Tell them to talk to a few local architects and work with one that they feel can work with and design to their needs. Looking for the right plan is like looking for a needle in a haystack and sometimes there is no needle. If they want to get it right they have to do it right.

" This is their first home and on family property so just trying to
Get it right since it’s a forever home. "

Unfortunately witht he requirements for the home and this statement, they are really peeing into the wind looking for a plan factory plan. As Mark stated find a local person of design talent, or preferably a real architect. A forever home on family land deserves a home designed for them at the very least.

How do they define "farmhouse style"?

In this economy an architect wouldn’t be in the cards. As far as style they are looking for a traditional or classic looking farmhouse not modern.
Since it’s a popular style, I was just hoping for pics/ideas & they have someone who can modify it if needed.

Have them check regulations of their state, they may be required to have an architect. Tell them not to be penny foolish, their family's future depends on it.

Thankfully not here 👍

it's not what you want to hear but if they are spending 1/2 mil plus to build a 4000 sq ft, 3-4 bath house an architect will be a small percent of the build.

I am obviously just guessing on what that would cost. It would be that much or more where I live and it is a relatively low cost of living area.

We’ve found 2 plans but both would have to be modified.

Any stock plan you choose is going to require some modification. The question is, are those changes large or small? Small modifications can work out fine -- large ones, not so easy /you might as well go with an architect. What's the difference?

Small changes: The plan shows French doors, but I want a bank of windows in that spot. The plan shows a tub + shower, but I prefer a large shower + linen closet in that same space. The plan shows windows on only one bedroom wall, but I want windows on both sides -- maybe a bay window.

Large changes: I want to add a couple feet to the back of the house -- changing walls also changes the roofline, and that's big. I want to remove the wall between the breakfast room and the family room -- but that's a support wall. I want to expand the standard garage into something oversized /with a shop -- that'll affect the space above the garage as well as the roofline.

You absolutely CAN successfully make small changes on a stock plan and be successful -- but you must proceed with caution. In general, consider that moving a wall will set off a domino effect that you may not anticipate.

50-100 years ago the average family house was 1000-ish square feet. Today it's 2400 square feet. Why are they looking to build almost twice the size of average? It's more to build, more to maintain, more to pay taxes on, more to heat /cool. It's better to have a small house that's designed well /just right for the family than to have a big, rambling ho-hum house. It's better to have quality than stretch the budget for more square footage /cheap materials.

They need to realize that building on family land /probably getting that for free, building on farm land will be more expensive in some ways: Bringing utilities across a several-acres field just to your house will cost more than bringing them 100 feet from the road in a suburb. Their driveway will be longer. They may need a well and/or septic instead of just hooking on to city water. These are not impossible to overcome, but your friend may not be anticipating these extra costs -- it'd be smart to consider them along with the search for a floor plan.

This is their first home and on family property so just trying to Get it right since it’s a forever home.

Oh, no -- red flags, red flags, red flags. When you move into your first home, you don't really know what you want /how your family's going to function in that house. They're almost certain to fail in this goal.

How do they define "farmhouse style"?

The majority of "farmhouse style" plans have nothing to do with farmhouse; rather, "farmhouse" these days seems to be a color scheme more than a style.

A true farm house -- here in the South -- has single windows (not double or triple), at least one porch that protrudes outward from the house, and a simple style /simple roof. It can be any color.

It's pretty amusing what some people think looks like a farm house. They should take a drive in the country some time.

Because I'm a farm girl, I agree.

it's not what you want to hear but if they are spending 1/2 mil plus to build a 4000 sq ft, 3-4 bath house an architect will be a small percent of the build.

At 4000 square feet, $500,000 house would be $125/square foot. This is a tall order, and it'd definitely be a builder-basic house with laminate countertops, plain Home Depot cabinets and lighting and cheap carpet throughout.

I guess my assumption that it was a “shot in the dark” was right. Thank you for the input & you are right on many points that they’ve have also stated in looking for a house plan. They have patiently waited and saved & prices have continued to climb, tough place to be in. They want a nice home but not grand.

Our first home has been our forever home, so I don't think that's a "red flag." Perhaps they might consider building a small home at first and then adding on to it as their family grows. That's what lots of farmers and young couples have done in the past.

On the other hand I have had two forever homes. Eat dessert first.

@Reba, I’d recommend taking long looks at sites such as architecturaldigest.com. Have your friend look at both exteriors they like as well as floor plans. And look at exteriors and floor plans separately. They likely won’t find an exterior and floor plan in the same plan that totally fit what they want. Save screenshots of what they like, then bite the bullet and meet with an architect or three. Having a fairly solid idea of the “look” they want and the type of floor plan that would work for the family is important, and it is SO helpful to have photos to share with the architect in order to accurately communicate their needs and desires. Our original build was similar to a plan we saw on architecturaldigest.com, and our latest build is a scaled-down version of that first build with some tweaks to the exterior. It is totally worth putting in a LOT of research prior to meeting with an architect.

Thank you for the help!

Have them check out https://houseplans.southernliving.com/

Building a forever home with a farmhouse feel can be exciting yet daunting. Start by listing your essentials (like a big, open kitchen or a cozy wraparound porch) and then search for plans that already feature those elements. Tweaking an existing design is usually easier than starting from scratch