Author(s): Larry W Garnett

Art & Design

Every new house begins with a dream--and a home plan. For the buyer, it's often a frightening proposition to commit a lifetime of savings to a two-dimensional drawing that's difficult to interpret and challenging to visualize. Will the space meet the particular needs of the people who will call it home? Is the plan well designed? Will it, indeed, be the realization of the buyer's dream, or does it hold the makings of a nightmare? Larry W. Garnett, a home plan designer for 30 years, knows the dilemma of the buyer. In "Home Plan Doctor" he makes basic design principles accessible to buyers, explaining in clear language how to navigate every stage of the process, from selecting a plan to evaluating the suitability of the design room-by-room, and, finally, requesting needed modifications. Using sample floor plans and watercolor illustrations from readily available plans, this book is a practical guide for everything from where to place the kitchen island for optimal traffic flow to how to evaluate the effect of the roof pitch on the overall proportions of the house. Garnett doesn't overlook the basics either, with sections on what to look for in a building site, how to read a basic floor plan, and what to expect when you order the "blueprints," or construction documents. Whether purchasing a stock plan or working with an architect, every buyer of a design for a new home or addition will find this indispensable handbook worth the purchase price many times over -- especially when that dream home is fully realized.