| Author | Content |
Lenjo
Mount Angel, OR
(Zone 8a)
March 02, 2007
08:10 PM Post #3242589
| Is there any site on the web that allows you to design your own house? I suppose that would be more of a computer software? I am looking for such an idea. |
Tir_Na_Nog
Houston
United States
(Zone 9b)
March 26, 2007
08:29 AM Post #3321916
| Interesting question! Sorry no helpful posts so far. I wish I could help. |
EllaJ
London
United Kingdom
March 29, 2007
09:33 AM Post #3332871
| definitely an interesting question!
I can't find any sites that help you to design the shape of your new house but i know that IKEA have this new site up that lets you pick and choose (from the new range of ikea textiles - of course haha!!) the textiles and furnishings for your rooms and then you can print them out and take them to the store. its kinda cool and it aids with textile design
http://www.bebravenotbeige.co.uk
even if a full IKEA designed room isn't your thing the website looks pretty bright and interesting. : )
there must be some sort of software out there that can help you design the structure of your house, and if so - let me know.
I hope that helps slightly |
Lenjo
Mount Angel, OR
(Zone 8a)
March 29, 2007
10:54 AM Post #3333189
| I do enjoy looking at IKEA, they are building one finally here in the Portland area up by the airport. I have visited one of their stores in No. California near my sister. I loved it.
Honestly, I already have sort of designed what I would love to do but I would like to see it in plan form. I have drawn my little plan on scaled paper but just seeing it in regular plan form would add a new dimension. |
BackyardZoo
Poquoson, VA
(Zone 7b)
April 30, 2007
09:49 AM Post #3447528
| We used a combination:
an OTC software specifically for home design - look in any CompUSA/BestBuy/etc. We used http://www.punchsoftware.com/index.htm but there are others out there. Each will have their quirks. (ours had a problem keeping the walls 'connected', which didn't matter for looks so much, but threw off its square-footage calculator)
and Visio - a microsoft "CAD-super-lite"-like application for general use (won't do detailed mechanical drawings, but designed for lighter applications like single-user home design or flowcharting.
Quite frankly, we found Visio easier to work with for the design - easier to change things - but the store-bought software had some nifty tools. For example, once designed, the program would calculate materials needed - down to the number of 2x4's needed - and, if you enter in today's materials pricing, calculate an overall building estimate. It will also calculate square-footage for you.
Another possibility is http://www.sketchup.com/ . I've never used it myself, but I've heard good things about it. Though it's for drawing in general, not just blue-printing. Most of what I've heard is from the game-designing group, so I don't know much about the architectural side. |
rabidhunter66
Stockton Springs, ME
May 10, 2007
02:19 AM Post #3482057
| I am trying sketchup right now and other then my interier walls poke through the roof a lil bit it is easy to work with. |
jayrhp
Cleveland, OH
June 01, 2007
12:45 PM Post #3561835
| You might want to try Google Sketchup http://sketchup.google.com/.
Jay
http://www.regionalhomeplans.com
|
Susan_Sentosa
Birmingham
United States
June 11, 2007
02:51 PM Post #3602715
| There are two sites I know which will help you select certain criteria, for example house style, number of rooms, etc. and based on that sketches house plans for you.
You can check them out at http://www.houseplancentral.com and http://www.slhouseplans.com
House Plan Central has a large collection of home plans and unique house plans in many different architectural styles, from the nation's top house designers and architects. However, Southern Living House Plans though has many plans, but is most famous for southern style house plans. Hope they are of help! |
zion_lover
delhi
India
July 15, 2007
03:08 PM Post #3739245
| i have a site which offers so many designs to view and purchase but havent encountered any site which allowes you to do that
Check this out
http://www.houseplangallery.com/index_files/best-selling-hou... |
labradesigns
Southfield, MI
August 22, 2007
10:52 AM Post #3885989
| If you don't need great looking plans, Sketchup does wonders. I use Sketchup on almost all of my school projects (Architecture Student). It can really help you see what the inside will look like. Let me know if you want to see more examples! 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
labradesigns
Southfield, MI
August 22, 2007
10:59 AM Post #3886021
| There is also a program called Podium that can help make nice renderings. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
PeeperKeeper
Georgetown, TX
(Zone 8a)
October 03, 2007
10:15 AM Post #4044173
| I used a software program called Punch! Super Home Suite. It was okay. It included a landscape planner, but I didn't find that part all that easy to work with. It also included some pieces of furniture you could place in the rooms, I guess just to get an idea of size proportions. The cool thing was that you could "fly through" the home and see how everything worked together.
