Senin, 27 November 2017

Here's a Creative Home Landscaping Design Example

While designing a home landscaping garden it is necessary to maintain a balance between the visual as well as the functional aspect of the landscaping garden.

Planning a beautiful flowerbed with colorful display of flowers, which will be costlier to maintain, is of no use. That is why beauty with function is what is needed to create amazing home landscaping projects. I am going to show you how professional home landscaping experts think when they design any outdoor landscaping space.

Here is a simple home landscaping design example.

Let's assume that you have a backyard garden space and you wish to install a small fountain in the garden. It's an easy task of assigning a space in the garden, which will be visible easily when anyone enters the garden and form a focal point.

But there are 3 more factors that can drastically improve functionality and beauty of this fountain.

1) What if you locate it in such a way that it's visible from the living room window or dining room area. This location can be easily marked out using your home plan sketch

2) How about choosing a selection where the length of the water pipeline is closer to the any other pipeline that carries water into your home building. By reducing he length of the pipeline you save money as well as the need to maintain the pipeline. For a longer length of the pipeline you will require joinery and whenever there is joinery of pipes you have a big chance of leakage in future.

3) What if you locate it in the direction of the wind that flows inside your home building. This will bring in almost free cool air cutting down the need to turn on the air-conditioner and saving money on your electricity bill.

So you see simple out of the box thinking can save you money as well add beauty to your home garden by giving access to the outer world by simple changing the location of the water fountain.

This was just a small example of how professionals landscaping designers think while designing home gardens. Even you can learn these simple tricks at the design stage itself by carefully observing your surrounding and save money.



Senin, 13 November 2017

3 Top Tips To Help You Succeed With Self Build And Design Home Projects

For most people the idea of a self build and design project would be a new kitchen, bathroom or extension but for several thousand people every year the ultimate project is a complete energy efficient home.

However, there are some hurdles that need to be overcome even if you have a plot of land that is suitable for building on, so as one of the most innovative new self build companies in the UK we thought we would cover 3 top hurdles you will face and offer 3 possible solutions to help you move forward with your self build project.

Self Build And Design Tip #1: Self Build Mortgages, Site Insurance And The CE Mark

As with all home purchases, mortgages tend to be an essential element to successfully securing the house of your dreams and until recently self build mortgages were not high on the priority list for UK banks.

The National Self Build Centre in Swindon have what is believed to be a revolutionary approach to the problem and they offer full consultancy for every aspect of your self build and design project.

The usual way in which self build mortgages are managed is for funds to be released in stages for land purchase and then build costs at various stages. Borrowing will always depend on circumstances and in some cases payments may be released in advance.

What the National Self Build Centre offers is a new concept of self build and design mortgages that allow you total freedom with your self build project by offering a complete self build mortgage insured payment upfront that would allow you to totally manage your project without the constant stopping and starting in between stage payments.

Self Build And Design Site Insurance and The CE Mark

We are used to our NHBC warranties in the UK and it has been the industry standard for decades.

The highest quality log homes from Europe often carry the CE Mark which is a construction certification that guarantees the resistance and strength of the structure..

For most people the thought of a timber house creates an element of fear about fire risks. Most houses in the UK are built with a timber frame and a brick outer skin and a closed door is supposed to allow for a half an hour escape time in the event of a fire. In Europe the standards are twice as strict as in the UK and there must be a one hour escape time.

As for self build site insurance you can now get instant cover and save money with several online companies who now cover this type of construction.

Self Build And Design Tip # 2: Code 6 Houses And Planning Permission

First and foremost there are no guarantees when it comes to obtaining Planning Permission, but as it stands your best chance in an unconventional planning situation is to apply for permission to build a Code 6 Home.

The home will have to be completely zero carbon for example it must have zero net emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from all energy use in the home. There are many factors that combine to produce a Code 6 Home including

• Improving the thermal efficiency of the walls, windows, and roof.

• Reducing air permeability to the minimum consistent with health requirements

• Installing a high efficiency condensing boiler, or being on a district heating system

• Using low and zero carbon technologies such as solar thermal panels,

• Reducing domestic water usage, managing surface water and waste and using low energy appliances and lighting within the home and the impact on the environment.

Self Build And Design Tip # 3: Building A House In Your Garden

Planning Permission will generally be granted when it can be demonstrated that the site is capable of accommodating a suitable scheme which adheres to the Local Planning Authority's development control criteria and Local Planning Policy.

If you live in a village or town, the development boundaries are likely to be established and there will be other constraints that need to be considered such as the provision of a suitable and safe access which is a high priority.

Selasa, 24 Oktober 2017

Home Design Floor Plan - How To Purchase A Home Design Floor Plan?

Regardless of whether you are building a new home, adding to an existing home, or remodeling your current home; you will need to have a home design plan. If you have experience in architectural design, you can easily design your home design floor plan. However, if you are like most, you will need to hire an architect to plan your home design or purchase home design floor plans from a reputable organization.

