Choose Country Style House Plans For Your Lifestyle

Country house plans are perfect for those interested in easy living. They have a simplistic nature that makes them perfect for those that want a functional and comfortable living space. From the outside, they appear luxurious and open, but upon entering, occupants are graced with a warm, inviting atmosphere. 

Country house plans come in many different sizes and styles – and there is sure to be a design to match your style. Before making the final decision on which floor plan to choose, there are a few factors to consider. How many will be living in the home? In what area are you planning on building? Let’s take a deeper look into some of the considerations of investing in country style house plans. 

Family size: big or small, there is a home for you

As one of America’s most popular home styles, country house plans range anywhere from small starter homes to large luxurious houses. For starters, singles or empty nesters, there are homes that include all of the basic features. They typically includeone or two beds and baths, a living area, laundry room and a detached garage. Additionally, many of these style homes come with an extra room for guests or future family-expansion plans. 

For larger families or those who host more friend or family gatherings, there are larger, more luxurious floor plans. Naturally, these plans include more space and extra rooms, ranging anywhere from two or more bedrooms and two or more  bathrooms. To create an even more comforting family-friendly space, try looking for floor plans that include special features – like a fireplace! This is a perfect living area for large families and those who host more guests staying overnight. 

Location: suburban area or countryside, find the perfect country house plan

Country homes fit best in the type of areas their name suggests: the country. Aesthetically designed to give off a sense of rural relaxation, these homes are typically found in suburban areas or countryside. 

Before investing in country style house plans, take a look at the other homes in your neighborhood. Would your home fit in with the rest? If not, don’t give up on your dream home! Try finding a more remote spot where there is more space between each home, or look for a country home plan specifically designed for narrow lots. 

Additionally, think about the other features of the land on which you are planning to build. If you plan on building on a hill, consider a wrap-around porch and a balcony from which you can enjoy your view. If you have a spacious lot, consider how much you can build outward instead of upward, or both! 

If your dream house is country style, don’t let anything get in the way of building your perfect home. There is a comfortable, functional or luxurious style for all families, big or small. 

About The Author

The HousePlanShop, LLC (THPS) knows that finding the perfect home can be very challenging. We are committed to helping make the process a simple and easy experience by offering excellent service as you begin to build your dream home. We at The House Plan Shop can offer a variety of country style house plans in different sizes that are sure to meet your needs. Be sure to browse through our country house plans for narrow lots and our plans for a wider area to find an option that is perfect for you.

Finding Garage Apartment Plans to Meet Your Need

Garage apartments have many different functions. Whether acting as a guest room, a bedroom for teens and college students, an art studio or work area, the additional space can help you live more comfortably. Before investing in any garage apartment floor plans, be sure to evaluate goals and think realistically about how you plan to use the space to get the most out of your garage. Here are two important questions to answer before investing in garage apartment plans.

1. How much space should your garage apartment floor plans include?

   The best way to answer this question is to think about what you plan to do with the extra space. Garage apartment plans can come complete with two bedrooms, two baths, a laundry unit and full kitchen, or it can be an area with the bare minimum. If the space is to be used as a guest bedroom for frequent family or friend visits, it may not need to be an extravagant apartment. However, if you are planning an area for your high school or college student to have a little extra privacy and complete living area, you may want to consider going full scale.

   Guest bedrooms and college student living spaces aren’t the only reasons to invest in a garage apartment. It can be an excellent area for a weekend-away work area or nearby vacation spot. If you plan to use your carriage house as an art studio or other workstation, consider other ways the apartment should be laid out. It’s possible that a loft may be better suited for your specific needs.

2. How can your garage apartment aesthetically mimic your home?

   When choosing a garage apartment plan that is right for you, it is just as important to think about the design as it is necessary to consider the functionality. Look at the home you live in now and think of the type of garage that would aesthetically blend with your home. Whether you currently live in a traditional home or country-style, there are treatments that can be added to the doors and roofline of the garage to make it visually appealing. Also, the better the garage apartment matches the home, the more your property value is likely to increase.

   Although it is possible to build a garage apartment connected to your home, you may want to reconsider. Typically garage apartment plans are built detached from the home for extra privacy. For example, a garage apartment is a great way to earn a little extra money. If your garage apartment is built detached from the home, it can be rented out to college students or young adults just starting out. Because it’s located right above the parking space, it’s convenient and can be a totally isolated rental area.

About the Author

The Garage Plan Shop (TGPS), brought to you by The GaragePlanShop, LLC, knows that finding the right garage plan to add to your home or serve as an outbuilding or even a home of its own can be quite challenging. Our collection features a wide range of garage plans and other structures designed by many of North America's leading architects and residential designers. If you could benefit from extra space or income, we have garage apartment floor plans to meet your needs. Simplify the process of choosing garage apartment plans by using our advanced search button.

