Do-It-Yourself House Designing

Unless you've designed a house of your own, you have no idea how difficult it is. Here's a hint. Always work your house around stairs and other fixed components. It's no good trying to put them in after other rooms are arranged.

Fortunately, I figured this out early on, but it was still a challenge getting all the rooms to work well together with our size and shape house--a huge rectangle. Now I understand why the majority of homes are comprised of smaller boxes for an array of house footprints. Layouts go together easier. And one big rectangle like ours also limits the amount of sunlight per room. But at least the actual construction will be easier for Jim.

Oh yeah. Don't forget about the plumbing. If you don't account for toilet pipes, you may end up with big problems when you discover you have an open living room below a bathroom. <:^o

One thing I really tried to do was balance window and door placements inside and outside the house. A lot of buildings around here look like outside appearance wasn't considered well when constructed, and I didn't want our house to look that way too. I think the front of our home is well done. The only side that's really off-balance is the back, but few people will see it. That is, if I don't post it here.

I've learned a lot about house designing by trial and error, but I must add a disclaimer. Don't ask me for advice! I'm far from an architect and am responsible for poor placement of a few heating ducts and some backward swinging cupboard doors in our old home. (But it was my first crack at designing!) I just hope I'm learning enough now that we avoid many regrets later. That's was my goal with the new master bathroom design. Fortunately, with only two-bys up in about 55% of the house, we can still tear down and move them if needed.