# Any CAD, Drafting, House Plan recommendations



## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

Do any of you draw house plans for fun or profit? I've talked with the local school drafting instructor about having student work but lets just say that virtual learning makes that a bit less practical. Every time I try using the free online house plan programs I realize I really don't like struggling to make everything fit. We have a mechanical engineer friend who has told us our general plan will work and will make sure whatever plans we have will be structurally sound (house plans aren't his specialty so he doesn't do the 3D drawings that I'd really like to see how it will really look).

What I really want doesn't have to be specifically to Kentucky codes, just sound placement of where everything goes with the ability to "see" how the house will look. Yes, I am talking about a house, not the hay barn that is in the works too  .

Thanks,

Shelia


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

RockyHill said:


> .Yes, I am talking about a house, not the hay barn that is in the works too  .
> 
> Thanks,
> Shelia


My first thought (dumb too perhaps) is why not a combo. It's the way the Amish do it here, home is one end, horses/cows/critters on the other end. Maybe some storage in the middle. The Amish do normally keep the home part towards the prevailing winds for some odd reason. 

I'm sure glad I'm far enough away that you and Jeff can't kick me somewhere. 

Larry

PS as far as ACAD, I don't think I could get all the rust off to be able to use. IIRC, ACAD on a machine (286 or 386 something) with DOS 3.xx, 5 1/4" floppy's, which held 256 or 512K of info. Didn't even know what a megabit was (let alone a GB  ). Need to find a T-shirt. Found


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## ozarkian (Dec 11, 2010)

I have used this software and it worked really well for me.

https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

r82230 said:


> My first thought (dumb too perhaps) is why not a combo. It's the way the Amish do it here, home is one end, horses/cows/critters on the other end. Maybe some storage in the middle. The Amish do normally keep the home part towards the prevailing winds for some odd reason.
> 
> I'm sure glad I'm far enough away that you and Jeff can't kick me somewhere.
> 
> ...


Well, at one time we were really considering something like that - we don't have livestock but next best thing was the shop. Went to look at work a carpenter had done for the man that we bought barn materials from. Really liked one of his buildings. While on that jaunt, they took us to see a log home that they were helping build. We either didn't need that part of the trip or it was just supposed to be. There is a log house on the farm here that Jeff's family lived in until the 1940's when they built the "new" house that we live in. The new has worn off ; the log house needs to be preserved; Jeff & I talked about building a modern log house when we got married; sooooo we switched from building a shop and incorporating living space to restoring the log house and adding comfortable living space.

Like the t-shirt! I guess now it is the flash drive and a picture of a cloud. Lot of youngsters just wouldn't understand. Kinda like I can read and write cursive too.

Thanks,

Shelia


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

ozarkian said:


> I have used this software and it worked really well for me.
> 
> https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/


Thanks! I hadn't looked at this one. It looks like it would work. Jeff said looks like our HayTalk people have come through again with what we need!

Shelia


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

RockyHill said:


> Like the t-shirt! I guess now it is the flash drive and a picture of a cloud. Lot of youngsters just wouldn't understand. Kinda like I can read and write cursive too.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Shelia


Ya, on the T-shirt. I showed it to my 12 year old granddaughter and she didn't get it. 

Larry


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## Edd in KY (Jul 16, 2009)

I have built 2 new homes in the last 20 years. The first was spectacular to look at, but lousy to live in. The second is very attractive, but not spectacular, but it is the most wonderful house I have ever lived in. I have owned 22 houses in my lifetime so I am not a virgin. In building these 2 new houses we hired 2 architects and paid them substantial amounts before we threw their plans away. The first thing you need to decide before you start on this project is how you want to live. Where do you spend your time? what kind of a bedroom do you want? where will you work? Is gourmet kitchen really important? All these questions, and 100 more, you need to ask yourself. Personally I think the idea that some local architect can give you a House plan better suited to you than one of the 100s you can find online, is ridiculous. There only so many ways you can design a house. If you want a first floor master bedroom that changes the whole layout . The bad thing is that you have to learn the mistakes the hard way.


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## Edd in KY (Jul 16, 2009)

By the way, most of the design-it-yourself houses look it. Once the mistakes are built, they can not be corrected, like bad window sizes and locations, bad roof pitch, mis-matched angles. There is a reason why some designs are classic and others are just botched up buildings.


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

Edd in KY said:


> By the way, most of the design-it-yourself houses look it. Once the mistakes are built, they can not be corrected, like bad window sizes and locations, bad roof pitch, mis-matched angles. There is a reason why some designs are classic and others are just botched up buildings.


Exactly!

All of our thoughts on the house are for our lifestyle and if the great nephews don't like it when they grow up they can do with it as they choose. Mis-matched angles would be a certain source of aggravation. Connecting to the reconstructed log portion is one big issue to make sure it fits right. I have a list of "must haves" and "absolutely not" that I hope don't conflict.

Shelia


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## Edd in KY (Jul 16, 2009)

I have a friend that took an old log cabin and added a new section. It is spectacular! And comfortable to live in, so it can be done. I am not sure who designed the one that Paul built, but whoever designed it really thought it out well, both inside and out.

That cabin/house is here in the bluegrass. He is very proud of it and Paul may be willing to give you a tour.... if interested.


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

Edd in KY said:


> I have a friend that took an old log cabin and added a new section. It is spectacular! And comfortable to live in, so it can be done. I am not sure who designed the one that Paul built, but whoever designed it really thought it out well, both inside and out.
> 
> That cabin/house is here in the bluegrass. He is very proud of it and Paul may be willing to give you a tour.... if interested.


That would be nice if we could get time for a road trip. Does he have pictures posted online?

Thanks

Shelia


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## Edd in KY (Jul 16, 2009)

I hope this will take you to the photos of Paul's cottage, which he rents out for the Keeneland meet and the local horse sales.

www.airbnb.com/rooms/15173139?source_impression_id=p3_1604277775_YL4vQ7yhrBMjOJrz&guests=1&adults=1

let me know if it works or not?


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

Edd in KY said:


> I hope this will take you to the photos of Paul's cottage, which he rents out for the Keeneland meet and the local horse sales.
> 
> www.airbnb.com/rooms/15173139?source_impression_id=p3_1604277775_YL4vQ7yhrBMjOJrz&guests=1&adults=1
> 
> let me know if it works or not?


It worked! Thanks. Lovely cottage, can see a lot of thought went into it.

Thanks,

Shelia


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## WandaRobertson (Aug 8, 2021)

Interesting thoughts.


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