The Cottage Collection

Available for sale soon. 

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The collection includes a variety of house plans all under 600 square feet, 2 bedrooms |2 bathrooms.

Each home features a front porch as well as a back porch or deck creating  both an indoor-outdoor lifestyle & a small town atmosphere where quality time with family, friends and neighbors is cherished.

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Modern Farmhouse Design Your Way! 3 Design Options Now Available

The Modern Farmhouse Plan is now available in 3 different design options!

DESIGN 1: 890 sq ft, House only. Exterior Finishes include Board & Batten, EIFS system,
white panels and trim, white windows & window trim, Galvalume metal roof
(silver/gray finish).

DESIGN 2: same materials & finishes as Design 1 with an added single car garage and breezeway. The house is 902 sq ft & includes a kitchen door to access the breezeway to the garage.

DESIGN 3: 902 sq ft all-white house with a single car garage and breezeway. Exterior Finishes include white Board & Batten for both floors, white panels and trim, black windows w/ white window trim, black metal roof, & includes a kitchen door to access the breezeway to the garage.

Need some extra customization?  Modification Services are now available for all plans. Please contact us to receive a quick quote.

Read more about these design options over at the shop







Flyer for The Modern Farmhouse Plan. Text reads "The Modern Farmhouse Plan, Farmhouse Design Your Way. Now Available in 3 Design Options: 890 or 902 SQ FT House, Garage & Breezeway Option, Exterior Finishes Options" 3D rendering shown for all 3 design options.

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Why the House Plan you buy should include much more than you think it should…

So why exactly should your house plan include much more than you think it should? and what is included in most House Plans anyway?

Well, here at Small House Works, we recognize that most people need a little extra help in visualizing the potential of the home they are about to build.

This is why we go the extra mile by providing much more than basic floor plans & standard construction details like most house plans out there.

All of our house plans include useful extras to help the homeowner with their house build from start through fruition!

Continue reading below to find out why the House Plan you buy should include much more than you think it should…

Graphic titled "Why the House Plan you buy should include much more than you think it should". Images below text of interior rendering by Small House Works showing a sample Master Suite, Modern open concept interior rendering, and Modern Industrial open concept interior rendering. Text at bottom reads: smallhouseworks.com

When you purchase one of our small house plans you receive lots of extras including:

  • 3D exterior renderings showing all elevations of the house for homeowner reference.
  • 3D interior renderings of every room to help the homeowner visualize the space properly.  
  • All major construction details provided in 3D.  These crystal clear details will ensure accurate interpretation of the plans by your builder.  No clarification questions and no costly mistakes.
  • Full specifications of all construction materials and exterior materials and finishes such as siding, roofing, windows and doors, decking and railings, and lighting.  We strive to keep all construction materials as eco-friendly/sustainable as possible!
  • Full specifications of all architectural materials pictured in the interior renderings such as complete kitchen & bathroom material specs, lighting, flooring, staircase and railings, paint colors, closets & other storage solutions, and appliances). We also give our customers an 8.5″ x 11″ printable pdf document listing all of these recommended materials for easy homeowner reference.  This is especially useful in helping our customers get a quick jump start with material quotes and in making alternate decisions based on personal style and budget.

 

  • Some of our future house plans will have quantity take-offs with national average construction materials costs available.  This enables the homeowner (if doing a self-build) or the owner’s builder, to submit the take-offs to multiple supply houses for materials quotes in a quick and efficient way. We always recommend a few quotes be obtained for materials as well as for contractor bids (read our post “How to get the best construction cost for your home” here).

  • Purchasing a “Study Plan” from us is a good way to get a feel for construction costs prior to building with a house plan.  This enables a builder to give the homeowner a ballpark estimate & determine if the house plan is the right fit even before purchasing the plans.

So, as you can see, working with a set of House Plans is certainly an affordable way to build a house today.  But be aware that a very basic set of plans just including floor plans and 2D elevations and construction details can often leave the buyer confused and not knowing what to do next.  The first crucial steps in building a home will always include some work on the new homeowner’s part but with fully detailed house plans one can get a great jump start in the right direction.