Home design plans are available in hundreds of designs. You can find everything from Beach House plans to Victorian House plans. Homes range in size from 900 square feet to more than 10,000 square feet and most plans can be customized to further suit your needs.

Some companies offer full-service packages, which include home design floor plans, cost estimating services, and referral service to quality home builders in your area. Other companies provide discount services or bundle packages, which allow you to purchase a set of three or more home design plans at a reduced rate.

When purchasing home design plans, make certain they are designed by professional architects who are NCARB certified. Home design floor plans need to meet nationally recognized building codes and should include the following elements:

1) Exterior elevations of the front, rear, and sides of the house

2) Interior elevations showing details of fireplaces, cabinets, built-in units, and other special interior features.

3) Detailed floor plans showing the placement of interior walls and dimensions for rooms, doors, windows and stairways.

4) Cross section detail, which show construction details of the home, insulation, flooring and roofing.

5) Roof plans showing details of the layout.

6) Foundation drawings for a crawlspace or basement.

7) Schematic electrical layouts showing the detail of light fixtures, outlets, and switches.

8) General specifications plan which outlines details of the home and property where it will be built.

Home design magazines such as Architectural Digest and Interior Design, provide many time- and money-saving resources. Oftentimes, you can locate unique home design plans by perusing the classified section of home design magazines.

Your local library can also provide you with information on every aspect of designing your own home. Oftentimes, libraries offer "Do-It-Yourself" videos on a wide range of topics, which can be exceptionally helpful if you plan on building your own home.

Plan to spend a considerable amount of time researching home design floor plans before investing any money. The Internet provides easy access to hundreds of unique ideas and beneficial information that can make your home building experience easier.

Rabu, 11 Oktober 2017

Cheap Building Plans - Finding Quality Woodworking Plans At A Low Price

Are you looking for cheap building plans so you can start using your woodworking skills to make a steady amount of money? Not only will these plans be able to help you go about your tasks in a more efficient manner, it will also give you design details so you can give your customers the pieces that they need. Finding these plans can be very simple and rewarding as long as you stick to using only reputable sources. There are various sources which highly value their main goal of providing enthusiast with usable project plans.

If you are having a hard time with finding high quality but cheap building plans that you can use, then you should familiarize yourself with the following tips. Not only will these pointers help you find the plans that you may use, they will also help you save a big amount of time as you go about your search.

Your Local Home Improvement Store

You can walk into your local home improvement store and ask around for the cheap building plans that you may use. Check out the variety of choices that your local hobby shop has in store. Just be warned that you may have difficulty in finding the ones that you need especially if you are looking for highly specific designs, because options in these places tend to be quite limited.

Searching Online

One of the best places you can go to for high quality but cheap building plans are online groups and forums that specifically cater to your needs. You would be pleased to know that there are a lot of websites that can give you access to such plans. If you are keen on turning your hobby into a business, going online is the first step you should take. Make sure that you pick and use reputable sources that will give you copies of woodworking plans in exchange for a reasonable price. You will also find websites that will give you copies of these plans free of charge. However, these plans are likely to leave out important details required to complete a project successfully so it is best to avoid them.

Using A Software

A highly popular option for woodworkers nowadays is to invest on a building plan software that provides thousands of plans in a convenient CD package. To get the software, you may have to pay a bit more on top of the plans but this is a recommended option since you would be given a whole lot more plans and this is one of the best ways to get cheap building plans. Just ensure that the software and plans are produced by reputable woodworking companies so that your time spent in woodworking will be enjoyable, rewarding and fun.


Are you looking for cheap building plans so you can start using your woodworking skills to make a steady amount of money? Not only will these plans be able to help you go about your tasks in a more efficient manner, it will also give you design details so you can give your customers the pieces that they need. Finding these plans can be very simple and rewarding as long as you stick to using only reputable sources. There are various sources which highly value their main goal of providing enthusiast with usable project plans.
If you are having a hard time with finding high quality but cheap building plans that you can use, then you should familiarize yourself with the following tips. Not only will these pointers help you find the plans that you may use, they will also help you save a big amount of time as you go about your search.
Your Local Home Improvement Store
You can walk into your local home improvement store and ask around for the cheap building plans that you may use. Check out the variety of choices that your local hobby shop has in store. Just be warned that you may have difficulty in finding the ones that you need especially if you are looking for highly specific designs, because options in these places tend to be quite limited.
Searching Online
One of the best places you can go to for high quality but cheap building plans are online groups and forums that specifically cater to your needs. You would be pleased to know that there are a lot of websites that can give you access to such plans. If you are keen on turning your hobby into a business, going online is the first step you should take. Make sure that you pick and use reputable sources that will give you copies of woodworking plans in exchange for a reasonable price. You will also find websites that will give you copies of these plans free of charge. However, these plans are likely to leave out important details required to complete a project successfully so it is best to avoid them.
Using A Software
A highly popular option for woodworkers nowadays is to invest on a building plan software that provides thousands of plans in a convenient CD package. To get the software, you may have to pay a bit more on top of the plans but this is a recommended option since you would be given a whole lot more plans and this is one of the best ways to get cheap building plans. Just ensure that the software and plans are produced by reputable woodworking companies so that your time spent in woodworking will be enjoyable, rewarding and fun.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6638293

Minggu, 24 September 2017

Home Building Plans - What Every Owner Builder Must Know About Architects

What's the value of a good architect? Everyone knows that architects design homes and buildings. But, if you're building a home, should you pay an architect or just buy a house plan that has already been designed? I will answer these and other questions here.

