General Information
Monte Smith Designs will create a home plan that will fit your lifestyle, home site dimensions, elevation style, or whatever other aspects your home building wish list contains, including budget.
Monte Smith Designs is a design/build company that is located in Hawaii, and the Montgomery County / Lake Conroe area north of Houston, Texas.
The typical cost of a new home designs starts at $1.35 cents per total square foot drawn which would include total living area, garages, porta cochere, porches, decks, storage rooms, and/or future and unfinished rooms. Design cost will vary according to the complexity of design and for additional design pages created, whether for foundations, basements, or interior and exterior details drawn.
The process will begin with an initial meeting between Monte Smith Designs and the client to review plan ideas, as well as all steps that must be followed in the design process. The initial meeting will include a quote for cost per square footage that will eventually be charged to the project. The preliminary process is initiated with a $1,500 down payment that will go toward the ending balance that is due after total cost. Now the design phase is allowed to begin, and further contract prices will be quoted, with payment breakdowns in increments of work to be completed.
The 4 Steps
1. Preliminary Design
A preliminary meeting will take place to discuss design ideas, sketches, or from a Monte Smith Designs stock plan. These plans can contain any layout of your dream home, as well as any creative ideas the customer chooses to incorporate. Monte will then take these ideas and create the basic design concept. A survey of the lot and location of the home will need to be provided before the building begins. After the down payment is met, the process can begin. Monte will draw up a schematic floor plan to scale, with design ideas for the front elevation that will be reviewed at a subsequent meeting. Once the preliminary designs have been accepted and approved, the next stage will start after the second payment is received.
2. Elevations and Electrical
After approval of preliminary designs, suggested electrical pages and all elevations are drawn and reviewed for approval.
3. Final Construction Drawings
After approval of all floor plans, elevations and suggested electrical; Monte will draw a complete set of construction plans that will include detailed floor plans, elevations, suggested electrical, foundation footprints, and the plat of the house as it will set on the property, showing driveway and sidewalks. The building contractor and all trades can use this final set in the building of the home.
Philosophy and Perspective
Monte Smith’s idea of designing a home is to combine the most efficient use of materials and space, while maintaining the highest level of energy efficiency possible. In addition, he strives to create a style that falls within the design perimeters of existing types of designs, while following examples of designers such as Frank Lloyd Wright, who established the credo, “form follows function”.
Monte encourages his clients to take every opportunity to challenge his creativity by incorporating the latest innovations into a home design. The overall beauty of a home is enhanced by certain design elements that allow for the uninterrupted flow of light, creating a warm and comfortable atmosphere that can transform a mere house into the home of your dreams. These elements represent the “form” that Frank Lloyd Wright transformed into works of art. Monte Smith Designs strive to achieve that same level of artistry, with graceful lines in the exterior treatment of eves, windows, and roof lines, each of which will add depth and beauty to the overall appearance of the home. Inside features will give warmth and depth to all living spaces, through the use of open rooms, high ceilings and oversized windows to allow increased sunlight.
Creating a custom home design requires both art and skill. Monte will design a home to fit your individual building site, your lifestyle needs and your building budget. Remember, “Creativity makes a difference”.
