Picking a house plan can be such a stressful time in the building process and it is one of the biggest decisions you'll make. Here's some advice from someone who's been through the process:
First things first, do your research. Look at plans online and find inspiration photos for both the interior and the exterior. This will help your builder find a plan that works best for you. When we started the process, we pulled house plans we liked but wanted to edit and brought those to builders we met with. We also pulled pictures of specific elements (shiplap fireplace, cabinet designs, etc.) to show builders so they could get a better sense for what we wanted.
It's important to identify what you like and why, as well as what you hate and why. Both things are equally as important to your builder to make sure you're getting the house that works best for you. The more you know about what you like, the better. This will help everyone in the long run.
There are so many places online to look at house plans. I'd suggest you start there to really hone what you like. We loved using architecturaldesigns.com to get inspired and pinpoint what we wanted our house to look like inside and out.
But don't buy your house plans yet! This varies builder to builder but when we showed house plans to our builder, they worked with us to create a custom house plan. Some builders will want their own architect to draw up your plans in house. Other builders might work off plans you've found online but speak with potential builders about this first.
Speaking of architects, these fees vary. We did not have to pay a fee for getting our house plans drawn up, but if we would have taken the plans elsewhere we would have had to pay for them.
I know that this can be a long, difficult process. To make sure you're making the right decision, try to visualize yourself in the house plans. Visualize your normal routines and see if the layouts make sense for you. Once we kind of mapped things, and I mean literally putting tape on the ground in our old house to measure room sizes, we changed the size of some rooms but wouldn't have done that if we hadn't pictured ourselves in the spaces.
Whatever you decide to do, don't go into meetings with potential builders unprepared. When meeting with builders, come prepared with a list of questions. This is how you will decide which builder is the right one for you. Building is an investment. It's a long process with you and your builder and it's important to make the right decision. To help you goo into these meetings prepared, I've put together a list of questions to ask a builder. Be sure to check out that article.
I'm always here if you have questions! Feel free to send me an email or a DM on Instagram and I'll help any way that I can.
Check back next week for another Building 101!
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