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Here's the issue. Eventually, I imagine, I will have to see an architect face to face for plans but before I start paying them, I'd like to get an idea, a feel for the kind of house that works for me.
As I search the Net for house plans, they all seem to come with the same problem; they are designed for 1/4 acre lots and as such, are compressed.
What I need are plans that are designed for a ranch, for a farm, that spread out some.
"Well, just type into the search engine "farm house plans", "ranch house plans"." Right?
Won't work because "farm house", "ranch house", is a type of housing design and I'll be back to the quarter acre lot design.
So how would one key the search so not to get such results?
Google has collected so many phrases similar to what you want, so try 'house plans for big lots', house plans for wide lots, house plans for view lots, etc. Just type in what you need in simple english and you will get there.
Unfortunately, this is the exact site that has led me to the stated conclusion. That so many of the house plans out there are for 1/4 acre lots.
For example, one of items that will probably be in the end consideration is not to have the garage attached to the house but have a short distance away, perhaps of a different design and construction.......and as one notices with this site, there is no place to check 0 garage.
Anyhow, I'm sort of in the conclusion that because so much of the market is for 1/4 acre lots, everything is designed for such........at least when I look at the site above.
You should focus your search away from standard stock plans (of which there are 1000s) and look more to representative custom homes that are of a ranch style; a real, rural Ranch or Hacienda style. Start with periodicals like Fine Home Building or books from Taunton publishing, go to a library and look over books in the architecture area- even look at historical designs, Territorial (early New Mexico) or Ranches of Texas (I can recall such a book here in our library). Or do the same sort of searches on the Internet- you may have some luck with Pintrest or Houzz.
There are going to be far fewer examples but they should far better in allowing you to focus on the most important core elements of what you are looking for.
Outstanding local architects in your area (some of my very favorite architectural design firms in the U.S.), Lake|Flato and Michael G. Imber, will have designs that should make you swoon and hopefully allow you to then look for designs that evoke their styles (without their cost)
Here's the issue. Eventually, I imagine, I will have to see an architect face to face for plans but before I start paying them, I'd like to get an idea, a feel for the kind of house that works for me.
As I search the Net for house plans, they all seem to come with the same problem; they are designed for 1/4 acre lots and as such, are compressed.
What I need are plans that are designed for a ranch, for a farm, that spread out some.
"Well, just type into the search engine "farm house plans", "ranch house plans"." Right?
Won't work because "farm house", "ranch house", is a type of housing design and I'll be back to the quarter acre lot design.
So how would one key the search so not to get such results?
Check out barndominiums. Doesn't have to be metal, but just for ideas.
Lots of flex space............and from the site I previously provided.... under "hill country" plans.
Don't search under ranch...
Also add qualifiers to your search.
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