![homeowner with contractor reviewing blueprints homeowner with contractor reviewing blueprints](/images/Articles/BXP53307-webthumb.jpg) |
Not sure where to start? This article discusses the 10 most important steps to take before deciding to build your dream home. Review these and follow-up by reading additional information and you will be well on your way to the home of your dreams. |
![Blueprints For House Plans Blueprints For House Plans](/images/articles/couple-reviewing-blueprints-thumbnail.jpg) |
Most soon-to-be homeowners are not familiar with reading blueprints. This article takes you through the basic components of a set of blueprint drawings along with how to read the symbols and measurements most commonly seen on stock house plans.
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![Build the Right Home for Your Family Build the Right Home for Your Family](/images/articles/family-dream-home-thumbnail.jpg) |
What are the things that need to be considered in order to get your dream home built? From budget to lot choice, this article discusses the basic issues that need to be considered when building a new home and the initial steps of taking your house plan from a dream and making it a reality.
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![Narrow Lot Home Narrow Lot Home](/images/articles/smaller-lot-home-thumbnail.jpg) |
Bigger is not always better. This article talks about the great attributes a small lot brings. With the cost of land on the rise, smaller lots are becoming commonplace and this article discusses some of the ways to utilize a smaller lot to the best of your advantage both inside and out.
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![Finding a Home Building Contractor Finding a Home Building Contractor](/images/articles/couple-with-contractor-thumbnail.jpg) |
Be informed and understand how to find a builder, check references and analyze their bids. Being educated from the start will create a solid and respected relationship with your builder or contractor throughout the process of building of your dream home.
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![child gate to child proof your home child gate to child proof your home](/images/articles/baby-behind-gate-thumbnail.jpg) |
A dream house plan when built can become a dangerous playground for children. Learn all the steps to take in keeping your dream home a safe and happy place for children. Taking these safety precautions will help keep all the children in your house safer from common injuries.
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![Choosing a Home Site Choosing a Home Site](/images/articles/home-construction-site-thumbnail.jpg) |
A lot is a lot, right? Actually, there are numerous things to consider when choosing a home site and many will affect the long-term happiness of you and your family. Take a look at these common factors to consider before choosing a home site for your house plan. From the neighborhood to the soil conditions, this article takes you through all the common issues a home site can bring.
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![A Good Neighborhood For Your Home Plan A Good Neighborhood For Your Home Plan](/images/articles/neighborhood-thumbnail.jpg) |
Finding a neighborhood that suits your lifestyle and the needs of your family is critical. This article reflects on all of the factors to evaluate when determining the location of your soon-to-be-built home sweet home. It's important to "picture yourself" there from the start or you and your family will never feel right a home.
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![Building a basement in a beach home plan Building a basement in a beach home plan](/images/articles/coastal-basement-thumbnail.jpg) |
Does building a basement in a beach/coastal house plan sound impossible? It can be a reality with the revolutionary CFA method. Read this article and become informed on the latest foundation technology for coastal, beach and Lowcountry style house plans where the water table is high.
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![dream home being built dream home being built](/images/articles/home-construction-thumbnail.jpg) |
Five commonly made mistakes are discussed in this article and how to avoid them right from the start of building your new home. This a must-read article that allows you to isolate problem areas during the building process right from the very beginning. Avoiding these mistakes will ensure less stressful construction.
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![Creating Your Own Designer Dream Home Creating Your Own Designer Dream Home](/images/articles/couple-with-blueprints-thumbnail.jpg) |
This article touches on how to find the perfect house plan style for you. Whether you are looking for a Traditional or Contemporary house plan, this article discusses how to search for the perfect architectural style and how to modify the plan once you have found the house design that best suits your needs.
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![Traditional Home Traditional Home](/images/articles/luxury-home-thumbnail.jpg) |
Found almost the perfect house plan? Well, making the "almost" perfect home plan into the absolutely perfect one is simple and easy if you review some of the concepts in this article. Starting with the close to perfect stock plan and modifying it from there is a great cost effective solution for living the American dream.
