ᐅ Which CAD software is best for designing a private home?

Created on: 13 May 2021 12:06
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Schime85
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Schime85
13 May 2021 12:06
Hello dear building community!

I’ve been looking around the forum but unfortunately haven’t found a suitable answer to my question:

Which CAD software would you recommend for designing your own home including the plot of land?

- I’m familiar with CAD software
- I’m willing to invest a reasonable amount
- A balance between user-friendliness and professionalism
- Ability to model terrain with elevation data (sloped site)
- Up-to-date, easy to use, 3D capability

I have 1–2 years for planning and want to draft the design myself using geoinformation and building regulations to see what fits best. If the design eventually meets my standards, I would hand it over to an architect to create a professional model suitable for submission.

I have looked at, for example, "Die Hausplaner" House Planner 3D Master and immocado’s 3D Architect Professional.

What do you think? Alternatives? Suggestions?
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Martial.white
13 May 2021 12:24
I assume you will get two types of answers here. Neither will really help you.

Answer 1:
Don’t limit the architect, who has studied for many semesters, in their creativity. Let them design independently instead of just executing your amateurish draft.

Answer 2:
A first plan on paper without any 3D click-and-play software is completely sufficient at the beginning, and even those are regularly criticized here.
K1300S13 May 2021 12:25
I would ask the architect you prefer what they use and then go with that.
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Schime85
13 May 2021 13:01
Of course, I’m happy to use my architect’s software. AutoCAD, Revit, or Allplan are practically thrown at you at those prices 😀

But seriously, if anyone here knows of or has tried a decent CAD program for around 200€ (about $220) and was fairly satisfied with it, please let me know. Thanks.
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borxx
13 May 2021 13:16
Sketchup offers many possibilities at first, is in my opinion quite user-friendly, and if you are willing to invest the time, it provides a wide range of options. There are seemingly tons of plugins and extensions, as well as many tutorials and pre-made objects.

Yes, professionals might complain since it’s not AutoCAD or similar when it comes to references, but I found it very user-friendly with enough flexibility.

As long as you don’t need exports (.dxf), it is even free.
K1300S13 May 2021 13:17
Schime85 schrieb:

- It can be somewhat expensive
Perhaps you should have mentioned upfront that 200 EUR is the maximum budget.