house-design.ca

Chicken House Designs For 10 Chickens

If you have decided to make a coop for 10 chickens then you will definitely have to go in for a large sized coop offering more than 40 square feet of space. Here are a few things that you need to be careful about:

a. The size of your backyard: Can your backyard support a chicken coop measuring more than 40 square feet in space? You alone can judge whether the chicken house will look attractive in such a setting.

b. Predators: By far the most nagging problem that you will (if you aren’t already) face. Predators can be land or air based and each have their special ways of getting your poultry. The chief predators that you will have to deal with are dogs, cats, weasels, foxes, raccoons, possums, owls, and hawks.

c. The weather of the place where you stay: This is a very critical factor that will dictate the coop design. For instance if you live in a cold area then you will have to insulate the wall of your coop, a chicken house in a hot place will require a lot of ventilation; one in a rainy area will need stilts etc.

d. The chicken house interiors: This needs to be carefully designed as your coop must ensure maximum comfort to your chicken. Make sure to have the windows aligned such that it does not hamper ventilation, also always keep plenty of feeders and waterers filled up. You should also consider covering the floor of the coop with sand or saw dust as chickens love taking sand baths.

These should get you started. There are many intricate things that must be taken into account also. Your Chicken house need not be something impossibly perfect; such thoughts can often seem intimidating and should shunned aside. What must be kept in mind are your requirements and the issues that you are or potentially will be facing.

Be the first to comment - What do you think?
Posted by the designer - January 27, 2012 at 8:35 pm

Categories: Uncategorized   Tags: , , ,

Affordable House Designs For Your Budget

For home owners who want to have beautiful house designs but do not have enough budget for their chosen home design then there is another option for that. It is probable to comprise a unique new house design created to individual specifications at no cost to clients, and styled to go well with every budget. If you are bearing in mind building and designing a new home, here are some tips and guidelines that you might consider for the whole process to make it much easier.

For a new home owner, it is best to seek help from highly-skilled home builders to assure the quality of your home construction. It’s also advisable to ask them all the questions you need to know so that all you concerns will be cleared before you start to sign a contract with them. You should also inquire to see a variety of their finished projects or their sample of their display homes to see if you like their home designs. The company of home builder should also be knowledgeable in an extensive variety of styles and concepts, from sleek ultra-modern to classical and old-world to have house designs with that your design and style. Make sure to give in advance the budget that you have. In this way, you and home builders can think of something or another options if the budget is not applicable to what house designs you are dreaming of. You can spend time to do your own research and browse the Internet. You can find easily all the information from the websites of home builders that display homes for sale with their respective house plans.

When you discuss your concept with house builders, explain the way of life you want to have in your new home designs. If you are a large, busy family with lots of entertaining needs, you will need a diverse design of home than a small two or three person family that keeps to themselves. Make sure to give them the spaces that you and your family need. A professional home builder will definitely know everything about new house designs, since this is their profession and career. If the home builder you are talking with doesn’t have enough information, suggestions and ideas then it will probably a good idea to not deal with him and look for another one. Keep in mind that since your budget is not that big, then you are also paying this home builder then it will be a good decision to make the best out it.

Be the first to comment - What do you think?
Posted by the designer - January 27, 2012 at 6:49 pm

Categories: Uncategorized   Tags: , , ,

Small Garden Green House Design

As far as the framework of your garden green house is concerned your choice is really between wood and aluminum, although a third choice – plastic piping – is currently being developed and may prove cheaper than the others.

Aluminum will not rust or rot, but it is generally agreed that it reacts more strongly to hot and cold than wood and therefore cools the greenhouse in winter; my own belief is that this is not a significant factor. Aluminum looks ugly, is hard to work yourself and is fairly expensive. If you decide on aluminum you have really got to buy your garden green house ready-built.

Wooden garden green houses must be made from a decay-resistant wood like cedar, redwood, 01 cypress. It is pointless using soft wood or any wood that requires constant painting to stop it from rotting. Wood has a tiny disadvantage in that it obscures more light than aluminum, but it looks nicer and you can work it yourself. And a cedar garden green house should last as long as you will.

The choice of transparent sheeting for green houses lies between glass, and three kinds of plastic: fiber reinforced, which is a transparent form of fiber glass; PVC or acrylic modified plastic, which is a fairly stiff plastic; and polyethylene which is flimsy.