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![Colonial Floor Plan Colonial Floor Plan](/images/articles/traditional-home-thumbnail.jpg) |
With so many plans to choose from, reviewing all types of floor plans can be quite a challenge. This article discusses the basic types of floor plans available on the market today. From Ranch style to two-story home plans, this article distinguishes between the various types of plans most widely built and discusses their strengths and weaknesses.
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![Southern Home Plan Southern Home Plan](/images/articles/article-topic-getting-started-drawing-conclusions.jpg) |
This article helps you determine what you want and need in a home plan. It also points out some of the hottest home design trends available to home buyers today. Before you select your house plan, read this article and get great ideas.
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![Energy Efficient Ideas for Your Home Energy Efficient Ideas for Your Home](/images/articles/cfl-lightbulb-thumbnail.jpg) |
Now more popular than ever, homeowners are searching for ways to save money. Conserving energy within your home is one of the easiest ways. So, review this article to learn how to better sustain energy within the walls of your home and what products should be incorporated into the construction to ensure ingoing energy conservation for years to come.
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![pier home thumbnail pier home thumbnail](/resource_center/images/pier-home-thumbnail.jpg) |
Besides being a safe choice when it comes to coastal or wetland regions, pier foundations are a green building choice that offer very little disruption when it comes to a home's ecological footprint. Learn all about the benefits of a pier foundation. |
![House Floor Plans House Floor Plans](/images/articles/couple-in-home-thumbnail.jpg) |
Finding a floor plan that meets the needs of your family is the #1 priority. But, often homeowners concern themselves with the look of the exterior and forget to focus on the interior and its functionality. Read this article and help isolate the needs that need to be met for your family.
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![Luxury Kitchen](images/home-design-trends-020S-0001.jpg) |
What do homeowners want? Big kitchens? Outdoor fireplaces? This article touches on the hottest trends homeowners are looking for in their dream homes today. Plus, there's great photos of the features discussed and links to house plans right here on houseplansandmore.com offering such amenities.
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![Purchasing Homeowner's Insurance Purchasing Homeowner's Insurance](/images/articles/home-on-coins-thumbnail.jpg) |
Understand your home insurance policy from the start. This article discusses some of the things to take into consideration so you are completely covered if by chance an emergency causes destruction to you most expensive investment. Attempting to sort through your claim after a stressful situation occurs is anything but ideal, so read this article and plan and organize your insurance in advance.
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![efficient home furnace efficient home furnace](/images/articles/furnace-room-thumbnail.jpg) |
Sorting through the nation's complex tax system requires the utmost patience. Here, we outline some of the latest additions to the tax system that provide Americans with tax break opportunities. Adding or remodeling a home with state-of-the-art energy efficient products and systems affords the opportunity to save substantial money for a homeowner.
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![Home Foundation Home Foundation](/images/articles/home-foundation-thumbnail.jpg) |
Not sure what type of foundation you need for your house plan? Don't know the difference between a crawl space and a slab? Well, this article offers all the basic information necessary to understand the foundation best suited for your lot, region of the country and architectural style of home plan you have chosen.
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![Lumber for your new Home Lumber for your new Home](/images/articles/home-truss-thumbnail.jpg) |
Confused about the differences in lumber types? This article spells everything out for you from the benefits and weaknesses of softwoods versus hardwoods and much, much more. Before beginning construction of your house plan or do-it-yourself project read this information and get a sense of what sorts of lumber options are available to you.
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![Ranch Home Exterior Ranch Home Exterior](/images/articles/atrium-ranch-thumbnail.jpg) |
One-story home plans are still the most popular style built today. This article discusses the many benefits of one-level living and how to maximize your floor plan to include gorgeous features often times only one-story homes can provide a homeowner.
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![Modern Open Floor Plan Home](images/open-flr-plan-016S-0001.jpg) |
For great function and space maximizing, open floor plans offer everything a homeowner could possibly want. Less cluttered, great for entertaining and function, an open floor plan provides the type of home that feels modern, fresh and full of possibility.
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![pet proofing your home pet proofing your home](/images/articles/dog-bone-thumbnail.jpg) |
Man's best friends live in millions of homes with their owners, but when we build our home, do we take them into account? When planning your family's dream home, it's important to remember your pets and how they will integrate into you new home and you will keep them safe.
