"Are You Thinking About Drawing House Plans Yourself?"
Technology's Increasing Benefits
Being the only person who was drawing house plans on a computer program in the company’s branch office as a young architectural designer straight out of school is still a vivid memory for me. It was somewhat of a novelty back then.
My boss said, "Larry, you will never catch me drawing plans with a computer! It's just not for me." Several years later, after we had gone our separate ways and started our own businesses, I ran into him and he sheepishly admitted that he had made the switch to computers.
He firmly stated that he would never go back to drawing plans by hand. Today, drawing house plans has never had so many options.
Recommendations from a Broad Selection
Simply by doing a Google search for home design software, or some similar search terms, will give you a myriad of options that will boggle the mind. They range anywhere in price from a couple bucks to taking out another loan to buy the software.
For the simple task of getting you started in drawing house plans on your computer, I narrowed the search to 3 basic programs.
Low Cost Option
Plan 3D is a subscription-type software that lets you get started for $2.95 per month. That’s less than the price of a small salad at a decent restaurant. You may cancel any time. I checked it out for its simplicity and 3D features. The only thing I did not care for was it did not seem real easy in the roof design function.
Drawing floor plans was a breeze, and so was toggling from 2D to 3D. It is not a bad choice for the weekend designer who likes to dream of a new home and bring it to life on the screen. Check out the possibilities for drawing house plans with www.plan3D.com
Mid-Range Option
The next step up in drawing floor plans electronically is Turbo Floor Plan. This one runs a little smoother and seems more powerful.
My 15-day free trial went a lot better than Plan 3D. It offered the same basic functions for drawing floor plans. Where I found this software much more fascinating was the movie feature that went above and beyond just looking at 3D views. You need to preset the camera path through the floor plan, and adjust the viewing speed. Then at the touch of a button you can sit back and watch a walk-through of your own floor plans in full 3D.
The price for this one ranges from $49.99 to $99.99, depending which version you buy. You can select your preference at www.imsidesign.com
Option with the Most 'Punch'
I actually played with several different versions of Punch! software. This one being the most expensive and the most detailed of the three. I won’t bore you with all the details of drawing house plans on this one. It is a fantastic piece of software for the do-it-yourselfer and is powerful enough to satisfy the professional.
The 3D renderings this program is capable of takes it to a much higher level than all the others. I think you would find drawing house plans very rewarding on this program. Financially, it is not for the faint of heart with prices ranging from $49.99 all the way up to $499.99. This one is available at www.punchsoftware.com
Getting a Head-Start
Feel free to browse through the rest of this site for tips and tricks for drawing your house plans. I covered the computer program aspect of it to give you a little guidance and get you started the right way.
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A Few Comments:
"Thank you! Received the plans yesterday. They look great. We will definitely recommend you. I'm so excited now to have a visual. We'll have you out when it's all done.
Take care and God bless."
- Tommy & Christine
Mohnton, PA
"In my line of work I build both log and conventional homes. It can be difficult to find someone who can draw prints for both styles. I received a flyer in advertising Larry's Home Design. I was planning to build a house for myself and decided to try Larry's that way I could guage whether I would use him for my clients. I was very impressed and since then Larry's Home Design draws prints for all our customers."
- Marvin Fisher
Denlinger-Fisher Builders
New Holland PA
You might find this helpful if you are looking for even more personalized design strategies before finalizing your own plans…
"…very easy to work with and quickly understood what we wanted. Larry, I truly enjoyed working with you on the design. You were always there to talk to me… It was wonderful for me getting to help the guys build the house and see it come to life. It was a lot of work, but now we can enjoy the fruits of our labor. Please stop in and see us whenever you can. You are always welcome."
- Keith Johnson
Bainbridge, OH
"Believe me, Larry & his ability to design structures, is a 'jewel in the rough.' I was referred to him as an experienced log home designer & I had either a log (or log slab) home in mind. I contacted Larry, & in no time, had plans & the specifications. This was to the last nail & piece of siding.
Larry's work is reasonably priced & excellent quality. He knows builders & suppliers who can have you in 'front of the fireplace' in no time."
- James E. Vaughan
Groveport, OH
Larry,
... Thanks again for your help with these. You have been by far the best designer we have dealt with, both communication wise and product quality wise. Everything I have looked at had been excellent. Keep up the good work.
- Thanks Gary
Crockett Log Homes