Of course, you want your own home. The big decision: should you buy an existing home or build a one from plans? Before you decide to build, here is what you need to know. Then think it through, plan and organize each step, and prepare to be an active participant.

You have been planning your dream home for some time, but now you have to think about how you are going to pay for it. Overwhelmed? You shouldn’t be. Following this step-by-step guide to budgeting makes the process that much easier.

What happens when even the “best” apartment gets too cramped for you and your family? Is it time for that dream house with a lovely porch and garden? But wait … before you buy or build, consider these points as you embark on this challenging and exciting journey.

You’re searching through pre-designed house plans to find your dream home, but you find you are having trouble conjuring a mental picture of the inside of the home from floor plans. Here are some tips on how to better visualize the finished product as you peruse home plans.

You’ve successfully searched through pre-designed house plans to find your dream home. Now it’s time to build. Will you hire a general contractor to build your house or manage the job yourself? Here are tips to help you hire and work with contractors no matter which way you go.

You’re searching through pre-designed house plans to find your dream home. But the dotted lines, symbols, and shapes you are seeing confuse you. How do they translate into the living space you are looking for? Here are tips to help you understand what you’re looking at.

You’ve searched through pre-designed house plans to find your dream home, and now it’s built and ready for you to move in. Here’s some useful advice on how to be sure that you’re happy with the condition of the new house and your move will go as smoothly as possible.

The arrival of Columbus Day inspired us to celebrate another famous Italian, architect Andrea Palladio. Discovered when he was 30 years old and brought to Rome from Vicenza, Palladio’s concepts of balance, harmony, and classic design had a powerful impact on American—and worldwide—architecture.

What is it about Halloween that makes children and adults await its arrival with excitement? It’s not all about frightening images of haunted houses, ghosts, goblins, and witches—or candy and costumes. With Halloween fast approaching, here are fun facts about the holiday, which dates back to the ancient Celts.

In the midst of the 21st century’s second decade, our lifestyles lead us to open floorplan living, technology affects us in profound ways, and even our pets demand more of our attention. House designers are responding to these changes, as you can see in our latest annual list of design trends.