Tag

home designer

Top Home Improvement Projects to Build Equity and Increase Value


A render of the silverton sample plan designed in Chief Architect Software.

Phillip Gibney Profile Image By Phillip Gibney

For many, a home is not just a place to live, it’s also a way to build wealth and financial security. A common strategy for millions of homeowners looking to increase their home’s value is to complete home improvement projects. When considering which projects to pursue, estimating the project’s return on investment (ROI) early in the planning process is essential.  The ROI for a given home improvement project helps predict how much your home value might increase based on how much money you spend on the project. This is important because it can help you prioritize which home improvement projects to undertake based on your goals.  For example, if you spend $30,000 on a home project and this project increases the long-term value of your home by $30,000, then the ROI is 100%; however, if it increases the value of your home by $15,000, the ROI will only be 50% and may have you reprioritizing your list of home improvement projects. In this article, we will discuss home improvement projects that consistently have the best ROI and learn how 3D home design software can help ensure your next project is a success.

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What AI is Saying about Chief Architect


The front exterior elevation of a modern home with a shed roofs

Author, Kerry Hansen by Kerry Hansen & Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere right now and being in the tech industry, we wanted to see what it had to say about Chief Architect Software so we asked ChatGPT, “Why should I buy Chief Architect Software?” and these results which came up in a matter of minutes.

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Designing Custom Homes: An Intricate Puzzle with a Few Surprises


The exterior rendering of a large home with grand entrance, stone work, and wooden shutters.

Author, Kerry Hansen by Kerry Hansen

Karen Hamilton has been a Chief Architect Home Designer customer since the early 1990s, designing custom homes in the greater Houston and Upper Texas coast since 1978. Recently, Karen won an international design contest, and her tool of choice is Home Designer Professional.

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Comparing Chief Architect Premier and Home Designer Pro


Chief Architect Home Design Software

Phillip Gibney Profile Image By Phillip Gibney

Chief Architect Software is a leading software developer that focuses solely on home design software. Chief Architect Software offers two product lines: Chief Architect for design professionals and Home Designer Software for DIY home enthusiasts. If you are an industry professional looking for a design program or using Home Designer Software, you may have questions about the differences between our two software lines and the advantages of the Chief Architect line.

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3D Viewer App: A New Way for Builders and Designers to Engage and Communicate their 3D design with Clients


3 Steps to upload plan to 3d Viewer, 3D plan pointing to Ipad

Phillip Gibney Profile Image By Phillip Gibney

Your clients want to see more than a floor plan and elevation, right?  Renderings help; but, what about a 3D model they can experience and virtually interact with?  Export and share your designs using the Chief Architect 3D Viewer.  With the 3D Viewer, they can view the design and model on their phone, tablet or computer – it’s a free app we developed exactly for sharing your designs with your clients.

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Winning Home Design With the Perfect Southern Porch


Cottage home with white pillars, a blue front door and a wrap-around porch.

Author, Kerry Hansen By Kerry Hansen

“Front porches are where memories are made!”

Bobby McFadden, a photographer from South Carolina, won 1st place in the Chief Architect Residential Design Contest. His grand front porch design is truly an extension of the home, showcasing Bobby’s passion for indoor-outdoor Southern living.

Bobby McFadden of Ridgeway, South Carolina is a photographer by trade. To Bobby, residential design is a hobby that he picked up about 20 years ago when, as a teen, he bought a copy of Chief Architect’s Home Designer Software at his local hardware store. He recalls the feeling of possibility that owning this software offered him: a feeling that he carries with him today.

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April’s Residential Design Contest Winners


Chief Architect Design Contest with a technical illustration of a home design.

Jennifer Collin’s Award-Winning Kitchen uses Color to Evoke Emotion


Open concept kitchen with large blue island, white cabinets, and wood countertops.

Jerry Heckendorn Places First with His Craftsman Style Addition


Layout sheet of a residential second story addition and interior remodel.

By Emily Black

Jerry wins 1st place in the Chief Architect Remodel/Addition Design Contest. His level of detail and craftsmanship show his passion and experience.

Jerry Heckendorn
Jerry Heckendorn

“Soon to be 63 years old, I was born and raised in the Detroit Metropolitan area.  After high school, I attended the University of Michigan, graduating in 1980 from the School of Architecture with my Bachelor of Science in Architecture.  Shortly after graduation, I married my beautiful and brilliant high school sweetheart, Debbie, who often helps me when I’m struggling with project designs… and is also my best critic (soon to be celebrating our 39th anniversary!). 

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12-Year-Old Christian Dewitt’s Award-Winning Spa Bathroom


Small, rectangular bathroom with a waterfall shower and sunken tub.

Author's PortraitBy Kendra Dorosh

Christian Dewitt is a passionate 12-year-old who placed 2nd in the Chief Architect Kitchen/ Bath & Interior Design Contest. He has a natural eye for design that shows through his renderings.

Boy sitting on brick steps.

“My name is Christian Dewitt and I have been designing since I was two. I would draw plans and put families in front of the homes. I have been doing this for ten years now. I helped design our current home in North Carolina about 8 years ago. This experience really helped me increase my knowledge in the construction part of designing a house.

“I found Chief Architect’s Home Designer Software when I was looking for software that could perform the task that I needed to, at a great price, so I could stop having to sketch or draw my designs. I had compared other design software programs like SketchUp and Virtual Architect with Chief Architect Home Designer Software. I found that SketchUp was too pricey at the moment and you couldn’t own it outright. Virtual Architect’s graphics were very pixelated, also it didn’t offer the customization that Chief Architect’s Home Designer did.”

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