Did you know there were seven million single-family houses built in the last 10 years? If you want to learn how to design your dream home, we can help.
In this guide, we’ll go over how to design your own home.
Want to learn more? Keep reading.
1. Make Simple Choices
When creating a custom house plan, you don’t need expensive and complicated software. You need a piece of paper and a pen.
Sit down with your partner and begin sketching out different ideas. You should brainstorm and make a list of other features that rooms will have. It would help if you got the ideas onto paper.
A rough sketch will help the home design team understand what you and your partner seek. Work with a custom home builder.
2. Consider Your Future Plans
Do you plan to have a larger family down the road? Would you like to accommodate your aging parents at some point?
In different seasons of life, you might need to accommodate other family members. You might have a returning college student live with you for a couple of years or take in a sick family member.
If you want to transition to working from home and need a home office, consider this as well. Your custom home design should have a flexible room that can be changed into an office or guest room.
You could also think about adding a suite to the home. This way, family members could live with you for a period.
3. Do You Have Land?
Some people want a custom house plan, but they own the property already.
If you know where you plan to build your home, you should consider the features of the lot. Also, how large is the lot, and what’s the topography?
If your lot has tons of nature, you might arrange it, so your living room faces the beautiful woodlands.
Is there a brook running through your property? Situate the bedrooms near the brook so people can listen to the sound of water as they drift off to sleep.
Think about where the windows will face and what the best view is in your home. Is the land sloped? A design for a steep slope will look a lot different.
4. What Are Your Priorities?
After you record your ideas, you should consider the priorities for your new house. If you don’t choose a budget and select essential items, then you could end up overspending.
Make sure you choose priority items. Have you always wanted a box window in your kitchen so you can grow herbs? Add this to the list.
Do you prefer a gas stove? Make sure you install a line for the gas stove.
5. What About Flow and Function?
As you figure out what rooms should get located where think about the final design.
How will you and your family members use the space? Would you like to reduce noise around the sleeping areas? Put bedrooms away from the communal area of your home.
If you want to gather in the kitchen, you should have an open floor plan. This way, people can move between the kitchen, living, and dining area.
6. What About Natural Light?
Light has a significant influence on humans. People in darker areas during the winter months can develop the seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
The disorder will bring along depression, daytime sleepiness, lethargy, and weight gain.
If you have experienced SAD before, you might want to make it a priority to add lots of windows to your new home design.
Add skylights to your custom house plan. Maximize the amount of natural light in your house. Skylights reduce the need for artificial light.
The light should also play a role in the placement of rooms in your custom home plan.
Do you want to enjoy natural morning light while eating breakfast? Your breakfast or dining room should face the east when it catches the morning sun.
Think about how electrical lights will add illumination to your home. A home designer might suggest you install task lighting for your kitchen countertops. This will help when you prepare food.
Lighting will also help to create an atmosphere in your home. You could add dimming sconces around your dining table.
7. What’s Your Budget?
When making your custom home design, you need to determine a budget from the beginning. You don’t want to end up overspending. Yet, with custom-built homes, people tend to spend more than they anticipate.
Concreting, finishing, doors, fencing, and decking might not get included in your price. You might forget to add things to your budget, and you could end up spending over 20 percent of your original budget.
Also, are there different costs with your site? Pay attention to these expenses as well.
Now You Know More About How to Design Your Own Home
We hope this guide on how to design your own home was helpful.
First, you should sit down with a piece of paper and pencil and begin sketching out a design. This will help when you meet with designers who will be able to see what you desire in your home.
It would help if you considered your plans down the road. Will you add to your family? Do you want to accommodate your aging parents? Make sure these things are considered when creating your design.
Are you looking for more helpful home tips? Check out our resources on the blog.
