Category: Best Home Design

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Ask Danny | Ep. 15: Fire Safety Tips Straight From the Experts

2 years ago
Author

October is National Fire Prevention Month, so this week, I’m chatting with Capt. Dwight Smith and Steven Millhouse with Mobile Fire-Rescue in Alabama about their top fire safety tips for homeowners.

Firefighters outside of a burning home
Once you’ve escaped a house fire, never go back inside to retrieve any items. (davelogan, Getty Images Signature)

Fire Safety Plan

How do you put together a fire safety plan?

Stephen: The first thing is to actually have a plan. Many don’t even consider it until an emergency happens. You want to have a plan in place especially if you have small children or elderly people living with you as well.

  • Know the sound of the smoke alarm.
  • Practice escaping the home safely.
  • Know your means of egress, whether it’s the nearest door or window if you have a multi-story home.
  • Let your children practice crawling. You can make it like a game to make it fun for them.
  • Have a safe meeting spot outside, whether it’s the mailbox, a big tree at the end of the driveway, or a neighbor’s house.
  • Get out and stay out. Don’t run back in for pets, photo albums or anything like that. Call 911 and let the professionals do their job.

Dwights: To expand on having children practice crawling, making it like a game also makes it a reality to them because it makes them familiar with what they need to do.

Direct them to feel on doors, and tell them if it feels hot, then they should go to the window.

… Read More
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Home Design Software Tips – Before You Build

2 years ago
Author

The benefits of using home design software can be unbelievable. Whether you have experience with home-building design or not, home design software can give you a pretty clear picture of what the new house is actually going to look like and this is wonderful.

1. Make sure that you understand how the software works. Take some time to read the instructions and practice using the software until you become comfortable with all of the tools and other options that are available in the program.

2. Get a couple of books on house design, to make sure that you are designing everything so that it will function and flow properly in the new house. In other words, don’t make your hallways to big and your bedrooms too small.

3. Don’t design a house with engineering problems. Your home could look marvelous on your computer, but have engineering problems. Don’t get too excited, before you actually try to figure out if the home can be built.

4. Once you have a pretty good design, you’re going to need to make sure that all of the electrical, plumbing, heating and air-conditioning systems will actually work and function well with the home design.

5. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to understand how homes are actually constructed, before you design one. I can’t tell you how many architects I have worked with, who don’t understand how homes are actually built.

If you have the house design software, design a couple of different buildings, before … Read More

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Start Your Home Design Using These Home Design Tools

2 years ago
Author

You’ve decided you want to build a new home. Where do you start? First, we suggest you purchase your land, as this will surely impact the design of your home. Second, start putting your ideas together before visiting your architect.

Start with a vision of your new home. Is there a certain architectural style you prefer? Colonial? Capes? Saltbox? Farmhouse? From there, start with the basics in home design. How many bedrooms will you need? Do you want a Master Bedroom with or without a Master Bathroom suite? Will it be located on the first or second floor? If this is a vacation home which will become your retirement home, you may prefer to have the main rooms located on the first floor for easy access in later years. Do you want a large, eat-in kitchen or a separate dining room?

Are you planning to entertain small or large groups of people in your home? Is a cathedral Great Room on your list of priorities? Will you need a living room or media room separate from your Great Room? Do you have a specific hobby or interest that requires a separate room or area?

Compare all of these areas with your current home. Does the space you have now fit your needs? Write down the measurements of your space and then mark whether or not the space is adequate. Wherever possible, look for areas to reduce the living space. For instance, if you have a large laundry room now and … Read More