Search by Plan Number


Why Buy Stock House Plans vs. Custom? - Part I

When a person begins the process of building a new house, there are many different aspects that need to be addressed including: where to build, what size home to build, what features to include, what items are the most important to have in the home, what costs should be included in the budget, what are the design/build timeframes, who will build the home, and a host of other issues.

After these initial questions have been successfully answered, the next item that must be addressed is that of house plans. There are two basic types of house plans that can be purchased, custom or stock, with each having distinct advantages and disadvantages.

Custom Houseplans

Custom house plans are just as the name implies. The house plans are custom drawn to meet your family's specific needs. The plans are normally drawn by a licensed building designer or, in some cases, a licensed architect in a geographic location close to where the 1.) owners live, or 2.) home will be built. The process is, normally, much more involved and time-consuming since the owner's specific requests will need to be integrated into the overall design of the home. Many times these type "special" requests can present significant challenges to the designer of the home, which as a result, may take additional time to resolve.

Since the home is being custom designed, specifically to meet the needs of that one person/family, the costs associated with the development of the house plans tend to be significantly larger than those for a similar set of stock house plans. However, in some cases, the custom house plan may be the only viable option based on the client's needs, home location, special building considerations, etc.

Advantages:
  • Homeowner can get exactly what they want in home design
  • Special needs can be addressed in the design (i.e. extra large garage for boat, larger than normal master bath, handicapped access, etc.)
Disadvantages:

  • Significantly more costly than stock houseplans
  • Longer, more arduous process to develop
  • Significantly more time consuming to produce (i.e. many meetings necessary with designer over several month period)
[  PART II -Why buy stock house plans vs. custom?  ]

This article is available for reprint. To request, simply send an email to webmaster@houseplancentral.com and include the following information:

- Your Company Name
- Your Name
- Your Email Address
- Your Website

Please note that you will be required to include the following copyright information on the posted article (including the active website hyperlink):

Want to learn more about house plans, floorplans, and home design? House Plan Central.com offers homeplan articles and a searchable database of floorplans from the nation's leading home designers and architects. Find the house of your dreams!

Quick Search
Plan Number:
Sq. Ft:  to 
Bedrooms: 1 2 3 4
5+
Baths: 1 2 3 4
Half Baths: 1 2 3 4
Width × Depth:  × 
# of Floors: 1 1.5
2 2.5
3 3.5
4
 
Postings by Category
» House Plans
» New Home Plans
» House Plan Articles
» Questions & Answer
» Home Mortgages and Financing
Recent Articles
Mortgage Questions To Ask Your Lender

Mortgage Refinance - Tips to Help You Cut Fees and Costs

Why Buy Stock House Plans vs. Custom? - Part II

Why Buy Stock House Plans vs. Custom? - Part I

Home Buyer and House Plan Terms and Definitions - Part VI

Home Buyer and House Plan Terms and Definitions - Part V

Home Buyer and House Plan Terms and Definitions - Part IV

Home Buyer and House Plan Terms and Definitions - Part III

Home Buyer and House Plan Terms and Definitions - Part II

Home Buyer and House Plan Terms and Definitions - Part I

Learn about your home mortgage options - Part V

Learn about your home mortgage options - Part IV

Learn about your home mortgage options - Part III

Learn about your home mortgage options - Part II

Learn about your home mortgage options - Part I

What are the different types of house foundation types and when to use each? - Part III

What are the different types of house foundation types and when to use each? - Part II

What are the different types of house foundation types and when to use each? - Part I

Do stock plans contain everything I need to build in the state of "INSERT HERE"...

What are the different types of house plan packages, and when to use each? - Part II

What are the different types of house plan packages, and when to use each? - Part I

What are the most popular floorplan features? - Part III

What are the most popular floorplan features? - Part II

What are the most popular floorplan features? - Part I

Individual Posts
Bungalow House Plans

Cottage House Plans

Retreat House Plans

Neoclassic House Plans

Recycled Glass Kitchen Countertops

Contemporary House Plans

Red Doors

Soapstone

European House Plans

Victorian Homes

Southern House Plans

Cork Flooring

Finishing Your Garage Floor

Butler's Pantry

Pergolas

Spa Inspired Baths

Deciding Where to Build Your Home

What your paint color means..

The Kitchen (The Heart of the Home!)

Exciting Playhouses

Go Green!!

Custom Closets (A Functional Room Decorating Idea)

New and Improved Site

How to finance and build your dream home...

Red Flags of getting a home loan..

Mortgage questions to ask your lender...

Understanding Fixed Rate mortgages...

Which mortgage is best?

How to buy a home without a down payment...

Closing costs for your mortgage...

Learn about home construction loans

Looking for home mortgages online...

What lenders don't want you to know...

Minimize out of pocket fees and costs

Fixed Rate Mortgages...

Look for more new home financing articles....

What is a "standard" home equity loan?

Mortgage Loans with a 5% Down Payment or Less - Part II

Mortgage Loans with a 5% Down Payment or Less?

Great Tool..."How much house can I afford?

Be sure to check out these new house plan designs...

NEW ARTICLE: Why buy stock house plans vs. custom - Part II?

NEW ARTICLE: Why buy stock house plans vs. custom - Part I?

Unless you have absolutely NO self-discipline...

Bi-Monthly vs. Bi-Weekly comparison...

Other Options For Saving Significant $ On Your Mortgage

Caveat on pre-payment of your home mortgage..

Example of savings generated by pre-paying mortgage - part II...

Example of savings generated by pre-paying mortgage - part I...

Paying your mortgage on a bi-weekly vs. monthly schedule...

You should consider making bi-weekly or accelerated mortgage payments...

Q. Can I buy a plan and have it modified by a local professional?

Q. Do your house plans include electrical, mechanical, and plumbing?

Q. How do copyright laws affect me?

Q. What is a materials list and what does it include?

Q. How many times may I build a house from the plans I purchase from you?

Q. What are building codes? How do they affect me?

Q. If I buy a set of plans from HousePlanCentral.com, can I have them modified?

Q. What does the term "Living Sq. Ft." actually mean/include?

Q. How much do modifications cost for your house plans?

Q. What if the foundation option I'm looking for is not available with the house plan I want to buy?

Q. What building codes do your plans comply with?

Q. Do your house plans have all the information I need to get a building permit?

Q. Is it possible to see a rear view of the house plan that I'm interested in?

Q. After I order my plans, how long will it take to receive them?

Q. How can I find a house in my area that has been built with a house plan from your site that I like?

Do stock plans contain everything I need to build in the state of "INSERT STATE/LOCATION HERE"...

House Plan Packages - Part II

When to order which type of houseplan package?

Part III available...

Popular Houseplan Features - Part II Posted...

Most Requested Floorplan Features...

Topics of Interest...

New Plans being added...

House Plan Blog Launched