If you are a novice builder, using basic building plans is probably the best way to go in your first few projects. It'll give you an experience in woodworking and it will give you a taste of the building process that's bound give you more confidence to tackle more complicated projects should you wish to pursue the craft.
I still remember the first couple of times I ever built something. If I remember those projects correctly, it was not even noteworthy. I was ushered into the world of woodworking gradually. With every basic repair I did around the house, with every time I needed to use my saw and hammer to build a simple woodworking piece, I became better at the craft. And then, before I knew it, I was already building furniture piece by piece.
But then, that's just me. Your circumstance may vary with mine but if you are looking for some basic building plans, here are some things you need to look for in choosing the best plan:
Materials List
You need to start by making sure that the plan gives a list of all the things you will need in order to build the project. Even during the planning stage, you will need this complete list.
In most cases, you will need this list because, if you're like most people, you need to work with a certain budget in mind. So then, a list of materials is imperative for you to determine if your budget allows you to procure the materials needed.
Furthermore, I always consider it a good practice to prepare all the materials you're going to need before you even begin building. This way, you would not run into the problem of having the materials unavailable to you for whatever reasons, during the course of construction.
Clear and Step by Step Instruction
Even until now, I still consider plans with thorough yet, simple and easy to understand instructions the best of plan all. The instruction has to be laid out with all the bases covered so as to avoid confusion on the part of the builder.
I've often seen plans with very vague instruction. And I tell you, a plan like that is a surefire recipe for disaster in the hands of novice builder. You would not want to use that kind of plans and be sucked into never-ending headache and confusion.
Illustration
Illustrations and images are indicator of good quality plans. Most easy to implement plans I've ever used has diagrams and images. Images help you understand instructions visually.
Beside, if given the choice of being shown how to do a particular thing as opposed to being given instruction on how to do the same thing, I'm sure most of us agree that we understand more the process if we're given some form of demonstration. For the most part, this is the vital role that images play in basic building plans.