These are the most common questions I get about house plans and architects:

    Can I just buy some existing house plans and save money?
    Can I design my own home?
    Do I really need an architect to design my house?
    Can I afford an architect?

There's more to a set of house plans than the lay-out and the look of the home. When you hire an architect, you're getting licensing, training, and experience that can help you create something uniquely yours and in line with local building practices.

What Do You Really Want?

The first thing to think about is what you're after and how you plan to go about it. Are you building a stick built home from scratch? Or, are you going to build a log home or some form of kit or packaged home? Will you be building with alternative building materials like SIP panels or insulated concrete forms?

Also, the size and complexity of the home is critical. A simple, small home is vastly different from a large home full of custom features. You must also know your Home Owners Association rules.

Let's take the above questions one by one:

Buying Existing House Plans

There is a huge business in selling stock house plans. Some of these are designed by renowned home designers. In some cases, there is certainly nothing wrong or inferior about using one of these plans to build your home.

Building with packaged homes generally utilizes this method. You will not have a truly custom home, but you will likely pay quite a bit less to get your set of plans. Be certain that your Home Owners Association or your local building authorities don't have requirements that preclude you from going this route.

Designing Your Own Home

Have you created your own design? For some, their home building dream includes actually drawing their own plans. I must caution you here. There is more to designing a home than meets the eye. If you are not experienced or trained, you can invest a lot of time just to find out that you need to have everything redone by a professional.

Good design includes things like; structural integrity, materials selection, code requirements, aesthetic appeal, traffic flow, lighting, views, and natures influence just to name a few.

Is an Architect Prepared House Plan a Must?

The short answer is usually not. The decision could be taken out of your hands, however. In the USA for instance, there are several states that will not approve plans created out of their state. Similarly, Home Owners Associations may require all plans be designed by their list of architects. Always check before you buy home plans online or from a catalog.

How Much Does an Architect Cost?

The cost of using design professionals varies greatly. Their experience, reputation, and geographic location will factor in. Also, you may find different professional levels for these designers. For instance, a residential designer is a lesser designation than an architect and therefore usually less costly.

Knowing first what you really want is key. If you plan to build a high end custom home with a unique look that reflects your lifestyle and provides the ambiance you are looking for, spending tens of thousands of dollars (or more) may be well worth the money. On the other hand, you can get a get a good design for several hundred to a few thousand dollars.

Getting Started

You'll want to interview your choices. It's best to get a referral if you can but, however you find your options, be sure to have exploratory meetings to see how they work and if their style and charges fit your needs.

Do you have very specific ideas you want them to incorporate? Are you a blank slate? Sometimes it can be best to give them a minimal framework of what you want and let them create. Other times, especially if you want to keep your costs down, give them as much input as you can at the beginning so they know what you want.



Senin, 04 September 2017

Home Landscaping Design - Planning a Home Landscape Garden

Planning is an essential part of any activity. From the smallest task to the largest one planning can make your life easier and get the desired results faster.

Home landscaping design is not an exception to this. If planned with definite guidelines landscaping can be a fun activity. Here are some important points that can help you to plan out the landscape activity for faster results.

1) The first step is to get a clear idea about the purpose of your home garden. The purpose of a landscaping garden can be different for everyone. Some of the possible causes to grow a garden around home can be

    Adding value to your home.
    For maintenance purpose.
    For yourself so that you can enjoy quality time with your family.

2) Write down your requirements or the elements that would like to see in your garden. This may include

    Outdoor Patio
    Fishponds / Rock gardens / Fountains
    Statues
    Walkways
    Sandpits for kids to play

3) Once the purpose is finalized it's time to make observations about your home yard. This required writing down all the existing elements already present in and around your home. Here is a sample list of existing landscaping elements for your reference.

    Existing big tree and their positions from home building
    Sunlight directions and their intensity
    Wind flow and it's direction
    Presence of tall buildings around your home building (because they will obstruct sunlight)
    Presence of street traffic/railway lines etc.
    Presence of Lake/seashore/flowing River etc.

4) Once these simple observations are done it becomes easier to draft out a simple plan or layout using the requirements and the existing elements. You have a choice to completely remove some of the existing elements or even use them in the new design. You can create a number of alternatives or design options and then finalize one.

5) There are number of ways to execute your design on ground. The first method is to simply hire a landscaping contractor to do this job and pay him for that or you can even do it yourself using some simple methods.