Are you going to build this house with a basement? What climate/state do you live in? Which direction is south? I really like this plan, but have the following suggestions: It looks like the plan has 42" between the master bath shower and vanity. Could be better, but that's sufficient. However, I'd add 2 to 2-1/2' through the middle of the house in the following areas: --laundry/utility, with perhaps some of it in the e-space if you will be using that as an office. --right side of the entry from the garage opposite the stairs--for a bench, cubbies, and mail sorting/"to go" shelf. --dining room. I would make the dining room serve additional purposes, especially if you are not having a basement. In addition to making it longer by adding the 2' or more, I'd add another foot to make the other measurement 13', and put short walls on the foyer end of it with double pocket doors and a pocket door to the kitchen. With this 13 x 15'+ room, you could have bookcases/storage, a couple of comfortable chairs in one or both corners by the windows, as well as a buffet/credenza. That way, if someone is doing noisy activities in the great room (or a TV program/video that others don't want to watch), there is an alternate quiet area that can be closed off if necessary. The 2' added to the dining room would extend to the foyer area, where you could than add 6" to each closet. The existing closets are only 2' wide! That means their doors are maybe 18" wide??? I think I'd be tempted to give up their symmetry, shift the window, and make one larger closet with a wider bench (which picks up 4-1/2" by getting rid of the wall). Anne

Find some plans you like parts of and higher a designer to get exactly what you want. I do like a lot of Donald Gardner plans though.

If you find a plan you basically like, print it off and take it to an architech/designer. Have him/her customize it with the changes you need for your area and your lifestyle. DO NOT spend good money on a plan online. Unless that plan was drawn in your area FOR your area it will not meet local building codes. I found a basic concept I mostly liked. Called my designer to see if I should buy it, and he said ABSOLUTLY NOT, because he would have to redo it for WI codes, and it would be a waste to pay twice for it. He said to mark up the changes I wanted and we would go from there. Well guess what Jeyne. What you did is called COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT! And if the original owner of the plan found out you copied his/her plan and then took it to your designer to redo, then they could sue you and the designer for damages. Copyright infringement is STEALING PLAIN AND SIMPLE. You are taking income away from the rightful owner who came up with the original plans. The rule of thumb for if it is stealing, or copyright infringement is if a judge looking at your plan and the original can see that it is similar enough that you stole from the original then you're in copyright infringement. It doesn't matter if you changed the design 10% or 90%.

Thank you for your input Mrs Pete, it's good to hear different views. Still planning to stick with this one and make modifications. I just don't see how starting totally from scratch would be more cost effective than working with a plan we like. I'm not quick to jump to "Get thee to an architect", but in this case you're looking at major changes. If you were looking at a stock plan and were saying, "Let's make this door into a window, remove this tray ceiling, and open the office door towards the foyer instead of the great room", I'd say you were on the right track. You'd be looking at small things that wouldn't raise the price of your stock plan significantly. However, you're looking at big alterations, which will change the roofline, require different trusses, and will require new engineering. When you're making those major changes, you're already into the cost of an architect.