Home Design Software Review

Why Home Design Software?

Home Design Software provides a way for you to create beautiful, efficient and personalized home designs that will aid you in the pursuit of your dream home.

When you use home design software, you can do much more than just create basic floor plans. Some of these benefits include: 

  • Customization: Changing dimensions, roof pitches, or the size of cabinets is as easy as a click and a drag. Aesthetic tools allow you to add furniture, appliances, and many other household objects into your design so that you can get a realistic finished product.
  • Landscaping Tools: Landscape designing will become much easier for you as you utilize the plant finders and dictionaries that will help you find the best plants for your area.
  • Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC Planners: Not only will you be able to design your interior, but your designs will become even more detailed as you include the layouts of your plumbing, heating/cooling and power.
  • Viewing Options: In the process of designing your home, you will be able to choose from multiple views that allow you to look at the floor plan, wall structures, or the roof pitching. The 3D and 2D views can be easily changed to suit your needs as you accomplish your tasks.

One of the most appealing characteristics of home design software is that it's simply fun to use. Whether you're designing a home for yourself or are a seasoned general contractor, home design software can make the home design experience a pleasure.

In this site, you’ll find articles on home design and comprehensive reviews to help you make an informed decision on which home design software package is right for you. Our top-rated home design software choices are Home Designer Suite, Home & Landscape Design and Instant Architect.

At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don't Have To.™

What to Look for in a Home Design Software

Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to rank home design software: 

Feature Set
Home design software features should go beyond basic floor plan design and should offer a variety of tools such as real-time walkthroughs and the ability to incorporate plumbing/electrical/HVAC infrastructure. The design tools should be accessible and easy to use even for an inexperienced designer. First-rate home design software offers tools that give maximum design freedom and customization including lighting effects and landscape design.

Ease of Use
A computer novice should be able to install and learn how to use the home design software quickly. The control panel and design tools should be powerful, but intuitive.

Ease of Installation
We looked for home design software that is simple to install and set up, and all-inclusive programs that do not require additional downloads or software to be able to run at full capability.

Help Documentation
With the complex nature of home design, the help support options for home design software should offer clear, step-by-step instructions. The language in help files and tutorials should be simple to understand and well organized, so you can find answers fast.

So whether you're building your first or your thirty-first house, expert home design software will help you do it faster, easier and better than ever before.

Be sure to read our other home design software reviews. If you’re using a Mac, check out our reviews of Mac home design software.

 
 
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Rank #1#2#3#4#5#6#7
   Excellent
   Very Good
   Good
   Fair
   Poor
Home Designer Suite Home & Landscape Design Instant Architect Total 3D Home Design Deluxe HGTV Home Design & Remodeling Design Workshop Classic Fast Plans
Home Designer Suite Home & Landscape Design Instant Architect Total 3D Home Design Deluxe HGTV Home Design & Remodeling Design Workshop Classic Fast Plans
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Lowest Price
Visit Home Designer Suite 2012
$99.99
Visit Home & Landscape Design Premium NexGen3
$79.99
Visit Instant Architect 12
$69.95
Visit Total 3D Home Design Deluxe
$69.95
Visit HGTV Home Design & Remodeling Suite
$79.95
Visit Design Workshop Classic
$64.99
Visit Fast Plans 12
$79.00
Overall Rating
Ratings
Aesthetic Appeal
Features & Tools
Support & Documentation
Ease of Use
 
Features
Imperial & Metric Measurements
2D Design
Object Organizer Database
Enter Precise Dimensions
Editable Home Plans
Exterior Lighting Simulation
 
3D Design
 
3D Walkthrough
 
3D Flyaround (aerial views)
 
Set Camera View Angles
 
Scan & Trace Pictures, Blueprints
 
Interior Lighting Simulation
 
Plant Library
  
Automatic Floorplan Dimensioning
  
Editable Standard Room Templates
  
Landscape Module
  
Cost Estimation
  
Plant Editor
   
3D Cutaway Slider (dollhouse views)
 
  
Wireframe Views
 
  
Hands-On Real Model
     
Automatic Updates
  
  
Create Custom Animations
      
Tools
Materials Paintbrush
  
Custom Roofs & Pitch
  
Roofing Wizard
  
Stair Generator
  
Window & Door Designer
   
Cabinet Designer
   
House Builder Wizard
 
  
Framing Editor
 
  
Kitchen Builder Wizard
 
  
Topography Designer
 
  
Fence Designer
 
  
Custom Material Wizard
 
  
Curved Walls
  
  
Deck Designer
  
  
Fireplace Designer
 
   
Object Libraries
Interior Furniture
Light Fixtures
Windows
 
Appliances
 
Cabinets
 
Bathroom Fixtures
 
Plants
  
Doors
  
Stairs
  
Exterior Furniture
 
Flooring
  
Roofing Materials
  
External Light Fixtures
 
 
Railing
 
  
Ramps
 
  
Import 2D Pictures
 
 
Import 3D Objects
  
 
Import Options
3D Files
  
 
BMP
  
  
JPEG
  
  
2D Files
  
  
PNG
     
TIFF
     
GIF
      
DXF (AutoCAD)  
  
 
WMF  
     
DWG (AutoCAD)  
     
Export Options
Print 2D Image
.BMP
 
2D Files
 
.JPEG
  
Print 3D Image
 
 
3D Files
  
 
.DXF (AutoCAD)
  
 
.WRL (VRML)
   
 
.PNG
    
.TIFF
 
   
.EMF
      
.WMF  
     
.DWG (AutoCAD)  
     
Support/Documentation
FAQ
Manual
Email Support
Phone Support
 
Video Tutorials
 
  
Community Forums
   
 
Supported Configuration:
Windows 7
  
  
Windows Vista
  
Windows XP
Windows 2000   
 
Mac OSX        
Recommended System Specs
Processor (CPU) 2.4 GHz 1.0 GHz 500 MHz Pentium III 500 MHz -- --
Memory (RAM) 2 GB 256 MB 1 GB 256 MB 512 MB -- --
Video Card 256 MB 64 MB 64 MB DX8 Compatible 32 MB -- --
Hard Drive Space 5 GB 3.2 GB 750 MB 1.8 GB 1GB -- --
Resolution 1024x768 1024x768 1024x768 800x600 1024x768 -- 800x600
Upgrades
Architectural Grade Home & Landscape Design Professional Home & Landscape Design Professional   Total 3D Home & Landscape Design Suite 9