Interested in home remodeling plans ? If so, then this is one page you might want to read as it's packed with tips for remodeling your home ...
Functional or Ultra Luxury ?
To start with, the first thing you might want to consider before you start drawing plans for remodeling might be to decide whether you want a comfortable and functional home or a luxury home. This decision will help you prepare plans that will help create a home that suits your lifestyle ...
For instance, if you rarely spend more than ten minutes taking bath, then you might not need a whirlpool tub. There are several kinds of luxury showerheads you may want to consider instead - like a shower with dual heads. And the same kind of decisions can be made about several items you may otherwise end up with - items you may rarely, if ever, use.
Maximize Storage Space
As with any home, storage needs may keep increasing over time. You may want to install a cabinet or some other storage system beneath the stairs ... or just about anywhere else that you possibly can.
Creating More Livable Space
By opening up hallways and walls, you may be able to create more space. The interiors may also feel a lot more spacious.
Use A Home Remodeling Software To Create A Plan
By using a home remodeling software you may be able to easily create a plan of how you would like your home to look even before you see an architect. This step may help you understand what you want your home to look and feel like. And based on an architect's suggestions, you may be able to make modifications to the plan.
See Online Chronicles Of Home Improvement Projects
Educating yourself about home remodeling is a very good thing to do, and a great way to do this would be to visit relevant forums and websites.
Know What Style Your House Is
Knowing the style of your house will help you decorate it better, choose colors, etc.
Do You Plan To Install Vinyl Siding ?
If yours is a older home then you may want to think twice before you install vinyl siding. Older homes may lose their historic appeal when vinyl siding is used.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Make Your Own Home
Many people dream of building their own custom designed home but don't for a variety of reasons. The complexities of the construction process can seem overwhelming. Some people assume you have to be rich to build your own home, others just don't know where to begin.
Actually, building a home can be both fun and affordable. This is especially true for modern home buyers since there are a variety of high-quality, modular and prefabricated homes which can literally be had "out of the box". These prefabricated homes (often referred to as prefab homes, modular homes, or manufactured homes) combine the best of high-end architecture with eco-friendly living.
If you decide to go with a modern prefabricated home, the tasks involved in building a home become even simpler than a traditional stick-built home. This doesn't mean that there isn't work involved, but it is a very logical, step-by-step process.
Crunch The Numbers
Think about what you can afford. Talk to your banker or mortgage lender and find out what you qualify for. It might be a good idea to get pre-qualified so that when you find the right property, you can get things rolling without delay.
Buy Your Land
Obviously you must own the land before you can build the house, but what many people don't realize is that the lay of the land will help to define your housing choices. The layout you ultimately choose will depend to some degree on the topography, exposure, and location of the property. Be sure you pay attention to local building regulations, soil conditions/drainage, and CC&Rs. An experienced real estate agent who has assisted other home buyers with land or lot purchases for either prefabricated or custom homes should be able to assist you with this process.
Find A Prefab Design Company
This is really when the fun begins. There are many choices out there, so do your homework. You will quickly realize that there are modern prefab designers and architects out there for just about every need and pocketbook. Check out companies such as Clever Homes, Michelle Kaufmann Designs, Marmol Radziner Prefab, and the Dwell Homes by Empyrean. Even IKEA is assembling homes for the European market. It wouldn't surprise me to see them eventually make their way over to our shores.
Organize The Team
Once you've chosen your prefab home design company, you'll need help! Some prefab companies will handle this for you (for a fee), but many require that you line up your own professionals. At a minimum you'll need a general contractor to prepare the site and assemble the home once it has been delivered.
Get Permits
You will need building permits and perhaps design reviews, depending on your neighborhood. Your contractor may handle some of this for you, although you will be responsible for the permit fees, etc.
Have Fun
Don't sweat the small stuff. Just be sure to arrange contracts with everyone and get everything in writing!
