Finally, after months of thoughtful consideration, you have made one great decision. You are going to build your dream house! But with the ever-increasing cost of building a house, you need to be equipped with the necessary knowledge to avoid wasting your hard earned dollars.In building a house, one of the first and most important steps you need to do is to find the perfect design for your future home. Do you need to have your house plan custom drawn or will you go for a stock house plan? “So, what’s the difference between the two?” you might ask. Well, there is a world of difference between these two and cost is just one of them.A custom drawn house plan is a plan specifically designed by a professional architect or designer to meet the needs of an individual homeowner. Among the factors taken into consideration in drawing a custom house plan are the size of the lot on which the house will be built, the location, the existing national and local building codes and the special needs of the home owner. A custom house plan requires considerable time to be completed and can cost up to a few thousand dollars!Stock house plans, on the other hand, are plans that were previously drawn by a professional architect or designer either for a specific purpose or for general use.So, why choose a stock house plan over custom drawn plans? Here are a few reasons why:. Stock house plans are much more affordable than custom drawn plans. Can you believe that you can save up to 95% when you choose to buy stock house plans rather than commission a professional to have a custom plans drawn? While the cost of a custom house plan can be overwhelming, that of a stock house plan only averages at $700. That is just a small fraction of the cost of a custom house plan!. You can save on construction costs when you use stock house plans. Most stock house plans have already been used at least once so you can be rest assured that any construction issues regarding the plan have already been resolved. You can also avoid unnecessary building costs and have more accurate budget estimates. Also, since yours will not be the first time the plan will be constructed, the building process will be faster and more efficient. That alone accounts for significant savings on the labor cost!. Stock house plans can be modified to fit your needs. Don’t think for a moment that you are forced to accept every single detail in your stock house plan. All stock house plans can be modified! You can request for some alterations to be done to suit your family’s needs, to add a touch of character or to conform to local building codes. Modifications can be undertaken either by the original designer or through a number of design modification services. Even with the additional modification costs, stock house plans can still give you more value for your money.. You can safely choose from a wide variety of designs available. You can find house plan designs in printed catalogs, in specially prepared CDs and in online sources. With the multitude of design options available, you can surely find one that will meet your budget and lifestyle requirements!

Ranch style house plans were first built in the United States in the 1920’s, and became very popular in the post-World War II era when GI loans, and Americans taking to automobiles and commuting to work, fueled a building explosion in the suburbs. This style was particularly associated with inexpensive tract housing developments since these homes are cheap to build and maintain. The house is marked by a long, low profile, and the minimal use of interior and exterior decoration. These houses fuse modernist styles and ideas with the romantic image of American western working ranches, which creates a very casual and informal living style. The popularity of it waned in the latter part of the twentieth century with the rise of neo-eclectic architectural styles and a return to using traditional and historical decoration. Recently the ranch style has undergone a revitalization of popularity, with preservationist movements in some ranch style house neighborhoods, and also with a renewed interest in this style by a younger generation which did not grow up in ranch style homes. The style revival is similar to that experienced by other styles such as bungalow and Queen Anne architecture, which were quite popular at one time. It faded as a desired style of housing resulting in teardowns due to disinterest and decay and then resurged with a renewal of interest and the gentrification of surviving houses.Basically, ranch home plans have a number of common features. These include a single story dwelling with a low, long roofline; large, overhanging eaves beneath a side-gabled, cross-gabled, or hip roof; asymmetrical, open L-shape, U-shape, or rectangular floor plan; brick, stucco, or wood exterior; simple or rustic exterior and interior trim; an attached garage; sliding glass doors in the dining or living area which open onto a patio; large windows often decorated with shutters; and ceilings which are vaulted and show exposed beams. Other variations on the basic ranch style include the raised ranch, in which a furnished basement – often used as a recreational or hobby area – is partially or completely above the ground foundation and thus serves as a separate floor. This style often takes advantage of a hillside location, so that the full dimensions of the house are not evident from curbside. The idea is to create open spaces sweeping from the garage through kitchen through dining and living areas to the bedrooms at one end and to allow the outdoors to come inside with large windows and ready access to a back patio area – often with barbecue and recreational facilities -where much living and entertaining takes place. Thus, the typical ranch home plan is best suited to summer living, and to areas with mild climates. Long and low structures are not as economical to heat as are tall, compact buildings, thus the ranch style has been criticized as being wasteful of energy.