Glass lets in a lot of light, looks good, lasts a very long time, is seldom broken by wind and can easily be mended, but it costs a lot and requires a strong framework to carry its weight. Fiber reinforced plastic comes in large sheets; it is easy to fit and does not need extensive framing. It also takes some of the heat out of a hot sun, which is a very good thing. However, it does not admit as much light as glass and this is a serious disadvantage in winter. It is also inflammable, and will only last twenty years.

PVC and acrylic modified plastic are cheaper and transmit light well, but they will last only five years and can be ripped by a gale. Polyethylene is very cheap – about a tenth the cost of glass – and transmits light very efficiently. But it will only last one or two years, and is very easily ripped by gales. Transparent plastics are becoming very popular all over the country, and as long as plastics remain cheap relative to glass, they are well worth using. Glass is, of course, better in the long term, but -it represents a substantial capital investment nowadays.

Be the first to comment - What do you think?
Posted by the designer - January 27, 2012 at 5:06 pm

Categories: Uncategorized   Tags: , , , ,

Reasons to Choose Building a House Over Buying a House

Most people at some point in their lives will spend time walking through prospective homes that they have at some point or another, considered buying. I still remember the last time my wife and I were hunting for our very first home. We had considered the two options of buying an established home or building our first home. Being in the home building industry would make building less daunting for us than most people, however we chose to buy established. There are reasons why you should consider building over buying established and this list will help you decide which option is right for you.

Buying an Established home

When buying an established home you are accepting a home that will provide you with the template for your immediate and short term lifestyle needs. It’s often the case when you walk into a home that is for sale that you will find someone else’s tastes on show, and often it’s a real eye opener! I’m still amazed at what some people consider tasteful! I can recall one home that had a shrine of mystical creatures set up in their lounge room with two daybeds positioned carefully so the owners could admire it. How Bizarre! Older homes also were built and suited for the era they were created in. Formal lounge and dining areas are a thing of the past, will this suit you today?

You have to accept you are buying someone else’s dream, and trying to make it your own. The following considerations should be taken into account;

Overall house design;

Are there enough bedrooms and bathrooms of sufficient size?
Are the living areas sufficient for the number of people who will live in the home?
What about entertaining areas?
Is the kitchen large enough and have enough storage

Additional Costs;

Is the home or garden in poor condition where a lot of maintenance is required, costing both time and money?
Are you going to need to spend a lot of time redecorating to make the home comfortable for you to live in?
Is there room to remodel the house if needed?
Remember stamp duty costs and conveyance fees.

Purchase Price;

An established home is far easier to consider all costs before making an offer. What you see will be what you get.

Building a new home

Building has the very real immediate advantage of getting the home that is exactly to your requirements. You’re no longer living in someone else’s dream, you are realising your own. Architectural style, lifestyle and tastes are all incorporated to your liking. One important consideration here is how home design has evolved. If you build today you are considering the environment, and the solar passive elements of the home. You’re probably going to have open plan living, with great room interaction which enhances your lifestyle.

Overall house design;

There are many display homes available to inspect
A custom home design could be created which may further meet your needs
You can also build for the future, extra space and room is far cheaper when built in a new home when compared to renovating.
Additional Costs;
Site costs and finishing costs will need to be included in your building budget. Be sure to allow enough budget to finish the home off. Many people think that extra money will come in later that will help with the finishing costs. Don’t make the mistake of moving into your home with too much left to complete as you may get caught not having enough funds.

Purchase Price;

When considering building, have a finished price in mind and work backwards in your calculations. The average house will need $50,000 to complete above the base house cost. For a much higher finish you may need to allow $150,000. Do your homework first then you won’t overspend on the building itself.

There’s a third option available for those with a healthy budget. Purchase an existing house and knock it down and rebuild. This gives the best of both worlds for the lucky people involved. You can enter a well established area, full of services and with a good reputation, then build your dream home. Demolition is often cheaper than most think as demolition contractors salvage most of the building materials which offsets their price. Again, be sure you can afford to accomplish your plans and you’ll be living the dream.

Having bought an existing home and also having built a home I will say that there is a sense of satisfaction and pride the comes with each. However, building a custom home has a longer sense of fulfilment simply due to the fact that everything is your own choice, to your taste, circumstances and lifestyle. That simple sense of satisfaction makes putting your head on your pillow at night all that more enjoyable.

