Design a Best-Selling House Plan

Create the Next Best-Selling House Plan with
This Old House and The House Designers Design Competition

Are you a professional residential designer? Would you like to challenge yourself by creating a home that offers everything today's homeowners want? We're The House Designers, one of the leading stock house plan providers on the web, and we've recently partnered with This Old House, of renovation fame, in order to offer their followers the opportunity to build homes tailored to their needs. Our house plan collection includes a wide range of architectural styles and designs, but we're in search of fresh perspectives that will be coveted by consumers and builders across the U.S and Canada.

We invite you to submit your residential design entry by (DATE) using this form. The judging panel will consist of independent residential architects from across the country, design industry professionals, and the experts at This Old House.

Submissions Must Include

• 4 elevations (front, rear, and two side elevations)
• Floor plans including dimensions
• A descripton of the family you designed your home for and how it fits their needs

Finalists and winning entries will receive professional, photo realistic digital renderings (free of charge) of the interior and exterior as well as prime exposure on The House Designers' and This Old House's sites and social media channels.

Winners will be required to produce code compliant 1/4" scale CAD construction drawings within two to three weeks of the announcement, which should include: Basic electric layouts, structural information, cross sections, roof plans, foundations, cabinet layouts and elevations, as well as general specifications, and detailed, dimensioned floor plans. Plans must also meet current 2015 IRC. (SAMPLE)

Prizes

The winners will receive the following prize money after drawings are completed. In addition, plans will be marketed and sold on our sites with a competitive commission rate.

• 1st Place - $5,000
• 2nd Place - $3,000
• 3rd Place - $2000

The Competition

We're interested to see what you have to offer! While homes should be tailored to include the specific features below, the competition is very open-ended. Homes can be of any dimensions, designed for any locale, and in any style. We'd love to see aspects old and new, perhaps classic architecture with a modern twist, something that lives large but is cost-effective to build and considers a balance of aesthetic and functional features to make your design fresh and unique!

A few things to keep in mind:

• Aspiring homeowners are looking for good investments—they are committed to their choice and less likely to plan for multiple moves in the future (think universal design)
• You may design for any demographic
• Affordability should be considered as many consumers are searching midsize designs
• Families want homes with a variety of shared and private spaces (den, playroom, etc.)
• Floor plans should be flexible to transition as needs change
• Fully loaded master suites (double vanity, separate tub and shower, water closet, and separate his-and-her walk-in closets) especially impress potential buyers
• Storage/organized space is highly coveted along with mudrooms and easy access laundry rooms
• Energy-efficient designs, despite their higher costs upfront, attract consumers with promises of lower bills
• There is increasing interest in homes that merge elements of multiple architectural styles, such as modern farmhouses, Craftsman, bungalow-style ranches, etc.

Rules

Please be mindful of these rules:

• Each entrant/firm may submit one plan
• Work must be your own or that of your company
• Previously published house plans are ineligible for submission
• All entry documents must be in a single PDF (minimum 11" x 17" page size) with clear identifying information on each page in the lower right corner (DOWNLOAD EXAMPLE)
• Incomplete submissions will not be judged
• Winning entries will be exclusive to The House Designers and This Old House for two years

SUBMIT