The modern look is very in right now. Â People are doing all they can to have that “modern look” in their home. Â Companies have been working overtime to bring the next best modern design. Â Every time I pick up a furniture catalog I see lots of crisp shapes with geometric designs. Â I must say, modern design does catch your attention. Â House plan designers know this fact and they are releasing lots of modern house plans.
I am always open to new ideas and wanted to see if there are any modern plans that have some functionality and not just have all looks.  The modern house plan above is a great example of a modern home that could work for a married couple or a small family.  All the rooms are well sized and very open.  The main level hardly has any separating walls at all.  With all the glass exterior walls you get the feel that the house is even bigger.  The master suite is huge! It takes up almost half of the second floor.  It has a rooftop garden that is as big as the bedroom.  And it has a fireplace built into the brick wall.
This house has the usual flash of a modern home but it can also be used for everyday living. Â You could enjoy having a luxurious home and know that you didn’t spend your money on something that has no use. Â This plan even has a storage space in the back for your lawnmower and other lawn implements. Â I guess the modern look can be both appealing and reasonable.
Lately, we have seen a rise in the popularity of prairie style houses. Â People are constructing them all over the place. Â I have seen multiple episodes of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition with a prairie style home being built. Â Everyone has caught this Midwest madness. Â It’s not that hard to see why, either. Â Prairie house plans are very attractive designs. Â Every since the beginning, architects have been combining eye-catching design with functionality that saves money and the environment.
Prairie style house design.
When architects started designing what is nowadays called prairie houses, they were looking to make a house that didn’t have European influence.  They knew that they could build a home that could stand by itself without needing help from eastern architect.  They started by making plans for a structure that would sit low on the horizon, something that would be attractive but wouldn’t take away from the picturesque Midwestern landscape.  Through a lot of trial and error, they came up with the beautiful styling that we know as prairie homes.  Prairie house plans can fit into any surrounding because of their unique exterior design.  You will see prairie houses in big cities and little towns.  I have noticed that a simple change of exterior coloring can make a prairie home fit into your neighborhood.
A prairie house plan consists of a lot of low pitched hip roofs that extend far out and have large overhangs.  They are almost always a one story house that has a lot of squares on the exterior.  The house plan design above is a prairie design that could be built on a slope.  This house design shows how much flexibility a prairie house really has.  You can make a prairie design look good on any type of landscape.
With the economy still on a rebound, the house building industry has been pretty slow. Not too many people want to risk building a home and end up with a huge loan and no way to pay it off. Building your own home is one of the biggest thrills but it does have a lot of stress sometimes. I have heard lots of people say it’s a lot easier to spend the “founding years” of adult life in an apartment. Once you’re set, then you can think about building a home. This might just be what the construction industry needs.
If more people that are better off financially constructed multi-units and rented them out all the people starting off could have an affordable place to stay, the owners would be making a few extra bucks and contractors could keep their businesses going. It’s a win-win-win situation. Everyone gets what they want and we slowly work our way out of this financial bind.
Now, I know you’re saying to yourself, “that sounds good and all, but nothing is ever that simple.” I must agree, most thinks are easier said than done. There are still a few loopholes in this theory. If you do your homework and know what you’re doing before you dive in headfirst, you can succeed. The Plan Collection has lots of affordable multi-units that could fit in any lot. You would just have to locate the spot and find out what style would fit best in that area.
Multi-unit construction could be a step towards better economy
While I was looking online, I saw lots of duplexes that would fit in almost any lot. They came in all different styles and you could personalize them exactly how you want. I even saw a couple stacked complexes. They had 3 or 4 apartments with one stacked on top of the other. You really can have any design in your apartment complex.
We all want to see the economy bounce back and they only way it will is if we work together. This could be just a baby step in the long journey back to financial stability.
In yesterday’s article I used an image of the above house design (#132-1351).  It was a perfect example of a house plan with a daylight basement.  I started looking at it some more and realized that it not only has a picture perfect basement but it also has a really nice floor plan.  It isn’t one of the biggest or most extravagant houses you’ll see but it can get the job done.
I picture this home as being the place for a couple that is always having guests over. Â The main floor has all you need for normal day-to-day life. Â You have a large master suite and an office right off of that. Â The kitchen and dining room open up to the deck so you could have easy access to the great outdoors.
On the basement level you have big bedroom that could house any guests. Â They have a small wet bar area that could be used for simple cooking and with direct access to the outside they can leave and come as they please without disturbing the hosts. Â When you don’t have company over, there is a large family room and sitting area that could house anything you wanted.
Sometimes you just get taken by surprise when you’re looking at house plans. Â You never know when you’ll fall in love with a set of plans.
I receive a lot of emails with questions about foundations. Is a basement or a slab foundation better? Will a crawlspace have the space I need to store my stuff? What is a piling foundation? With all the questions, I decided to take some time and explain what each foundation type features and the benefits of each type.
I’ll begin with the most basic, slab foundation. This is the easiest foundation to install. As the name implies, it is a slab of concrete underneath the home. All you have to do to lay a slab foundation is find a good piece of land and lay a couple support bars and pour concrete over it. If you want your house built quick and easy, go with the slab foundation.
A house on a slab foundation sits flat on the ground.
Next, we have the basement foundation. Now, technically, there are many sub-categories of the basement foundation. A basement foundation, in and of itself, is pretty much an extra story of living space. Many times house plans come with an unfinished basement. This allows you to do the finishing touches by yourself. They are great for large families. You can fit extra bedrooms down there or convert it into storage space. A basement is a perfect for places in warmer climates. Being underground, the basement naturally stays cooler than the rest of the house. If you ever get hot you don’t need to turn up the AC, you can just head downstairs and chill out, literally.
Now let’s look at the different kinds of basements you can add to a home. The first, and one of the most popular basements, is the crawl space. A crawl space is a smaller basement and an average adult is unable to stand up in this type of basement.  These basements are used to keep pipes and substructures easily accessible. Most crawl spaces have enough space to be able to store items that aren’t used very often.
Lately, many people are building homes with daylight basements. They are the obvious choice for homes built on a slope. A daylight basement has at least one door that exits to the outside. These basements also help with air circulation and bring more natural lighting your house.
Daylight basements open to the outside
Another foundation type  is a pier foundation. A pier foundation is mostly used in tropical or flood prone areas. It consists of a lot of posts around the perimeter of the house and a few posts located in various spots underneath the house to give the floor support. This foundation is used because it elevates the home and eliminates flood damage to the living space.
Pier foundations raise the house out of water’s way
The last type of foundation that we have is the piling foundation. The piling foundation is a lot like the pier foundation. It is made up of many piles, or big posts, that have been embedded into the ground. They are very strong and allow you to have more space under the house to put a carport or other features.
Pile foundation gives lots of space underneath the house
That’s a quick explanation of what types of foundations you can find for your houses. It isn’t really that complicated of a subject once you learn the basics. I hope you’re set now and happy plan hunting.
