“If
you’re burning with desire to build your new home but just
aren’t quite sure what the next step is that’s best for
bringing your dream home design to life, then here’s the
sure-cure blueprint you’ve been waiting for..."
A quick note from Larry:
If the above statement is true for you, take a few minutes to
study this page in its entirety. You’ll learn what a
reasonably priced, highly personalized set of plans
from Larry’s Home Designs can do for you.
Then you can make an informed decision about what's right for you and your loved ones. Enjoy!
“Thank you! Received
the plans yesterday. They look great. We will definitely recommend you.
I'm so excited now to have a visual. We'll have you out when it's
all done.
Take care and God bless.”
-Tommy & Christine, Mohnton, PA
"Larry,
…your
website and found it to be very entertaining. It was geared to
getting the "Larry's Homes novice" to do what I had pretty much already
decided on from the great phone conversation we had, which is trust
your expertise in your industry.”
-Alan Leeth, Virginia
Tuesday,
From the desk of Larry Stauffer
Custom Home Designer since 1993
Dear New Home Planner,
No one but you can really decide what’s best for you.
And neither can I.
But what I can do is provide you with solid, easy-to-understand information and options that will give you the ability to decide what IS best for you.
Listed
below are all the details for getting exactly what you want – and
need – to bring your dream home plans to life:
A
quick word of warning in advance. Because of all the in-depth
details that clearly explain the two distinct home plan options
available to you – and what each one fully provides you –
this page is a bit long. But in order to really understand both
options and the benefits of each I highly encourage you to read it
all.
You
won’t regret it. In the end you’ll be much better
prepared to decide which option is best for you and your loved ones.
But don’t take my word for it! Read it and decide for yourself…
OPTION 1: Complete Custom Home Design Services (You get it just like you want it! From the start.)
»If
you’re the creative type that wants to go totally free-style with
your home design and you don’t want to
“follow-the-leader” to other plans…
»If you’re having trouble finding a pre-drawn plan that you’re both happy with and fits your needs…
»Or if you have one in mind that will need a lot of changes…
If that’s you, then the full dream-home design solution you’re looking for just might be right here.
What can you really expect to get from a complete custom home design service?
While I’m not sure what you expect, I can definitely tell you what Larry’s Home Designs will give you.
In a nutshell–
everything the construction contractor of your choice needs to know in
order to build your home! (Sorry, we can’t actually cut or
nail the lumber for him. He has to earn his pay somehow! J)
Here’s what you get:
One-on-one consulting services on your home’s design
You
receive the full benefit of having an in-house designer discuss in
great detail not only what you want and need, but how to most
effectively bring it all together for your desired results. This
includes, but is far from limited to:
Site Placement Strategies
Floor Plan Layouts
Window Placements
Exterior Details
Interior Details
Lighting Benefits
and much, much more…
This consultation service is not just “once-and-done” at
the beginning, but is fully extended to you throughout
your entire designing project. All with a friendly,
customer-oriented style that will put you at ease
and boost your confidence in fulfilling your dreams!
Special Note:
Don’t worry if you’re not within a feasible driving
distance of our office. With more than a decade’s worth of
custom home design experience as quality preparation, we have for well
over two years been accepting and successfully working with
out-of-state clients by phone, fax and email. Giving
them the same quality home design experience as everyone else –
all without ever needing to set a foot inside our office.
Full drafting and design services
Your
approved ideas are taken and turned into a complete set of
construction-ready drawings. This includes detail conscious:
·Pictorial-View Elevation Drawings
·Foundation Plans
·Floor Plans
·Floor Framing Plans – if needed in critical areas
·Cross Section Views – if needed in critical areas
·Roof Framing Plans
When finished, each set of plans is then ready to be used for three vital purposes:
1.Acquiring bids from any reputable contractors that you are considering to hire.
2.Having
your home design approved by your local government’s building
committee for obtaining the required building permits.
