The House Plan Shop Blog

With the economy starting to show signs of life and an up-tick in business, now may be the time to invest in a commercial building. There are many pieces of commercial property that have sat vacant and dormant since the economy took a nosedive, but for those who own one of those pieces of property, there may be no better time than now to start developing it into something that will pay off in the long run. Consider building a strip mall or office building that will attract businesses, bring growth to the local job sector and revenue to your city or town. The House Plan Shop offers a variety of commercial building plans designed to satisfy a broad range of business needs including designs for office buildings, strip malls, an auto mechanic’s shop and more. Determine what type of business needs your local community has for commercial properties and choose a commercial building plan that will work for your property.

Tags: Commercial Building Plans, commercial buildings, economy, office buildings, strip malls

The spring building season is almost upon us. It is a popular time for building multi-family house plans, like duplexes, townhouses and apartment plans. For property owners wanting to earn income, a multi-family home plan works well for rental property. These building structures feature two or more distinct living areas separated by walls or floors. They offer the same appeal as single-family homes, and in most cases, multi-family house plans are designed and built for their economic construction. The House Plan Shop offers a broad range of multi-family homes designs including:

 

• Duplex House Plans
• 3-4 Unit Multi-Family House Plans
• Townhouse Plans – Upscale multi-family plans consisting of two or more units designed with special features and extra sophistication not usually found with typical multi-family plans.  
• Apartment Plans (5+ units)

 

Multi-family house plans are often built in densely populated areas providing the maximum number of living units while making the most of the available property. Also, duplexes and apartment buildings are quite popular in small college towns and near large universities where a significant number of students are from out of town and need temporary housing or rental property until they complete their coursework. If you’re interested in building a multi-family house plan this spring, take some time to browse all of our plan collections. There’s no better time than springtime to build a multi-family plan!    

Tags: apartment building plans, Apartment Plans, duplex plans, duplexes, multi-family home plans, Multi-Family House Plans, Townhouse Plans, townhouses, triplex plans, triplexes

When it comes to choosing the best lighting for your garage it all comes down to your personal preferences and how you plan to use your garage. Whether you’re building a new house with an attached or detached garage or just upgrading the one you have, your choice of lighting will influence how usable your will be and how much time you’ll spend working in it. These three easy steps will help you select the right lighting for your garage.

1. Consider how you plan to use your garage. Will you only be parking the family cars inside? Do you need a workshop or hobby area? Will the garage be sued for storage? Will you be parking the cars inside and storing the riding mower, the recycling bins and an ATV?
2. Select general purpose lighting to illuminate all sections and the corners of your garage. Fluorescent light fixtures are a popular choice. They provide more than adequate general lighting and fairly common for use as general purpose lighting. Furthermore, they can be equally spaced across the span of your garage for the best illumination. If you have questions, about fluorescent lighting, check with your electrician and/or lighting professional.
3. Consider the layout of your garage or workshop and create individual work stations or storage spaces within it. Choose task lighting for each specific purpose or designated space. Consider positioning an overhead light above a craft table. Select incandescent lighting options for closets and other small storage spaces. If you plan to have a workbench, choose track lighting or a fixture that fits neatly under an overhead cabinet to light up the work surface. Finally, purchase a drop light or trouble to illuminate dark and obscure spaces, such as under the hood of a car. A drop light is portable and can be use for all kinds of purposes within your garage and home.

After you’ve selected the lighting fixtures you need, hire a licensed electrician to install them according to local building and electrical codes.

Tags: garage, garage lighting, Lighting, lighting fixtures

When building a new house, one of the most important things you can do is control your building budget. Without careful planning, it is easy to go far over budget when building a home. Beginning without a building budget, making changes during construction, and poor craftsmanship are just a few of the things that can blow your home building budget or cause extra expenses.