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![organized small home living](images/organized-living-thumb.jpg) |
Homeowners used to believe, "bigger is better," but now they are changing their tune and realizing that the right size home may be smaller, more efficient and better organized making their lives easier every day. |
![functional kitchen floor plan thumbnail](/images/articles/kitchen-thumbnail.jpg) |
Before you "settle" for the not-so-perfect floor plan, think outside of the box when it comes to interpreting the floor plan of a home and take rooms that seem useless in your lifestyle and convert them to functional spaces perfect for your needs. Smart design will help you determine exactly what you need in your new home. |
![cooling tips for home windows cooling tips for home windows](/images/articles/article-topic-getting-started-staying-cool-cutting-cost.jpg) |
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to keep your home cool in the summer months without breaking the bank? This article reflects on some ideas that allow your home to stay cool while helping you to cut costs.
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![Environmentally friendly framed house plan Environmentally friendly framed house plan](/images/articles/house-framing-thumbnail.jpg) |
There are many options when it comes to framing your home. Find out in this article the differences between the various types of framing that are currently available on the market today. It also touches on some of the green framing options as well as more conventional framing options.
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![Wiring your telephone and TV connections neatly will promise your dream home will enjoy all that technology has to offer Wiring your telephone and TV connections neatly will promise your dream home will enjoy all that technology has to offer](/images/articles/wiring-closeup-thumbnail.jpg) |
Want to make your new house plan cutting edge? Take a look at this article focusing on structured wiring. Structured wiring offers the homeowners ease because there is a main control panel, plus wires are not spliced together, so audio and video quality are top-notch. Learn all of the details of structured wiring right here.
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![Ranch One Story Home Ranch One Story Home](/images/articles/one-story-home-thumbnail.jpg) |
The one-story home is as popular than ever. This article touches on many of the reasons why we love a one level house. With some many beautiful architectural styles and sizes to choose form, a ranch style house plan can offer all the amenities your family is looking for plus room for growth.
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![European Style Duplex Plan European Style Duplex Plan](/images/articles/duplex-thumbnail.jpg) |
Living in a duplex, or multi-family plan has become more popular than ever. Not only do these designs feature functional floor plans, they can be the perfect solution for anyone who wants privacy, yet they allow extended family to remain close. Or, build duplex house designs and use them as an investment. See why living in a duplex is definitely a win. |
![wheelchair accessible home thumbnail](/images/articles/wheelchair-home-thumbnail.jpg) |
The majority of the population is older every year making finding the perfect living situation not as easy as it used to be. Before getting caught off guard, consider building your next home so it is wheelchair accessible and make living easy, universally easier for all ages, and more comfortable for everyone. |
![home blueprints home blueprints](/images/articles/couple-contractor-thumbnail.jpg) |
What are building codes, you ask? Building codes are the minimum safety standards required during various forms of a construction project. Often confusing for a homeowner to understand entirely, it is important to familiarize yourself with these codes, so when they are mentioned you will be aware of the differences between the four model codes within the United States.
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![blueprints and coffee thumbnail](images/blueprints-thumbnail.jpg) |
Feel confident you're selecting the right type of modifiable plan for the changes you're making to the home. Whether it's minor or major changes, this article will help you make the right plan choice, so modifying the plan is easy. |
![Cost to Build Report](images/cost-to-build-thumb.jpg) |
Before you order an estimated cost to build report for the house plan you want, see everything that's included. Gain knowledge of the material and labor cost associated with the home you want to build. Manage your home building with ease and confidence and avoid unexpected expenses. |
![Finding the Right Home Plan Finding the Right Home Plan](/images/articles/family-home-site-thumbnail.jpg) |
Before you set your sights on one plan selected strictly on its look and style, be sure to read this article and make sure your most common needs and function are being met. Have you thought about how long you plan to live here? How will this house plan grow with you through the years? And, what about the overall layout of the rooms? Reading this feature will help you identify the most important things.
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![building your home plan design building your home plan design](/images/articles/home-construction-closeup-thumbnail.jpg) |
Many people are not familiar with the benefits of choosing a stock plan to build their dream home. Not only has a stock plan most likely already been built, but also finding a great stock plan is easy and affordable. Plus, it can be an easy way to get a nearly perfect floor plan that only needs minor modifications to suit your needs.
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