If you are experiencing severe insect infestations in your area, building a bat house might be the solution to your problem. And with quality bat house plans, it is easily done too even if you’re no skilled woodworker.Bats are the perfect nocturnal insect killer. They can devour up to a hundred insects like mosquitoes, moths, leafhoppers and other insects which are harmful to crops. This is why if you have a farm and insects are a constant concern, having bats around will do the job of exterminating those pests.There are things you need to consider, however, in building a bat house of your own. These will make the dwelling habitable for bats. These are:LocationLocation is a very important aspect in bat house building. You need to have the dwelling situated where the needs of the bats are provided. For example, the structure should have direct exposure to sunlight for at least 10 hours everyday for proper roosting of the bats.Though, more is better.Another important aspect to keep in mind is that bats need water nearby. This is why it’s a very good idea to build a dwelling for bats near rivers or streams. Also, the area should not be near to bright lights and be sure that the area has clearance for the bats to swoop in and out of their house.Lastly, the house should be mounted high above the ground. It has to placed on a pole that’s at least 12 feet high.MaterialsMaterials are also one aspect you need to consider in building a house for bats. You won’t b needing costly materials for this task unlike other woodworking projects. However, it is imperative that you have the right one.For example, you need to use untreated wood as the treated one may contain chemicals which may prove harmful to bats. Also, it is more appropriate to use galvanized or exterior grade screws rather than nails.Bat House PlansThe interior of the bat house should be designed in such a way that will attract the bats to this dwelling. And you’ll have better chances at that when you use top notch bat house plans. Additionally, with a good blueprint to guide you, you can be sure that the specifications are correct.If you are looking for good bat house plans to use for this project, I strongly suggest that you go for plans that has step by step instruction. Also, blueprints with detailed illustration will help you implement the plan correctly and follow the instruction to the letter even if you’re not a skilled woodworker.

Having good green house plans is the first step you need to take when you want to come up with a green house. There are many ways through which you can come up with a green house. A good green house plan should be able to cater for your budget. When you want to build a green house, there are a number of things to keep in mind so that you can come up with a perfect green house. These are the factors that will help you build your own greenhouse at a cheap price.It is good to consider labor and budget you need to come up with a greenhouse. When you are planning on labor, it is good to utilize personal labor. This will include using your family members. When you use the family members to offer labor, you are likely to reduce the expenses. When it comes to deciding if you will use family members to provide labor, it is good to know their availability.You can reduce on the budget of building a greenhouse if you use your family as a source of labor. It is however recommended that you hire an expert to assist you. You should look for someone who has done this job in the past. This is the one you will be sure has enough experience to build a greenhouse.Another factor to keep in mind when you want to build a greenhouse is the material cost. The cost of the material is determined by the kind of material used. It is good to take into consideration the kind of shed you want. You can also use some old material to make entrances. This will be a good way of saving on money which will have otherwise been used to buy materials. You can buy greenhouse material in your local stores or online. There are a number of companies that sell these materials. To buy quality but cheap material, you will need to take your time so that you get a cheap dealer.Good greenhouse plans should give a provision of using recycled materials. When you make use of greenhouse plans you will be guided on how you can use old material to build your greenhouse. This will be a good way of saving the expenses. It is good to stick to your plan in order to successfully finish your project of building a greenhouse.

A house plan is of major importance. How can a structure be built without a plan? Every construction plan needs an outline, for without it, everything will be in disarray. For individuals who want to venture into the building of a house, the house plan is the most basic factor to consider.Definition and ImportanceA house plan is the pattern that will be followed by the designing and constructing team. Imagine constructing a house without a house plan. Do you think it will materialize? Basically, a house plan shows a vivid picture of how a house will look after every single job has been done.Although houses differ in style, structure, and build, house plans have one thing in common–their elements. Concentrating on the basic elements of a house plan will aid homeowners in organizing the parts and conceptualizing the house’s actual outcome. Above all, the major elements that the homeowner wants in his house ought to be included in the house plan. The rest of the minute details that the homeowner deems necessary can be added through the course of the finalization of the house plan.Considerations of House PlanOutlining the structure of the house is the very first step. How many stories should there be? Do you prefer a basement? How many rooms will there be?The entire square footage of the house must be kept in mind as this will aid in outlining the house. Mapping out the boundaries of each room is essential. The location of the kitchen, dining room, bedrooms, porch, and the like should be carefully planned. Figuring out if there is a garage, fireplace, bathtub, or outside water facet for a swimming pool or a pond is a must. Every room and major items ought to be labeled to avoid confusion.