and have found that in 99% of all cases, the buyer still needs to hire an architect or engineer to design the structure to meet the local requirements.
In one specific case, a designer in South Florida had to completely redraw the plans because the plans were drawn for a wood-framed house with a basement. In So. Florida this is not really practical nor do-able. First of all in South Florida we cannot have basements. Second, the Florida Building Code mandates that we design for 120-140MPH hurricane wind resistance and Wood Framed Wall construction is not cost effective, for new construction, in this region anymore. Redrawing to delete the basement and redesign for Masonry Block walls not only made the cost-savings disappear, but it would have been cheaper to start from scratch with a local designer!
Plan books and vendors of stock plans provide a great service. But in some cases it may be easier (& cheaper in the long run) to get plans done from a local source that knows your building department. They know your local governing codes (zoning, planning & building department), they know your local environment and they know the local construction norms. I suggest that you get design ideas from plan books & then use those ideas to formulate your ideal dream home. If a stock plan fits your needs and the needs of your building department, then you are miles ahead in reaching your goal of building your dream home. If not, then do not try to squeeze those plans into your lifestyle; your construction needs; your home!
Written by: Pablo Solis - ©2003 by Pablo Solis of Solis Designs, Inc. Designers of Luxury Homes & Waterfront Estates
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: These articles may be copyrighted by the individual author(s) and are intended for individual use only. Reprints, publication or public distribution is available only upon request. Please contact us in order to obtain authorization to use article above.
2003/07/31
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