Be the first to comment - What do you think?
Posted by the designer - January 27, 2012 at 2:11 pm

Categories: Uncategorized   Tags: , , , ,

10 Modern House Design Tips and Features

House design is a very unique process that needs to be completed properly so that people end up with the results that they expect and deserve. In order to make sure that your home is as modern as your tastes are, here are 10 tips and features to keep in mind during the designing and planning stages:

1 – The kitchen affects the rest of the home more than most people realise. You have to determine the layout and the features that you want here before you look at any other rooms because the kitchen is the hub of many homes.

2 – Design your living space to be open, with as much natural light as possible. Use windows and fewer walls to allow more natural light to flow in.

3 – Always make sure that function is the priority. Modern home planning is based on function. Make the space as useful as possible so that you don’t have to add as much furniture later.

4 – Look for areas where you can add style and function at the same time. Getting a great design that works for your needs is a win-win for everyone.

5 – Consider whether you want a formal dining space or just a breakfast nook or bar. Some people like both, while others will choose one or the other. It doesn’t matter, as long as you get what you need.

6 – Figure out where your television will go in the living area and design around it. While this might sound like a lot of power for such a small device, the TV is generally the centre of your living room and needs to have a space so that it is useful and accessible.

7 – Think about windows, where you want them and how many you want. Windows are important in modern home construction and will allow you to get the perfect amount of light for your needs.

8 – Create solutions specifically for storage of the things that you need or do daily, such as crafts, hobbies, or activities.

9 – Modern home design features open layouts, but careful planning is key in keeping your layout open and not overcrowding it with stuff.

10 – Make sure that every style element and feature speaks to your tastes and needs. This is your home, after all, and it should reflect your tastes and daily life.

These are all important tips to keep in mind when it comes to house design. Modern homes have many unique features and elements to consider, but all that really matters is that you get a home that you love.

Be the first to comment - What do you think?
Posted by the designer - January 27, 2012 at 1:48 pm

Categories: Uncategorized   Tags: , , ,

1st Timers Guide To Cost Efficient House Design

So you are considering building your own dream home? The majority of people building their own homes are often caught off guard regarding budgeting of the project and this always results in a really unpleasant experience for the first time builder.

Being conscious about budgeting can save you a lot of headache during the building process and might eliminate most of the nasty surprises. Following is a few pointers to keep in mind when designing and budgeting for your proposed home:

SIZE

The first thing to consider is to build a single storey or double storey home. Factors that will influence your decision might be amongst others: Stand size, soil conditions, views and of course cost. The cost of building a double storey is not necessarily a lot more expensive than a single storey as the cost of the 1st floor slab might cancel out a big percentage of the cost of the foundations and treating of the ground and ground floor slab especially if the ground conditions are of poor quality.

MASONRY

When 1st time builders are planning and designing their new home they often try to save on the masonry and frequently compromising on the comfort or aesthetics of the house. Typically the masonry work in a home building project only amounts to about 8-10% of the total project cost and therefore does not make sense to try and cut costs by cutting on the brickwork. One can of course argue that all these walls needs to be finished with plaster & paint or other finishes, but for the most part there does not really rest a cost saving in the brickwork.

Remember, a great design can be created really inexpensively with only using brick features or niches in and outside the house.

MASONRY SHAPE

One thing one might want to consider is the shape of the floor plan. If you really need to save on the masonry, there can be a substantial saving in keeping away from long rectangular or complex shapes with a lot of direction changes. Where possible, try to keep the shapes as square as possible and eliminate unnecessary internal walls and direction changes in walls.

As a guideline, consider the following: A 10x10m square shaped home amounts to 100sqm using 40m of wall. A 20x5m rectangular shaped home also amounts to 100sqm but the length of wall used to create the same area now being 50m.

ROOF MATERIAL

The different roof material considerations might be one of the following in approximate order of descending cost: Waterproofed concrete slab, Thatch, Clay roof tiles, Sheet metal, Concrete roof tiles. Other roofing materials like Natural slate tiles or Copper sheeting are available as well but less commonly used and expensive.

In South Africa, a double roman concrete roof tiled roof at 26 degree pitch might be one of the most cost efficient roofs. Using sheet metal roofing might add between 20-80% to the cost and a concrete slab or thatch roofing might be as much as three times the cost.

