 HOUSE DESIGN FIRST THE HOUSEDESIGN IT  HOUSE
HOUSE BUILD IT FOR YOURSELF DECK DESIGN IT FOR COMFORT  GO FOR YOUR OWN HOUSEDESIGN STYLE SO YOU HAVE DECIDED TO DESIGN YOUR OWN AND PUT ALL YOUR GOOD IDEAS AND PLANS INTO A HOUSE BUILT FOR YOU BY YOU. WHERE DO YOU START? MAKE A "WISH-LIST" OF ALL THE FEATURES YOU WANT...IF YOU ARE A COUPLE OR A FAMILY MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS INCLUDED IN THE HOUSE DESIGN PROCESS. PRIORTIZE YOUR HOUSE DESIGN LIST ! IF YOU NEED 4 BEDROOMS THEN THAT IS A PRIORITY. IF THE FEATURE YOU WANT MOST IS A FIRPLACE OR HARDWOOD FLOORS OR A COVERED PORCH THEN THAT GOES AT THE TOP OF YOUR LIST. DETERMINE THE HOUSE DESIGN "FOOTPRINT"...THAT IS THE SIZE OF YOUR HOUSE FOUNDATION ON YOUR LOT. MOST MUNICIPALITIES HAVE RESTRICTIONS AS TO HOW MUCH OF A PERCENTAGE OF YOUR LOT CAN BE HOUSING. OFTEN 30-35% IS NORMAL. ALSO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE "SETBACKS". THESE ARE THE ALLOWANCES BETWEEN YOUR PROPERTY AND THE STREETS AND YOUR NEIGHBOURS. "SETBACKS" ARE DETERMINED BY YOUR MUNICIPALITY AND A VISIT TO THE LOCAL BUILDING INSPECTOR FOR PARTICULARS AND GUIDELINES BEFORE YOU START ANY DESIGN PLANS IS A WISE MOVE. NEXT DETERMINE YOUR HOUSEDESIGN LOT TOPOGRAPHY. IT IS HARD TO BUILD A RANCHER ON A SLOPED LOT MEANT TO BE OCCUPIED ONLY BY MOUNTAIN GOATS. BY THIS STAGE OF THE PLANNING YOU PROBABLY HAVE LOOKED AT STACKS OF MAGAZINES, WEBSITES, BLUEPRINTS, AND NEW NEIGHBOURHOODS UNDER CONSTRUCTION...SO IT IS TIME TO MAKE HOUSE DESIGN CHOICES. A FILE FOLDER LARGE ENOUGH TO HOLD ALL YOUR SAMPLES THAT YOU HAVE COLLECTED FROM ALONG THE WAY AND ALL OF THE PICTURES SNIPPED FROM MAGAZINES IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST...IF IT HAS DIVIDERS THAT WILL BE EVEN BETTER...SO WHEN YOU WANT TO SORT THROUGH 12 DIFFERENT WINDOW STYLES THEY WILL ALL BE TOGETHER. THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEM ON YOUR HOUSE DESIGN / HOUSE BUILDING AGENDA IS TO MAKE AND KEEP LISTS...OF ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING. ................................................................................................... IT IS PROBABLY EASIER TO START WITH AN HOUSE DESIGN EXTERIOR LOOK OF A FAVOURITE STYLE OF HOUSE THAT APPEALS TO YOU...WHETHER IT BE CAPE COD, CONTEMPORARY, OR A LOG HOME. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU LOVE THE "LOOK" OF THE HOUSE THAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO BUILD AND OCCUPY FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THIS IS WHERE YOUR LOT LOCATION ALSO MAKES SOME DECISIONS EASIER. IF YOU HAVE ACREAGE AND SPACE YOUR SQUARE FOOTAGE AND STYLE IS ONLY LIMITED BY YOUR BUDGET. ( BUDGET !?!...WE WILL TALK ABOUT BUDGET LATER). IF YOU ARE BUILDING IN AN EXISTING NEIGHBOURHOOD THE CHARACTER OF THE SURROUNDING HOMES MAY INFLUENCE YOUR CHOICE OF STYLE AND SIZE. SOME NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS ALLOW YOU TO BUILD YOUR OWN HOUSE BUT WITH GUIDELINES AND RESTRICTIONS. THIS CAN BE EITHER A BLESSING OR A CURSE, DEPENDING ON YOUR PERSONALITY ! SPEAKING OF PERSONALITY LETS GET DOWN TO THE PROCESS OF DESIGNING YOUR OWN PERSONAL HOUSE PLANS. 1. YOUR FOOTPRINT HAS BEEN DETERMINED. 2. NOW... HOUSE DESIGN WISH LIST.... AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME SOMEONE IN THE ROOM WILL POINT OUT...RATHER SMUGGLY YOU WILL NOTE, THAT YOUR FOOTPRINT WILL HAVE TO BE THE SIZE OF THE WHITE HOUSE TO ENABLE IT TO HAVE 4 BEDROOMS, 5 BATHROOMS, A GREAT ROOM, A CHEF'S KITCHEN, A MEDIA ROOM, A LIVING ROOM, A FORMAL DINING ROOM, A LAUNDRY/MUD ROOM WITH DOG BATH, A GAMES ROOM, AND COVERED PARKING FOR 4 VEHICLES AND THE BOAT. 3. SOOOOO....BACK TO THE HOUSE DESIGN WISH LIST AND SOME QUESTIONS. START WITH THE BASICS. A) HOUSEDESIGN DO YOU WANT A BASEMENT, CRAWL SPACE, OR SLAB ON GRADE ? THERE ARE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES TO EACH FOUNDATION DECISION. PERSONALLY, I AM NOT A FAN OF CRAWL SPACES...CREEPY! A SLAB ON GRADE IS THE LEAST EXPENSIVE. IF YOUR LOT ALLOWS A WALK-OUT OR DAYLIGHT BASEMENT IS OPTIMAL AND PROVIDES PLENTY OF NATURAL LIGHT AND EASY ACCESS. B) HOUSEDESIGN HOW MANY BEDROOMS ARE NECESSARY? DO YOU NEED 3 FOR FAMILY MEMBERS AND 1 FOR GUESTS THAT CAN ALSO BE USED AS A DEN OR OFFICE? WHO WILL LIVE IN YOUR HOUSE ? C)HOUSEDESIGN HOW MANY BATHROOMS ? MOST COUPLES WANT A PRIVATE ENSUITE FOR THEMSELVES, A SECOND FULL 4 PIECE BATHROOM FOR THE REST OF THE FAMILY AND A POWDER ROOM FOR COMPANY. THAT MAKES A MINIMUM OF 2 AND 1/2 BATHROOMS. IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON BUILDING A 2-3 STOREY OR A MULTI-LEVEL HOUSE THEN A BATHROOM ON EACH FLOOR IS BEST. D) HOUSEDESIGN WHAT ABOUT THE KITCHEN? THE KITCHEN IS THE "HEART OF THE HOME' OR AT LEAST "THE BELLY". YOUR KITCHEN DESIGN SHOULD COMPLIMENT YOUR LIFESTYLE. IF YOU OFTEN ENTERTAIN AND YOUR COMPANY, FAMILY, AND FRIENDS LIKE TO HANG OUT IN THE KITCHEN THEN THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SIZE AND LAYOUT. IF YOU ARE A MESSY COOK AND PREFER THE "OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND" APPROACH TO DINING THEN A SEPERATE KITCHEN AND A MORE FORMAL DINING ROOM COULD BE A BETTER CHOICE. WHATEVER YOUR STYLE BE SURE THAT YOUR KITCHEN IS LARGE ENOUGH TO WORK IN AND HAS GOOD TRAFFIC FLOW. (MORE ABOUT TRAFFIC FLOW LATER). E) HOUSEDESIGNWHAT IS A GREAT ROOM? DO I NEED A FAMILY ROOM? DO PEOPLE STILL HAVE LIVING ROOMS? ALL OF THE ABOVE ROOMS SERVE THE SAME PURPOSE AND ONCE AGAIN DEPENDING ON YOUR OWN PREFERENCES CAN BE INCLUDED IN YOUR HOUSE PLANS.EACH ROOM REPRESENTS THE AREA OF THE HOME WHERE THE MOST INTERACTION BETWEEN FAMILY MEMBERS AND/OR COMPANY TAKES PLACE. AS YOU ARE DESIGNING FOR YOURSELF...PLAN ROOMS THAT WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY. THERE IS NOT MUCH SENSE IN BUILDING A HOUSE WITH A FORMAL LIVING ROOM THAT IS A "SHOW PIECE" AND THE ENTIRE FAMILY CRAMS INTO A TINY LITTLE DEN TO WATCH MOVIES. IF YOU ARE NOT A TV/MOVIE BUFF THEN DESIGNING A MEDIA ROOM IS A WASTE OF SPACE. F) HOUSEDESIGN DO YOU HAVE HOBBIES? WHEN DESIGNING YOUR HOME TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ANY HOBBIES OR INTERESTS. IF YOU ARE A PHOTOGRAPHER CONSIDER A DARK ROOM. IF YOU LOVE GARDENING THEM MAYBE PLAN FOR A SUNROOM/GREENHOUSE. A CRAFT ROOM THAT IS UTILIZED BY MOM AND KIDS CAN ALSO INCLUDE A SEWING CENTRE, A WORK TABLE AND PLENTY OF STORAGE. IF THERE IS A HANDYMAN IN THE HOUSEHOLD THEN A WORKSHOP COULD BE INCLUDED AT THE PLANNING STAGE. G) HOUSEDESIGN HOME OFFICE? A HOME OFFICE IS QUICKLY BECOMING A STANDARD IN MANY HOMES. PLANNING THIS SPACE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THE DESIGN ALLOWS FOR ANY SPECIAL WIRING AND HOOK-UPS THAT MAY BE EXPENSIVE TO ADD LATER. H) HOUSEDESIGN WHAT ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE? WHERE YOU LIVE AND THE WEATHER ALSO EFFECTS THE DESIGN OF YOUR HOME. A MUDROOM ENTRY IN WET AND SNOWY CONDITIONS GOES A LONG WAY TO KEEPING THE REST OF YOUR HOME COMFY AND CLEAN. AN ATTACHED GARAGE IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD IS CONSIDERED A PRIORITY. I)HOUSEDESIGN WHERE DO I PUT THE WINDOWS...WHAT ABOUT A FIREPLACE...GAS OR WOOD...DO WE HAVE ENOUGH STORAGE...HOW WIDE SHOULD THE HALLS BE...WHICH WAY IS NORTH...WHERE IS THE MORNING SUN...CAN THE BIG OAK TREE STAY OR DO WE HAVE TO CUT IT DOWN...??? AS YOU CAN SEE, HOUSEDESIGNING YOUR OWN HOUSE CAN BE EXCITING , CHALLENGING, OVERWHELMING, AND ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING ADVENTURES YOU WILL EVER UNDERTAKE. JUST FOLLOW THE "STEPS", BE FLEXIBLE, AND HAVE FUN !!! STEPS TO HOUSEDESIGN
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