Designing a new home is much more involved than making a simple sketch and handing it over to a builder. In order to turn your dream home into a reality, you need to start with a good, comprehensive design.

You can choose from a number of available options to design a house, depending on your budget, needs and overall vision. While many people choose to work with a licensed architect on a house design, you can also purchase an existing plan or work with a design/build firm.

Designing Your House With an Architect

One of the first things to do is decide whether you want to work with an architect to design your home. An architect will bring a professional eye to the home design process, and will be able to spot potential problems and develop solutions before they become major issues. An architect will also be able to help you manage the home construction process, from selecting materials to obtaining the proper permits.

Before choosing an architect, make sure you find one with a compatible vision and style. Review the architect’s previous projects, and try to get feedback from former clients.

Buying an Existing Design

Visit any bookstore and you’ll see rows of books and magazines full of home plans; numerous websites also offer plans for sale. With so many options at your fingertips, it may seem that this is an easy way to get a home plan without spending a lot of money. But, the truth is that choosing from among all these available plans can be difficult.

Before settling on a plan, you’ll want to consider your unique needs and limitations such as lot size, room design and building restrictions. Making changes to a plan, such as adding an extra room, can be costly. In addition, you–or your builder–will need to be aware of local building codes so you can determine if the plan you’ve selected conforms to codes or if it needs to be altered.

Design/Build Firm

Another option is to work with a design/build firm. In design/build, you work with a single company to both create the architectural design and complete the construction. A design/build approach reduces the potential for conflicts between the architect and the builder, and may also save you time and money.

No matter which route you choose for home design, your home plan needs to be as detailed as possible. And, don’t just focus on the exterior; take into account home interior design elements as well–countertop finishes, plumbing fixtures and cabinets–when designing your home.

Poorly written or unclear plans are at the root of many home construction conflicts, so make sure you have thorough, written documentation to ensure that everything from exterior appearance to individual room design meets your expectations.