Additionally any plan you get online, will have to be reworked to meet local code and local conditions. More cost there. By the time you're done, you may wind up paying the same for a generic plan versus a plan made just for you.

In addition, an architect can give you all the spaces you need in your build, arranged in a planned manner, and eliminate things like overcomplicated rooflines, excessive corners, angled anythings, and other elements that are expensive to build. So the difference in "price" may be more than offset by a lower cost to build. As well as saving you future leaks, cracks, and other headaches.

And now I'm vaguely worried about what part of our "character" Mark was attempting to capture and/or what "flavor" we seem to be. ;-)

Give real thought to a custom design. It really does make sense as well as cents.

professional house designers

Fee, spend some time learning if these are drafters or actual architects. It makes a huge difference.

It might also be worth your while to read through the archives in this forum, particularly the threads where prospective homebuilders ask for critiques of their house plans, generally online or by draftspeople, to get an idea of why -- complete with pictures -- Mark, cp, and Holly write what they do above.

The differences between a generic plan factory plan and a custom design by an architect are so great that it's almost impossible to describe in thread such as this.

And if one doesn't already recognize the differences it may be pointless to try to describe the differences.

But consider the following:

A generic plan factory plan is just that: it's generic. It doesn't take into consideration any specific site, site features, site development, solar orientation, soil and foundation issues, drainage issues, zoning or architectural review regulations and standards, local building code...nothing! It's generic!

A generic plan factory plan doesn't take into account anyone's, specific family, life style, current and future family situations or the like. More often than not, modifications and changes will be needed to fit a specific site, to meet a specific family's needs and budget.

In the vast majority of cases, the generic plan factory plans have absolutely no understanding of architectural style, history, or sense of what makes good, timeless architectural design...inside or out. More often than not, these plans are a mish-mash of ideas, styles, materials and whatever was featured at the last year or two of the annual builder's conventions.

There's more, but if these things are unimportant--or if one doesn't understand them at all--then perhaps a generic plan from a plan factory will work just fine.

For pros like Virgil and Mark, the differences really ARE so profound that they can't imagine not being able to see the difference.

And, in truth, when I see posts on the forum of the flavor, "What do you think of Mega House Plan.com Plan 1234?" - I cringe inwardly and think, chum in the water!

By all means, put on your asbestos panties and read through some of them. Try not to be too put off by the sometimes blunt deconstruction of the plans presented. It's a matter of the sheer volume of such requests combined with the ill grace with which many posters take the feedback they get that tends to lead to more terse advice than some people are comfortable.

Better are the threads or combo threads wherein someone posts a stock plan, and then later has an actual architect (around here, often ARG) do something custom.

So, to learn to see the difference, let's check out a few threads:

One OP posted a stock plan here:
https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5438336/feedback-on-modern-farmhouse-51754hz

And then we can see the custom plan she's going with instead, here:
https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5444226/arg-works-his-magic-again

Here, Nat posts a stock plan and then further down the thread we wee the version he got from ARG instead:
https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5307456/need-help-with-picking-exterior-materials

While it's helpful to go through comment threads on stock plans, I think it almost helps more to see the stock plan people choose for themselves and then the custom plan a talented architect designs to meet the same needs.

Excellent comments and comparison, Holly. A picture is worth a bunch of words...! :-)