More importantly, however is the idea that the plan you buy will at best be only <em>minimally</em> compliant with the building code. That will get your plan past most building departments but will leave quite a bit of the specifications and details of the house undecided.
So if you do in fact intend on making changes the plans that you've purchased, then you are going to have to hire someone to make these changes for you, trust me, this will eliminate the headache that usually accompanies trying to do it yourself. That being the case, having a full set of construction documents in your hand isn't going to be all that helpful, as most of the sheets are going to be obsolete after changes to the floor plan have been made. There are a small handful of online house plan websites which offer what is called "Conceptual Design Sets". These sets only contain floor plans and elevations for the house. The rest is to be completed by the owner and their hired professional of choice. The idea makes sense, why pay for stuff you don't need yet. If you were to hire an architect from scratch, they would work with you to create the floor plan and exterior of the house and wouldn't start with the construction documents and engineering until you were satisfied with the floor plan. In this respect you are saving money.
For structural review the answer is easy - find and hire a local structural engineer to review the plans, size the structural members, and place his stamp on the set. An experienced structural engineer might catch a few "non-structural" code issues along the way, too.
Roof plan
Your personal preference in finishing materials is another convenient way to customize the plan. Light fixtures, bath fixtures, types of flooring and appliances can easily be changed when your builder is establishing the construction estimate.
Think of the plan your buying online as a tool to creating your own new unique home. With your new plans you now have a plan that you're happy with, or at least we are assuming this much otherwise you wouldn't have bought it. This plan provides you with a starting point to design your new home. Here are several things to consider when looking at plans: First, do you intend on making changes, or are you going to be perfectly happy with it exactly the way it is? Remember that this is your home, and you should make every attempt to make it everything you want and need. Second, look for plans that already have the same number and type of rooms that you want. Simply resizing a room or adding shelving or other features is much easier then adding entire new rooms. Third, select a home that is already designed in the style that you want. If you want a Tuscan home, then buy a Tuscan style plan. Trying to turn a craftsman Home into a Mediterranean home will only result in Hodge-Podge design.
For most people, the chance at designing their dream home is rare. If you are fortunate enough to ever be in a position to do so, then you
So if you do in fact intend on making changes the plans that you've purchased, then you are going to have to hire someone to make these changes for you, trust me, this will eliminate the headache that usually accompanies trying to do it yourself. That being the case, having a full set of construction documents in your hand isn't going to be all that helpful, as most of the sheets are going to be obsolete after changes to the floor plan have been made. There are a small handful of online house plan websites which offer what is called "Conceptual Design Sets". These sets only contain floor plans and elevations for the house. The rest is to be completed by the owner and their hired professional of choice. The idea makes sense, why pay for stuff you don't need yet. If you were to hire an architect from scratch, they would work with you to create the floor plan and exterior of the house and wouldn't start with the construction documents and engineering until you were satisfied with the floor plan. In this respect you are saving money.
For structural review the answer is easy - find and hire a local structural engineer to review the plans, size the structural members, and place his stamp on the set. An experienced structural engineer might catch a few "non-structural" code issues along the way, too.
Roof plan
Your personal preference in finishing materials is another convenient way to customize the plan. Light fixtures, bath fixtures, types of flooring and appliances can easily be changed when your builder is establishing the construction estimate.
Think of the plan your buying online as a tool to creating your own new unique home. With your new plans you now have a plan that you're happy with, or at least we are assuming this much otherwise you wouldn't have bought it. This plan provides you with a starting point to design your new home. Here are several things to consider when looking at plans: First, do you intend on making changes, or are you going to be perfectly happy with it exactly the way it is? Remember that this is your home, and you should make every attempt to make it everything you want and need. Second, look for plans that already have the same number and type of rooms that you want. Simply resizing a room or adding shelving or other features is much easier then adding entire new rooms. Third, select a home that is already designed in the style that you want. If you want a Tuscan home, then buy a Tuscan style plan. Trying to turn a craftsman Home into a Mediterranean home will only result in Hodge-Podge design.
For most people, the chance at designing their dream home is rare. If you are fortunate enough to ever be in a position to do so, then you