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Home design software popular among homeowners looking to renovate
Despite the slowdown in the housing market, on the other side of the spectrum, the home improvement and restoration markets seem to be booming.
People spend thousands upon millions of dollars on home improvement projects every year. Sometimes doing the projects by themselves, and for bigger projects and additions; enlisting the help of a contractor and construction team.
An exciting new development in the home improvement industry has emerged lately, making it easier for people to envision and develop potential projects and editions.
These computer software programs allow homeowners to imagine what different changes would look like in their homes, such as a new bathroom, different lighting or even alternative roofing options. But with every new technology come things that work well, and things that are a nuisance.
An article in The Wall Street Journal, by Sara Schaefer Munoz, “Pluses and pitfalls of using new home-design software,” gives the low-down on these new programs.
“A slew of sophisticated software for home design has recently hit the market, allowing homeowners embarking on a remodeling project to plot everything from shingle styles to window placement and even see how shadows fall across the porch at different times of the day.”
“If used properly, the do-it-yourself products can save thousands of dollars in architects' fees on a major project. But the growing popularity of the products is making them a point of tension between builders and their clients. Homeowners can spend hours on a design, only to be told they've taken out a key beam or put in a toilet where there are no pipes.”
So, homeowners find these products especially useful, because they can envision projects before they even call a contractor.
On the other hand, contractors, architects and construction people are finding that this software causes problems and tension between the client and the service provider. People are crafting their elaborate plans only to find out that they do not work structurally, or are in violation of some sort of housing code.
“For homeowners dreaming up a project, builders say it's important to be aware of the software's limits. Some house-building programs emphasize ‘professional’ results and plans that are ‘accurately scaled’ on their packaging. But most builders say the finished product often requires tweaks or clarifications. For instance, some less expensive programs may not be able to create the house's frame, adjust wall thickness or customize rooflines. And the programs usually don't take into account the frequently arcane rules of state building codes. (In California, there are detailed rules about how close a window can be to a shower.)”
“Homeowners sometimes dream up layouts that don't take into account support walls, plumbing or central air systems, says Michael Quail, who owns a construction firm in Lyons, Ill. It's a particular problem in older houses, because their internal walls are often load-bearing, while newer homes' walls can be moved more easily. Plus, he says, once clients have invested several dozen hours in mastering a program and coming up with a plan, they can be resistant to change. ‘These people think we can just put a toilet anywhere,’ he says.”
If you are going to be using this type of software, just keep in mind that your builder is most likely going to have to change a few different elements. If you stay flexible with your plans, you and your contractor or builder should be able to come up with a great plan for your renovation or addition.