Family Size -- You want to ensure you select a plan that will result in a home large enough to accommodate your needs. Consider how big your family is presently, whether or not you plan on expanding and how your life might change 3, 5, 10 and 20 years down line. The whole point of building a custom home is to be comfortable in it for a long time.

Lifestyle -- Consider what demands your lifestyle will place on your new home. For example, do you plan on entertaining? This will require additional space. Do you prefer a separate living and family area? What about dining area. Do you plan on entertaining for large family gatherings (such as during Thanksgiving) or by and large will you be eating most of your meals in kitchen? If you love to cook, you’ll want to plan for adequate space in kitchen. Remember that style considerations are also a factor.

Some people prefer a country style kitchen whereas others are looking for something more modern. Also take into consideration personal hobbies and interests. For example, will you need a library or exercise area? Write down all of your ideas and intentions before you begin looking at online house plans, and your more likely to find what you are looking for quickly.

A Word on Size

The size of a home is often one of most critical considerations. Keep in mind that no matter what type of house plan you purchase, you may decide to add on at some point in future. One of benefits of buying house plans online is you can see several different versions of a home in many different sizes.

You should make every effort to take into consideration actual size you will need. The square footage of home you are planning on building will impact amount of money you’ll need to invest.

Style Perhaps best benefit of buying house plans online is having ability to look at multiple different style homes. You can check out both exterior and interior designs when shopping, without having to leave your home. Some of more popular exterior styles include following:

• Country -- characterized by a large front porch, gabled roofline, may be two story
• Traditional -- styles in this category are often labeled ranch, Federal and Cape Cod. Most traditional homes are simply constructed with little extraneous décor
• Victorian -- Victorian house plans are a variation of traditional style. Rooflines are often more intricate in this type of home, and may include towers and bay windows. Victorian homes are often more ornamentally decorated than traditional homes, and usually this type of home is a two story design.
• Mediterranean -- This style is popular along East and West Coastlines. Usually exterior on this style home is stucco. Roofs may be tiled and open air verandas are not uncommon. Many Mediterranean style homes are one story, but it isn’t uncommon to see two story as well.

Building your own home from a unique house plan is an exciting adventure. Be sure to enjoy every moment of it, and take care when selecting house plan t hat will result in home of your dreams.

The plastic bases of these tiles have multiple “feet” which distribute any load evenly over surface below. A geotextile could be laid under tiles as an extra precaution against membrane damage or if building owner required extra assurance, if required.

Some manufacturers produce tiles in a variety of different designs, so it is possible to create borders, centerpieces, feature areas etc. to suit your individual preference.

As well as wood tiles, a select range of ceramic interlocking tiles are also now available which gives much more opportunity for creativity in designing total rooftop landscape. These tiles are designed to interlock precisely to wood tiles, so for example you could have a dining area paved in ceramic tiles where tables and chairs are situated, surrounded by wood tiles. If possible, try to divide area into “rooms” by using a row of tubs with bushy plants, some trellis, modular fencing etc. With addition of some large pots, attractive plants, and maybe a few favorite pieces of sculpture in strategic spots, that forsaken roof top can easily become an attractive and useful relaxing an entertaining area.