Houston, Texas, is known for its diverse economy and thriving real estate market. Among the various housing trends that have emerged, one particular niche has gained substantial traction - duplexes. At Houston Plans and Permits, we've been at the forefront of this exciting development, witnessing an outstanding demand for duplex projects, and we're here to delve deeper into why they're not only an excellent investment opportunity for individual investors but also a lucrative sector for local home builders to specialize in. In fact, approximately 20% of our company's focus lies in duplexes and stock plans, catering to the needs of astute investors.

The Duplex Phenomenon:

Houston's real estate landscape is ever-evolving, and duplexes have emerged as a standout trend. These two-unit properties offer an enticing combination of housing solutions and investment potential. Here's a more detailed look at why the duplex market in Houston is booming:

1. Strong Market Demand:

The city's robust population growth, coupled with its diverse economic landscape, has...

In the world of residential construction and renovation, timing can be as critical as the design itself. As we navigate through a period of market uncertainty, the foresight to initiate the design and permitting processes for your home projects early cannot be overemphasized. Here’s why proactive planning is not just a good strategy, but a crucial one.

Houston’s real estate market is teeming with opportunities, especially in the residential sector. Whether you're a seasoned investor looking to expand your portfolio or a small home builder trying to make a mark, success hinges on more than just a well-placed investment. One often overlooked, but critical aspect of real estate development, is having a reliable partner in the residential home design field. In this blog post, we'll delve into why partnering with specialists like Houston Plans and Permits is not just an option but a necessity for achieving your real estate goals.

Why You Need a Home Design Partner

Expertise and Innovation

Designing a residential property isn't just about creating a blueprint. It requires in-depth knowledge of design trends, understanding of spatial aesthetics, and the ability to maximize utility. A home design partner brings this expertise to the table, ensuring that your project stands out.

Streamlined Project Timeline

Working with an experienced home design partner can significantly reduce the time it takes to go from...

• Houston’s Top-Rated Home Plan Designers
• Ready to Start Your Project? Contact Us Today!

Established in 2001, Houston Plans and Permits has been providing top-notch custom design services to both home builders and clients for two decades. Having been in the industry for more than 20 years, we’ve garnered loads of experience with not only home plans in general, but also with Houston houses in particular. Today, we are going to share with you some of the reasons why you should choose Houston Plans and Permits for your next home design project. Continue reading to learn more, and contact us today to schedule an appointment!

2020 is rapidly coming to an end (whew), but if you’re looking into creating a house floor plan for a new home, you may want to consider current trends before you get started. It’s tricky to predict what’s to come as far as house plans go, but we’ll provide a recap of some of the current preferences. While you don’t have to base your entire floor plan off of these ideas, it can be a great source of inspiration, as well as a guide for some things to consider when creating your own unique floor plan. This week’s Houston Plans & Permit will talk about what’s in as far as popular trends in architectural design, which will hopefully provide some helpful guidance for you.

If the American dream 60 years ago was to own a house, today’s American dream includes being able to design and build the house. There’s nothing quite like being able to look through house plans and pick one, watch the construction process, and be able to live in a home that is brand new and one that you had a hand in designing.

Building a house is an exciting, yet daunting task. For homeowners, it’s a wonderful opportunity to build a home and to be able to live in a house that no one else has lived in before. Adding on to your existing home is also exciting. Whether it’s another bedroom, a sunroom, or a deck, you can create a space that makes your home bigger! One of the daunting and challenging parts of building a home or adding an addition, however, is the permits. When do you need a permit? Who do you talk to? What’s the process?

At Houston Plans and Permits, there’s always one thing we want to make abundantly clear to our clients — we design amazing house designs and floor plans, and we can secure building permits for you, but we are not involved in the building process. It’s a very important distinction to make, because some people equivocate house floor plan designers with architects. While there are similarities between the two, they shouldn’t be confused with each other.

Congratulations! You’re designing a home!

Designing a modern style home can be a very intimidating process, especially when deciding where to start. A great place to get started is to decide what type of home style that you want. Think about aspects such as your current lifestyle, future lifestyle, and most importantly the type of energy that you want to feel when being that home. This home is going to be the space that you are going to be in (hopefully) for a very long time, it is most important that you feel comfortable within it.

Building a new home or remodeling your existing one can be an exciting process. Sure, it can be scary since it’s such a big step, but there’s an amazing feeling to shaping and molding your property to your tastes. However, it’s important to not be reckless — when it comes to building new structures and renovating existing ones, the entire process must be meticulous, measured, and executed correctly.

It can be an exciting world of breathtaking possibilities when you have made the decision to buy a home. So many options! Do you buy new? Do you buy pre-owned? Should you design your own home? Should you invest in land? You undoubtedly have a lot of questions buzzing through your head, and that’s why it’s more important than ever to be cognizant of the facts and realities of home buying. If you are misled by incorrect information, it may cause you to neglect certain options which could be highly beneficial to you in the long-term.

