9 Reasons to Buy a Professional Set of House Plans

Are you thinking about building your own dream home? Do you have a style in mind for the house you want to build? Get ahead of the game by purchasing a quality set of house plans.

If you think you’re going to save a ton of money by doing your own hand sketch of a house plan, or having a friend of a friend draw them from their basement, you might find yourself in a bind during construction.  Below I’m going to share with you the top 9 reasons to go ahead and buy that quality set of house plans. We are confident that you can find the perfect plan to fit your needs.

9. Building Codes

When you are in the design process, an often overlooked item on the checklist is building codes. Typically people shudder when they hear the term “building codes”. Where do you find the codes for your area? How do the codes need to be shown in my home plans?

When you buy a set of house plans from Advanced House Plans, they are designed with the latest building codes in mind, so that’s one less headache you have to worry about. Some counties require specific details on your floor plans that might not be included in your set. However, we have an alterations department on staff that can help adjust your floorplans.

8. Less Chance of Running Into Problems During Construction

Building a house can be a tedious task. The last thing you want to happen is your builder calling you to say that a beam won’t work as drawn, the staircase doesn’t fit, or the foundation does not stack with the main floor plan. Money, money, money.

You can avoid all of these problems by getting a set of quality house plans. When you hire an experienced designer, you are paying for their experience. They know what to draw in the plans and how to draw it because they’ve seen it before.

7. Unique Design and Well Thought Out Floor Plans

Speaking of experience, another benefit of getting quality plans from a professional designer is that they know the newest trends, architectural styles, and best floor plan layouts because they are constantly designing new plans. If you want an open floor plan, for example, the designers know how to create the best flow between your rooms because they’ve seen their designs built and know which designs their clients are happiest with.

Do you know the minimum size of a hallway? What about the minimum size of a laundry? Do your bedroom windows meet egress? What is the maximum riser height for your stairs? All things to think of when designing a floor plan and they are all included in a professional set of house plans.

6. Saves Time on Design

Just like the old saying goes, time is money. Another huge benefit of having a designer create your floor plans is that you don’t have to spend a ton of time and energy trying to design something from scratch. Just let them know what features you want in your home and you’ll get a great unique house plan designed just for you. Better yet, If you like a stock plan on our website at www.advancedhouseplans.com, you can get a great official set of house plans instantly.

5. Legible Plans with Easy to Read Dimensions

If you really want to test your builder’s patience, hand them a poorly drawn floor plan that’s difficult to read and lacks all of the proper dimensions. That’s a bad way to start a relationship with the person responsible for building your dream house.

If you hand them a great set of floor plans that are easy to read and have all of the dimensions they need on it, you will immediately gain the respect of the builder (probably).  

Another way to make that builder happy is to give them a set of plans with proper details. A good set of plans will come with all of the details the builder needs to build it right, including stair sections and wall sections.

4. 3D renderings

How nice would it be if you could visualize what your house would look like before it gets built? Our plans at Advanced House Plans come with a 3D rendering on the front cover and grayscale images of the front, left, right and rear of your house included in the plan set.

3. Confidence From Your Contractors and More Accurate Bids

Are you looking to get bids for your siding, stone, electrical, etc? One of the most common complaints we hear from homeowners is having low budget allowances for interior and exterior finishes.  If you give your contractors a legitimate set of plans, they will have the necessary information to give you the most accurate bid, meaning you have a better chance of actually staying within your budget.  

2. Professional Service

Have you been approached by a designer that works out of their home and designs home plans on the side? Yes, we all have. And there is a reason it’s a side job to them and not a career. Part-time designers do not have the knowledge to stay up with the market trends on a daily basis, nor do they have the opportunity to collaborate on the drawings with other designers to help give you-the customer-the perfect product.

So what happens if your builder does call in the middle of the build and has a problem with something on your house plan? Would you be able to answer the questions they have yourself?

When you buy a plan from Advanced House Plans you aren’t just buying the set of plans. You are also buying our plan support. We are available to answer any questions you or your builder may have regarding our plans during the building process.  At AHP all of our plans undergo a thorough four-step review process to ensure near-perfection before they are finalized and available for order.

1. Plans Ready for Permits

The most important reason you need an official set of house plans is that most cities require that you provide a set of plans in order to obtain a permit. Building without a permit can be dangerous and costly due to fines. If you want to make this process easier you will need to purchase an official house plan set. This will help the city be sure that it is a legal and safe structure.