Designing Your Dream Home

Every Question to Ask, Every Detail to Consider, and Everything to Know Before You Build or Remodel

Doe Lang, Susan Lang

• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• eBook ISBN:
  9781418566098
• Year: 2008

You can have the home of your dreams!

This comprehensive guide walks you through every decision and addresses all the details that most homeowners don't even know to consider.

In this step-by-step, room-by-room handbook, Susan Lang considers every aspect of your homebuilding or remodeling project, such as how to

• Hire the right architect, interior designer, and builder
• Design each room to perfectly fit your family's lifestyle
• Plan ahead so all your storage needs are met
• Determine the perfect placement for light fixtures, switches, and electrical outlets
• Save money by avoiding costly design revisions or building change orders

You'll find helpful forms and checklists that will keep you organized and assist you in clarifying your needs. And if you're worried that building your dream home might turn into a nightmare, Designing Your Dream Home covers the most common mistakes that homeowners make and shows you how to avoid them. Susan Lang has thought of everything, so you won't have to.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Dedication
• Copyright
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1 Getting Started and Staying Organized
• 2 Hiring Your Team
• 3 Purchasing Land, a Home, or a Condominium
• 4 How to Be Prepared When Working with Your Architect
• 5 The Rooms in Your House
• 6 Ceilings, Doors, Floors, Lighting, Walls, and Windows
• 7 Electrical, HVAC, and Plumbing
• 8 Hardware and Stone/Tile
• 9 Special Considerations
• 10 Reviewing Architectural Plans
• 11 Shopping Forms
• 12 Entire-Home Selection Forms
• 13 Building Basics
• Appendix 1: Forms and the Binders They Go In
• Appendix 2: Standard Measurements and Dimensions
• Appendix 3: Abbreviations Used in Architectural Plans
• Appendix 4: Basic Architectural Symbols
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• About the Author