ROOF SHAPE

When designing your home also keep the shape of the roof in the back of your mind. If you are looking at building a double pitch roof, having a lot of unnecessary valleys and ridges as apposed to a very simple roof can work out as much as double for the same area of roof. Thatch roofing, being a lot more of a freeform in its construction, a lot more complex designs can be designed without it being significantly more expensive than as is applicable to a rigid tiled roof. A concrete slab roof might be expensive, but there would be almost no limit to the shapes that can be created in the floor plan, without an effect of the cost. With concrete roofs the size is directly proportional to the cost.

PLUMBING & ELECTRICAL

These two items might be the most overlooked cost items for 1st time home builders. The installation and labour cost of these without the fittings could be as much as 15% of the total building project cost depending of the complexity of the design and number of points for fittings supplied.

When designing the bathrooms & kitchen try to place them together as close to the sewer connection point as possible but don’t let this control your overall design.

FINISHING

The choice of finishes in your home would noticeably be the dominating factor in the total project cost. If you are a really cost conscious 1st time builder or perhaps a developer, this is where the most savings could be made, but be careful to take it beyond the point where it starts to compromise re-selling value of the home.

Be the first to comment - What do you think?
Posted by the designer - January 27, 2012 at 10:43 am

Categories: Uncategorized   Tags: , , , ,

Ignore House Designs Offered In A House and Land Packages – Go Custom Design And Save

House and land packages are packaged together by a marketing expert. That’s why they look so amazing. These packages are designed to make you think that they’re the best option for your needs. Someone takes care of all the details for you and you get a house and land package at the end.

But more savvy homeowners are going for custom built homes instead. By assembling their own package, they save a substantial amount of money and have much more control over the quality of their home.

Sure, there are advantages to having someone do things for you but there are significant costs involved. By doing it on your own, you can cut down the budget allocated for a middle man and that can be added up to your profit. That profit could go back into your pocket to be used either to lower the cost of building your custom home or to allow you to use that extra money to buy things you hope to acquire such as better cabinets and fixtures, and be able to add some finishing touches sooner rather than later, and so on.

Is Building Your House Stressful?

Worried that doing a custom design will be too stressful? There are a lot of options that could alleviate your stress. Working with the right specialists, for one, is an efficient way to make the process easier. Shop around in advance for the right designer, the right builder, and spend a bit more of your time investigating the products you want to be used and this will certainly alleviate all your stress. The right advice could make a big difference, not to mention careful planning and budgeting which could definitely reduce your project costs.

Yes, building a home can be stressful at times. But so can buying a home and land package, especially if you buy from the wrong builders. With right planning and the proper resources in place could make a big difference in terms of building your custom home.

Sure, house and land packages might look good on paper but how many other people are buying the same package? In addition to having precisely what you want, a custom home can also be much more marketable down the road, that is, if you decide to sell. Wouldn’t you rather dictate how much closet space you get, what type of hardware should be on the kitchen cabinets, and be able to have custom shelves in the family room, to have decent carpeting installed instead of industrial grade Berber, to have the finishing touches you want outside, and so on? At least assess the option of building a custom home so you can see the price and quality difference. Builders can help you from the design phase through to when you get the keys to your new home.

Be the first to comment - What do you think?
Posted by the designer - January 27, 2012 at 9:39 am

Categories: Uncategorized   Tags: , , , , , ,

Ignore House Designs Offered In A House and Land Packages – Go Custom Design And Save

House and land packages are packaged together by a marketing expert. That’s why they look so amazing. These packages are designed to make you think that they’re the best option for your needs. Someone takes care of all the details for you and you get a house and land package at the end.

But more savvy homeowners are going for custom built homes instead. By assembling their own package, they save a substantial amount of money and have much more control over the quality of their home.

Sure, there are advantages to having someone do things for you but there are significant costs involved. By doing it on your own, you can cut down the budget allocated for a middle man and that can be added up to your profit. That profit could go back into your pocket to be used either to lower the cost of building your custom home or to allow you to use that extra money to buy things you hope to acquire such as better cabinets and fixtures, and be able to add some finishing touches sooner rather than later, and so on.

Is Building Your House Stressful?

