If you're like most prospective homeowners, you have a clear vision of your dream home. Finding a home that perfectly matches your design preferences isn't likely, but luckily you can design your own! With little more than a sketchbook and a few inspirational ideas, you can make your vision a reality.Come up with a basic vision. Before you draw a single line, picture what kind of home you would want to live in if money were no object. The earliest stages of the design process are not about building materials or zoning regulations, but about how you define your desires. Chances are, you already have a few images in mind that just need to be fleshed out.[1]
Think carefully about the homes you fantasize about. What is it about the way they look that appeals to you?Look through architecture publications. Poring over some domestic architecture photobooks or home design magazines at the bookstore can be a good way to get your wheels turning. You'll get a good overview of current design trends, along with styles that were fashionable in past decades or are just now catching on in other parts of the country. For instance, you might see yourself living in a cozy European-influenced cottage, or gravitate towards something more sleek, modern, and minimalistic.[2]
Due to the way tastes constantly evolve, many design styles that have long been considered outdated (such as Art Deco and mid-century modern) are now beginning to make a comeback.
Don't feel like you have to limit yourself to a few specific types of architecture just because they're what's fashionable. A winning style is a style that speaks to your personal feelings. Image titled
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Tour a neighborhood with imaginative houses
Drive through multiple areas in your area and look around the house. Forget that such a house is in your price range. You are just looking for ideas to borrow when designing your home.
Record your likes and dislikes for each attribute. Knowing what features you don't need is just as important as knowing what features you need.[3]
Beware of houses for sale. An open house can provide a great opportunity for an intimate and personal approach to a particular home, both inside and out. Image titled
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Take a nice picture of your house to study later. When you see a house that catches your eye, pull out your camera and shoot from every angle you can. You will be able to capture more subtle nuances by leisurely examining the image rather than scanning it. Photos also make a great reference once you get used to the details of building your own house. Take pictures using the
dedicated camera or your smartphone's HD camera. So more key details are displayed.
You must get the landlord's permission before searching the landlord's property. Create a responsible budget. Instead of starting with the question, “How much will it cost to build my dream home the way I want it to?” ask yourself, “How much can I really afford?” This will give you a more realistic look and help you focus clearly on your field of view.
An articulated budget will be your principal guiding force in the design process moving forward.[4]
If it's your first time building a home, it may be helpful to meet with a certified financial planner who can go over the provisions of your budget with you and explain potential curveballs, like sales tax on building materials and whether the cost of the property will be included in your mortgage.[5]
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Keep a design notebook. Get yourself a sturdy, cloth-bound graph-ruled notebook to record your notes, doodles, and musings in. This simple resource is where your design for your home will finally begin to take shape. You can use its pages to paste photos, tab out calculations, collect contact info for potential contractors, and keep track of other important details associated with the project.[6]
Divide the contents of your notebook into sections by room and use colored tabs to mark the pages. That way, you can easily jump back and forth between schematics for different parts of the house.
Compiling all of your materials in one place will allow you to work much more efficiently than digging through reams of loose paper to find what you're looking for.
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Consider your individual needs. Now that you're getting serious about documenting what you want, it's time to zero in on what you need. This is where considerations like space, privacy, and specific building techniques will come into play. You've probably already accounted for many of these factors subconsciously when spitballing ideas, which means it will just be a matter of identifying which of them are non-negotiable.[7]
In order to determine the type of living space that's right for you, it may help to outline the number, ages, and relationships of the people who will be sharing it. A cozy
two-bedroom cottage might not be big enough if you're planning to start a family, but a slightly larger Tudor-style home can give you the space you need without sacrificing your preferred aesthetic.
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Create a list of key features. Under separate headings for each main room, name the amenities you absolutely need. Perhaps you've been crazy about island kitchen counters, or have always wanted a living room with European overhanging windows or a comfortable reading area. This is the most interesting. Let your imagination run wild and write down everything that tickles your fancy.[8]
Be as specific as possible. The more information you can hand off to your architect or team of contractors, the closer your finished home will be to your original vision.[9]
As you move onto drafting a floor plan, you can begin sorting the items on your list based on what's practical, what's affordable, and what makes the most sense.
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Sketch out a rough floor plan. Block out basic areas first—for example, you might include two bedrooms on one end of the lower level, with the master bed and adjoining bath across the hall. Leave some room in the center of your layout for an open family room or study, then fill in the other end with plots for the kitchen, laundry room, dining room, and other important spaces.[10]
To keep your floor plan from getting confusing, focus on completing one level at a time. When you're done with the downstairs, you can move on to plotting the upper floors.
Recognize the needs of you and your family and design configurations that provide both comfort and convenience.
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