What are the important things to consider in designing a plan drawn for your new home? Well, there’s the location of your building site, what conveniences are nearby, the number of people in your family, the climate conditions of the area, the availability of suitable and appropriate materials that will fit into the limits of your budget.
If you going to try to build from a plan that you sort of guess will do, that’s just bad judgment and bad business. It might wind up a waste of good money. It pays to be sure of your plan. Don’t make the mistake of having your plan designed from the “outside in.” That’s just plain backwards. Design your plan from the “inside out.” Study the room arrangements, their sizes, the location of stairs, windows, stairs and labor saving devices. Make sure that the plan is basically right to serve your needs.
A good home plan is designed from this point of view. It’s planned to provide home comfort, convenience and modern equipment. Usually the external appearance of a home develops as a matter of course from the interior room arrangement and special needs of the family which is actually the best way of going about it.
Don’t let yourself be influenced too much by overall style. Good proportions and beauty in the placing of the structural features like the roof, chimney, doors, windows, shutters, porches, is the garage attached or part of the overall structure, etc., will determine what style you end up with. And remember that appearances can often be deceiving. A house may look good from the outside but it’s no indication that its the type of home that will provide you with satisfaction when it’s completed. Remember, it’s poor business to take a profit on your lot (property) and lose money on your home just because your plan is lacking distinctive or interesting features or characteristics.