1. What is the advantage of buying a House Plan Package (HPP) from youplan.com?
"This organisation pride itself on the quality of its designs. However this doesn't come at a price, as the way our Virtual Office (VO) has been set up saves us cost, which we pass on to you. On average this saving is close to 50% on normal architect's fees. The process can also be very quick, which can be a saving in 'interest and rentals', as your plans are ready to be e-mailed, as soon as you purchase them."
2. What is the price for each HPP, and what is included in this price and when is payment due?
"All prices quoted are in US dollars and are as stipulated on the specification sheet on the plans page of this website. There are no hidden cost! It includes one HPP of your choice e-mailed to a destination of your choice. (The drawing send will be in Auto CAD LT exported in dxf. format and zipped.) Payment is due before we can e-mail your HPP. Once you have ordered, we will send you an invoice via e-mail, with all the necessary banking details and payment procedures on it."
3. Can I ask for changes to my HPP, for instance to add a room or to change finishes?
"Changes to the HPP must be done by your local architect or drafter. Youplan.com sells this package as is."
4. After I have received my HPP, what will be my next step?
"We will e-mail your HPP to you or to your preferred e-mail destination for instance a local architect, engineer or draftsman. They can print it out for you to finalise the design, so that they can prepare the necessary drawings for council approval and for builders to tender from. They can also advise you about builders in the area and once you have council approval and a committed builder the building work can commence."
5. Once I have ordered, how long will it take before I can start building and when will the house be ready?
"This will be influenced by for instance the time it will take to prepare your drawings for local council approval, the actual time to get council approval, the tender process and program of your builder, the availability of building materials, weather conditions, just to name a few."
6. Are there any guarantees that Ii can rely on, for instance to cover my payment, or to cover the integrity of the architectural or structural design?
"Ownership laws apply. Once you have paid for your HPP you are entitled to own one package and to use this package. We endeavor to send, or to resend if necessary this package by e-mail to you in 24 hours. Since this is a global product, your house plan will be scrutinised by applicable councils to see if it complies with your local laws and regulations. This will most probably entail that you will need a local engineer to approve the structural design as well as a local architect or draftsman to approve the architectural design. On the other hand, Copyright laws apply, and this HPP only gives you the right to build one house, except if you have written consent from youplan.com to build more than one house."
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