 

1. Most homeowners who embark on a home building project rely on obtaining a loan from a financial institution. This requires careful planning of the building budget up front. Begin by getting a feel for what things are going to cost. For example, visit several local lumberyards and find out what materials are available and their costs. Talk to the lumberyards about buying materials in bulk. Often, lumberyards will offer a better discount when all of the materials for the home are bought at the same time. This will slash your material costs. Also, compare the costs of luxury items verses budget items such as light fixtures. If a budget fixture is just as visually appealing, comes with a good warranty and serves the same purpose as the luxury item, choose the budget item. This tactic will cut wasteful spending tremendously. Using methods like these will help you save money and establish a building budget that works with your loan.

 

2. Next, go over your house plans carefully and discuss everything about the design, the floor plan, special elements, etc., with your builder before construction begins. It is important to have all the details worked out with your builder ahead of time. Once construction begins, making changes to the exterior of the home or the floor plan can become very costly in a hurry. When changes are made during construction, it often requires the builder to tear down or redo some portion of the home that was already complete or near completion causing a waste of time, money, materials, and labor.  

 

3. Finally, you might not be able to control the local labor costs, but you can control who you choose to do the work on your new home. Interview potential builders, ask to see their credentials, visit other jobsites where the builder has worked, and ask the builder for references from past clients. Researching the builder you hire (and the subcontractors) will help you choose the most qualified and skilled builder you can afford. Your new home is a major investment. You don’t want to ruin the experience of building a new home with poor craftsmanship. If you end up hiring an inexperienced builder or subcontractors, it is likely you’ll run it to problems quickly. Poor craftsmanship means you’ll be spending more later to repair things that were not properly built, constructed or installed during the construction of your home.

 

If you’re planning to build a new home, follow these tips to control your building costs.

Tags: building a home, Building a House, Building Budget, controlling building costs

Characteristic of the Mediterranean region as well as the southern states such as Florida and even some regions of California, this Mediterranean house plan boast many recognizable exterior features. Begin with the eye-catching red clay tile roof and the stucco façade. Then notice the arched windows and decorative wrought iron enhance the second floor window/double doors. From the neatly detailed exterior to the elegant and spacious interior, this one-story home plan delivers sophisticated family living. Interesting angles and large windows contribute to a unique yet comfortable atmosphere. Upon entering, a roomy foyer greets all. It quickly introduces the formal gathering spaces where you’re sure to host dinner guests and entertain family and friends on holidays. The dining room features a decorative ceiling treatment and stylish columns defining the space while maintaining openness to the living room where large windows and double doors deliver views of the rear yard. Now pay attention to the causal family spaces that team up to create an open area for daily activities and family time. Two islands are better than one in the well-appointed kitchen where you’ll also discover a culinary pantry, eating bar, abundant counter space and adjoining nook. The family room connects with the kitchen and nook showcasing a fireplace flanked with built-ins. Along with the nook and formal dining room, you’ll find another option for meal time when you take a look at the sweeping covered patio, complete with outdoor kitchen, perfect for summertime barbecues and cookouts with the neighbors. Three family bedrooms and two bathrooms (one can serve as a pool bath easily accessed from the patio) accommodated the children’s needs on the right side of the home. These bedrooms are shielded from street noise by the three-car, side-entry garage and laundry room. Don’t miss the bonus room above the garage, ideal for a home theater or game room the whole family can enjoy. On the left side of the home, Bedroom 2 delights in a bayed window and enjoys access to a nearby bath. This arrangement is ideal for weekend guests or an aging family member in your care. Your master bedroom is secluded for privacy and loaded with amenities. You’ll love the bayed window and luxurious bath delivering pampering features like His and Her walk-in closets, soaking tub, separate shower and dual sinks. Designed with plenty of room for everyone and stylish features that are sure to charm you, this Mediterranean home plan is mixes the best of both worlds – comfortable living and elegant design.

 

For more information about this Mediterranean house plan, please visit our website. Or browse our entire Mediterranean collection for more options!

Tags: floor plans, home plan, house plans, Mediterranean home plans, Mediterranean House Plans, Sunbelt home plans, Sunbelt House Plans