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Learn just how vital plans and specifications are to the success of your building project. Find out important items to consider when designing your dream home, information about the three main building codes, the five most prevalent styles in today’s market, how to find the right house plan and what you can expect when you receive your final blueprints.
There are many ways to get house plans and we'll tell you about all of them. They will cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars and be worth every penny. Imagine that you had several hundred thousand dollars in gold bars and were going to melt it down and cast it into a sculpture. Would you be careful in choosing the mold to pour the gold into? Well, your house plan is your mold, and you are about to invest tens of thousands of dollars to “sculpt” a new home and lifestyle. Carefully choose the mold. | | 
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Plans Overview
Your plans and specifications are the documents that tell the builder, or the hired subcontractors, how you want your new house built. A set of plans should minimally include floor plans; front, side and rear elevations; foundation plan; footings and framing information; roof plan; kitchen cabinet layout; electrical layout and construction details.
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Lifestyle Considerations
Most homeowners likely think of house size, floor plan, exterior style and budget as their major concerns. Few ever list things such as changing family size, changing needs, or psychological needs. But these lifestyle considerations should be the first things you look at.
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Size and Cost Considerations
As you begin to conceptualize the master plan of your new home, one of the first things you have to do is figure out how much of a house you can afford to build, including the cost of the land and the landscaping. The Financing section will help you figure out how much of a mortgage a lender will allow.
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Lot, Zoning, and Code Considerations
Other things to consider include what will work best for the lot. Lot width could be a consideration in choosing a house design. If the lot has a significant slope you certainly might need a home with either a garage under or walk-out basement.
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Floor Plan Choices
Building your own house doesn't have to be an impossible task. With the right information you can succeed!
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Exterior Style Choices
The exterior style of your home is the fun part. It doesn’t require any further calculations, just simply what appeals to you. Most people prefer their home to be in harmony with the surrounding community and choose exterior styles that are appropriate to their region. To be safe, resale value should play an important part in the choice of exterior style.
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Finding The Perfect Plan
Once you have finalized your program and determined your budget, floor plan and exterior style preferences, lot restrictions and all the other items we have covered so far, now it is time to obtain your plans.
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All About Blueprints
Blueprints are the detailed instructions for your builder. Many people make the mistake of believing that the builder is solely responsible for a beautiful, well-thought home. Realistically, a builder only follows the directions your house plan provides. A skimpy set of plans is dangerous and leaves a lot to chance. Better to do your homework and get a full set of plans.
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