Buying House Plans Online: Pros and Cons
From cars to jewelry to pets, it seems like there’s nothing that can’t be bought or sold on the internet. It shouldn’t be that surprising to hear that house plans, also known as stock house plans, are easily accessible online for purchase. There are plenty of things that can but shouldn’t got together (carpets and bathrooms, anyone?) so we decided to dive deeper into the pros and cons of whether or not you should buy house plans online.
Pros of Buying House Plans Online
One of the biggest arguments for purchasing online stock house plans is cost. Hiring an architect can significantly add to an already tight budget. When you buy house plans online you can save on this expense since the you’re building isn’t being customer tailored to you.
When buying house plans online, it’s highly likely that you’ll be able to see both the blueprints and shots of a home’s interior and exterior. This can be a huge benefit for the home renovation and construction team but also to those that need to see examples in order to visualize it.
You aren’t the first person building this home so inaccuracies in stock plan designs are unlikely.
Should Your Buy House Plans Online?
If it’s a custom home that you seek, buying online plans are very unlikely to give you what you want. After all, your home is the exact replica of hundreds of other predesigned house plans.
A local architect can draw up plans that ensure building codes are met. With home plans online, this isn’t guaranteed because building codes vary state to state and modifications to plans may need to be introduced to the design in order for it to pass inspection. Additionally, online plans come with proposed placement of electrical and plumbing fixtures, but an electrician and plumber will still need to approve these suggestions in order to ensure that code is met.
Cons of Stock House Plans
As we mentioned, hiring an architect isn’t cheap. However, having an architect ensures that you’ve got someone working hand in hand with the contractor to make sure that the plans get built exactly as intended. Without a supervising architect, if your builder has questions on your house plans or takes liberties with design, it’s unlikely the home owner will notice in time to correct the mistake and it still may cost thousands of dollars to fix.
While buying house plans online is cheaper than hiring an architect, if you purchase plans that don’t fit the plot of land you purchased, you can be forced to scrap them and start over.
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