3.The winning contractors will then use them turn your dream home into a living (or live-in J) reality!
Schedule - FriendlyBuildingCode Specifications
Throughout most areas of the United Statesand
modern world your plans will need to be approved by the local
government where you intend to build, no matter who draws them.
To get approval, specifications need to be included so the building
committee knows the technical details of how your home will comply with
safety laws. Submission for approval almost always means paying a
fee.
Time
is of the essence. Resubmitting for approval, if you get denied
the first time around, means extra time and money being spent that
you’d rather keep to decorate your home when you finally move
in.
Time– for the purpose of needing the changes made on your plans.
Money– since most local governments charge for every project approval meeting scheduled.
Keep that extra time and moneywhere you can use it best – in your hands!
Greatly
improving your chances of success to gain approval the very first time
every set of house plans from Larry’s Home Designs includes the
following(international)IRC and IBC Codes:
·Necessary specifications for structural purposes
·Electrical plans with lighting placement
·Chapter
11 (of the building codes, not bankruptcy!) requirements of all
mechanical devices such as the furnace, hot water heater and air
conditioner.
·Your
personal designer calls the local government and works directly with
the supervisor who will be in charge of approving your home
design. This avoids guesswork and cuts to the chase of each local
area’s additional requirements right up front.
We
are humbled – and feel extremely blessed – to be able to
share with you the fact that so far our plans have about a 95%
first-time approval rate!
User - Friendly Construction Materials Lists (optional)
Enhancing
the quality of service you receive from us, plus improving the overall
home-building experience for both you and your contractor, each set of
house plans includes comprehensive (but easy-to-use) lists of building
materials you need.
Introducing a Larry’s Home Designs Exclusive!
Not one, but three distinctly different lists that serve separate functions:
·Individual Placement Lists–
this list clearly details every variety of materials needed as well as
what it is used for. This speeds things up on the construction
site. This list is further simplified by dividing it into two
categories:
·Log related materials– everything you need to get from your chosen log supplier that regular lumber yards don’t handle.
·Standard materials– everything you need that you buy from a regular lumber yard or building supply center.
·By-The-Load List–
this is for scheduling lumber delivery to the job site in stages as
needed. This way lumber not needed for awhile won’t be
getting weather-beaten.
»Note:
in most cases this list is singularly for standard materials you need
because lumber yards are usually reasonably close by and offer free
shipping in their delivery ranges. Making it practical to get
your materials only as you need them.
·Condensed Lists–
this makes price shopping easy. For you and the suppliers.
The needed materials are itemized along with their quantities. To
make it easy for you this list is also divided into two separate
categories:
·Standard materials
·Log related materials– with this list the special Larry’s Homes Designs prices are included for you to compare!
No need to sort through the other lists to get the complete summarized details. It’s already done for you.
·Plus, Multiple Format Options –
All these materials lists are available in hard copy, PDF format via
email, and Microsoft Word. Choose whichever fits your needs the
best
Printing Services
Years
of helping people achieve their dreams of building their own home, just
like you desire, has taught us a number of things. Among them,
just to name a few:
1.The
practical number of copies of the completed plans that a homeowner
needs to efficiently see the project through to the wonderfully
finished result.
2.Most plan companies don’t provide the full amount you need to most effectively work with in their original package.
Introducing Another Larry’s Home Design Exclusive!
·7 copies of the final set of drawings
1 – For you, the homeowner to keep
1 – For your local government (Keep in mind – they typically
request 3 upfront, then return 2 after approval)
1 – For the foundation contractor
1 – For your construction contractor
1 – For the HVAC contractor
1 – For your plumbing contractor 1 – Spare copy (They have a way of getting used) 7 Total
·3 copieseach of the construction materials lists
1 – For you, the homeowner
1 – For the bank 1 – For your construction contractor 3 Total
We
understand that every homeowner has their individual project
needs. So while the above numbers have consistently proven
themselves over the years, if you happen to need more you’re
covered. Extra copies are available (even later) for an
additional, reasonable flat-rate charge.
