FAQ
Who Designs a House Floor Plan?
Usually an architect or a home design professional will design house floor plans. An individual buying a floor plan has the option of creating a customized or unique floor plan, or buying a pre-made plan. There are architectural and home design firms that can create unique 3-bedroom house floor plans if a home buyer wants to take the time to work with a designer to create a unique floor plan. There are also websites available that will walk an individual through the process of designing their own customized floor plan. Pre-made, or what are also called stock floor plans can also be purchased.
What Does a Floor Plan Include?
There are some basic items that nearly every floor plan will feature. Interior rooms of the floor plan will often be a different color than rooms that are considered seasonal rooms. For example, a floor plan with interior rooms may be colored beige while screened in porches, side porches, and outdoor cooking areas are shaded light blue on the plan to easily differentiate between these types of rooms. While the thick dark lines on a plan easily show where each room is, lighter or dotted lines show were closets, bathrooms, or furniture such as dining room tables would be located. Finally, the floor plan would have the dimensions of every room written in each area on the plan. The square footage of each room and sometimes the ceiling height is given for each individual area or room.
What is a Reverse Floor Plan?
A reverse floor plan is the same floor plan as the one you’re looking at, except everything would be built in the opposite direction or on the other side. When a builder comes out with a design, bedrooms are usually on one side of the house and a kitchen and living room are on the other. When a person decides to buy that floor plan, it may work better for the bedrooms to be on the opposite side of the lot where the home will be built. This is why many builders will offer reverse floor plans. For someone who is building a two-story home, a reverse floor plan may mean something entirely different. In this case a reverse floor plan can mean that the bedrooms are on the ground level and the main living area is on the second floor. There are several reasons people may want to do this. One is for lighting purposes. Large rooftop windows allow natural lighting into second floor rooms. The first floor rooms can be kept darker, making it ideal for sleeping.
How Do I Choose the Right Plan?
There are lots of questions a potential homeowner may have about choosing a floor plan. Before designing a floor plan, the person will need to decide what they need in a home. Do they have children or are they planning on having children while living in the home? Do they plan on doing a lot of entertaining in the home? After answering questions about their own personal needs there are a few basic questions about the actual home that will need to be answered.
- Do I want a one-story or a two-story home? Three-bedroom homes can easily be one or two-story.
- What style of home do I want? There are lots of options such as a ranch style home or a colonial style.
- How many bathrooms will there be in the home?
- Will there be a basement, a crawlspace, or a basic slab beneath the home?
How Many Modifications Can Be Made to an Existing Floor Plan?
Sometime a person will want to make some changes after a floor plan has already by developed. Certain modifications can usually be made after a floor plan has been designed. It’s important to note that some designers and builders are more flexible than others. Most, however, will attempt to work with their clients to help people build a home that fits their needs and is right for their family. Generally, you can modify a 3-bedroom house floor plan as much as you like, but it will cost more to do this. Things that are easier to modify include things such as exterior finishes. More moderate changes might include making a room larger or adding a porch or garage. Significant changes would be adding extra rooms and major changes to the foundation.
What is Included in a Materials List?
A materials list is all of the building supplies that are needed to construct the house. A materials list should come with a house floor plan whether it is customized or a stock plan. The following are several items that would be found on this list. The list would specifically outline the type, size, and quantity of all the materials needed for general construction.
- Lumber
- Concrete
- Hardware
- Insulation
How Much Will it Cost to Purchase a Floor Plan?
It’s important to decide on a budget before beginning the process of building a home. These estimated costs should include the price for house floor plans. It will normally cost between $900 and $2700 to hire a draftsperson to design customized floor plans. There are plenty of floor plans that have already been drafted that can be purchased online for less. Many 3-bedroom house floor plans can be found at a variety of online sites for less than $1,000.
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