 

We hope you now agree that the house plan you buy should include way more than you think it should! 

Read more about our AVAILABLE HOUSE PLANS OR VISIT THE SHOP PAGE HERE to see our competitive pricing and current sales.

Below is a sample gallery of the type of 3d renderings you will receive with your House Plan purchase with Small House Works

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How to get the best construction cost for your new house

So you have a set of plans for your new house and you have no idea what to do next…

Whether you have purchased pre-drawn (or “stock”) house plans online or you have worked with a design professional you are, first of all, going to want to simply sit down, roll out those plans, and read them thoroughly for yourself. Now, you may not understand all the technical details but you will certainly gain a general enough familiarity with the design by doing this. You will also learn some construction language which will make you feel more confident when speaking with your contractor throughout the building process. Our goal here is to put you at ease and give you the confidence to take on a house build. New House projects are taken on every day by people just like you. You’ve got this. Here at Small House Works, we have over 30 years combined experience in the Construction Industry so trust us when we say, the next steps we’re about to talk about are arguably the most crucial in the entire process.  

We’re talking about getting a construction cost you feel comfortable with and finding a contractor you feel comfortable with.

Let’s get into it…

image of architecture plans unrolled with text How to get the best construction cost for your new house, from the blog series "Building with a House Plan"

 

The following is a general step by step guide to help you get started:

 

Obtain at least 3-4 competitive bids from Contractors

The bid should include:

  • At the very least a minimum itemized breakdown of the project costs i.e. excavation work, concrete work, rough carpentry (framing), finish carpentry (mill work, etc), plumbing, electrical, mechanical, tile work, sheet rock/tape & spackle, insulation, roofing, siding, doors & windows and hardware, floor finishes, and so on. Since you will be comparing the bids you receive it’s important that the Contractors are itemizing exactly the same way. To ensure you receive bids you can easily compare we recommend using a simple “Bid Form”. Basically, a Bid Form is an itemized list of all the major components of a construction project. The Bid Form requests that the Contractor bidding on the job provide a cost breakdown for each of the components.
  • Obtain at least 5 references from past projects of similar scope. It’s important that the Contractor you hire has good working knowledge in Residential Construction.
  • The contractors should receive the construction documents (plans) from Owner electronically (pdf). Serious Contractors should not have a problem with printing/paying for a set of documents for their own use during the bidding process.
  • Contractors bidding on the project should be made aware by the Owner that a Construction & Payment Schedule will be required upon signing the Contract. An approximate indication of how long the project will take to be completed should be included in the Contractors Bid.

Here is a Sample General Bid Form 

  You may alter or amend it to suit your needs.   It can be a lot more detailed and complicated if your project requires it to be, for example, a line item for a cost per linear foot of copper piping or a cost per cubic yard of concrete.  


 

  • Obtain at least 5 references from past projects of similar scope. It’s important that the Contractor you hire has good working knowledge in Residential Construction.
  • The contractors should receive the construction documents (plans) from Owner electronically (pdf). Serious Contractors should not have a problem with printing/paying for a set of documents for their own use during the bidding process.
  • Contractors bidding on the project should be made aware by the Owner that a Construction & Payment Schedule will be required upon signing the Contract. An approximate indication of how long the project will take to be completed should be included in the Contractors Bid.
  • For each payment installment, a notarized “Partial Release of Lien” Form is to be submitted to the Owner by the Contractor and all Sub Contractors related to the indicated payment. The Partial Release of Lien Form is directly related to the Payment Schedule and the Owner should always have this in-hand before handing over a check payment. The Partial Release of Lien Form offers protection in the event a Contractor or Sub Contractor claims he or she has not been paid. This form is supplied by the Owner & should be included in the contract documents.

Here is a Sample Partial Release of Lien which, like the Bid Document, you may alter or amend to suit your needs. 


 

REVIEWING THE SUBMITTED BIDS

  • Ask questions! Address differences in contractor bids, compare apples to apples, be cautious of numbers that appear very low or very high. Large differences between bids or in individual line items should set off an alarm.   Who knows, it may just be a simple typo that needs correcting.  Do not be afraid to ask.
  • Remember,  you are in the driver’s seat &  it’s your money… so negotiate to get the costs where you need them to be while maintaining the integrity of the design.  