Unlimited Phone Follow-up
You’ve
heard the phrase “It ain’t over ‘til it’s
over.” We didn’t coin it, but it’s a solid part
of our business practice!
Until
the total wrap-up when the last contractor leaves the job site and you
are ready to move into your personal dream home – we are just a
phone call away to answer questions. Or provideadvice and supportover
the phone for last-minute design changes that are not major.
(Major changes will understandably require redrawing and need to be
billed accordingly.)
So why do we really include this valuable service, anyway?
Through
years of working directly with home owners as well as contractors we
know firsthand how alive Murphy’s Law is. Not that
it’s necessarily a bad thing, but it’s definitely not
uncommon for situations to occur that deviate from the original
plan.
For
example: You might think of a change, or really neat idea, halfway
through construction and need confirmation on integrating it into your
design appropriately. Or, since most contractors have their own
unique way of doing things they may want to verify the intent of a
design feature to see if it’s practical in saving time or money
(or just because they like it better) doing it their way.
No
matter what the situation may be, if it’s a design-related
question and you got your dream home custom designed by Larry’s
Home Designs you get our fully-committed-to-you phone supportservice
until construction is complete! If the matter is not pressing and
you prefer email that’s perfectly fine as well.
As a highly-valued client of ours– for a simple, one time fee – we believe you should receive the courtesy and privilege you deserve to have direct personal access to us for as long as it takes until your home is built. Period.
Get started with an experienced guide
helping you.
I
can hear you asking, “How do I take advantage of these exclusive,
experience-enhancing benefits and get them working hard to turn my
dream home into a life-sized reality?”
We’ve made it as simple and fast as we knew how to make it to get you started today.
Let’s
break it down into simple, easy-to-understand details so you’ll
clearly know what’s going on right upfront without anything
popping up later. This enables us to serve you better and
everyone agreeably knows what’s expected. Sound fair?
Getting your dreams out of your head and into construction-ready plans is as easy to begin as 1, 2, 3. (In
no way am I implying your plans will be ready in a heartbeat.
Good things take time to properly finish. Your home is no
exception.)
It’s
critically important that you lay the foundational concepts of your
home properly by letting us know exactly what you want and need.
That’s precisely what these 3 steps accomplish:
1.Lock in your position
2.Download your “Dreams-To-Reality Fast Start Kit”
3.Send your completed Fast Start Kit Forms to us…
And your dream is on its way!
Here is what each of those steps includes:
STEP 1 – Lock in your position
This
means getting your name on our project list which is compiled on a
first-come first-served basis. As soon as you send us the nominal
deposit of $200 you’ll be locked in! The deposit will be
deducted from your invoice total.
The deposit is just to sort out those who are serious about their dreams and ready to take action, from those who aren’t.
We
do understand that situations change. If you can’t follow
through after making a deposit, it will be refunded minus any hours
we’ve already put into the job. Or you will be billed
accordingly if the hours are past your deposit. We trust this is
fair for everybody.
STEP 2 – Get your free “Dreams-To-Reality Fast Start Kit”
After locking in your position you will receive your “Dreams-To-Reality Fast Start Kit.”
If
you submitted your deposit online with our secure payment processor
you’ll be taken to a page that contains your “Fast Start
Kit” to print out. Or if you opted to mail in your deposit
you will receive your kit by return mail, free of charge.
Created
specifically to help you get off to a solid, fast start. Just
fill in the blanks, answer the questions and collect the recommended
information.
Save
yourself an incredible amount of time, money and frustrations by fully
making use of this kit. It is designed to help you understand and
solidify your own needs and desires by systematically documenting them.
This kit will easily guide you in preparing your ideas to share them clearly with us so we both know what you want.
STEP 3 – Send your completed Fast Start Kit Forms to us
After
you’ve completed the forms simply send them to us. Fax,
regular mail, or email if you have scanning capabilities. Or drop
them off in person if you’re close by. And of course
you’ll want to keep a copy for your own records as well.
