Looking for Feedback on Revised New Home Floor Plan
Nexa Group
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
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Felix Pradas
3 years agoFelix Pradas
3 years agoRelated Discussions
New here--revisions to house plans
Comments (10)ummm... depends. While it is not required where I live, I understand that there are parts of the country where one has to have a licensed architect's "stamp" on residential plans before one can get the necessary approvals to build. In those places, if you've purchased a plan from one of the online places, you probably will have to hire an architect that is licensed in your jurisdiction to vet the plans and put his/her stamp on them anyway. So you might as well have the architect make the changes you want while you're at it. Even if no architect's stamp is required, be aware that building codes vary in different areas. A house that was originally designed by a designer living/working in Florida may meet all the code requirements in Florida but NOT meet the code requirements in, say, Vermont. Different code requirements make sense when you think about the fact that in Florida homes need to be designed and built to withstand hurricane winds but never need to worry about having 40 inches of snow on the roof. And vice-versa with respect to a house designed by a Vermont architect. So, it probably makes sense to have a local architect who is familiar with local building codes VET the plan before you use it. If you don't have to have an architect's stamp on your plans to get building approval, your builder OUGHT to be able to make minor changes. Note however that a change that might seem very minor to you may have cascading effects. If the change involves moving a support wall or increasing the distance that a joist must span, it may be a bigger change than you realize. This can be especially true with multi-story homes where a change on one floor may necessitate changes on the other floors. Many of on-line plan sites now offer "tweaking" services if you want to make minor changes to one of their plans. Whether your builder tweaks the plan for you or you have an architect do it, it is really advisable to actually make the changes on paper BEFORE you sign the final building contract with your builder. The plans become part of your agreement and any changes made after that point are "change orders" which, at best, wind up costing you more money and, at worst, tend to lead to disagreements and misunderstandings between you and your builder....See MoreRevision to preliminary plans- Feedback please!
Comments (17)kateshome, it doesn't matter what's "common" in some geographic location or other. This is your custom home and it should be designed for your wants, some of your needs and your lifestyle. Clearly, the most economical package to build is a design with living spaces on the first level and sleeping spaces on the second level. Such a 2-story design minimizes foundation footprint and roof framing. It also makes the HVAC and other utilities easier to distribute and to operate. An all single story design maximizes the foundation and the roof framing, lengthens duct and utility runs and is more costly to operate because it has the maximum exterior "skin". Between these two alternatives are myriad options for some bedrooms down and some up. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is what fits your lifestyle best. What's built in Texas and Maine is irrelevant. What the resale market is said to prefer doesn't matter. I'm pretty sure no one will come to your completed house taking a survey to see where you bedrooms are located. Just a thought or two....See MoreLooking for feedback - new house plans
Comments (36)I am back after some thinking. I certainly do not want to present unattractive facade to the world but beyond attractiveness there are other things that I care about: usability, cost to build and maintain, energy efficiency. With the majority of the suggestions so far, it seems to me that improving appeal of the garage is done to the detriment of usability and "total cost of ownership". Longer and costlier driveway; additional windows that are purely decorative which means again higher cost to build and also more cleaning without the benefit of bringing light and views into the living spaces; longer walk from parked cars for us and guests (we usually do not park in the garage during summer); less sun on the driveway which means we have to scrape more ice or use more salt; game room too far from lounge area; more complicated roof; etc. The one exception is Janicone's idea of shifting garage right (north) and back (west). I really like it but I do not think location of the septic will allow us to do that . Virgil, I really liked what you said about making garage into something appealing which is also integral part of the house. That is exactly what I would love to do. I do not want to hide it - cars are important part of our live , at least outside of urban areas ( I would love to see better public transportation in US but ....) , so I do not want to pretend they do not exist. Ideally, I would love to use functional features that are required (garage doors, outdoor lights, siding, ...) , not purely decorative, to make garage interesting. Is it not possible with the original plan? I know I sound stubborn but even after all the pushback everybody is giving me I still think the original layout gives us the best functionality. Or am I just slow and missing something? It happens more often than not :) Mark, it is interesting that I was thinking to use garage doors with glass panels to achieve something similar to what you did in sketch 3 or 5. I'll attach some inspiration pictures when I have better connection. Of course now, that I saw number 4 (over the limit one) I am really thinking of doing exactly that. Our neighbors will love us ;) On the windows and rhythm - I think right now we have Piazzolla. Not very danceable but I love to listen :) On a serious note, I've already confessed that functionality is more important to us but if we can improve the looks without losing functionality and adding to the cost of the build I'd love that. If any of the greatly talented architects here would consider working with us, please message me privately. If not , I think we are getting ready to commit a sin of building another snout and rhythmically challenged house :)...See MoreNew Home Construction Floor Plan - Advice / Feedback / Critique please
Comments (52)There's no such thing as truly free advice. If you post here, you "pay" by having to have a thick skin, not having control of where comments go, not having control of how they're delivered, and having to wade through conflicting and bad advice to get to a few gems. That said, you're not paying actual dollars and you're getting professional and high-level amateur feedback, so I'm of the view that you shouldn't complain about the "price." (Idioms about gift horses and mouths and free lunches come to mind). Ignore the irrelevant, wrong, and insensitively delivered advice if you like, take what's of value, and be glad this forum exists. Or at least that's what I remind myself. When I've posted my plan I've gotten all sorts of comments; while the negative (especially the unnecessarily rude, irrelevant, and wrong) can be painful, it's more than outweighed by the valuable comments I've gotten....See More3onthetree
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3 years ago3onthetree
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agobry911
3 years agoMark Bischak, Architect
3 years agoNexa Group
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3 years agoNexa Group
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3 years agoMark Bischak, Architect
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3 years agoNexa Group
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoMark Bischak, Architect
3 years agoFelix Pradas
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoNexa Group
3 years agoNexa Group
3 years agoFelix Pradas
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3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoNancy Smith
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3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoRappArchitecture
3 years agoNexa Group
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3 years agoVicki Saul
3 years agoNexa Group
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3 years agoFelix Pradas
3 years agoNancy Smith
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3 years agoFelix Pradas
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