Building a modern prefab home requires careful coordination and patience however the result is often well worth the wait. Proper due diligence and planning should result in a fabulous prefabricated home with architectural and "green living" flair which you can enjoy for many years.
Read Me
Now, would not it be great if the prefab industry could build extremely beautiful and gorgeous looking homes in a week - homes that would satisfy every individual whim and taste and still be very, very cheap and affordable to everyone ?
That would of course be great ! But the problem has always been satisfying every individual taste and yet making prefabricated homes easily affordable to the vast majority of the people. You see, if prefab homes have to be made affordable, then at least a few designs would have to be mass produced. And if just a few designs were to be mass produced, then a majority of the homes will start looking and feeling the same. And people always want their homes to be better looking than their neighbours' homes. Which essentially means that mass producing homes may not work. So prefabricated homes cannot always be made cheaper than homes built the regular way.
But still, the prefab industry offers a ray of hope for today's environmentally conscious people. They do have their strengths. But like many other promising things in life, not everything about them may be hunky-dory either. Here is a brief list of the tradeoffs ...
The Good - Why A Pre-Fabricated Home
Prefabricated homes are fast to build, and they are not as damaging to the environment as building a home the regular way could be. They offer the potential to reduce wastage and offer the benefits of mass production - lower prices, faster and easier to build, and a range of designs to choose from.
Fewer defects, much faster construction, lesser skill requirements, reduced energy consumption and wastage are possible the chief benefits of prefabricated homes. But that is not all - in colder climates, faster construction is essential because the building period is relatively shorter. And prefab homes reduce the amount of disruption the neighbours will have to put up with.
If you have deep pockets and relatively expensive tastes and are very environmentally conscious, the a prefabricated home may be just what may be good for you.
The Bad - Just How Much Does It Cost ?
No prefabricated home manufacturer may be able to give you a quote without seeing the site where the home will be built. And the final cost may depend on many factors and so it may be almost impossible to get a good idea of what the home is going to cost before the manufacturer has had a chance to get to see the site and talk with you about your tastes and requirements.
Though prefab homes are said to be available at all budgets, it does help if money is not a constraint as some of the best designs - especially the very high end high tech designs - do cost quite some money to build. The low cost designs may not be very appealing to everyone.
The truly lovely prefabricated designs are still designed mainly for the high income families and affordable prefabricated home designs that appeal to a large percentage of the population may not yet be exactly around the corner.
And The Downright Ugly - What Are The Disadvantages ?
Many of the supposed advantages of prefabricated homes are still hotly contested and may still need to be proven definitively. Some people opine that prefabricated homes actually may cost more than traditional homes. And prefabricated homes are manufactured at factories that have fixed overheads - labour, plant and machinery and more - and this makes it difficult for the prefabricated industry to respond to changing market conditions.
To manufacture homes at very low costs, the prefabricated industry will have to mass produce homes in very large quantities. But for that to happen, the prefab industry will need to have very large capacities. Unless this happens, the costs of prefabricated homes may not drop very appreciably.
And contrary to what may appear to be the case, prefabricated homes may actually need a lot more skilled labour to precisely assemble factory made parts. Otherwise, all the benefits of prefabricated homes may not be available to the occupants of the homes.
Also, there seems to be scanty evidence that prefabricated homes actually reduce wastage. In case there is a problem with a design that already has become very popular, then lots of homes will have to be repaired because they would all have been mass produced. This could actually increase the amount of wastage in manufacture and transport.
Then there is the question of value - will most people be willing to pay as much for prefabricated homes as they would for a traditional home built using methods they have become so familiar comfortable with ?
That said, the prefabricated industry is still in its infancy and offers several advantages including the potential to reduce the harmful impact on the environment - something that could become a very important concern in the near future. But arriving at designs that are both affordable and appealing to the majority of the people and environmentally friendly may still be a long way to go.