You
will then get confirmation when we’ve received them. When
your project is ready to be worked on in our order lineup,
they’ll be thoroughly reviewed.
And then – the moment you’ve been waiting for (I’ve always wanted to say that! J) – you will be contacted to arrange our first consultation to discuss your design.
Your dreams are in motion!
“We
sent a layout to Larry with lots of modifications on it in
writing. To our surprise, he designed our blueprints to exactly
what we were wanting without any questions. He did a very
wonderful job and it was also great how he listed each load that would
be needed in sequence. We were very impressed with his work and
at a very reasonable price. We would recommend him to
anyone.”
Carrie Albright, S. Bloomingville, OH
Stop! Don't order just yet...
I know you’re all excited about getting the dream of your new
home turned into reality, but there’s another road to success
that may be even better for you. (Warning - your wallet may smile! JBut that’s a good thing!)
Even
though all your home design needs are covered with our complete custom
design services, I urge you not to lock in your position
immediately. At least not until you've read about our innovative
design option that includes many of the same custom benefits but in a
plan that can save you some cash!
OPTION 2: Customizable Proven House Plans (With options for FREE design changes!)
The Goal:To
provide you with a plan that will meet every single need you and your
family has without needing to start from scratch.
We
believe strongly that by offering you our line of stock plans, we can
save you a ton of money in your new home design. Each set we
offer is drawn to the same high quality standards as one of our custom
sets would be.
However,
we are also fully aware that our plans exactly as they are might not
fulfill every single need you may have in your new home. Some
rooms may not be large enough, while others may be oversized for your
lifestyle.
»That is where our custom modification service comes in.
While
we cannot even begin to predict what your requirements are before you
tell us, we wish to offer you a modification service that is both user
friendly and fully understandable.
»Other
plan companies charge a minimum fee for certain modifications that are
simple, yet the minimum fee is exorbitant. That is not our
plan. Nor should it have to be yours!
Read on…
Part A: Free Customization Details
Every single plan you see on this site gives you FREE customization options. Up to a total of 5 hours worth of FREE change-time.
Plans with:
» 900 Square Feet Or Less - 2 FREE Hours » 901 – 1700 Square Feet - 3 FREE Hours » 1701 – 2500 Square Feet - 4 FREE Hours » 2501 Square Feet Or More - 5 FREE Hours
What is “change-time?”
Simply put, it is the amount of time we spend on your plan
incorporating all the changes you wish to see on a certain set you
bought. We will need the full purchase price before we will begin
to make changes on your plans. At the time of purchase, we will
need a list of changes from you that details exactly what you want to
have modified. Then we will quote you approximately how long it
will take to make those changes.
The
first five (5) hours are free. After that, your changes will be
billed at an hourly rate of $35/Hour until all the modifications are
done. The modifications fee will need to be paid in full before
the complete house plan set will be released.
Change reviews:
If you wish, we can provide preliminary plans in PDF format for a quick
review before giving us the final okay. An email giving us
permission to proceed with the finalization of your custom
modifications will be required before we do so. A signed letter
by snail mail or fax will also suffice.
Whichever method you choose must include your full name, address, phone number and date.
How much modification will you be able to get for five (5) hours?
That is somewhat difficult to answer. Most changes involve a room
size change or a window location shift. Perhaps a bathroom
redesign. That is fairly minimal and should easily fall into the
free time slot.
Other
changes such as, increasing the overall floor plan size, adding a sun
room or a porch/deck on the back, adding/deleting dormers, detailing
new window designs in a tall gable end, etc., will very likely add up
to more than five (5) hours due to the domino effect it has on the rest
of the plan.
Increasing
the overall size, but keeping the same floor plan, will affect every
single sheet in the entire set of house plans; including the lumber
lists.