If you’re like most other people, you probably don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the logistics of floor plan design. That is, after all, why companies like Houston Plans and Permits exist. The average person has no idea how to design a structure that complies with local building codes, so they leave it in the hands of professionals. In most cases, this is a very wise choice, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be cognizant of certain problems that floor plans always have!

As the owner of the Houston home you’re going to build or remodel, you’re the one that’s going to be spending your time in it, day after day, year after year, so it’s important that you have some say over the final design. With that being said, it’s valuable to know what some of the most common house floor plan mistakes are, so you can work with your home designers to ensure that these issues aren’t present in your layout.

Here are some common mistakes of house floor plans!

If you have any long-term plans to live in your home, you will inevitably reach a point where renovations and remodels start to look very attractive. It’s fun to make tasteful changes to your living space over time, and it prevents your home from feeling stale.

One of the most common areas of the home that gets extensive remodels is the garage. As home plan designers in the greater Houston area, we have handled countless garage conversion jobs, providing quality design and as-built plans.

Do you have a garage space that’s just sitting there collecting dust? Consider these fun garage conversion ideas for your Houston home!

We want our blog to be a fountain of knowledge for anyone who wishes to learn more about these things, because it’s a fairly deep subject to dive into, especially for someone who has little to no architectural education.

At Houston Plans and Permits, we specialize in creating incredible floor plans which can be used by architects, engineers, general contractors, homeowners, brokers, property managers, and more.

However, that’s not all we do. Since we’ll be writing about a wide variety of different topics related to our various services, it only seems fitting to make this blog post a basic rundown of all our services.

If you're looking to build on your property but attempting to do so without a permit, you may want to think again. That's because building without a permit may have some consequences.

A permit may be required, depending on the city you live in and the addition you're making to the property. If you're considering whether it’s worth the risk, here are a few aspects to take into account.

At some point in your life, you will consider buying a home. Maybe you currently live in an apartment or in a home that no longer fits your needs. You have two choices when it comes to your next home: building a house vs. buying and existing home.

If you want to live in an original house in Houston, then you will need to learn how to buy land and build a home.

Buying land to build a new home requires several steps. If you follow the advice below, you should find that buying land to build on is a pretty straightforward process.

You have made the decision to build your dream home, congratulations! Now's the time to nail down your design. You know basically what you need in terms of bedrooms and bathrooms, and you know some of the bells and whistles you want like an island kitchen and a fireplace. You certainly know what you DON'T want. You don't want a cookie cutter house that looks like everyone else's.

It can be extremely exciting when you decide you're going to build a brand new home -- or make extensive renovations on the one that you currently live in. Building a new house means upgraded aesthetics around you, or a more convenient, easy to use living space. However, one thing we recommend that you always do before you start building a new living space is ensure that you have the right building permits. In our experience, getting house building permits not only ensure that you're completely complying with the law -- but also that your building process will be as safe as possible. Read on to learn more about why you should get your house building permits before you ever start working.

IF YOU’RE REMODELING OR BUILDING A HOME IN HOUSTON, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR A BUILDING PERMIT.

When a home gets built or remodeled, there are many different hands that work together to get those walls up, paint applied and the door unlocked. Several people have responsibilities that must be completed in a safe, legal method for that house to become a home and pass inspections. One of the most important tasks is to submit your completed Houston house plans and pull a building permit.

PREPARING TO MEET WITH A HOME DESIGNER FOR REMODELING OR NEW HOUSE PLANS

You have finally made all the arrangements and are on your way to building your dream home. With the first meeting between you and your home designer coming up, you need to make sure you go prepared, so your dream home doesn’t become a nightmare.

A SITE PLAN ILLUSTRATES A BUILDING’S FOOTPRINT IN RELATION TO THE PROPERTY IT SITS ON AND ITS ATTRIBUTES.

When a house is properly sited, it provides a sense of belonging and a sense of place. Building sites offer a staggering variety of issues that must be dealt with when planning for a home. Dealing with water, rock, vegetation, slope, local weather, soil type, views, surrounding construction and zoning regulations can require persistence, patience, and ingenuity!

For most people, building a custom home is a dream come true. While you probably have an idea of how you want your home to look, to get the process started, a Houston house plan must be created. The planning and designing phase requires the assistance of a skilled custom home designer. This professional will work to develop a blueprint of your custom home that covers all of the details, large and small, that a builder will need to make your dream a reality.

A popular blog gives a tongue-in-cheek tour of poor design and architecture on residences throughout America. It points out the faults in over-ambitious custom home designs so that you need not make those same mistakes in your own plans for your dream home. The old saying, “You can’t argue about taste,” is true, but trust some basic design and planning rules to help deliver a beautiful, comfortable custom home.