One of the things clients worry about most when designing and moving into a small house, is storage. By utilizing small areas that would otherwise be empty or dead space, you can add shelves, drawers, and open display areas for prized possessions or things you want to hide.
Closets - The largest impact can often happen in the closet. The old days of one simple shelf and one bar for hanging clothes are long gone. Built in closet systems can be designed to fit your clothing and accessories so there is …
Whether you are thinking about building your first home, or your fifth, creating the custom home design you want can be a difficult process. Working with an experienced architect will help you think about what you want and need in a floor plan, choose materials to fit your lifestyle, and create a finished house plan that will fulfill your dreams, no matter how small or large. Think about these areas when you take your ideas to your architect:
Lot - Take a look at your lot from every angle to find …
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009 has increased the tax incentive for homeowners installing geothermal heating.
Previously, any residential installation of a ground loop or water geothermal heat pump was eligible for a credit of up to $2000. The new bill increases the tax credit to 30% of the cost with no limit, making geothermal heating increasingly attractive to those concerned with limiting their carbon footprint and lowering their energy costs in a new or older house plan.
The new incentives are retroactive to geothermal heat installations that occurred on …
Heating a house takes a lot of energy, whether it’s electricity, coal, propane or natural gas. Finding a natural way to heat a home that lowers cost and doesn’t affect the environment is becoming increasingly important to everyone. Geothermal heating is one option.
We all know the power of solar energy, but you may not know that almost half of solar energy is absorbed into the Earth. This heat keeps the Earth at a temperature of 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year. Geothermal heating takes advantage of this by bringing the …
Building a green home has traditionally been seen as being out of reach due to the costs associated with green building products. Today’s green homes don’t have to cost astronomically more than traditional homes, and the energy savings outweigh any costs that may be higher than non-green options.
Initial Costs
When buying or building a new home, you will have your downpayment and then your monthly mortgage payments. As you are putting your building plans together or considering different house plans with green elements, you will need to not only consider the …
