When dreaming of a new home build, it is common to search for existing home plans on the internet. This is a great way to look for ideas, but does it make sense to pay for ready-made plans? Like most things, it depends. If you find a plan you love, and it fits your lot and setbacks, this can be a great option. It is certainly going to be less expensive to pay for a plan that has already been drawn and being re-sold than to have one custom made for you.
However, most people are not going to be completely happy with the design they find online without making at least some modifications. Stock plans may still be a great option if there are only minor modifications to make and often, the company selling them will make changes for a reasonable price. Keep in mind that a relatively small change on the floor plan can also mean changes to the foundation plan, framing plan, exterior elevations, roof plan, electrical plan, etc. It is important to think all those changes through in the planning stage and not try to figure them out in the field. While a knowledgeable and flexible builder CAN make changes and adjustments on the fly in the field, it is not ideal and almost always going to wind up costing more in both time and money.
If more extensive plan changes are required, it starts crossing into the line of needing to have plans drawn from scratch, even if existing plans are used for inspiration. Just a word of caution, if you find a plan and think you can “simply” shrink it to fit your needs or your budget, it isn’t going to work. You’re better off finding a smaller plan or designing a custom plan to fit your needs.
Here at Custom Dwellings, we start the process by evaluating the lot to build on. It is important to not put the proverbial cart before the horse. It’s important to have the lot to build on procured before designing a home to make sure the home fits the lot. We’ll evaluate the lot shape, topography, easements, views, trees to save, etc., to make the new home work best on the lot. Then we consider the clients’ list of prioritized needs and wants to incorporate into the design. We also find it extremely helpful to visit their existing home to discuss what works and doesn’t currently work for them. With all this information in place our designers start to create the unique, quality, truly custom home of their dreams.
Whether you need help evaluating a lot before purchasing it for your new home, deciding whether stock plans will work, or you need plans drawn from scratch, we’re here to help from the first conversations all the way to handing over the keys after the new home is completed. If you’re ready to get that conversation started, please reach out and we’ll be happy to assist on the exciting journey of a custom home build!