Introducing Our Custom House Plan Design Service

11 hours ago

4 min read

Have an idea for your new home but can't find an existing house plan that quite works?

Perhaps you've drawn a rough floor plan on a piece of paper, found several house designs you like, or have a clear idea of the rooms you need but aren't sure how to bring everything together.

Our Custom House Plan Design Service is designed for exactly this situation.

Send us your sketch, notes or ideas, and we can develop them into a professionally presented custom floor plan and front elevation.

Plans can be prepared in Metric or Feet & Inches, making the service suitable for Australian and USA customers.

You Don't Need a Professional Sketch

One of the biggest misconceptions I see is that homeowners think they need to have everything worked out before approaching a designer.

You don't.

Your starting point might simply be a hand-drawn sketch showing where you'd like the bedrooms, kitchen and living areas.

You can also send us photographs of homes you like, an existing floor plan you want changed, a list of rooms or notes explaining what you're trying to achieve.

We can use that information as the starting point for your new design.

What Does the Custom Design Include?

Our standard Custom House Plan Consultation Set includes:

Custom floor plan
One front elevation
Room dimensions
Basic roof design/view
Metric or Feet & Inches
Digital PDF delivery
Up to 2 rounds of minor revisions
Initial design normally within approximately 5 business days once all required information has been received

The standard service covers homes up to approximately 230 m² / 2,500 sq ft.

Larger or more complicated designs can also be considered and quoted separately.

What Information Should You Send Us?

The more information we have at the beginning, the easier it is to develop a home around the way you want to live.

Start with the basics: how many bedrooms and bathrooms you need, approximate house size, whether you want one or two storeys and your preferred architectural style.

Then think about the features that matter to you.

Do you want a large kitchen and walk-in pantry? A home office? Media room? Outdoor kitchen? Large verandah? Double garage? Parents' retreat? Workshop? Pool access? Extra storage?

These details help turn a generic house plan into your house plan.

We Can Design Many Different Styles

Your home doesn't have to look like the example shown in our advertising.

We can develop concepts for modern homes, farmhouses, country homes, acreage homes, cottages, ranch-style homes, tiny homes, granny flats, ADUs, shipping container homes, cabins, holiday homes and duplexes.

You can also combine ideas.

For example, you might like the floor plan from one home, the verandah from another and the façade style of a completely different house.

Those references can help us understand the direction you're looking for.

Australia and USA House Plans

We regularly work with different measurement systems, so your custom design can be prepared in either:

Metric – millimetres and metres

Imperial – feet and inches

For overseas customers, the important thing to understand is that a concept design still needs to be checked against the building requirements applying to the actual property.

uilding codes, engineering, planning requirements, setbacks, energy requirements and permit processes can vary considerably between locations.

What Is a Consultation Plan?

A Consultation Plan Set can also be described as a preliminary, review, pricing or builder's set.

Its purpose is to develop your design before you invest in all the detailed documentation that may eventually be required for construction.

A consultation plan can help you discuss the proposed home with builders, obtain preliminary pricing, review room sizes and layouts with your family, investigate possible changes and decide whether the overall design works for your site and budget.

Why Start With a Concept Instead of Full Construction Drawings?

From my experience in the building industry, one of the most important stages of designing a house happens before the detailed drawings begin.

Changing the position of a bedroom on an early concept plan is relatively straightforward.

Making major changes after engineering, approvals and detailed construction documentation have been completed can be a very different matter.

That's why I like to get the basic design working first.

Look at the room sizes. Think about furniture. Check how people move through the house.

Consider where the morning and afternoon sun will be. Look at the relationship between the kitchen and outdoor areas.

And importantly, start discussing the design and likely costs with builders early.

Can You Change the First Design?

Yes.

The standard service includes up to 2 rounds of minor revisions.

After receiving your first draft, mark up anything you would like adjusted and send it back to us.

This could include changing room dimensions, adjusting doors or windows, refining the layout or making similar minor changes.

If you decide to substantially redesign the house, increase its overall size considerably or change a large portion of the original brief, we can provide a quotation for the additional work.

What Happens After the Concept Design?

Once you're satisfied with the layout, the design can move to the next stage required for your project.

Depending on the location and scope, this may involve more detailed construction drawings, structural engineering, foundation design, energy assessment, surveying, site planning and building approval documentation.

The exact requirements depend on where you're building and the nature of the project.

Important: Consultation Plans Are Not Permit-Ready Plans

Our Custom House Plan Design Service provides concept/consultation drawings.

These are intended for preliminary planning, design development and builder discussions.

They are not automatically site-specific, engineering-certified, permit-ready or construction-ready drawings.

Before construction, the design will need to be checked and developed as necessary for the property, local regulations and applicable building requirements.