The House Plan Shop Blog

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

The House Plan Shop wants to help you kick off the New Year and your 2013 home building project with terrific savings! We are offering a special promotion for the purchase of house plans on January 1^st, 2013. This deal is available to our Facebook friends, Twitter followers and blog readers. Simply order your home plans on January 1^st 2013 between 12:00am CST and 11:59pm CST and enter the promotion code below to receive $40.00 OFF your initial order for house blueprints.

Receive $40.00 off your initial house plan order using this promotion code: NYH13

This promotion code is not valid with any other promotion codes. It is not valid for blueprint package upgrades. Valid on January 1^st, 2013, only.

Tags: blueprints, home plans, house plans, promotion code, special promotion

Designed to feature the architectural influences of the Mediterranean region, Mediterranean house plans most resemble the homes found in Italy and Spain. Their Tuscan and Spanish influences give them a classy and elegant air of distinction. Some or most of the following features are true of Mediterranean home plans:

1. Commonly designed for warmer climates, these homes are predominantly found in Florida and California as well as other southern states.
2. Sometimes referred to as Floridian house plans, Sunbelt home plans or stucco homes.
3. Usually designed with one level although it is not uncommon to find a two-story Mediterranean house plan.
4. Designed to maximize energy efficiency in warmer climates and feature a white or pastel color stucco façade and a red clay tile roof that hold up well in warm weather regions.
5. The exterior features wide overhangs designed to block the sun’s rays from windows and entries keeping the interior as cool as possible.
6. Floor plans feature generously sized rooms, open gathering spaces and tall ceilings promoting and open and airy feel.
7. Decorative features include arched entries and windows, wrought iron railings, fences and gates, and stylish columns which define individual spaces while maintaining openness with other areas of the home.
8. The living areas are often arranged around an open courtyard or pool for entertaining purposes.
9. Large outdoor living spaces such as verandas, patios, terraces promote relaxation.
10. Two-story versions often feature balconies.

If you’re looking for a home plan that delivers a masterful blend of comfort and elegance check out our Mediterranean house plan collection and Sunbelt home plans.

Tags: Floridian home plans, Floridian house plans, home plans, house plans, Mediterranean home plans, Mediterranean House Plans

If you’ve decided to build a new house, you’ve probably already realized there a many things to consider before you begin from buying a lot and choosing a builder to selecting convenient floor plan features and securing a loan. Determining the size of your new house plan is one of the any things you’ll want to think about. Take some time to consider your lifestyle, as well as needs and wants in order to determine the size home you’ll need and the kinds of spaces you’ll want to include in your floor plan. This list will help you consider some of the key factors in many homebuyers’ decisions when it comes to choosing the right-sized home.

1. How many people will live in the home? How many bedrooms and bathrooms will you need? Do you have an aging parent or another relative living with you? Will the kids share bedrooms or will each child have his or her own? If you are not married or do not have children at the present time, consider the future. Retirees and empty-nesters many consider walk-in showers and handicap accessible features in the master bath and perhaps even in another bath on the main level of the home.
2. Are you retried and plan on the kids and grandkids coming home for the holidays? How will you accommodate them? Bedrooms? Pull-out couches in the family room and recreation room? Convert the office to a guest room?
3. Do you plan to entertain regularly? Will you need a formal dining room for holiday meals or can you get by with a casual dining space and a snack bar? Do you prefer formal entertainment spaces or will a spacious family room or great room that opens to the kitchen and breakfast nook satisfy your entertainment needs?
4. Would you like to have an outdoor entertainment/relaxation space such as a screened porch, deck, covered patio or lanai?
5. What kind or relaxation spaces do you need? Can you make do with the family room or do you want a recreation room, game room, home theater or finished basement?
6. Think about hobbies. Do you play the piano? Will you need a separate space for the piano such as a music room or will the piano fit nicely in the living room? Do you need a sewing room? Are you a DIY guy who wants your own workshop or are you a car enthusiast who will need an oversized garage with plenty of storage space for auto parts and tools?
7. How much storage space will you need? Consider bedroom closets, linen closets and other storage spaces in the mud room, utility room, garage, basement, etc.
8. What organizational features do you need? Do you want a drop zone with lockers or cubbies in the mud room? Do you need a kitchen island, a built-in hutch or a meal planning desk? Would you like built-in display niches or a built-in entertainment center in the great room? Would window seats with storage in the bedrooms be useful?
9. Consider specialized spaces. Will you need a private/quiet space such as a home office in order to work from home, meet with clients or pay bills online? Do you need a playroom for the kids?
10. Consider flexible spaces. What may work well as a nursery when raising a family can one day convert to a home office or even a guest bedroom in the future. Flexible spaces are wonderful assets to any home because they can flex and change as your lifestyle changes. What flexible spaces would benefit you?
11. Think about future spaces. You may not need extra space for your current lifestyle, but it is worth considering floor plans that offer unfinished basements and future/bonus rooms that can be finished later. These spaces are a great way to add living space to your home should your lifestyle change and demand it in the future.
12. If you are single, you may not need much space at all. There are many simple floor plans that offer just the basics. Can you live comfortably with the basics? If so, you may not need to consider any of the special spaces and features mentioned above.