Worried that doing a custom design will be too stressful? There are a lot of options that could alleviate your stress. Working with the right specialists, for one, is an efficient way to make the process easier. Shop around in advance for the right designer, the right builder, and spend a bit more of your time investigating the products you want to be used and this will certainly alleviate all your stress. The right advice could make a big difference, not to mention careful planning and budgeting which could definitely reduce your project costs.

Yes, building a home can be stressful at times. But so can buying a home and land package, especially if you buy from the wrong builders. With right planning and the proper resources in place could make a big difference in terms of building your custom home.

Sure, house and land packages might look good on paper but how many other people are buying the same package? In addition to having precisely what you want, a custom home can also be much more marketable down the road, that is, if you decide to sell. Wouldn’t you rather dictate how much closet space you get, what type of hardware should be on the kitchen cabinets, and be able to have custom shelves in the family room, to have decent carpeting installed instead of industrial grade Berber, to have the finishing touches you want outside, and so on? At least assess the option of building a custom home so you can see the price and quality difference. Builders can help you from the design phase through to when you get the keys to your new home.

Be the first to comment - What do you think?
Posted by the designer - January 27, 2012 at 7:34 am

Categories: Uncategorized   Tags: , , , , , ,

House Plan – It’s Importance to Building a New House

A house plan is a must for building a home before its construction begins. It is helpful for planning home space, estimating the cost of the expenses, allotting the budget, knowing the deadline of the construction and setting the schedule of meeting with the architect, designer or home builder. So if you are planning to build a new house without it, then it’s for sure, the house will have a low quality structure and design and also cost you more money in the long run because of the mistakes that may arise once the construction starts.

When making a house plan, there are many important points to consider. One is the location where the house will be built. It is usually best to buy a land before you start to make a house plan. Knowing the area and the type of terrain you chose to build on is helpful to properly plan the house and maximize the space of the land area. It’s also necessary to consider the lifestyle and the size of the family to see how many number of rooms and bathrooms needed, what kind of style and design of the living room, kitchen and dining room and how much space is needed for each of them. You also need to consider the number of your vehicles for you to plan well how much big your garage should be. It’s best to discuss these details with your family to make sure that your new house will meet your standard of living.

There are lots of ways to obtain a desired house plan for your new house. You can search it through the internet and choose from various websites that feature display homes with their corresponding house design plans. Searching for some examples of house plans can be an efficient, smart and fast way of getting and refining ideas in planning and making your own one.

Certainly, a house plan is necessary in building a house. It helps you visualize how the house should look like when it’s fully finished. Seeing the overall layout and house design will make you sure that the architect has met your exact requirements on its structure, features, designs, styles and all other important details in building your house. It also gives the home builder a good overview on its house design and guides him all the way through the entire project. So it’s imperative to not be rush in making a house plan to ensure that all your requirements are met and to avoid mistakes. Ideally, preparing a house plan should take several weeks and need a lot of discussion with your architect or home builder. Doing this gives you a sense that your hew house is built safe and also assures you its quality and excellence.

Be the first to comment - What do you think?
Posted by the designer - January 27, 2012 at 6:38 am

Categories: Uncategorized   Tags: , ,

Chicken House Designs – Different Designs For Different Needs

So you want to be self sufficient? Raising chickens is a great way to get started and will give you free eggs daily and a healthy chicken every once in a while. Thousands of people are building chicken houses in their back yards and raising happy health egg laying chickens.

Before you get started with this project, you want to ensure that you chicken house is the right one for your needs. There are a variety of different designs available online and finding one that is the right size and is going to be the best design for your land and environment is very important.

Size is dependent on how many chickens you plan to have. Do you plan to only have hens or are you going to allow your chickens to have chicks. These are important elements to take into consideration. If you are looking to only having chickens for their egg laying and not raising chickens from chicks, then the size and shape of your chicken house will be far more simplistic. Remember to consider factors like ease of reach into your hen house for collecting of eggs. You need to also take into consideration that your hen house will need either natural light, through the use of well placed windows, or lighting. Natural light is often preferred for backyard chicken house designs and ensuring that the placement is right so that you have decent ventilation will kills two birds with one stone, so to say.

It’s important to not have the windows placed that the chickens will have direct sunlight shining on them when they are trying to lay eggs as this is not very comfortable for them.

Be the first to comment - What do you think?
Posted by the designer - January 27, 2012 at 3:22 am

Categories: Uncategorized   Tags: , , , ,

Next Page »