THE SIGNING OF THE CONTRACT

  • By now, you’ve crunched all the numbers, asked all the questions, and chosen the best fitting Contractor for your house build. You should be happy with the quote you received and have a good rapport with the Contractor.
  • Make sure your selected Contractor is properly licensed and insured. Average Contractor Liability Insurance for Residential Projects is $1,000,000. This is a good time for you as the Homeowner to also consider additional insurance for coverage during the construction process i.e. damage, theft, liability. Speak to your Insurance provider about your options.
  • The Contract documents package should consist of a finalized contract supplied by the Contractor with reference to the Bid Form & a List of Drawings from the Construction Documents, a finalized Construction Schedule & Payment Schedule from the Contractor, Insurance documents from the Contractor, & the Partial Release of Lien Document supplied by the Owner. All documents should be referred to in the contract that you will be signing. These individual documents associated with the Contract are generally titled referred to in the Contract as “Exhibit A”, “Exhibit B” and so on.
  • The initial payment to the Contractor will be due upon signing of the contract. This amount is typically 10-15% of the project & it should be indicated in His/Her Contract. This payment is known as “Mobilization”. The payment will allow the Contractor to place orders for some initial supplies and materials needed to get the project going (Mobilized). The first notarized Partial Release of Lien should be supplied to the Owner from the Contractor at this time.

 


We hope you can see from this post that these initial steps are crucial! Hiring the right Contractor & taking your time to do this part of the process correctly can help alleviate a lot of the stress of the unknown you are about to embark on.

It’s very important that you feel comfortable going into your house build.

 

Has this information helped answer questions you have about the bidding process? We would love to hear what you have to say.


Are you looking for a House Plan to jump-start the process?

Why not consider one of our pre-drawn/stock house plans?

Just check out our “Designs” page here on our website.

 


Coming up next in this Blog Series…..

We’ll get into some alternate ways to manage the building of your new house.  From how to act as your own General Contractor to taking on the job of Construction Manager (and potentially saving a ton of money in the process!) Are you up for the task?


 

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The Modern Farmhouse Plan

THE MODERN FARMHOUSE PLAN

The Modern Farmhouse is truly Timeless Design for 21st century living. This small home lives large in a smart, energy efficient way. Designed with Green, Sustainable materials, this home sits comfortably in the landscape whether it’s on acreage or a small suburban lot.  

  • 890-910 square feet
  • 2 bedrooms/2 bathrooms
  • Loft Master Suite with private bathroom & terrace
  • Full Attic Storage above Master Suite
  • Under Staircase Pull-Out Storage System
  • Open Concept Floor Plan with Cathedral Ceiling
  • Framing includes 2 x 6 Wall Studs, 2 x 12 Roof Rafters for increased Thermal Insulation
  • Wifi-ready elements for Smart Home Integration

The Modern Farmhouse Plan is available in 3 different design options!

DESIGN 1: 890 sq ft, House only. Exterior Finishes include Board & Batten, EIFS system,
white panels and trim, white windows & window trim, Galvalume metal roof
(silver/gray finish).

DESIGN 2: same materials & finishes as Design 1 with an added single car garage and breezeway. The house is 910 sq ft & includes a kitchen door to access the breezeway to the garage.

DESIGN 3: 910 sq ft all-white house with a single car garage and breezeway. Exterior Finishes include white Board & Batten for both floors, white panels and trim, black windows w/ white window trim, black metal roof, & includes a kitchen door to access the breezeway to the garage.  Pictured above (correction: the plan is 910 sf).

Special Features: eco-friendly and energy-efficient design, cathedral ceilings, loft master suite with private terrace, under staircase pull- out storage, wardrobe closet designs kitchen design, bathroom designs, materials & finishes guide to help you get building quickly & much more!

Need some extra customization?  Modification Services are available for all plans. Please contact us to receive a quick quote. 

Purchase the Modern Farmhouse Plan HERE

 

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