That would of course be great ! But the problem has always been satisfying every individual taste and yet making prefabricated homes easily affordable to the vast majority of the people. You see, if prefab homes have to be made affordable, then at least a few designs would have to be mass produced. And if just a few designs were to be mass produced, then a majority of the homes will start looking and feeling the same. And people always want their homes to be better looking than their neighbours' homes. Which essentially means that mass producing homes may not work. So prefabricated homes cannot always be made cheaper than homes built the regular way.
But still, the prefab industry offers a ray of hope for today's environmentally conscious people. They do have their strengths. But like many other promising things in life, not everything about them may be hunky-dory either. Here is a brief list of the tradeoffs ...
The Good - Why A Pre-Fabricated Home
Prefabricated homes are fast to build, and they are not as damaging to the environment as building a home the regular way could be. They offer the potential to reduce wastage and offer the benefits of mass production - lower prices, faster and easier to build, and a range of designs to choose from.
Fewer defects, much faster construction, lesser skill requirements, reduced energy consumption and wastage are possible the chief benefits of prefabricated homes. But that is not all - in colder climates, faster construction is essential because the building period is relatively shorter. And prefab homes reduce the amount of disruption the neighbours will have to put up with.
If you have deep pockets and relatively expensive tastes and are very environmentally conscious, the a prefabricated home may be just what may be good for you.
The Bad - Just How Much Does It Cost ?
No prefabricated home manufacturer may be able to give you a quote without seeing the site where the home will be built. And the final cost may depend on many factors and so it may be almost impossible to get a good idea of what the home is going to cost before the manufacturer has had a chance to get to see the site and talk with you about your tastes and requirements.
Though prefab homes are said to be available at all budgets, it does help if money is not a constraint as some of the best designs - especially the very high end high tech designs - do cost quite some money to build. The low cost designs may not be very appealing to everyone.
The truly lovely prefabricated designs are still designed mainly for the high income families and affordable prefabricated home designs that appeal to a large percentage of the population may not yet be exactly around the corner.
And The Downright Ugly - What Are The Disadvantages ?
Many of the supposed advantages of prefabricated homes are still hotly contested and may still need to be proven definitively. Some people opine that prefabricated homes actually may cost more than traditional homes. And prefabricated homes are manufactured at factories that have fixed overheads - labour, plant and machinery and more - and this makes it difficult for the prefabricated industry to respond to changing market conditions.
To manufacture homes at very low costs, the prefabricated industry will have to mass produce homes in very large quantities. But for that to happen, the prefab industry will need to have very large capacities. Unless this happens, the costs of prefabricated homes may not drop very appreciably.
And contrary to what may appear to be the case, prefabricated homes may actually need a lot more skilled labour to precisely assemble factory made parts. Otherwise, all the benefits of prefabricated homes may not be available to the occupants of the homes.
Also, there seems to be scanty evidence that prefabricated homes actually reduce wastage. In case there is a problem with a design that already has become very popular, then lots of homes will have to be repaired because they would all have been mass produced. This could actually increase the amount of wastage in manufacture and transport.
Then there is the question of value - will most people be willing to pay as much for prefabricated homes as they would for a traditional home built using methods they have become so familiar comfortable with ?
That said, the prefabricated industry is still in its infancy and offers several advantages including the potential to reduce the harmful impact on the environment - something that could become a very important concern in the near future. But arriving at designs that are both affordable and appealing to the majority of the people and environmentally friendly may still be a long way to go.
House Styles
Colonial House
The characteristics of colonial house follow to Georgian architecture is a square area house, that may have one or two story rectangular shape, roof dormers and eaves-front of symmetrical building with the central door. Straight lines of multi-paned windows with double-hung sash are on the first and second floor. The entry of the house is frequently decorated with classic style such as columns, pediments, pilasters, fanlights, etc. A colonial style house usually has a formally-defined living room, dining room and family room. The bedrooms are typically on the second floor and may have staircase at the center or to either side.
Modern House
The characteristics of Modern House Designs is the house that composed of geometric shapes suit for new technology and young adults, flat roofs and smooth wall surfaces. The windows are set flush with the walls with no decorative trim. The entrance to the house is asymmetrical. Decorate the front of the house with modern style architectures.
