Ask the Builder: Free House Plan – Modern 5 Bedroom Duplex Design | Plan 196 DU
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Looking for free house plans to help you start planning your new home or investment project?
Welcome to our Ask the Builder – Free House Plan section.
At Australian Floor Plans, we are introducing a growing collection of FREE downloadable house designs to help homeowners, owner-builders, investors and builders explore ideas before spending thousands of dollars on detailed construction drawings.
This week's free design is our 196 DU Modern Duplex House Plan – a practical dual-living design offering 5 bedrooms, 2 living areas, 2 kitchens and 2 garages.
And best of all, you can download the concept design FREE.
FREE HOUSE PLAN: 196 DU Modern 5 Bedroom Duplex
The 196 DU has been designed for people looking for flexible accommodation within one building.
The two residences have their own living areas, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and garages, making the design particularly interesting for extended families, multigenerational living, investors and dual-occupancy projects.
Design Features
- 5 Bedrooms
- 2 Bathrooms
- 2 Living Areas
- 2 Kitchens + Meals Areas
- 2 Separate Laundry Areas
- 2 Garages
- Built-in Robes
- Walk-in Robe to Main Bedroom
- Outdoor Alfresco Areas
- Modern Duplex Design
- Metric and Imperial dimensions
Total Building Area: approximately 196 m² / 2,118 sq. ft.
Overall Width: approximately 20.0 m / 65' 7"
Overall Depth: approximately 12.0 m / 39' 4"
Ask the Builder: Why Are We Giving House Designs Away Free?
After more than 50 years in the building industry, one thing I have seen repeatedly is people spending too much money too early in the building process.
Before paying for complete construction drawings, engineering and approvals, it makes sense to first establish:
Do I like the design?
Will it suit my land?
Can I afford to build it?
What are builders likely to charge?
A concept design gives you somewhere practical to start.
Instead of sitting in front of a designer with a blank piece of paper, you already have a floor plan that you can discuss, mark up and change.
That is the idea behind our new Ask the Builder – Free House Plan Collection.
What Is Included in the Free Download?
We have prepared a professional downloadable PDF featuring the 196 DU Duplex Design.
The free design pack includes:
- House design introduction
- Floor plan presentation
- Main design features
- Indicative room sizes
- Metric and imperial dimensions
- Building areas
- Information about concept plans
- Construction-plan upgrade information
- Custom house-plan service information
You can save the PDF to your computer or tablet and use it when discussing your ideas with builders, suppliers or your local building professionals.
Important: This Is a Concept House Design
The free house plan is provided as a concept design.
It is not a construction or permit-ready plan.
Before building, the design will normally need to be developed for your particular property and local requirements.
Depending on where you are building, this may include structural engineering, site-specific foundation design, energy requirements, planning requirements, building certification and other local documentation.
Think of the free plan as the starting point rather than the finished building documentation.
Use the Free Plan to Start Working Out Your Building Costs
One of the biggest advantages of beginning with a concept design is that you can start discussing the project with builders before investing heavily in documentation.
Show builders the type of home you are considering and ask:
"Approximately what would something like this cost to build?"
You can also begin talking with suppliers about major components.
If the initial pricing is well beyond your budget, you have discovered that before spending thousands of dollars developing the project.
You can then reduce the size, simplify the design or consider another free plan.
Like the Free Design? We Can Turn It Into Your Home
You don't have to build the 196 DU exactly as shown.
Perhaps you want:
- A larger master bedroom
- Different kitchen layouts
- An additional bathroom
- Larger garages
- Smaller overall floor area
- Different windows and doors
- A different facade
- Different roof design
- Accessibility modifications
- Changes to suit your land
Simply print the floor plan and draw your ideas on it.
Your sketch doesn't need to look professional.
Write notes, cross things out, draw new walls and tell us what you would like changed.
Send the marked-up plan back to us and we can provide a quote to prepare a customised design.
Ready to Build? Upgrade to Full Construction Plans
Once you are happy with the concept and have established that the project suits your budget, the next stage can be developing the design into Full Construction Plans.
Depending on the project, the drawing package can include detailed floor plans, elevations, sections, electrical layouts, door and window schedules, building notes, bracing/tie-down information, foundation notes and other construction details.
Local engineering, certification and site-specific documentation may also be required.
The important point is that you don't necessarily have to pay for all of this before you know whether you like the design and can afford the project.
Builders & Building Suppliers – Want to Advertise in Our Free Plan Downloads?
We are also opening selected advertising opportunities within our Free House Plan PDF downloads.
These downloads are aimed specifically at people researching and planning new homes, duplexes, granny flats and other residential building projects.
Advertising may be suitable for:
- Builders
- Timber frame and roof truss suppliers
- Roofing companies
- Window and door suppliers
- Kitchen companies
- Flooring suppliers
- Solar and energy companies
- Building-material suppliers
- Engineers and surveyors
- Finance providers
- Other home-building businesses
For advertising enquiries, contact:
admin@australianfloorplans.com
More Free House Plans Are Coming
The 196 DU Duplex is part of our expanding Ask the Builder – Free House Plan Collection.
We will be adding more designs covering different styles and budgets, including small homes, granny flats, container homes, family homes and other practical building ideas.
So bookmark Australian Floor Plans and check back regularly.
Sometimes the best way to start planning a new home is very simple:
Start with a free design. Work out what you like. Get an idea of the cost. Then decide whether you're ready to take the next step.
— Chris Morris
Retired Builder / House Designer
Ask the Builder – Australian Floor Plans