I played with designs for about 2 or 3 years, then took it to an architect and said "here's what my imagination came up with, but not knowing anything about architecture I have no idea if it can be built in the real world." So I asked him to use my design as a jumping off point, but if it had to be changed drastically to make it work, that's okay. What we ended up with really is pretty close to what I came up with. We move in this month! |
TexasLizzy
Southlake, TX
(Zone 8a)
May 13, 2008
11:42 AM Post #4945298
| My DH uses 3-D home architect. While it mostly geared for the home owner, and not professionals, it does help considerably with drwaings. We have even been able to pirnt so that the city will accept for remodel permits. Thus we don't have to use an architect for minor remodels. City is very strict with permits. Since they are aware of us, the code enforcement people actulaly drive by 3X a week to see what new improvements we are doing and if we get a permit. |
Tir_Na_Nog
Houston
United States
(Zone 9b)
January 11, 2009
10:38 PM Post #5994675
| LOL texaslizzy, that's funny!
All those who've posted programs (3D architect sounds interesting) or websites you can design from...do you know how much fees were/are to use this stuff?
I'm wanting to plan for my dream house and I'm close to knowing what styles and things I like and specifics I'd want per room but in combining all the rooms I'm not sure how it would look.
It'd be nice to test it out for myself before reaching the point where you hire the architect.
Any help much appreciated. :) |
Tir_Na_Nog
Houston
United States
(Zone 9b)
January 11, 2009
10:39 PM Post #5994677
| 3D Home Architect for $2.68 wow! Anyone ever buy from an independant seller on Amazon though??? |
ecrane3
Dublin, CA
(Zone 9a)
January 11, 2009
10:59 PM Post #5994734
| I've bought a number of things from independent sellers--I've stuck with ones who had a high percentage (90+) positive ratings and also had a decent number of ratings and I've never had problems. And since you're ordering it through Amazon, I think Amazon will help you out if something goes wrong and the seller won't make things right.
With software I'd do an extra doublecheck--once a new version or two of something come out the old version loses quite a lot of value so whatever they're offering for a few dollars is most likely outdated. That's not necessarily bad depending on whether you need the new features or not, but I would make sure that it'll work with your operating system and I'd also find out how much a new copy of the current version costs to see if you're really getting a good deal or not. |
TexasLizzy
Southlake, TX
(Zone 8a)
January 12, 2009
09:57 AM Post #5995671
| Tir-Na-Nog
A good place to start with home plans is a site called e-plans, and then from there you modify on your own program. The pain is logging everything into your own program.
Good Luck. We have designed and redesigned our own dream home. One thing I have found is the dream home is dependant on the dirt you will build on. SO the house fits the "lot". You don't want to build a castle on ranch, nor would you guild a salt box on a TX city lot.
Liz |
Tir_Na_Nog
Houston
United States
(Zone 9b)
January 12, 2009
10:38 AM Post #5995804
| lol liz :)
thank you both! |
cabinetman
Iliff, CO
January 12, 2009
11:16 AM Post #5995934
| Check out this website: b4ubuild.com. It has a list of many different software programs that can be used to draw house plans. Personally I like 3D home architect. Get the 3D Home Architect not deluxe or design suit. Some of the features are missing on the latter.
|
Tir_Na_Nog
Houston
United States
(Zone 9b)
January 12, 2009
04:34 PM Post #5997266
| Okay I think I'm going to go another route and perhaps you'll have some suggestions here----
When buying exsisting real estate all the websites to look it up will allow you to check mark some criteria you have. If I want to buy exsisting blueprints but I don't want to scroll through countless plans (I mean this could take forever with house plan books etc!) are there any websites that you can do this (hopefully for free, then you just buy the plans) where you might could checkmark criteria (i.e. sq footage, style of home, porch/no porch, second story master, etc etc).
