House design packages

[zax]

We'll be building a new house next year - already bought the plot now just trying to work out the rest

Can anyone recommend a software package for doing house/garden layouts, experimenting with different dimensions and generally working to scale? Current options are powerpoint and visio which I think are less than ideal...

[stuh]

I've used PUNCH professional home design.

Pretty good and inexpensive


www.punchsoftware.com/pro.htm

[TheExcession]

IMSI Floorplan 3D is pretty good - I think they're upto Version 8 now and it costs unbder a ton if I remember correctly.

[arcturus]

I use Arcon - very flexible, but not cheap. Don't know how it compares with the others.

www.3darchitect.co.uk/3darchitect/arcon/index.htm

[cirks]

stuh said:

I've used PUNCH professional home design. Pretty good and inexpensive

also bought the Architectural Series 18 package (which includes the house design, landscaping, custom cabinet programs too. Some very annoying features but very good for the money. Buy it from Amazon for apprx £54 compared with most at £80

[meeja]

A sizeable extension project to Meeja Mansions is currently under discussion (Basically, she wants a two storey extension to our 3 bed detached corner plot)

Are there any decent freeware or shareware design programmes? (I will happily pay for a decent bit of software, but at this stage I am just bouncing a few design ideas around..... na dif I can do these eaarly ideas for free then so much the better!)