Turnaround time for custom modifications:
This will vary according to the backlog of work we have to do at
the time of your order. We will do our best to make the changes
quickly, but our top priority is doing them right. Turnaround
time will also depend on how many modifications you have on order.
If you have any questions about any of this, feel free to contact
us hereor call us. We will be more than happy to help you in any way we can.
Part B: Plan Order Details
This
section details what you will be getting when you order a customizable
proven plan, as well as extra options offered to you if you need
them. All in the name of enhancing your home design experience.
SPECIAL NOTE: As you browse the selection of proven plans you will see an order section at the bottom of each sample floorplan page.
A
drop-down menu in each order section enables you to add that
page’s design to your “shopping cart” as well as
several other options. Your choices in the drop-down menus are
the following:
·Full Sets – 7 Copies
·Extra Copies Each
·Reproducible Set
·CAD Files
·Additional License
·Study Set
»FULL SETS – 7 Copies
Important Details: You get your chosen design’s complete set of construction plans.
Each set includes:
·Pictorial-View Elevation Drawings
·Foundation Plans
·Floor Plans
·Floor Framing Plans – if needed in critical areas
·Cross Section Views – if needed in critical areas
·Roof Framing Plans
·Necessary specifications for structural purposes
·Electrical plans with lighting placement
·Chapter
11 (of the building codes, not bankruptcy!) requirements of all
mechanical devices such as the furnace, hot water heater and air
conditioner.
Plus you get the exact same featured amount of sets as our custom design clients!
·7 copies of the final set of drawings
1 – For you, the homeowner to keep
1 – For your local government (Keep in mind – they typically
request 3 upfront, then return 2 after approval) 1 – For the foundation contractor 1 – For your construction contractor
1 – For the HVAC contractor
1 – For your plumbing contractor 1 – Spare copy (They have a way of getting used) 7 Total
·3 copies each of the construction materials lists
1 – For you, the homeowner
1 – For the bank 1 – For your construction contractor 3 Total
Any
other company I have researched just offers 5 sets of drawings as
standard. That cuts you, the homeowner, a little short on copies
you need to get started.
Most
townships require 3 copies of the plans to even consider the building
permit approval process. That would leave you with 2
copies. And most townships require 21 days to process your
building permit. Now what do you do? You only have 2 copies
of the plans to go on. In order to go to the bank, you need
estimates from your builder, your plumber, your electrician, and your
heating and cooling contractor.
With
the 7 copies that Larry’s Home Designs provides with your initial
purchase, you can get bids from all those businesses while the township
is processing the paperwork for your building permit. When the
building permit is issued, you will have all your estimates and be
ready to go to the bank to start the final loan process.
Townships will normally give 2 sets of the plans back, but who wants to
wait 3 weeks?
Larry’s Home Designs believes in giving you enoughof
information with your original purchase to allow you to build your home
and not force you to buy extra sets, or wait an extra 3 weeks to get 2
sets back from the township.
»EXTRA SETS OF PLANS
You
do have the option available to buy extra sets of plans. We offer
this in case you have not made up your mind on who all your contractors
are going to be and you want to get extra estimates.
You may buy up to 5 extra sets of plans for the same house you originally purchased. However, buying extra sets does not allow you to build an extra house without being in copyright violation of the building plans.
The extra sets are simply to allow you to get more bids from various contractors at the same time.
»REPRODUCIBLES
This
type of plan is printed on mylar or other reproducible vellum paper to
allow you to make the copies of the house plans you need to build 1
house. You will only receive one set of plans along with a
license that allows you to make multiple copies for the use of building
only one (1) house.
Copying more with the intent to sell, or build more than one house is in direct violation of the copyright.
»CAD FILES
This
option allows you to purchase your new home plans on CD-ROM.
These will only be operable if you, or your architect, have AutoCAD
2004 or later operating program on your computer.
This
option is only recommended if you plan on making major changes yourself
or if your building location requires the stamp of an architect.