Country House
The country houses are usually built in rural areas outside of cities, suitable for people who love natural environment and beautiful view. The characteristic of country house styles are combine several traditional architectural details on their well-proportioned. The house always has gabled roofs higher in pitch than other home styles. Large wrap around porches, cozy facades, gables, lap siding, shuttered windows, and dormer windows. Inside the house, use tall ceilings for ventilate the air.
Thai House
The characteristics of Thai house are different from another style. Thai House use high floor level allowing an average height man to walk under the floor. The reasons of high floor level are safety from wild beasts during night time and used for producing handmade products. The other characteristic of Thai house is a high gabled roof and ample slanting eaves. Forty percent of the total floor area is a large platform area for receive to sunshine and good clean air. The major material of Thai house style is teakwood and decorates with Thai traditional potteries.
Cape Cod House
The Cape Cod house is the most common building type. The characteristic of the house is symmetrical design which front bay central entry, one and a half stories eaves. The roofs are usually low to moderately pitch and the dominant rooflines extend down the front and the back of the home to the first floor. The Cape Cod houses have side gables and a small overhang, a central door, multi-paned, double-hung windows and low ceilings. The floor of the house often uses hardwood.
The characteristics of colonial house follow to Georgian architecture is a square area house, that may have one or two story rectangular shape, roof dormers and eaves-front of symmetrical building with the central door. Straight lines of multi-paned windows with double-hung sash are on the first and second floor. The entry of the house is frequently decorated with classic style such as columns, pediments, pilasters, fanlights, etc. A colonial style house usually has a formally-defined living room, dining room and family room. The bedrooms are typically on the second floor and may have staircase at the center or to either side.Modern House
The characteristics of Modern House Designs is the house that composed of geometric shapes suit for new technology and young adults, flat roofs and smooth wall surfaces. The windows are set flush with the walls with no decorative trim. The entrance to the house is asymmetrical. Decorate the front of the house with modern style architectures.Country House
The country houses are usually built in rural areas outside of cities, suitable for people who love natural environment and beautiful view. The characteristic of country house styles are combine several traditional architectural details on their well-proportioned. The house always has gabled roofs higher in pitch than other home styles. Large wrap around porches, cozy facades, gables, lap siding, shuttered windows, and dormer windows. Inside the house, use tall ceilings for ventilate the air.
Thai House
The characteristics of Thai house are different from another style. Thai House use high floor level allowing an average height man to walk under the floor. The reasons of high floor level are safety from wild beasts during night time and used for producing handmade products. The other characteristic of Thai house is a high gabled roof and ample slanting eaves. Forty percent of the total floor area is a large platform area for receive to sunshine and good clean air. The major material of Thai house style is teakwood and decorates with Thai traditional potteries.Cape Cod House
The Cape Cod house is the most common building type. The characteristic of the house is symmetrical design which front bay central entry, one and a half stories eaves. The roofs are usually low to moderately pitch and the dominant rooflines extend down the front and the back of the home to the first floor. The Cape Cod houses have side gables and a small overhang, a central door, multi-paned, double-hung windows and low ceilings. The floor of the house often uses hardwood.
Prefabricated Homes
While a traditional home is built by workmen on a site, a prefabricated house is built in a factory. In other words, sections of a prefab home are built in large pieces in a factory, transported to the owner's land and then simply assembled and placed onto a pre-existing foundation.
Modern prefab homes are also popularly known as modular homes as you can put together any number of rooms to create the kind of home you wish.
Prefab homes are increasingly witnessing high demand due to a variety of reasons:
Speedy Construction
The construction of a prefab home is much faster than a custom built home. Within two months of order time your home is ready.
Since each room is built in a factory, all you have to do is to place your order with the prefab house builders and your house is built, transported to your site and then put together. On the other hand a traditional home can take few months or even a year.