Any ideas where I might find something like that??? |
Tir_Na_Nog
Houston
United States
(Zone 9b)
January 12, 2009
05:11 PM Post #5997448
| This goes along with the 3D designing of your own home http://www.plan3d.com/pages/Roomhome.aspx?rd=1 |
Tir_Na_Nog
Houston
United States
(Zone 9b)
January 12, 2009
05:12 PM Post #5997457
| LOL can't get more simple than house plans dot com haha.
http://www.houseplans.com/
Maybe this will work... |
Tir_Na_Nog
Houston
United States
(Zone 9b)
January 12, 2009
05:15 PM Post #5997475
| Um LOL after going through all the criteria it now says I am to specific LOL. Darn. |
Tir_Na_Nog
Houston
United States
(Zone 9b)
January 12, 2009
05:35 PM Post #5997573
| Not finding the site above very helpful. I severaly cut my criteria and it still says no homes to view. |
TexasLizzy
Southlake, TX
(Zone 8a)
January 12, 2009
06:11 PM Post #5997719
| sorry that what you are looking for isn't quite to be found. Somehtings the best things are sought after! |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
January 12, 2009
06:13 PM Post #5997728
| REALIZE ... the AIA and private home builders have a vested interest in people paying them to draw up home or building plans. The HAVES ... keep the "HAVE NOTS" from accessing lower cost alternatives. The best I can suggest is a flexible page set-up software called PAGEMAKER by Adobe. Printers for large plans are not common. They cost thousands of dollars too. They can be found in architectural and engineering offices.
I have used Adobe's PAGEMAKER for more 10 yrs ... you can draw up single room or multiple room floor, wall & ceiling plans with the greatest of ease. If you require a new and rather fancy 3D color presentation of interiors and exteriors ... the cost of that package of software could be in the thousands of dollars. There are valid reasons why house plans cost as much as they do.
I have a friend who draws up house additions by hand ... he earns 4-5 times the national average income ... as one of the most popular General Contractors in this region. He uses a digital camera, pencil and drafting table. It gets the job done well and quite cost effectively. Kelly
This message was edited Jan 19, 2009 7:22 PM |
claypa
West Pottsgrove, PA
(Zone 6b)
January 12, 2009
10:46 PM Post #5999079
| Most places require house plans to be approved by an architect and/or structural engineer anyway? If your friend makes four times the national average income, he's probably not giving away his designs either, and somebody still has to pay a licensed architect or structural engineer to approve the plans to get a building permit. If you think architects are preventing people from accessing low-cost alternatives, look for another architect... the ones I know can save people a lot of money, time, and heartache.
Saying architects have a vested interest in people paying them to draw up plans kind of goes without saying - that's what they do. Of course they get paid for it. Like anything else, you get what you pay for. If you want a house that's the same as thousands of others, you can pick plans from a book (which are approved by an architect, by law) or buy a house in a sub-division from a builder. If you want an original house that's designed for its site, and with features you choose, hire an architect. Or do it yourself, like PeeperKeeper above - maybe you get lucky and don't waste a lot of time and money, but you still need to get plans drawn and approved. Some places will allow homeowners to submit their own plans for an addition or something simple, but somebody in the inspector's office has to OK it, probably an engineer. |
Tir_Na_Nog
Houston
United States
(Zone 9b)
January 13, 2009
01:37 AM Post #5999541
| Well said clay. |
Tir_Na_Nog
Houston
United States
(Zone 9b)
January 15, 2009
12:43 AM Post #6007352
| Anyone looking to build---this site seemed pretty helpful: http://andyshowto.com/ |
