House Plan Drafting101 ~ Learn to Draw House Plans over the Internet Strawbale House Plans ~ Various Strawbale House Plans Custom House Plans ~ House Plans Drawn for as little as 25 cents per square foot of heated space Automated Drafting Service ~ Full Service Mechanical Drafting The Parsons Corner Internet Ministries ~ An Online Christian Community	Having Your House Plans Professionally Drawn If you’re wanting to have a qualified professional draw your house plans, here are a few tips on what to provide the designer or architect with. You have probably spent a great deal of time trying to find out what you are wanting. This is only natural as you are wanting your home to be not only functional but to fit your personal needs as well. Don’t hesitate to sketch out ideas on grid paper. This is one of the best resources I’ve received from a client. Think about the size rooms you need as in most homes, each room is specialized with specific purposes. Think about porches and entrances, where you are wanting windows, then note them on your sketch. If you have already selected a lot, obtain a survey, preferably with topography. A good survey should have existing utilities, right of ways, easements, and even setbacks on it. If not, then it’s probably a good idea to hire a registered land surveyor to provide you with one. If the lot is in a subdivision, most likely this is already completed and available through the real estate agent or subdivision board. As for the exterior of the home, spend time looking around your area at different homes or look in architecture magazines and books. Take photos or make photocopies of what you like and mark them with the things you liked. Hey, a picture paints a thousand words. Take care not to duplicate a copyrighted set of plans. And make sure you tell them what your needs are as far as electrical. If they are drawing the electrical plan also, you may wind up with a generic electrical plan. Considerations there are ceiling fans and their locations, more outlets in specific areas, how much exterior lighting you are wanting, etc… Some of my colleagues are probably going to not like this next paragraph. Oh well. If the truth hurts? I’ve seen many a future home owner not get what they are wanting in a home in place of what the professional wanted through artistic license. Not only for the fact that you are one paying the bill, but also for the fact that you are the one who inevitably has to live with the house after it’s built. Stick to your guns about what you want. The only reason you wouldn’t get what you’re wanting is if it’s either prohibited by code, physically impossible, or it just isn’t in the budget. Make sure that they spell out what you’ll receive with your plan package from the beginning. That’s generally the case if you’re looking on the internet for the design professional. If they are wanting to upfront with you, they will spell out on their web site what you will receive and generally how much it will cost. Most of all, a bit of common sense would be not paying for the entire job until it’s complete. If you make arrangements to pay one third or half up front, that’s fine. But make sure you can see the finished product before you pay the final amount. Tim Davis
	So you want to build a new home! So you want to build a new home! Well, there is a lot of things to consider. First Plan out how much money you are going to need for the project. There is a biblical principle you might want to consider: Luke 14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 14:29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 14:30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Wise words for the Lord Jesus. First you need to set a budget and then stick with if at all possible. Most likely you’ll need a construction loan. Go to what ever lending institution you are wanting to deal with and see how much you qualify for. To get a good idea of how much you are going to need, I’ve found that if I you want to build a home, most builders have a square footage price like $75.00 to $100.00 per square foot of space of the home in my neck of the woods. Property cost is a prime consideration too. Second If you don’t already have it, go find the property you’re wanting to build on. The property, if it’s a smaller lot, will determine the general shape of the home. before you even buy the property, you’ll need to scope out things like local building codes, drainage, soil types, & zoning. What schools are in the area if you have kids? Are the roads surrounding the property kept up? What type of neighborhood and what are the property values surrounding your lot location? Third Many suggest you go to a contractor first. That wouldn’t hurt if you are wanting him or her to handle every aspect of the project. It’s your choice but I sometimes recommend that the plan be drawn first and then obtain bids from those plans. Sit down and sketch an idea of what the house plan is going to look like. Then contact a architectural drafter, home designer, or architect and ask them to give you a price for a set of plans. May of these professionals also charge a square footage price for plans. I charge a certain amount per square foot of heated space when I draw a home. And the complexity of the plans is another consideration. In some area’s I’ve seen homes built from a sketch. I don’t recommend that but it’s done quite often. The minimum you probably want to settle for is a package that contains floor plans, exterior elevations (views) and a foundation or basement plan with full dimensions, notes, & door and window sizes. Forth Put your plans out for bid. Place an ad in a local news paper or call different builders in your area and ask them to get a copy of your plans to bid on. And for heavens sake, don’t just take the first or lowest bid. Make sure that you check their references. Ask to see some of their finished work. If they are legitimate, they’ll bend over backwards to share their accomplishments. Not checking first is an invitation for headaches if you aren’t careful. Sixth Get everthing on a contract. If you make changes during construction make sure there is one set of plans used as the master plan and both you and the builder note and initial each and every one of those changes. That way, at the end of the job, there should be no surprises or hidden costs. I hope this was of some help to you. Tim Davis
