When you hire me as your home designer, I'll help you choose the perfect design. When deciding on the plan for your home, you must consider your present and future needs, as well as the size, shape, location, orientation, and views of your building lot. The most personal way to achieve the perfect design is to start from scratch, with the standard design process.
The next best way that will reduce time and design costs is to find preliminary design inspiration from a plan book. This can be a good place to start, but you should invest some time in altering the design to make it right for you, as well as adapting it to the exact building location. The foundation design will vary greatly depending on the site topography. Remember that it will cost about the same to build someone else's preferred new home design as it will to build your perfect dream home.
Drafting
The next step after the design is complete is to turn the concept drawings into a technical plan set for securing a building permit, getting bids, and developing instructions for the construction process.
Properly drafted house plans will save you time and money during permitting and construction. Many home builders consider this the most important part of constructing a house and give little attention to the design phase. Whether you start from scratch or a house plan book, the drafting must include personal elements to make your house into a real home.
Consultation
Consultation services are available to explore broad possibilities for your building lot, or to fix existing plans that you may already have. I have been designing homes on the Big Island for 20 years, and I have gained a great deal of experience in both design details and material suggestions to help you get the maximum worry-free years out of your new construction.
I can also help to coordinate the employ of surveyors, civil and structural engineers, and other professionals for you. For unique lots, there are forms, drawings, and plan submittals and approvals needed from the county and state offices before any construction drawings should be started.
Stock Plans
For those of you that may be looking for simpler homes, or who feel that designing a house from scratch may be too complicated, I offer hundreds of site-specific and climate-appropriate home designs.
After a quick email or phone interview, I can search through many home plans to find examples you'll love. We can still add personal touches, but if you are in a hurry or you wish to save time and money on the design phase, this approach could be the best fit for you.