House plans come in all shapes and sizes. There are plenty of large homes that are suitable for large and growing families including two-story house plans and those with finished basements. There are also plenty of smaller homes for singles and couples. And there is even a vast array of floor plans designed for retirees and empty-nesters looking to downsize. Whatever phase of life you’re in right now, there is sure to be a right-sized home plan to satisfy your needs. Take some time to browse our house plans collections for find the right home design for you!

Tags: Choosing a House Plan, home plan size, home plans, house plan size, house plans

With land becoming scarce and more expensive to purchase and the growing awareness of limiting the impact of homebuilding on the environment, narrow lot house plans are becoming more popular. Over time, home building sites have decreased in size placing a higher demand on narrow lot home plans, allowing them to evolve into what they are today. With today’s designs, there is no need for home owners to sacrifice comfort, special features or livability. Narrow lot house plans deliver all these things and more while keeping the budget in mind. If you are faced with the challenge of building on a narrow strip of property, take a look at the list below outlining the qualities of narrow lot house plans that make them attractive to a broad range of homeowners.

• Designs in our narrow lot home plan collection have a maximum width of 40 feet.
• What they lack in width, they make up for in depth. Floor plans are long and lean with no limit of depth.
• Narrow lot house plans are applauded for having a minimal impact on the environment. Their small footprints require less green space while still allowing “a lot of home” to fit on a small lot. This leaves the surrounding land undisturbed. These homes are recognized for being eco-friendly.
• Floor plans are economically designed to make efficient use of interior space. They make use of every square inch of space offering maximum storage in the form of closets and built-in cabinets and shelving.
• Often, gathering areas are open to one another with few walls creating a spacious feel.
• Floor plans incorporate many of today’s most requested features like main floor laundry rooms/closets, kitchen islands, outdoor living spaces, energy-saving elements, deluxe master baths and more.
• Many narrow lot house plans incorporate a garage.
• Narrow lot home plans have a linear floor plan.
• They can be one or more levels and range in sizes from a couple of bedrooms and baths to four or more bedrooms and baths.
• One-story designs often feature one long hall grouping the living areas at one end of the home and the bedrooms at the other for extra privacy.
• Two-story designs are ideal for property with limitations allowing an opportunity to add square footage economically in the form of a second floor. These floor plans often position the living areas on the main level and the sleeping areas upstairs for privacy.
• Narrow lot homes are found in densely populated areas where land is precious and houses are built close together.
• They are frequently built as replacement homes on in-fill lots in older urban areas.
• Narrow lot house plans are available with various foundation types and come in a vast array or architectural styles.

Honoring the restrictions of a narrow lot, these house plans are sometimes referred to as zero lot line homes. But don’t be fooled. Though they are often smaller in stature than their larger and more sprawling cousins, narrow lot house plans deliver the same comfort, style and features, plus they are environmentally friendly and often deliver more economic construction.

Visit our narrow lot house plan collection to view floor plans in a broad range of sizes and architectural styles including beach house plans, craftsman house plans and everything in between.

Tags: home plans, house plans, narrow lot home, narrow lot home plans, narrow lot house, Narrow Lot House Plans