	4 Reasons Why It Is A Good Time To Build Your Own Custom Designed Dream Home Now Waiting to see what the economy is going to do is one way to waste your time. Another way to spend your time, though, is to take advantage of the situations around you and build your own custom home. Many things right now make it an excellent time and opportunity to enable you to be in your dream home before long. 1. Home Loans Have Great Interest Rates By now, most everyone is aware of the fluctuations of the housing market. Those fluctuations, however, have actually brought about an excellent opportunity to get about as low of an interest rate as is possible. Not only that, but lenders are looking for people with good credit to extend a loan to. Even better may be the fact that the government is cracking down on loan companies that are less than honest. This could help you get a better deal. Altogether, it means you could get a really great financial package to start building after you select your custom house plans. 2. Many Custom Home Designs Are Available Your custom made dream house does not need to follow the more traditional designs of everyone else's house. There are many different styles of homes that you can choose from, and many of them are much lower in cost than your traditional styles. Custom home designs could include the straw bale home, the earthen home, barn conversions, cordwood, stone, and others, too. You certainly have the freedom to choose a unique style to match your own tastes if you want. You can also put into your home any special features you want, as well. 3. Building Material Costs Are Not Getting Cheaper Building your own dream home now gives you a better opportunity to get the lower prices. While no one knows what will happen, things are rather looking like prices are not going down anytime soon. It will not be long before gasoline prices will drive building materials prices sky high. Some custom homes may actually be far less expensive than you might think. One of these is the straw bale home. This design could enable you to save up to 75% of a traditional home and it will last much longer than one, too. This style can give you lower heating and AC costs, as well as lower maintenance costs, too, saving you money for years to come and keeping its value up, too. 4. Construction Crews Are Ready Let's face it, there is not a lot of new home construction going on right now. This means that it should not be hard to get a good contractor to build your home. You could probably even get it built rather quickly because home builders are looking for new design homes to build. Even better for you, though, is that they will not be rushed to complete your job so they can go to the next house as quickly as possible. Contractors will be glad to see you coming - and you may even get a better deal on your new custom design dream home than you thought possible. All you need to do now to get started on your dream home plans is to talk to a designer.
	5 Reasons Why You Should Custom Design And Build Your Own Dream Home Rather Than Buy Signing on the dotted line for your new custom dream house can have a whole lot different meaning when you designed it yourself. The joy, pride, and sense of accomplishment that you can have in your new home are unbeatable. If that is not a good enough reason in itself, here are a few other reasons why you should custom design your own dream home. 1. It Is More Economical To Build Your Own House Most people try to get top dollar when they are looking to sell their home. Of course, you cannot blame them for trying. You, on the other hand, do not need to pay top dollar for your new custom design home - whether it is a luxury home or a cottage home. It is your privilege to design and build your own custom home and not have to pay for someone else's equity. 2. Custom Home Designs Give You The Features You Want Building your own home has its definite advantages. The greatest one is that you get to design and build your home - your way. Everything is designed to your own tastes and to your needs. You can put in walk-in closets where you want them, build a high-tech kitchen, put in spas and showers, a pool, add on a sun-room, and even finish the basement to your liking - with a game room. 3. Choose Your Own Custom Home Design And Style Another thing that gives you a distinct advantage of designing your own home is that you can choose whatever style you like. Although you could go with a more traditional type of home, you could also select an alternate home design. This could include a straw bale home, a barn conversion home, an earthen home, geodesic, cordwood, or even one of your own design and style. 4. Avoid Other People's Headaches Many other homes that you could buy are fine looking homes. They look great but there is always that uncertainty that something could be wrong and you just did not know about it. With your own custom design home, however, not only will your home be new, but it also will not have the same problems that an older home may have. 5. Custom Homes May Provide You With More Equity Up Front It was already mentioned that when you buy an existing home that you are paying someone else's equity. You can save a whole lot of money, though, on your own custom design house if you help to build some of it yourself. This way, not only do you save money, but you also have a higher equity in your own home - and not the next man's pocket. Not only that, but some of the alternative homes, such as the straw bale home, will actually enable you to save about 75% of the cost of a more traditional home. Yet it can still sell at a very good price - because this custom home lasts for a very long time.