Life nowadays has become very fast and people are perennially short of time. Prefab modern homes are an ideal option as they are faster to build and hassle-free.
Better Insulation
The insulation of prefabricated walls is superior to traditional houses as they are built in a factory. Although site-built walls are thicker than prefab walls, they still tend to sag over a period of time.
Protection from Bugs
Since modules of prefab houses are built in the factory, they are better protected from bugs. In contrast, traditional homes take a lot of time to build so the timber and other parts are more exposed to damage.
Money Saver
Once your prefab home is built, you can save a lot of money on electricity due to superior insulation. Precious money is also saved on lumber. It generally reduces construction and design costs to a great extent as compared to a traditional home.
Design the Way You Like
With a prefabricated home you get the benefit of designing your own home according to your whims and fancy. You can choose the number of rooms you want, their size, designs, etc.
Environment- Friendly
Prefabricated homes are less damaging to the environment as they are made from recycled, renewable materials, use less energy and don't pollute. As people are becoming more conscious about environment, the demand for eco-friendly green prefab homes is growing. In fact, there are green home building websites now that offer aesthetically designed environment-friendly prefab houses, modern outdoor and indoor furniture, home accessories, etc.
Better Equipped to Handle Natural Disasters
Prefab homes are stronger than traditional homes. Particularly, for an area which has experienced hurricanes or tornadoes, a prefab is an ideal choice as they can withstand violent storms and other natural disasters better than traditional homes.
Lower prices, faster and easier to build, and a range of designs to choose from are the chief benefits of prefabricated homes. The popularity of prefabricated homes is thus sky rocketing.
Prefab homes today are built from such advanced technology that you can't even tell the difference between a prefabricated house and a traditional house. People from all walks of life are now choosing prefabricated homes instead of traditional homes.
Modern prefab homes are also popularly known as modular homes as you can put together any number of rooms to create the kind of home you wish.
Prefab homes are increasingly witnessing high demand due to a variety of reasons:
Speedy Construction
The construction of a prefab home is much faster than a custom built home. Within two months of order time your home is ready.Since each room is built in a factory, all you have to do is to place your order with the prefab house builders and your house is built, transported to your site and then put together. On the other hand a traditional home can take few months or even a year.
Life nowadays has become very fast and people are perennially short of time. Prefab modern homes are an ideal option as they are faster to build and hassle-free.
Better Insulation
The insulation of prefabricated walls is superior to traditional houses as they are built in a factory. Although site-built walls are thicker than prefab walls, they still tend to sag over a period of time.
Protection from Bugs
Since modules of prefab houses are built in the factory, they are better protected from bugs. In contrast, traditional homes take a lot of time to build so the timber and other parts are more exposed to damage.
Money Saver
Once your prefab home is built, you can save a lot of money on electricity due to superior insulation. Precious money is also saved on lumber. It generally reduces construction and design costs to a great extent as compared to a traditional home.
Design the Way You Like
With a prefabricated home you get the benefit of designing your own home according to your whims and fancy. You can choose the number of rooms you want, their size, designs, etc.
Environment- Friendly
Prefabricated homes are less damaging to the environment as they are made from recycled, renewable materials, use less energy and don't pollute. As people are becoming more conscious about environment, the demand for eco-friendly green prefab homes is growing. In fact, there are green home building websites now that offer aesthetically designed environment-friendly prefab houses, modern outdoor and indoor furniture, home accessories, etc.
Better Equipped to Handle Natural Disasters
Prefab homes are stronger than traditional homes. Particularly, for an area which has experienced hurricanes or tornadoes, a prefab is an ideal choice as they can withstand violent storms and other natural disasters better than traditional homes.
Lower prices, faster and easier to build, and a range of designs to choose from are the chief benefits of prefabricated homes. The popularity of prefabricated homes is thus sky rocketing.
Prefab homes today are built from such advanced technology that you can't even tell the difference between a prefabricated house and a traditional house. People from all walks of life are now choosing prefabricated homes instead of traditional homes.
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