Im thinking about building a new house. I have basic ideas on what I want but dont have the exact sizes and material/construction type decided. Price dependent. I am leaning tword a 2 story high barn finished out to live in. That could be pole barn stick built, or steel building.

2 stories becuse its cheaper to go up and kids rooms. Main floor wide doors (wheelchair access) open concept zero entry shower and tub. House designed around a huge kitchen(life of the house at least in my house)

Anyway anyone that's built what tools did you use to design it and what did you learn and would do differently?

Drew my plans by hand. Make the utility room 2X what you want. Made the porch deck all concrete so no maintenance.

Some paper and pencils is a really good start, use the house you live in now as a reference and change what you don’t like if you need to add overall size to the house, I would never build directly on a concrete slab I would put some type of crawl space so changes can be made.

If money were not a consideration it would have a full walkout basement with 9" ceiling, With steel I beams and bar joist, galvanized decking and poured concrete with radiant heat for the main floor. Would be solid secure i could still access it even if I end up in a chair and noise between floors would be very limited. But balancing my desire with finances. Is a big let down.

Sad part is I can do the work myself or at least have the know how even if the ability may be not what it once was

Make sure your master BR is on the 1st floor, 3 foot doors and halls if you have them...yes on the ez entry shower, only a few steps to get into the house, or put a ramp in now, maybe for the back door, we did that for my wife if and when she needs a chair...
Hand holds in the bathroom, comfort height toilet. Keep kitchen wall cabinets where you can reach them, not up to the ceiling...

Build 1/2 again bigger than you think you NEED!

Go to a place that sells modular houses, you can likely walk through 20 houses and decide what layout you like or don't like.

If I were you I would can the house idea and buy this red truck.

I need a red truck.

I've built a lot.
My suggestion is buy a blueprint.

So do I and it's a heck of a truck. Just a touch high for my spending at the moment.

But I need a roof on the house 22k, 26 windows kitchen and 2 baths remodeled on top of putting in new foundation. peirs to support beams to lift the house up a few inches where the 100 plus year old beams have smashed down.

So lots of $ time and work or spend that effort on a new well built and insulated House easy to heat and cool and equipped for my future mobility limitations. ( i hope won't show up or at least get any worse How is that g
for wishful thinking)

Im not even sure if im going to be able to aford to build a house if I end up not able to work.( had some times i shouldn't be driving vertigo) Im a heavy equipment operator at my plant after all .

But i need to get a plan it will take time and if i have a plan I can figure cost.


Im also enjoying the distraction taking my mind off the pins and needles in my leg and the new slight tremor in my hands.

My wife and I just built, and with wheelchair access considered, pocket doors are very nice. I put them everywhere possible. My wife has been in a chair for 20+ years, and she loves them compared to swinging doors. We also made the main floor (garage, living space, and porch) one level. Makes it very nice for chair access. This is how my big bro taught me to frame a pocket door if you're interested.

This is good advice.

Not the log house? Don't junk that.

I missed the part where you got banged up,, pain.
Skeered it might be contagious.

No that one will fall down on its own. I have not been able to find anyone that is reliable to come fix it up. Working with old log home is not something may do.

For the banged up part most part im mostly fine. Well kind of. im just having another round of weard thing going on with my body and have gotten a MS diagnosis I have been pretending I may or may not have. Not wanting to admit it. Have a few new symptom pop up along with some of the old favorites.

I worked 33 of those.
If I was younger I would
camp and work there for a price.
It's a young mans sport,
and they are, um, all too busy.

Sorry about the MS diagnosis, my wife has it and it's getting worse. You may very well go into remission for long lengths of time, which gives you time to prepare, or it may progress rapidly...every case of MS is different. A positive attitude helps, you didn't ask for this and it's from nothing you did, many people though see an apparently healthy guy or gal that can't do certain things as lazy, or drunk.... those people don't deserve to be in your life. Do what you can do now, and plan for if you can't....cause unfortunately MS doesn't get better...enjoy the things you can do and stay positive when you can't....Sorry for the bad news....

I built my house in 2002. I bought a program and designed it on my computer. It was pretty slick but I
can't remember the name of it though.

I drew it up, made changes to it and even did a video walk through. It also gave a list of all the materials
and cost right down to nails, plumbing and electrical.

I'm sure there's similar and better programs out there now.