Home Designer Suite

At first you might think the program is low budget but its not. It takes some time to get used to and figure out all the tools. Its took us about two months to figure it all out but once your passed that stage its a great program. Lots of fun building your home or even a small project. Use the online tutorial and take your time,dont rush, do a little each day and you will figure it out sooner than you think.

I have used various iterations of Home Designer in the past and for the price it gives you quite a bit. It does take a bit of time to master, but after that you can literally design a dream house. Chief Architect has several levels. With this level you can design a house with a lot of detail, furnishings, wall coverings, etc. However, you would then hand that off to an architect to create real plans for permitting and construction. Or, you can buy the Pro version ($500) and put even more time into it and create your own plans that will probably be good enough for permitting. OR, you can go with their highest level (Chief Architect) for something like $3200 and permit / build anything. With the $129 version though, you should be able to design and see your idea. It comes with more than enough features, furnishings, wall coverings, etc. to get very close to a real vision of what you are designing. In the past I have used it to plan my interior designs in my past couple of homes, and this time I am using it to design a whole house from scratch that we will build or have built. As I progress with my design, if I decide that I will build most of it, then I will upgrade to the Pro ($500 but $400 when upgrading) version to get the extra features and details required for accurate construction plans. Even this version though will give you a cost list of all of the materials (2x4s etc) to build your design. You really dont need more than this version when you are in the initial design stage. It is loaded with functionality.

3d walk through is great for visualization of the concept. Paint colors, kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, even where a t.v. might look best on a wall. I also like how it doesnt end with the inside. I can layout flower beds, trees, patios, even landscape lights. You can truly get a look at the entire property inside and out.

I dont like giving negative reviews, but I was very disappointed in this product. I am a homeowner doing a remodel that requires submitting drawings to my HOA for review and approval. Im using a bunch of Anderson windows and Chief Architect doesnt tell you that you only have access to the Anderson window library in the premium product about 5 times more expensive. The windows in the library for this product cannot be modified to match the Anderson window profiles and have oversized frames for some types. I contacted their customer service and all they did was quote me list price for their better programs, and a rental for a level that still doesnt have access to the library that I need (Anderson). Bottom line for me: lost time and money with no usable drawings.

A lot of reviewers had or have concerns about the steep learning curve of Home Designer software. I didnt. Yes I would have liked to see a more basic training video as the current one starts off fast. However, like all programs of this type you have to work with the various icons to see how they work. Within a couple of hours I had completed the layout of a new addition that I am considering. Was able to work with dimensions, moving walls, labeling, put on various door styles and everything that I needed. The information you need is somewhere and usually easy to understand.

Still learning my way through it

More furniture and kitchens equipments would be nice

This program is terrific for quick and easy layouts and for putting in lots of little details too. My wife and I will be building a retirement home and have made six versions so far, each one building upon the previous version. Were still not there, but getting close. Its easy and intuitive to use, and the users guide and online tutorials explain things extremely well. We will give the finished product to a few builders so bidding will be apples to apples. The only problem is its so much fun, Ive been up til 2, 3 or 4 in the morning playing with it! Highly recommended.

Facile dutilisation, donne de bons résultats.

Plumbing fixtures and dimensions are not available. Makes it pretty hard to plan basic space requirements. the product is quite quirky and requires multiple actions to adjust the working drawing. In hind sight, I should have purchased the more expensive product from another company. Whats more aggravating... this product is non refundable.