	How to Build Your Custom Dream Home This Year Building the home of your dreams could be accomplished sooner and easier than you may think. After you have an idea of the type of home you want to build, there are some easier ways to get your home built quicker. This means that you can put your dreams into high gear and have that new home built this year. Here are some tips on how you can build your custom dream home this year. Choose Your Custom Home Style There are many options that you have available when you choose a custom built home. At the high end, you have the luxury homes, which often enjoy gated communities and nearby golf clubs. Among the many other beautiful options you have, you can also choose from: Log homes Ranch homes Colonial homes Cottages Victorian homes Farm houses, and more. While these home designs are the ones that are more commonly thought of, you may also want to consider some alternative styles. These homes are becoming more popular and can often result in great savings - sometimes as much as about 75% of the costs of a more traditional home. You can choose from: Straw bale homes Earthen homes Cordwood homes Stone houses Barn conversion homes Understand Your Lifestyle Needs and Design Your Home around Them As you start to make the plans for your new home, you will need to understand your own lifestyle so that your home can be built around your needs. This will aid in the development of your floor plans and will give you a beautiful home that is also perfect for the way you live. Your custom home design then becomes an extension of you, which is the perfect environment for your needs. Make Your Dream Home Fit Your Dreams As you make your plans for your new dream home, you have so many options that you can put into it - and around your new home. Inside, you can make it as luxurious and comfortable as you want and can afford. All those extras can be placed where you want them. You can add a beautiful sunroom, a den, a workshop, a game room, walk-in closets, and so much more. Then you want to add a few extras like an enclosed porch and a deck out back, as well as having a beautiful landscaped yard. Don't forget about the hot tub and the pool. As you can see, if you want it, then now is a good time to design a special place for it - not as an afterthought. It is your house - feel free to dream. A Custom Home Designer Can Put Your Dream Together for You Hiring a custom home designer will enable you to keep your costs down. This will help you save a lot of money and get your house plans quicker than if you were to choose an architect. A custom home designer will also be more readily available to discuss your needs and work with you on a more personal level. With the housing industry being a little slow this year, most likely you will be able to find a house plan designer, a contractor and a builder faster than in other years. Now is a good time to build your custom dream home.
	Issue 3 - Discover the Secrets of Link Popularity On the face of it Link Popularity would seem pretty straight forward. Simply get as many pages as possible to link to yours and you will achieve a High Link Popularity. For a long time I thought this to be true - however I was wrong. The real truth behind link popularity is far more complex, but once understood, can be more powerful than page optimization. So why do some search engines place such high weighting on link popularity ? This is best answered by Google themselves, they call it 'Page Rank' and here is a paragraph from their site, "Page Rank relies on the uniquely democratic nature of the web by using its vast link structure as an indicator of an individual page's value. In essence, Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote, by page A, for page B. But, Google looks at more than the sheer volume of votes, or links a page receives; It also analyzes the page that casts the vote. Votes cast by pages that are themselves "important" weigh more heavily and help to make other pages important." In essence this is saying that a high quality page linking to yours is worth far more than a link from a low quality page. Where quality is judged by that page's own Page Rank Score. And there's another thing, where they talk about a link casting a vote for a page, it's not as simple as one link one vote. No, as I understand, it works like this, Page A links only to Page B - then the value of the link will be Page A's own page rank score. Page A links to both Page B and C - then the value of the link to page B will be Page A's score divided by 2. i.e. The value of the vote is the linking page's score divided by the total number links on that page. This is a very important point and tells you exactly why Free For All links pages (FFA's) are not worth bothering with. (An FFA is not going to have a very high score anyway and the small score will be shared amongst many). Although all this is very valuable information it doesn't give us all the answers, in fact it raises more questions, Is the content of the linking page important ? Is there any benefit in linking back to pages that link to you ? Is a Page Rank Score 'fixed' for a page, or does it vary depending on the search being conducted ? Is Page Rank just calculated for an individual page or does a Site (domain) get assigned a Page Rank ? What's the effect of linking to your own pages ? and it goes on, the more you think about it the more questions come up. I have spent a long time looking for the answers to these and many other questions only to discover more questions. Only by knowing the exact algorithms that each search engine uses will you be able to get the complete picture. These are a closely guarded secret - and even if you did get them, they tend to change every month anyway. After all the research I have come to the following conclusion. Obtaining the exact formula isn't really that important anyway and could possibly leave you always playing catch-up. If you discovered the formula used today then by the time you get your pages changed and indexed - the formula will have changed. No, it is far better to stick with the base principles on which the engines work and to understand what they are trying to encourage in the Web. All search engines attempt to deliver the most relevant pages in response to a search phrase. - Links to similar or related material are to be encouraged. - Links to unrelated material are to be discouraged. - Quality content is to be encouraged. Now your linking strategy becomes much simpler, 1) Strive to get links from sites with similar or related material. 2) Link to other sites which contain similar or related material. 3) Create Quality content. (over time people will link to quality content). Link Popularity takes time to build, but keep these 3 rules in mind and rest assured your link popularity will grow. All you need to do now is find those quality sites which will link to you. One of the best places to start is by looking at who is linking to your direct competition. We describe how on the following page, http://www.trafficfile.com/internet_marketing/link_exchange.htm Good Luck! One last thing the full Google article on Page Rank can be found at, http://www.google.com/technology/ Have a read it's good stuff. We hope you found this article useful and would like to wish you every success with your online venture. Thanks The TrafficFile Team http://www.trafficfile.com/