ASK THE BUILDER: Don’t Buy Your House Plan Until You Know These 12 Things
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Buying a house plan is an exciting step towards building your new home. But choosing a design simply because you love the floor plan or façade can lead to expensive changes later.
After more than 50 years in the building industry, I have seen how decisions made at the planning stage can affect everything from building quotations and site costs to engineering and the finished home.
Before purchasing a house plan—or spending thousands of dollars developing a completely custom design—here are 12 things I recommend checking first.
1. Will the House Actually Fit Your Land?
This sounds obvious, but the dimensions of the block are only the beginning.
You also need to consider setbacks, easements, access, orientation, services, existing structures and local planning requirements.
A 15-metre-wide house doesn't necessarily suit a 16-metre-wide block.
Before committing to a design, establish the usable building area of your land.
2. Is Your Block Flat or Sloping?
The slope of your land can have a major influence on both the house design and construction cost.
A design intended for flat land may require substantial excavation, retaining walls or foundation changes when placed on a steep site.
For sloping land, it can sometimes make more sense to work with the natural contours using raised floors, split levels or other suitable construction methods rather than trying to make the site flat.
This is why choosing a plan suited to your particular block can be so important.
3. Which Direction Should the House Face?
Don't automatically position a house simply because that's how it appears on the plan.
Consider where the sun rises and sets, prevailing weather, views, neighbouring properties and outdoor living areas.
Good orientation can improve natural light and ventilation and may contribute to a more comfortable home.
In Australia, orientation can also be an important consideration when addressing local energy-efficiency requirements.
4. Does the Floor Plan Suit How You Actually Live?
A beautiful floor plan isn't necessarily a practical one.
Think about your normal day.
Where do you enter the house? Where will you leave your shoes? How far is the kitchen from the garage? Can you carry groceries inside easily? Is the laundry conveniently located? Can someone watch television while another person is working or studying?
Also think several years ahead.
Your requirements today may be very different from your requirements in 10 or 20 years.
5. Are the Bedrooms Really Big Enough?
Plan images can be deceptive.
Furniture shown on a floor plan may make a room appear larger than it feels in reality.
Look at the actual room dimensions.
Consider the bed, bedside tables, wardrobes, drawers and the circulation space around the furniture.
Do the same with living areas. A lounge room needs enough space not only for furniture, but also for people to comfortably move around it.
6. Don't Forget Storage
Storage is one of those things people rarely complain about having too much of.
Look beyond bedroom wardrobes.
Consider linen storage, pantry space, broom cupboards, laundry storage, garage storage and somewhere for larger household items.
If you're building on acreage, you may need considerably more storage than someone building a compact suburban home.
It's usually much easier to incorporate good storage during the design stage than try to find space for it later.
7. Look Carefully at the Kitchen
The kitchen is one of the most frequently used—and potentially expensive—areas of a new home.
Don't judge it simply by its appearance.
Look at the location of the refrigerator, sink, cooktop, pantry, island and dining area.
Ask yourself whether people can move comfortably through the kitchen without constantly crossing the main working areas.
Also consider how the kitchen relates to your outdoor entertaining area if that's important to your lifestyle.
8. Keep Your Building Budget in Mind From Day One
One of the biggest mistakes is designing the dream home first and thinking about the budget afterwards.
Every additional square metre has a cost.
Complex rooflines, large spans, extensive glazing, complicated foundations, retaining walls, oversized decks and expensive finishes can all influence the final price.
A relatively simple, well-designed home can often give you everything you need without unnecessary complexity.
Design to your budget—not just your wish list.
9. Understand the Difference Between Concept Plans and Construction Plans
This is particularly important when buying house plans online.
A concept or preliminary plan is useful for evaluating a design, discussing your ideas, obtaining preliminary pricing and deciding whether a house suits your needs.
It is not necessarily a permit-ready construction document.
Full construction documentation generally provides considerably more information, and additional locally prepared reports, engineering, approvals or professional certifications may also be required depending on where you intend to build.
Always check exactly what is included before purchasing.
10. Check What Your Builder's Quote Includes
The cheapest quotation isn't necessarily the cheapest house.
Two builders can quote the same design and include very different things.
Look carefully at exclusions and allowances for items such as site works, foundations, electrical work, floor coverings, appliances, driveways, landscaping, retaining walls, service connections and external works.
The more consistent the information provided to each builder, the easier it is to compare their quotations properly.
11. Find Out What Can Be Changed
Finding a plan that's 80–90% right can be a very good starting point.
You may want to enlarge a bedroom, move a wall, change the kitchen, add a garage, modify the façade, alter the verandah or mirror the entire design.
Before purchasing, find out whether modifications are available and approximately what they could cost.
Sometimes modifying an existing design can be a practical alternative to beginning an entirely new custom design from a blank page.
12. Don't Rush Into Expensive Documentation
You don't necessarily need to start by spending thousands of dollars on complete construction drawings.
First establish whether the design works for your land, lifestyle and budget.
A preliminary or concept plan can give you something tangible to discuss with builders and suppliers before proceeding further.
Once you're comfortable with the design and likely building costs, you can move to the next stage of documentation, engineering and local approvals as required.
Ask the Builder Tip: Price the Home Before You Fall in Love With It
One of the most useful pieces of advice I can give anyone planning a new home is:
Don't become emotionally committed to a design until you have a reasonable idea of what it will cost to build.
It's much easier to change a house on paper than after detailed documentation has been completed—or construction has started.
Use the early planning stage to investigate the design, obtain pricing and identify potential problems.
That is exactly what preliminary planning should achieve.
Not Sure Which House Plan Is Right for You?
At Australian Floor Plans, you can browse a large selection of house designs including small homes, granny flats, family homes, duplexes, container homes, country homes and designs for sloping land.
We also offer free house designs through our Ask the Builder series, allowing you to explore ideas before committing to a more detailed plan package.
If you find a design you like but it isn't quite right, we can also customise an existing design using your notes or sketch as the starting point.
Already Have a Sketch or an Idea?
Send us your sketch, existing floor plan or list of requirements and we can discuss turning it into a professional concept design.
The goal at this stage is simple:
Get the design right. Check the likely cost. Then decide whether you're ready to move forward with full construction plans.
General information only. Building, planning, engineering and approval requirements vary by site and location. Always confirm the requirements for your project with the appropriate local professionals and authorities before construction.