Architects usually prefer to add their own custom recommendations and
disclaimers on drawings that bear their stamp.
Larry’s
Home Designs is so competitive in hourly rates that it will be
difficult to find a more reasonable rate elsewhere to make your custom
changes for you.
»LICENSE
This
license is in a sense your “permission slip” from
Larry’s Home Designs to build one home with the plans that you
have purchased from us. You will receive an official document
stating that you (your name will be listed) have the legal right to
build (the model name of the plans will be listed) one home with the
plans you bought.
You
will receive a building license when you purchase a full set of 7
copies, or reproducibles, or CAD files on CD-ROM. A license will
not be included with study sets or extra sets.
If you purchase more than one different home plan, you will receive a building license with each different home.
»STUDY SETS
These
are small sets of plans on 8.5 x 11 inch paper that are designed to
allow you to study the layout of your new home before you purchase the
full set for construction.
Study
sets include basic floor plans, basement plan, and all 4 elevations
(outside views of the house). Of the $150 cost of the study set
purchase $100 will be applied toward the purchase of your full
set.
The study set will be stamped in red NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION.
A Few More Important Details...
Let’s sum it all up for a simple, quick comparison.
Complete Custom Home Design –
offers you a no restrictions, completely personalized, total freedom of
design experience. What you want is what you get at our
cost-saving, below industry-standard flat rate of only $35 per hour
until the jobs done!
Customizable Proven Plans –
offer you an opportunity to save money by choosing a plan that has been
pre-designed but still allows you to moderately personalize it with up
to 5 FREE hours of re-design. (That’s a free $135 to keep in your pocket!) There
is no limit on re-design, but anything over your selected plan's
allotted hours of change time will be billed at our
regular rate of $35 per hour.
But wait! Before you order there’s another option you might find useful.
Now available: Custom 3D Service
No
matter which plan design option you choose – complete custom or
the customizable proven plans – Larry’s Home Designs is
pleased to share with you the capability of producing 3D views of your
new home!
If
you wish to see a 3D view of your home, we will gladly produce the
views at our typical hourly rate of $35. Or your 5 free hours
benefit can be applied toward this service as well, if you are
purchasing a customizable set of plans.
You can specify which angles of your house you wish to view. Just give us a call or contact us here with your preferences.
In Conclusion: You’re in complete control…
So which option is right for you? Complete custom or a customizable proven plan?
The choice is completely yours.
Are you ready to take charge of your dreams and forge them into a just-can’t-wait-any-longer reality?
If
you want it as much as the other clients I’ve already helped (who
are now enjoying their homes!) then you’ll have to prove it to
me.
Taking the next step is strictly in your hands! I can’t force you to take any action. And I really wouldn’t want to if I could.
Notice: I only want to work with those ready, able and willing to see their dreams come to life.
After
10 years of working directly with clients my passion for helping real
people with real dreams - just like you – is burning as brightly
as ever. And it gives me real pleasure and satisfaction to help
someone achieve what is often a once-in-a-lifetime goal.
But I can’t help you unless you give me the “green light.”
There’s
just something incredibly rewarding about someone being able to move
into the home of their dreams. A dream they’ve nurtured for
a long, long time…
From the first thought, on through a maze of collecting ideas…
Increasing anticipation as the designing and planning stages are solidified…
The simple, but incredible awe as ground is broken and the house takes shape before your very eyes…
As finishing touches are added the waiting becomes almost unbearable…
At
last! Moving day… After the commotion’s died down,
everything’s in place, and it’s just you and your loved
ones. You wander around almost aimlessly, dazed…
The incredulous whisper of doubts mist through your mind as reality tries to sink in…
“Is this really mine?” “Has it actually come true?”
Then
the rushing tidal wave of truth cascades over you in waves of
unrestrained joy as you completely surrender to the moment…
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Sound like a fairy tale? It doesn’t have to be…
The journey of a lifetime begins with a single step. Click below to take that dream-achieving step right now!
