House plans need a great deal of attention because there are some basic elements that are necessary inputs in a house plan and they cannot be missed. A basic knowledge about architectural guidelines and building plans will allow you to make a few initial sketches yourself. Even otherwise, making a rough plan of all the spaces you want to incorporate in a new home and consulting a professional architect ensures that the plans are of sound design and viable.
There are some basic design concepts and elements that are to be kept in mind while making a house plan. The primary factor that is a common element in most house plans is keeping in mind the ‘future’. Making provisions for changes in lifestyles must be upfront and enough space and viability placed on them. All these have to be considered within the space available with sufficient allocation for a garden or yard, children’s play area or just enough open space to chill out on a summer evening.
Some basic requirements regarding drawing up house plans include the following to be able to prepare a budget and see if it is alignment with your finances.
• Measuring the amount of space available for building
• Visualizing the plan vis-a-vis the number of floors
• Upfront flow of the house i.e. number of rooms and placing which room where in the house
• Children’s areas – keeping in mind they are going to grow up and need more space
• Parents or aged dependants
• Passageways
• Utility areas – includes storage areas like pantry, laundry, garden shed etc.
• Staircases
• Installation of green environment factors / eco friendly measures – rainwater saving, solar energy panels etc.
• Flexibility to rearrange rooms based on architect’s / builder’s inputs
The keyword in drawing up house plans is ‘priority’. Aspects like providing a strong foundation is very necessary even if the current plans do not include more than one or two storeys for now. Adding additional floors can be done later but the foundation is the ‘all important’ factor that all plans hinge on. Similarly, installation of energy savings measures and appliances should be done in the first phase. Prioritizing necessities helps sticking to budgeted expenses; slight variations notwithstanding. Add-ons that are not on ‘first priority’ can be added later provided your financial situation allows it but you should be able to manage fine without those, if necessary. It is one of the important things to remember.