Buying House Plans Online

Building a new house is a considerable investment. This is why it is critical to carry out appropriate preparations and choose a house plan carefully. There are various essential things to consider too. Thankfully, because one can now search for house plans online, the whole process has become much easier. Through a few clicks, you can access multiple house plans that are both consumer approved and ready to build. Apart from the ease, this method saves a lot of your precious time.

Finding your new house plans online involves many steps. First, you need to decide on the best size or square footage while keeping in mind your financial capacity. There’s also the need to choose a style that best fit your personality and needs and a lot more.

If you’re looking to check out online sources for the perfect house plans for your new home and you need a few directions, you’ve come to the right place. There is a lot of information and advice that we’ll be offering you in this article.

Vital information to Know when Buying a House Plans

While it is true that there are many excellent house plans that you can access online, you need to keep in mind that there are just as many inferior ones too. You will find out that the fake plans do not contain the required information to construct a house that is safe to live in successfully. This is why every part of the construction drawing is vital if your new building must be built well and with the right materials. So, before you plunge into your search, it’ll help to know the following details about buying an online house stock plan.

• Structural Sizing and Code Conformity

When purchasing a building plan, appropriate structural sizing and code conformity is not something you should forfeit for any reason. The house planner should have everything sized, from floor beams and headers to ceiling beams. Besides, the plan has to follow all the requirements of the International Residential Code (IRC). This shouldn’t be a problem if you’re buying from a company that is trusted and has one of the highest standards in the online space.

• Foundation Plan

This is, once again, a vital thing to note. When preparing a foundation plan, it is best to get the site’s soil tested at an excellent local soil testing laboratory. Also, a local structural engineer will need to modify the foundation so that it tally with all the findings and recommendations of the soil testing laboratory.

• Additional Engineering/State Stamp

To confirm absolutely that your house plans conforms to the local codes of your area, you may need to fulfill some additional engineering requirements. It is essential to know this before you go ahead and purchase your plan, no matter how comprehensive it may appear. Certain regions in North America demand these requirements, and you may have to hire a state licensed structural engineer to examine the plan and present the extra illustrations and calculations that your local building department requires.

If your building department requires a professional stamp, you will need to take your house plans to a local engineer or architect for analysis and sealing. This is because your building department will only accept stamps from a professional that has been licensed in the same state you intend to build your house.

• Site and Septic Plan

There may also be the need to have the site plan. This plan illustrates where precisely the home is going to be situated on the whole property. Typically, you should go to your house contractor or your surveyor for assistance concerning this. Keep in mind that the planning office will also want to see the site plan when you submit your plans to them for approval.

Unless a sanitary sewer system serves you, you also may require a septic plan. Most areas now also need to follow some area-specific energy codes. Usually, all that this entails is some basic calculations to show that your house plans comply to the energy codes set by your planning office.

• Flexibility

This is one thing that shouldn’t slip your notice. The plan you buy has got to be flexible such that the spaces are versatile and multi-functional. A rigid plan is not ideal when you consider that there may be emergencies or provisions for a growing family in the future.

• House Plan Modifications

You may want to go for an online stock plan that can be easily modified, though you’ll need a specialist to do this. If the changes are simple enough, it could be something that your builder can handle on his own. This way, you’ll save yourself some modification charges. However, your region may have certain restrictions that can prevent your builder from being able to do this.

• Home Plans with Photos

When looking for a house plan online, it is always best to view photos of what the house looks like, or how someone else modified the house plan to his or her taste. Photos offer you the opportunity to get a better view of what you’re going for and will no doubt influence your final decision.

• Return Policy

You do need to be familiar with the return policy of the stock plan company you’re working with. This tends to differ from one designer to the other. The return policy is also influenced by the particular plan package you have chosen.

Home Buying Basics

Like you must already know by now, buying a house plan is not something you want to dive into headfirst. It does take a lot of thinking and rethinking to come up with what you wish finally. For most people, buying a house plan begins with deciding how large a budget they are willing to spend. Also, there is the question of how long they plan to spend in their new home, as well as the architectural style.  However, these are only some of the many things you have to consider. Here’s more.

• Do You Want a One or Two Storied House Design?

One of the principal characteristics of a building its number of stories. It is among the first decisions that a new home buyer has to make. While some are not too concerned, many people do have strong interests concerning this matter. If the home is for you and your family to live in, you’ll need to consider what they’d prefer as well and think about which will meet your needs the most. Remember that they both have their pros and cons.

• How Much Square Meter/Footage Do You Need?

Most homebuyers always have an estimate of how large their new home should be. Keep in mind that the larger the space, the higher the cost of maintenance is likely to be. Besides, what is the point of buying a home that has more area than you need?

• How Many Bedrooms and Bathrooms Should the House Have?

If you haven’t decided yet on how much square footage you’ll be needing, perhaps it’ll help first to determine how many bedrooms and bath you want. These two spaces are essential in a house, and it is usually the first thing that a buyer or builder thinks about.

• How Many Garage Bays?

Do you have a car? If yes, how many? Gone are those days when only a single car garage is needed. Nowadays families own more than one vehicles and to keep them safe a garage is necessary. Of course, this depends on your needs. It may not be a deal-breaker for you, but it’s still worth considering.