Everybody dreams of their own house at some point of time in their lives. Everyone has their ideal home more or less mapped out in their mind so when the time comes they just put it all down on paper. For log homes a floor plan is essential and your first decision has to be for the basic structure. Cabin style, Ranch style, Cape Cod, Traditional or a Chalet style is the variety available for you to choose from. Once this is decided then you are ready to go to the next level of making a floor plan.
You are already living in a house and there may have been many times when you wished that the layout was something different or that the counter top was placed somewhere and so on and so forth. Put all these thoughts down on paper and make sure you incorporate them in the new floor plan. Your new home is probably going to be a place where you will be living for many years. It has to be as close to perfect as you can get.
Keep in mind that all of what you plan may not come through either because of budget constraints or building laws. Invest in a low cost computer which has floor plan software and you will find your work has been made a lot easier. Beside a computer will be able to give you a bird's eye view of what you have designed and how practical or impractical it is.
Once you have the basics in place then think about what kind of rooms you want, what kind of lifestyle you will probably have and who are the people staying with you. For example if you have any elderly person staying then it makes no sense to have bedrooms on the first floor or some place where steps are involved. There is a difference between pre-designed plans and the various suppliers involved so you need to check out all that is available to fit your needs.
Now decide on how big the home is going to be. If you are planning a first floor or even half a story up then your rooms have to be arranged keeping in mind the access to the different rooms. If you plan a basement, again your floors must relate to each other vertically. All plumbing and drainage should be kept to one side of the house.
Plans that are available off the shelf allow you to move the interior walls to get the rooms to your required size. Use your existing room as a guide so you do not end up with too large or too small a room. The number of rooms would of course depend on the number of people living in the house. Think storage space and work out exactly how much you will need as this is something that is frequently found lacking.
If you are planning a loft then work it out in such a way that you get office space, guest room and living room roled into one which will greatly enhance the living space in your home. Then if you are considering a porch or a deck, ensure that it is properly integrated into the plan along with the house and you have additional space which adds to the value and the enjoyment of living.
Ideally you should surf the Internet for ideas and plans, put all your thoughts together and get a builder to see if it can all be fitted to create your perfect floor plan. This way your builder deals with the technical aspects of home building and you get your dream home as per your requirement. Could there be a better solution for the perfect floor plan for your perfect dream house? Maybe! Then again, maybe not!