What to Consider When Investing in New House Plans

Investing in house floor plans can be an exciting first step to building your dream home, but before you make one of the most important choices of your life, take into consideration a few factors that will influence your final decision.

Budgeting Finances

Before jumping straight to looking at luxury house plans, it’s important to create a budget plan that you will be able to stick to throughout the entire process. Finances have a way of quickly building up, but with a spending limit, it is less likely that you will spend more than you intend.

 

Talk with your bank about spending and loans

Although you may be excited and ready for this next venture into building a new and unique home, it is necessary to first plan a time frame and budget. Without a set idea of how much money you are willing to spend on a house floor plan, you might find that bills really start to add up. Talk with your bank to work out any necessary loans.

 

Get multiple estimates from good contractors

It is important that you find a good quality contractor within your budget. This doesn’t necessarily mean going with the least expensive, but instead try talking with a few and get multiple estimates. Once you think you have found the right contractor for the job, do a little more research and find out what other customers have thought of their services.

Size Limitations

Once you have an idea of how much you plan to spend on this endeavor, you then need to consider your lifestyle and location. It is much easier to filter out homes that are too large or too small from the beginning, instead of trying to make moderations halfway through the project.

Consider a family sized house floor plan

Before you start searching through pages of new house plans, find ways to limit your search to only the homes that suit your lifestyle. By planning this early on, you will be able to filter out any house floor plans that do not provide enough space for your family to live comfortably. However, if you are a newlywed or have a smaller family size, without proper planning you may be tempted to overspend.

Think about the building lot and location

It is imperative to keep in mind the location of which you are planning to build your home for multiple reasons. For one, if your lot has limited space, it will be more likely that your home be built upwards instead of outwards. The opposite is true for a large lot. Also, think about if you are building on flat ground, or a hill that might be pleasing to incorporate a balcony overlooking the backyard. Along with lot size, the geographical location is important, too. When looking to build a home in a colder area, your new house plan should include a fireplace, where as in a warmer area, it’s not quite as important.

Ranch House Plans - 18 Facts to Know

Ranch house plans are amongst the most popular house plans that home builders and homeowners choose. This is largely due to their versatility and accommodating design. We hope you find the list below for these well disposed, one-story floor plans helpful and informative. It's my suggestion that you should review the list and get familiar with the style before searching for your ranch home plans online.

1. Typically ranch plans are built on one level and are commonly referred to as one-story house plans.
2. There is not a particularly noteworthy exterior characteristic that all ranch house plans showcase except that they are usually built with only one floor.
3. The exteriors of ranch home plans range from a simple facade and steep gable roof to an intricately detailed facade with a low-pitch, hip roof-line.
4. Their footprint is typically asymmetrical.
5. It's common for a ranch style plan to have fewer walls and an open floor plan.
6. Design styles span a wide range of sizes from the simple Cottage floor plans to expansive Luxury homes.
7. Ranch floor plans accommodate all phases of life starting with singles and young families all the way to large growing families, empty nesters and retirees.
8. One-story homes are extremely popular among younger buyers and retirees because they have fewer stairs and are accessible to people of all abilities and safe for children.
9. Ranch homes are available in several different styles including Craftsman house plans, Traditional home designs, Country floor plans and Vacation homes.
10. There are several common features in ranch house plans like an attached garage, rear deck access, patio or porch, larger windows and combined dining and living areas.
11. Budget-conscious buyers like them because they make efficient and practical use of space.
12. One-story designs deliver everything from the basic amenities to lavish features and state-of-the-art amenities.
13. Bedroom-together designs cluster all the bedrooms on one side of the home, ideal for families with small children, while split bedroom floor plans separate the master bedroom from the secondary bedrooms offering privacy to the master suite.
14. Some one-story homes are built on a walkout basement making them suitable for a hillside, rugged mountain terrain or a sloping lot while adding finished living space on the terrace level.
15. The atrium ranch plan is a variation that features a wall of windows as the backdrop to the stairs leading to the finished lower level.
16. Split-level homes are one other variation of the ranch style that makes efficient use of space on a front-sloping lot or a narrow lot by stacking levels.
17. One-story designs are sometimes called rambling ranches or rancher plans.
18. Single-story homes are commonly found throughout the entire USA and Canada.

Sarah DeLoud provides industry news and resources for people looking to purchase a house plan online. For more information on Ranch house plans please see the House Plan Shop, http://www.thehouseplanshop.com.