If you are in the process of building a new home, or even have the house plans for a remodel, there are some things you may want to know about best practices just so you can keep an eye on your contractors.

Not sure about what you need to know about getting the right foundation in place for your new home? We've put together this check list of considerations as a homeowner to talk about with your builder as to the future foundation for your home.

People today know that they want efficiency and simplicity when it comes to home automation. The smart home of the future is with automated systems is here to stay. Smart home technology is convenient, and this state-of-the-art market is growing from Wi-Fi thermometers to automated kitchen appliances and air conditioners.

Heating and Cooling Dos Don’ts in Your House Plan

Fact: A majority of homeowners made changes to the plan while building their new home. We look at popular modifications and the options to modify your house plan - when considering minor modifications.

Typically, floor plans on blueprint construction drawings are an overhead view of each floor of the completed house. Note parallel lines that scale at whatever width the walls are required to be. The dimensions are drawn between the walls to specify wall lengths and room sizes. Note the locations for fixtures such as water heaters, sinks or furnaces. Along the walls and dimensions there are often notes that specify the construction method, or finish and symbols to reference cross sections and electrical.

Today for practical use, home builders can actually use 3D printing to print out a 3D house plan thanks to The Plan Collection (http://www.theplancollection.com).

It's time to start thinking about raising that roof. With over 20,000 house plans waiting to be built, The Plan Collection is ready to help you get started. As an extra incentive, we are offering 10% off all house plans now through 7/31/13.

So it's kinda scary to hire someone to modify your house plans... well, we're here to help. First of all, you may not even need to hire someone.

So you're looking for a house plan to build your new home, right? Well, where do you even begin?! Building your own home is exciting, but you want to start things off right by getting the right house plan.