Custom designing your next home is the way to make the vision of your dream home come to life. You probably already have a lot of ideas about what the perfect home looks like, but even if you don’t there are a lot of ways to get inspiration and get started designing the home of your dreams.
Get Design Ideas Online
One of the best ways to get inspired is to go online and look at images of beautiful homes. A lot of architectural sites provide floor plans that can be modified, and some even have images of decorated rooms. You can also search through images of homes online by the style. Some of the most popular designs to research are:
- Contemporary
- Colonial Country
- European
- Neoclassical
- Mediterranean
- Southwest
- Victorian
When you want a home designed to your exact specifications, you can use online tools to modify an existing floor plan by choosing the number of bedrooms and bathrooms you want, how many garage bays you need, and the style of the home.
Go To Local Open Houses
You can look at homes in neighborhoods you’re familiar with to see various styles of homes. You can also find out about open houses in your area. Visiting several homes and photographing features that attract you right away can be used to design your home. Here are some of the most popular home styles to provide you with inspiration:
- A-Frame
- Prairie
- Shed
- Cape Cod
- Federal Dutch
- Georgian
- Chateau
- English Cottage
- Farmhouse
- Log
- Gothic
- Queen Anne
Keeping Everything Organized
Buy a notebook to keep photos and floor plans in. You can also use this to write notes about the features that your new home must have. Another way to do this is to keep a folder online that you can add to when you see something that catches your eye. Write down every detail so your new home will have all the features you want. Make sure to add links to photos of homes you like.
Budget and Location Are Major Factors
Before you contact an architect, you’ll have to determine what your budget is. The more research you do beforehand, the easier it will be to figure how much you new home will cost. Another consideration when figuring your budget is whether you want the home to be eco-friendly and sustainable. This can initially cost more to build, but will save money over the long term. Your location is important and unless you already own land to have the house built on, you’ll have to decide where it will be.
Hire an Architect at the Outset
An alternative plan is to find an experienced architect or development company at the very beginning and have their team be involved with every step of the design process. According to Shade House Development, talking with a professional initially can help you to save costs by suggesting materials that are cost effective.
Come Up With a Design
Choose the style that appeals to you the most. Discuss what you really want with the architect. Some ideas may work well in a Cape Cod home but not in a split-level. The architect can help with the design that will work best.
The Floor Plan
Decide exactly where you want all the rooms to be located. For example, you may want a centrally located living space with an open kitchen and dining area, with the bedrooms in a separate part of the house.
Let the Professionals Do Their Work
Once you’ve established what your custom home will cost and have the plan ready, let the professionals go to work and get your dream home built. You can focus on how you’ll decorate when your home is ready to move in.
