Real Estate

Should You Purchase Stock Plans – Here Are The Pros And Cons

If you are considering purchasing stock plans from an internet site or from a book, make sure you are aware of what you are getting and its value to your project.

“Stock Plans” are construction plans which you can order from magazines, catalogs or the internet. Some builders also offer stock plans. These kinds of plans are not custom but can still be an excellent way to start off your construction project.

However, given the time and expense of building a home many would not consider anything but custom plans designed uniquely for or by them. The home building process is custom by its nature and to many this begs for a custom set of plans. However, stock plans can certainly be enticing and have definite value.

Let’s consider some of the pros and cons of purchasing stock plans:

Pros:

- Stock plans can be inexpensive, at least for the initial plans. Prices will run about a thousand bucks – and even less. The plans are shown in the catalog, or on the website and you can see the look, the layout and the prices for the plans. Choosing is as easy as clicking and buying. You simply choose the form of the drawing (like an original, or blueprints, or sepia) and the quantity of copies that you want.

- Purchasing a stock plan can save time. You simply review the existing designs and choose. The plans are displayed as floor plans and exterior elevations. Sometimes you will see multiple views to better understand the design. Purchasing these plans is, basically, a mail-order solution – a time tested and successful way to purchase products. It has been part of our culture for ages: from mail-order brides, to mail order kit-houses from Sears.

- You get to review a variety of design viewpoints when looking at stock plans. Besides being stimulating it can cause you to consider “new” ideas that you likely have not considered before.

- Stock plans catalogs can kick-start your imagination. They can get the creative juices flowing. Stock plans can truly be a valuable launching point to explore new ideas.

Cons:

- Stock plans are usually not ready for permitting. If submitted for permits without additional actions they will likely be rejected.

- It is quite common today that building departments will require that the plans be sealed by an Engineer or Architect. It is a good idea that you check with your local building department to see what the requirements are. The process of getting plans stamped is not an easy one. Professional Engineers and Registered Architects go through years of college, internships and testing to acquire their licenses and are expected to take responsibility for the plans being up to Code and sufficient. Many, if not most, will require a re-draw or, at a minimum, several revisions and additions to bring the plans up to standards. Their fees will depend upon what they do for you, but it can run quite a bit more than the original plans. This will also add time to the process thus reducing the time advantage of stock plans.

- It is the rare buyer of a custom home that will not want to change, at least, a few things – especially when using a set of predesigned, stock home plans. This will take time and money. Some of the stock plan companies offer this service however it is expensive and time consuming – thus loosing most of the original advantages of buying the plans in the first place. You may have to hire a Engineer or Architect to make these changes.

- Stock-Plans are reused plans which have been built numerous times before. To some, this is a negative factor.

- Stock plan are designed for mass-appeal similar to cars and other consumer goods. This is beneficial for factory created items because it keeps the prices down. But since home building is always custom, some consider a home designed for mass-market appeal to be a waste of opportunity. It would be like custom building a car and ending up with a Ford Taurus. What’s the point?

- Homes in our country have a wide variety of needs specific to the area. Stock plans try to adapt themselves to all these area. Areas of the country have snow requirements, basements, high winds, earthquakes, cold and hot temperatures as well as many other factors that are unique to each. Also certain types of building systems will be prominent in certain areas. Generic plans can’t cover all the possibilities. You will also find that the local tradesmen can easily identify the stock plans and sometimes ready themselves for problems – though increasing their prices.

Stock plans by a local builder, however, can side step many of these problems. They will generally be ready for permits, will be recognized locally and, if the builder can made provisions for changes, these can be a very good value.

So, stock plans are valuable in their own way. They are excellent for study and education and can be an excellent source of new ideas. But the savings of time and money may not be what is advertised. And, more importantly, the wasted opportunity of not using a custom design may be something that you regret in the long run.

There is, quite frankly, nothing like having a professional working with you to develop a perfect custom design based upon your ideas, your notions, the various clippings from your past and even from stock plan catalogs. Combine that with the designer’s experienced creativity and you will take full advantage the truly custom nature of building a home.

Home building is the last industry where the products (homes) are truly custom. Consider that a custom design is the best way to take full advantage of this great opportunity.

Find out, today, about the exciting world of Custom Luxury Home Design. For more information visit Ken Risley at the Engineer Designer website.

categories: architecture,home design,engineering,home construction,contractors,the house,home,florida real estate,family life

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