Question About William Poole Plans

9 years ago

We have found a plan we like by William Poole Designs, but I'd just like to ask a question first. If you've looked at those plans, does it seem like the photographs of the houses are slightly different than the renderings? I know they will be slightly, but it seems as if the actual photographed homes (most but not all) are just a little "blah" after looking at the rendering. I can't put my finger on what it is, exactly. I don't know if it is building materials, size of windows, roof pitch, or what. If you've looked at these plans (any of them) and noticed the same thing, can you please weigh in. I really like the floor plan we've found and there is no photo to compare it to, unfortunately, but I want to make sure it is going to look as good as the drawing.

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Comments (5)

ILoveRed
9 years ago
I agree with you. Some are very nice but a lot of them seem "boxy".
Edward Maciorowski
4 years ago
William Poole plans do not translate well into built homes unless you have the right builder and money to finish them. People cheese out on all the details and expect them to look the same.
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Annette Holbrook(z7a)
4 years ago
We built a William Poole plan in 1996. We made one significant change in that the main floor had 8ft ceilings, we upped it to 9. We changed a few other things like opening up the family and dining room but other than that not many changes. We have loved it and didn’t have to spend a fortune to make it what we wanted.
homechef59
4 years ago
We built a William Poole plan. We ended up expanding it and I completely redesigned the kitchen, pantry laundry arrangement. Do not be afraid to modify the plan to suit your needs or lot.

One reason they look so good in renderings is professional input from designers, lighting specialists and decorators. You won't have that. They also have a high architectural detail element quotient. Those elements are costly and many will be cut when the budget numbers begin to be a factor.
nini804
4 years ago
You definitely have to pay attention to the details...drawings will have the details, but like said above...people will think, “oh, it’s just a bit of trim, I can do smaller to save $!” or “I don’t need that expensive tumbled brick with special mortar, regular will do.”

Before we built nine years ago, we looked at a William Poole designed home in our area. It was very large, but I vividly remember being underwhelmed with it. The baseboards and crown molding were not impressive, and I remember thinking how skimpy the bannister felt when I was walking down the stairs. The owners had the original plans on the counter, and the home was proudly marketed as a William Poole designed home...but like you said...the actual execution looked nothing like the architectural rendering.

I think what happens is that the builders take these plans, suggest ways to cut costs to the owner, owner doesn’t know any better, and ta da...that’s why there’s a disconnect. I really think it makes a huge difference when the architect is actively involved in the process.