Building a custom home or cottage is an exciting idea and a dream that many share. But where exactly do you start and how does a project of this scale get done?
To get some answers, we spoke with James Mckay, salesperson for Beaver Homes & Cottages at Heritage Home Hardware. He shared the four steps involved in designing a custom home or cottage.
“Our program guides you through the steps required to design your custom home or cottage,” says James. “You’ll have help from a Beaver Homes & Cottages Design Consultant and in four simple steps, you’ll be able to go from your initial vision to a thorough and detailed set of construction plans.”
Step One:
A custom home should express the personal tastes of its occupants and suit their lifestyle. This requires a clear vision and attention to detail.
When you first meet with your Beaver Homes & Cottages Design Consultant, they will sit down with you and help you sketch out your ideas. They will work from your vision plus any sketches or inspiration images you’ve gathered. A great way you can prepare for your initial design meeting is to read Crafting the Perfect Blueprint: A Guide to Designing a Custom Floor Plan, James suggests.
Your Design Consultant will also fill out the applicable request form to accompany your sketches. A number of design considerations, such as foundation types, exterior finishes and ceiling heights, will be outlined on this form. You’ll also discuss any zoning requirements and by-laws from your local municipality that apply, paying special attention to any restrictions (for example, building footprint and height) that could affect your design.
These initial sketches and completed forms will be sent to the Architectural Solutions Group at Home Hardware, starting the preliminary drawing process.
*Please note that a non-refundable deposit is required to initiate the preliminary drawing process. It will be applied to your premium material package. Your custom construction drawings are provided as part of your premium material package at no extra charge.
Step Two:
Home Hardware has a team of qualified Architectural Designers—the Architectural Solutions Group—who use their extensive design and technical expertise to produce quarter prints (a set of preliminary drawings). These quarter prints provide an initial overall picture of your custom build.
These drawings include the floor plans and elevations, or exterior views, of your home or cottage. On the floor plans, you’ll find information about room sizes, window and door sizes, preliminary kitchen and bath layouts, stairs and decks. The elevations will include details on ceiling heights, roof pitches, window and door styles, and exterior finishes.
Step Three:
Your Design Consultant will arrange to meet with you once they have received the quarter prints from the Architectural Solutions Group. You’ll have a chance to mark any changes you would like to see made on the quarter prints in a process called redlining.
The changes you propose could be minor, such as rearranging the layout of the kitchen or resizing a particular window, or they could be major, such as adding a loft over a garage or increasing square footage.
This is the time to review every detail carefully and to ask your Design Consultant all of your questions about the house and its layout. To help, you can find a comprehensive list of questions in the booklet Drawing Conclusions (8958-309), available from your Design Consultant.
Your redlined quarter prints will then be sent back to the Architectural Solutions Group. They will alter the plans accordingly and produce a revised set of quarter prints. Once these are ready, you’ll meet again with your Design Consultant to review them and determine if you are satisfied with all of the changes that have been made.
Step Four:
The redlining process will be repeated if additional changes are required. Two full sets of changes are included in the package price.
Once the design reflects your final vision, a full set of comprehensive, accurate and high-quality construction drawings will be completed by the Architectural Solutions Group. These will meet or exceed the National Building Code of Canada, as well as provincial codes in effect at the time the drawings are ordered.
Now the building process can begin!
To learn more about the Beaver Homes & Cottages program, visit Heritage Home Hardware or call 705-759-5101.