Building Custom Homes – Chose Your Dream Home

Whether it’s a cottage or a chateau, advance planning makes room for pool and other pastimes in your dream home. The initial planning process of building a custom home or semi-custom residence offers a chance to incorporate the features that best suit your lifestyle.

The American home is evolving to reflect lifestyle changes. During the past 50 years, living room use has declined, replaced initially by the traditional family room. Living room size has declined and, according to the National Association of Home Builders one third of the homes built in 1999 have no living room at all. A consumer preference survey indicates that a person’s willingness to buy a home without a living room increases with household income and price they expect to pay.

The family room has evolved into the game room or great room, the new place to gather with friends and family. No longer relegated to the basement as a piece of sports equipment, the pool table has moved upstairs to become the game room centerpiece, matching and even enhancing the décor. The ideal game room reflects the interests of the owner, and the options for layout and style are endless.

Whether you decide on a custom or semi-custom home, the local NAHB chapter can help you find the contractor or builder that is right for you.

Since you are starting “from scratch”, make the room fit the pool table, not vice versa. The number-one problem is putting a table in a room that is too small. This reduces the enjoyment of the table and poses problems when the table is delivered. A pool table is a decorative as well as recreational investment. When designing a game room, think of how to get the table into the house. Tables come apart, but to eliminate the risk of damage, have your builder design wider stairwells and hallways.” The size of your game room should be at least 13’ x 16’ to accommodate a 7 foot table, 13.5’ x 17’ for an 8 foot table and 14’ x 18’ for a 9 foot table. Make sure your builder knows how the game room will be used. For instance, a support pole in the middle of the room would cramp your style. Modern construction and engineering techniques eliminate the need for support poles, which leaves room for wide-open spaces.

About The Author:

Mark Harris is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.home-n-house-plans.com. The best place to find new home plans, home designs & houseplans is the Internet.